This year, our families, businesses, and communities have experienced tremendous challenges. But, together, we have led tremendous progress. As we take time to look back on our 2020 year in review, we give our deepest thanks to the donors, advocates, friends, and supporters who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our mission.

As we near the end of the year, we reflect on the values that have sustained us. Southwestern Medical Foundation’s Building Standards (Service to Community, Vision of Excellence, Mindful Stewardship, and Best Outcomes) represent the distinguishing traits of our Foundation team and community supporters. Leadership and vision continue to keep our mission vital and growing.

Service to Community: 2020 Year In Review

Celebrating Your Generosity

The Latin inscription on our original seal means “through science we serve” because, in the end, our work is about serving others. The year 2020 made this commitment to service even more apparent. The Foundation responded to needs and took care of our community, and in turn, our community took care of us.

Thanks to the generosity of our community, we raised more than $400,000 on North Texas Giving Day and made the #8 ranking on this year’s leaderboard, our most successful North Texas Giving Day to date. Through our COVID-19 Response Fund, North Texas Giving Tuesday Now, and North Texas Giving Day, our community has invested almost $1 million to support the greatest needs of our physicians, researchers, and medical professionals. This incredible accomplishment is a shining example of how Texans care for and support one another.

We called on our friends to help us spread positivity by sharing messages of encouragement and gratitude to the medical students, doctors, researchers, nurses, and medical professionals at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

In addition to being a sustainable funding source for medical progress, Southwestern Medical Foundation remains committed to providing fact-based information, updates, and resources to our community as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Since 1939, supporting our community’s leading scientists and researchers has been a core part of our mission and remains a key priority in paving the way toward a healthier tomorrow. Our COVID-19 Resources and Updates page continues to provide timely updates from credible sources. UT Southwestern’s Forecasting Model for DFW, which is updated weekly, provides insights into community spread and transmission.

In early 2021, we look forward to releasing our next issue of Perspectives, which will dive deep into the public health challenges faced during the pandemic, and bring perspectives from leading experts on many aspects of the challenges of COVID-19.

Vision of Excellence: 2020 Year In Review

Commending Your Leadership

Despite a year of constant change, our community’s incredible leadership and commitment to excellence remained steady and strong.

In 2020, Southwestern Medical Foundation was evaluated by Charity Navigator through its Encompass Rating System, receiving a 100 out of 100 rating. The Encompass Rating System is a comprehensive evaluation tool that analyzes nonprofit performance based on four key indicators. In July 2020, Charity Navigator released the first indicator, Finance and Accountability, to highlight nonprofit organizations demonstrating fiscal responsibility.

This year, the Foundation also received a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly GuideStar), another leading charity evaluator. This seal represents the highest commitment to financial responsibility and transparency.

These achievements would not have been possible without the support of our donors, friends, advocates, and supporters. Your trust in us is what makes the difference to the communities we serve and allows us to maintain high benchmarking standards.

In October, we held a virtual Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees. During the meeting, we introduced five new Trustees, who all bring a diverse set of skills and talents to the Board.

We also gave our deepest thanks for the service of our Trustees who are transitioning to Honorary status this year.

Mindful Stewardship: 2020 Year In Review

Recognizing Your Resilience

This year, we were impressed and heartened by the many ways in which our community members adapted to a changing environment by being open to new avenues of engagement and connecting with each other virtually. We had the privilege of hosting a total of 27 virtual events and meetings throughout the year.

In May, we hosted an engaging discussion in a virtual Meetings of the Mind session about mental health and resilience with UT Southwestern leaders including Drs. Mark Goldberg, Jennifer L. Hughes, and Ahmad Raza. During our Meetings of the Mind webinar, Drs. Goldberg, Hughes, and Raza discussed the challenges our society is facing while coping with the anxiety and uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as strategies to overcome those challenges.

In November, we celebrated 25 years of impact led by our Heritage Society members. The Heritage Society honors and recognizes donors who have included the Foundation or the Medical Center in their estate plans. In a special virtual event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Heritage Society, William T. (Bill) Solomon, a Charter Member of The Heritage Society and former Chairman of the Foundation, provided his reflections and led a discussion with Dr. William T. Dauer, Inaugural Director of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.

In 2020, the Cary Council celebrated its five-year anniversary and welcomed new leadership. In September, the Cary Council held a virtual fall celebration to provide updates from previous grant awardees, introduce this year’s grant awardees, and share a fun video of Steering Committee Member Grafton Ifill “passing the torch” as Michael Kahn transferred his Chair position to Amanda George.  Under her enthusiastic leadership, we have no doubt that the Cary Council will continue inspiring the next generation of community leaders to invest in the medical progress we all seek to achieve.

To date, the Cary Council has awarded nine grants totaling $450,000. Their grant awardees have subsequently leveraged this seed-funding to secure an additional $6.8 million in grant support.

Best Outcomes: 2020 Year In Review

Applauding Your Vision

As we look ahead to the year 2021, we are filled with optimism and remain inspired by our leaders’ vision for a healthier tomorrow. Above all, what shines through the darkness is our community’s ability to support, motivate, and instill hope in others.

We congratulated this year’s Ho Din Award winner, Priyanka Gaur, M.D., M.P.H., a dedicated physician and passionate advocate for public health. Dr. Gaur is now completing her obstetrics and gynecology residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Gaur and Richard E. Hoffman, M.D., M.P.H., continue to serve as leaders in public health with voices that help educate and encourage us to support one another as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on.

We watched as our partners and friends joined in a tremendous effort to spread their messages of hope and inspiration through our “In This Together” video series. We are grateful for those who continue to support this online movement by sharing the significance of being “in this together” today and always.

Our community’s support, combined with the expertise of leading physicians, researchers, and scientists, has led to remarkable strides in public health. As we look ahead to the New Year, we take a moment to reflect on the inspiring stories of generous hearts and brilliant minds who shaped this year. Together, we progress.