Association of Fundraising Professionals honors UH Supporters
University Hospitals congratulates the recent winning candidates for this year’s Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Cleveland Chapter National Philanthropy Day awards, presented during a virtual ceremony on November 6.
Jill Harrington received the Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer Award. Jill is a member of the UH Cleveland Medical Center board and epitomizes what it means to be an outstanding fundraising volunteer. Over the last decade, she has tirelessly devoted her time and talents to a number of organizations throughout Northeast Ohio. Her work on behalf of UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital is nothing less than extraordinary. From her exhaustive work chairing the hospital’s Ride the Rainbow benefit to her passionate service on the Rainbow Foundation board, Jill’s extensive fundraising efforts have helped improve the lives of our youngest patients and their families.
Deaconess Foundation was recognized with the Foundation Leadership Award. The Foundation and UH formed a close partnership to establish the Pathway Coach Initiative, a program that supports and empowers entry level staff to succeed and advance within the health system. The Pathway Coach program has been an inspiring success – 65% of those who completed the program have secured new roles and promotions at UH – and is only possible because of Deaconess Foundation’s commitment to UH and our shared vision for workforce development.
With a non-profit career spanning nearly 25 years, Ryan Cross was honored with the Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award for consistently redefining the meaning of successful and innovative fundraising in Cleveland. He is a skilled relationship-builder and excels at identifying a donor’s passions and interests and then matching those interests with the needs of the health system. Over the course of his tenure at UH, Ryan has helped inspire more than $200 million in giving to University Hospitals and served as the director of UH’s $1.5 billion Discover the Difference campaign.
Jeffrey and Trisha Cole received this year’s Outstanding Philanthropist Leadership Award. The Cole’s are supporters of pediatric orthopedics at UH Rainbow and the Trisha O’Brien Pavilion on the first floor of UH Rainbow is named in Trisha’s honor.