Best Charity: The Victoria Hospital Foundation

For 35 years, the Victoria Hospital Foundation (VHF) has worked to enhance and upgrade local health care.

It has seen unprecedented success in various fundraising campaigns that have raised millions of dollars for various pieces of equipment and space – like a dialysis unit, the hospital’s first CT Scan and a new neonatal intensive care unit for the most fragile newborns.

The work starts with VHF chief executive officer Sherry Buckler, fund development officer Kirsten Skopyk and office administrator Heather Walker.

“It [VHF] started as a volunteer driven organization back in 1985 and over the years grew into a formal registered charity with three fulltime staff,” said Buckler. “We raise about a million dollars a year for local health care.”

The impressive results of their work have led the foundation to being named ‘Best Local Charity’ in the 2020 Best of the Best (BOB) awards.

“The public plays a big role in our success. We’re only the conduit for healthcare philanthropy,” said Buckler. “We’re simply there to facilitate the changes happening in the hospital through the generosity of our donors and community clubs and local businesses. They are the ones driving local health care through their donations.”

The foundation has had a number of signature events throughout the years including bingo fundraisers and a Festival of Trees. Currently, an internal staff 50/50 throughout the health region, a July golf tournament at Emma Lake, and a gala that honours a community physician are their annual affairs. Their flagship event – the Give a Little Life Day Radiothon which is broadcast on the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group radio network- is their biggest source of income having brought in nearly $7 million since its inception in 2005.

“We’re financially independent,” Buckler explained. “Sometimes people think we are connected to the governing health authority, but we operate independently from all levels of government and the health authority.”

As such, the VHF works hard to adhere to the professional fundraising bodies they belong to. As Buckler explained, they have a huge responsibility to be transparent, accountable and ethical when it comes to the money gifted to them. In addition to being a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, Buckler also received her designation as a Certified Fundraising Executive in 2018.  The designation is an internationally recognized achievement to identify those who have gone the extra mile to confirm their own mastery of fundraising practices.

When there is an announcement from the government about further plans for a new hospital in Prince Albert, Buckler said it will be the VHF leading the fundraising campaign.

“Fundraising for local healthcare is our one and only job, and is what we were born to do since 1985.  And our long history of fundraising for the Victoria Hospital means we’re very excited for a campaign that will likely span a great distance and take some time but will also mean a new hospital for the north,” she said.

The Victoria Hospital Foundation – 2020 BOB award winner for ‘Best Local Charity.’

The VHF can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.