There is a new person at the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation fundraising desk.
Becky Conly has assumed the role of director of the foundation's money raising and public awareness as of July 15 and four days into the job, was already finding the task interesting and rewarding.
"The main mandate is to advance awareness, what the foundation does and where it fits into the St. Joseph's Hospital plans and where the money will go. And, of course, the objective is to help keep the hospital running in terms of meeting the needs for capital equipment," she said.
It was too early on in the new mandate to set a fundraising target for the remainder of 2013, but the ideas for fundraising and promotions have already begun to spring forward.
The position has gone unfilled for approximately three months, following the resignation of former foundation manager Roxy Blackmore, but Conly said she feels confident she'll be able to provide continuity to the program since the office still had been able to rely on the services of the foundation's accountant, Colleen Renard, to keep things in order in the interim.
"We're considering all kinds of fundraising options right now. We're looking at things like an agriculture or home lottery or some other avenues. Everything is in the idea stages right now. The board of directors will provide some direction," she said.
The foundation will be unveiling a new brand soon and will be fully exploring social media avenues for more public outreach opportunities, along with traditional media contacts. There will also be a renewal of contacts with Estevan and area schools as well as service clubs and other community-based teams such as the Estevan Bruins, who she Conly familiar with, having served that team as operations and marketing manager for nearly six years prior to this recent appointment.
Her first line of communication with the hospital itself will be with executive director Greg Hoffort, who will help with the establishment of fundraising goals and what will be needed by the hospital as outlined by the board of directors.
"There is the need to reduce the mortgage on the adjoining clinic, for instance, and there will be the all important CT scanner that we're all waiting for. Those are two important items right there that we know of up front," Conly said.
The sphere of influence for the St. Joe's Foundation will be far-reaching and won't be limited to the city of Estevan. There are surrounding rural municipalities that already support the institution, and as she pointed out, "wherever it is needed and whomever receives health care services that's our area of interest," she said.
"The priorities for the foundation will be itemized soon, I'm sure, as I move forward on the job," she said.
