Role of Port Perry Hospital Foundation in the funding ecosystem
Port Perry Hospital Foundation is the charitable foundation dedicated to supporting Lakeridge Health’s Port Perry Hospital in Ontario. Established in 1979, its core role is to raise and steward philanthropic funds and then grant them back to the hospital to purchase essential medical equipment, diagnostic technology and other patient care enhancements that are not fully covered by provincial healthcare funding. The foundation emphasizes that every donation stays in the local community, directly supporting Port Perry Hospital.
Through community giving, special events and campaigns, the foundation has directed nearly $5 million in grants to the hospital in recent years. These grants have funded a wide range of capital and equipment needs across departments, including diagnostic imaging, the emergency department, surgical services, the laboratory, the New Life Centre and hospital-wide equipment such as defibrillators and AEDs.
Key funding priorities and types of support
- Diagnostic imaging and technology: A flagship initiative was the “Here for You” $4 million campaign to bring a CT scanner to Port Perry Hospital for the first time, along with related imaging equipment such as updated ultrasound units with echocardiogram capability and vital signs monitors.
- Emergency and critical care equipment: Donor-funded grants have enabled the purchase of patient monitoring systems, trauma lights, transport ventilators, GlideScopes, cardiac telemetry packs and other tools that improve response to urgent and emergent cases.
- Surgical and inpatient care: The foundation has supported equipment like CMAC video laryngoscopy systems, laparoscopic towers, portable ultrasound units, CADD infusion pumps, bladder scanners and bedside monitors that enhance safety and outcomes in surgery and on inpatient units.
- Maternity and newborn care: In the New Life Centre, donor support has funded adjustable bassinets, sleep chairs for partners and phototherapy systems for babies with jaundice, improving comfort and clinical care for families.
- Laboratory and hospital-wide needs: Grants have purchased equipment such as plasma thaw baths, specialized centrifuges, urinalysis systems and manual defibrillators, as well as AEDs across the site, ensuring high-quality diagnostics and rapid emergency response throughout the hospital.
Donor engagement, recognition and impact
The foundation offers many ways to give, including monthly giving, legacy and planned gifts, community events and tribute giving through programs like the Circle of Gratitude, which allows donors to honour specific caregivers or teams. The “Celebrating Your Support” and Circle of Gratitude gallery pages highlight individuals, businesses, service clubs and municipalities whose contributions have directly funded equipment purchases and hospital projects, underlining the tangible impact of each gift.
Guided by a volunteer Board of Directors and aligned with the Donor Bill of Rights and the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Code of Ethics, Port Perry Hospital Foundation stresses accountability, privacy and best practices in fundraising. Its overall mission is to ensure that residents of Scugog, North Durham and surrounding communities have access to excellent care close to home by maintaining a reliable stream of philanthropic funding for high-priority hospital needs.