The past year has been one that few of us will forget. We have all lived through challenges, changes and difficult times. But within these shared moments of hardship have been instances where optimism and hope have shone through. It is these moments we reflect on when we look back on this past year, because it is these moments that highlight Sinai Health Foundation’s community and the spirit it embodies.

That community is you — our donors, our supporters, our volunteers and our staff. You and your support have been extraordinary. You have shown kindness, compassion and generosity during these difficult times. You have made the work Sinai Health Foundation does possible — and indeed, enabled us to surpass our fundraising goal for this last year. Thank you for all that you do for Sinai Health.

Looking back on 2021, many moments stand out as ones we want to celebrate and share. The first is the series of major gifts Sinai Health Foundation was privileged to receive. Each of these gifts was significant not just for the relationship with our donors, but because of the impact they will have on patients and families.

In October 2021, Sinai Health received the largest single philanthropic donation in its history, when Jay and Barbara Hennick gifted $36 million. In recognition of the significance of this gift and the potential it helps us unlock, we proudly renamed Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital, a jewel in our health-care system.

In December 2021, we announced the establishment of the first hospital-based Centre for Nursing Excellence thanks to a $10 million gift from a group of women philanthropists. The Centre will focus on nurse-led research and innovation that will advance and accelerate the science of care.

In February 2022, we announced a $15 million donation from Peter and Shelagh Godsoe, ensuring that the future of geriatric care lives at Sinai Health. From changing the way emergency departments treat older adults to increasing opportunities for training, innovation and expanding capacity, this gift will ensure that older Canadians have the specialized and compassionate care they need and deserve.

We were also honoured to receive gifts from John and Merrilyn Driscoll, the Ganz Family Foundation and many other generous donors this past year. You can read more about the important and lasting impact of these gifts in the pages of this report.

On top of these exceptional moments were other initiatives that served important purposes for Sinai Health Foundation. Our Sinai Live Town Halls continue to play a vital role in delivering up-to-date information from reliable sources during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Each session, provided free to the public, presents an interactive, virtual panel discussion with Sinai Health experts.

In 2021, Sinai Health Foundation hosted seven Sinai Live Town Halls, and the average number of registrants was 1,628, with over 600 people (on average) watching the recordings after the fact. We continue to receive positive feedback on our Sinai Live Town Halls and are carrying the series into 2022.

Another example of how you — our community — stepped up to offer your support was when the Omicron variant began surging in January. It was a difficult time for us all; hospitalizations were rising, restrictions were reintroduced and our collective capacity to be optimistic about the future felt challenged. At Sinai Health Foundation, we looked to our constant source of inspiration: our health-care heroes. We saw them continue to look after our well-being, to deliver world-class patient care and to rise to the challenge. In response, we relaunched our Sinai Health Urgent Response Fund (SHURF). By February we had raised over $1 million — because of you. From iPads, so critically ill patients could connect with their family and friends, to free cups of coffee for exhausted health-care heroes, your generosity once again made a difference. On behalf of everyone at Sinai Health Foundation, thank you very much. We are so grateful for your support.

If there is one lesson we have learned from these pandemic years, it is never to undervalue relationships and connections. The support we receive from the people in our lives can make the impossible, possible. We are reminded of this in every conversation we have with our donors and supporters. And we are reminded of this when we look to our colleagues and our Board of Directors — these teams embody our culture every single day. It is truly a privilege to work alongside them on behalf of Sinai Health.

As we look towards the future, we see Mount Sinai Hospital’s 100th anniversary in October 2023. And with this, we see an opportunity. As a hospital built on the generosity of its visionary founders, this centennial anniversary is a milestone of success, a celebration of all that our community has done, and a recognition of our ambition and goals moving forward. But also, it is a moment for thanks: to you, our community, for all that you have made possible for us. We cannot wait to celebrate with you.

Sincerely,

Maxine Granovsky Gluskin
Co-Chair, Board of Directors
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Richard Pilosof
Co-Chair, Board of Directors

Louis de Melo
Chief Executive Officer