The Foundation of the AAGL – 2019: A Year of Achievement!
It was a pleasure to see so many of you at this year’s Global Congress in Vancouver!
In early 2019 the Foundation of the AAGL Board of Directors committed to build awareness about the presence and mission of the Foundation and to support that mission by raising $100,000. The Board decided that the mission of the Foundation of the AAGL is to provide opportunities for education, research, technology and global outreach with the ultimate goal of improving women’s health. Our vision is to provide the resources to support this mission by funding teaching, research, global outreach, mentorship and other initiatives that improve the health of women worldwide. We do this by providing teaching grants, financial support to worthy research and creating periodic awards for scientific accomplishments. It is a joy to share with you the progress made in the Foundation of the AAGL this year and we invite you to celebrate with us!
One of our first initiatives in 2019 was to redesign and launch a website. The new website launched in midyear 2019 and we are continuing to make updates that bring you all the information that you need about the work of the Foundation. We also made our presence known throughout Congress by advertising our mission and fundraising campaigns. These efforts were a tremendous success. As word of the Foundation spread, so did your support!
The Foundation of the AAGL Board’s original goal was to raise $100,000. When we exceeded that amount, we set a stretch goal of $150,000. Now we are projected to raise over $165,000 this year! The message is loud and clear, the members of the AAGL believe in the mission of the Foundation and are encouraging us to grow and move forward in our vision and mission!
Donations come into the Foundation through several different avenues. One of these avenues is the exciting work happening within our endowments. Each new endowment is established from donations totaling $25,000. This year, the family of Dr. Leila Adamyan created the new Leila V. Adamyan Innovation in Surgery and Reproductive Medicine Endowment in honor of Dr. Adamyan. This endowment awards individuals whose groundbreaking contributions have had a profound impact on the science, practice, technology, and/or education of gynecology and gynecologic surgery nationally, regionally, or internationally.
I am pleased to announce that the Franklin D. Loffer Endowment has been fully funded in honor of the leadership of Dr. Loffer! The Loffer Endowment recognizes developing leaders within MIGS and provides support to bring a deserving resident to the AAGL’s Annual Global Congress. Additional donations were made to the Hoffman Endowment, Steege Endowment and the Johan van der Wat Endowments. Thank you to CooperSurgical Inc for your tremendous support of the Steege Endowment. The Steege Endowment recognizes outstanding AAGL members who have provided at least ten years of valuable support and mentorship to future generations of MIGS.
In total, 2019 donations to the various endowments provided over $68,000 in donations! Additional donations continue to roll in from our ongoing fundraising to complete the Johan van der Wat Endowment.
Thank you also to our generous industry sponsors for your contributions. Thank you to Olympus America, Inc and to Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, Inc for your financial support of the Golden Laparoscope, Golden Hysteroscope and IRCAD Awards, respectively.
Our Boards of Directors are a competitive bunch! This year, we set a fundraising challenge to kick off our campaign for the Vancouver meeting. Each of the AAGL Boards responded with gusto! The AAGL Board of Directors, Foundation Board of Directors, JMIG Board of Directors, SurgeryU Board of Directors and FMIGS Board of Directors together donated $12,500 to the Foundation!
Thank you to each of you who showed up to support the Foundation Lounge at Congress! Donations for branded apparel, the Liz Wiseman “Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter” Book Sale and the Jump the Line Passes for the book signing generated $8,900. The Foundation’s Silent Auction and donations made directly to the Foundation during the Board’s Smoothie Bar contributed another $5000. Additional strategic fundraising at the annual meeting and Presidential Gala produced $20,000.
We are building momentum and have several exciting fundraising campaigns in development for this coming year! Our 2020 Board President, Dr. Shanti Mohling, has been a tremendous support in her role as Vice President and I know that next year she will take the work of the Foundation to new levels as you all rally behind her!
A very simple way to continue to support the Foundation of the AAGL is through our AmazonSmile Campaign. Simply shop through AmazonSmile and select the Foundation of the AAGL as your charity so that Amazon donates .5% of your eligible purchases to the Foundation of the AAGL.
It is my honor to announce new appointments to the Foundation Board of Directors. The Foundation of the AAGL has appointed Dr. John Sunyecz to the role of Secretary/Treasurer. Dr. Sunyecz has served as a director on the Board for the past two years and will be a wonderful Secretary/Treasurer. The AAGL Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Thomas Lyons to serve a three-year term, beginning January 1, 2020, on the Foundation Board. Dr. Lyons has a wide range of skills and experiences and will be a great addition to the board! Congratulations Dr. Sunyecz and Dr. Lyons!
As I end my tenure as the Foundation President, I would like to thank you for the confidence you have placed in the Foundation. We have accomplished so much over the last few years and it could not have occurred without the support of AAGL Foundation Board of Directors & AAGL Staff. With your continued support, I believe the best days are yet to come.
Thank you to each of you who gave to support the mission of the Foundation of the AAGL over this last year. Together we can make a difference!
