Saratoga Hospital/Saratoga Care Foundation
Saratoga Springs, New York
www.saratogahospital.org

It had never been done before. In a community synonymous with wealth and the philanthropic spirit, it was believed that no not-for-profit organization within Saratoga Springs had ever attempted a true capital campaign appealing to the local community. Golf tournaments, galas, auctions and other assorted benefits have long dotted the summer calendar, associated with the racing season at historic Saratoga Race Track.

So, many Saratogians were skeptical when Saratoga Hospital embarked on a campaign planning study and capital campaign to raise funds in support of its new Same-Day Surgery Center. Ghiorsi & Sorrenti, Inc. conducted the study and was engaged to plan, organize, and direct the $3.5 million campaign in support of the $6.5 million project.

With Charles Wait, President of the Adirondack Trust Company, leading the effort as the Campaign Chairman and socialite Marylou Whitney as Honorary Chairwoman, the first capital campaign in hospital history – titled Face of the Future – raised $3.9 million. GSI’s Chris O’Connor, then Account Executive, directed the campaign.  Terry Lee, Executive Director of the Saratoga Care Foundation, commented in a written correspondence “you [GSI] not only met expectations but exceeded them…this has been the finest collaborative experience in my twenty-year fund raising career.”

And they weren’t finished.  Two years later, Saratoga Hospital was at it again – this time raising capital to support its new Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. Making this campaign all the more challenging was the fact that many donors from the previous effort were still mid-stream in their pledge payments.

Undaunted by this dilemma, the Hospital forged ahead to capitalize on the opportunity to provide this crucial cardiac service to the residents and visitors of Saratoga County. Michael Toohey, partner of the Saratoga Springs based law firm Snyder, Hinckley & Toohey, served as Campaign Chairman while Marylou Whitney once again served as the Honorary Chairwoman.  Directed by Chris O’Connor, this new campaign was able to overcome the hurdle of donor fatigue by finding sources of wealth in new pockets never before tapped by the hospital. The $1.8 million raised against a goal of $1.5 million marked a second consecutive successful campaign for Saratoga Hospital.

And they still weren’t finished. Building on the success of the previous two campaign initiatives, the Foundation was charged with raising funds in support of the hospital’s $75 million strategic plan.  GSI concluded that a minimum of $10 million could be raised through a multi-year campaign to support the largest building and expansion project in hospital history. The Heart of Our Community campaign assembled perhaps the strongest campaign leadership in Saratoga history with Charles Wait serving as Campaign Chairman, and John Hedbring, President & CEO of The Fort Miller Group, and Linda Toohey, Vice President of the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce serving as campaign vice-chairs.  The result? An astounding $13.1 million raised.