Erlanger Foundation helped raise more than $4.7 million to support programs at Chattanooga's biggest hospital in the past year, up from the $3.6 million raised in each of the previous two years.
Last year was the highest earning year in the foundation's history outside of a capital campaign and came as Erlanger Health System transitions to an independent nonprofit organization.
Erlanger officials said the record year for fundraising was aided by special events and programs like the Children's Miracle Network telethon, but the largest donor base came from Erlanger's own employees. More than 30% of Erlanger's 6,700 employees give to the foundation, according to the hospital. The donor base also includes individuals who repeatedly contribute over the years through direct mail, online giving and fundraisers.
"The foundation's record revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, is the byproduct of its staff, the foundation board and numerous volunteers raising awareness of the essential role Erlanger plays in our community as the only medical facility in Chattanooga and the surrounding region to offer around the clock comprehensive array of critical care services," Less Lee, the CEO of Lee-Smith Inc. and chair of the Erlanger Foundation board, said in a statement about the yearly results.
Items funded and made possible by major gifts from generous donors include $1.6 million for two pediatric critical care transport vehicles, $335,000 toward an ion navigational system used to perform lung cancer biopsies and $300,000 for six neonatal intensive care unit incubators, according to a news release. Funding was also completed for a $7 million pediatric MRI and procedure space, a $490,000 renovation for the pediatric intensive care unit and a $250,000 pediatric rooftop play and therapy area.
Special fundraising events hosted by the foundation, such as the Believe Bash and the Children's Classic Golf Tournament, raised more than $1.1 million in the past year. Programs like Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and corporate partnerships raised almost $900,000 for Children's Hospital at Erlanger, according to the release.
"For those of us working in the foundation, it is most gratifying to see how this community supports Erlanger philanthropically and witness the impact of that generosity firsthand," Julie Taylor, president and chief development officer of the foundation, said in the release.
— Compiled by Dave Flessner
Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Julie Taylor, president and chief development officer for the Erlanger Foundation, speaks during the ribbon-cutting for the pediatric intensive care unit renovation at the Childrens Hospital at Erlanger on June 12.