Philanthropy Newsletter

Philanthropy is an act of belief. It reflects confidence in the future and a commitment to shaping that future with purpose. At the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL), we are grateful to have a community that understands the power of giving and the impact it makes on lives every single day.

Our mission is strengthened by people who see the importance of investing in care, education, innovation, and support. Every gift, regardless of size, advances our ability to deliver excellence, respond to emerging needs, and create opportunities that would not exist otherwise.

Right now, our organization is focused on initiatives that move us forward in meaningful ways. We are developing leaders. We are expanding access. We are improving the experience of those we serve. These priorities are achievable only through the generosity of dedicated partners like you.

Together, we amplify hope, drive transformation, and ensure that our mission remains strong into the future. Your contribution is an investment in people, possibility, and progress.

Thank you for your commitment to the Culture of Generosity. We are honored to have your trust and support.

With gratitude,

Kimberly C. Long, DHA, MSN, FNP, RN, FACHE

Chief Executive Officer

Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL)

• Leadership Education: Donate to support continued education for nurses in leadership positions
• Emerging Nurse Leaders Coaching: Contribute to enhancing leadership skills of nurse leaders throughout California
• Nurse Leadership Research and Innovation: Help fund new and innovative nursing interventions to support the health of your community
• Healthcare Workforce for the Future: Support efforts to increase the pipeline of incoming nursing professionals
• Legislative Influence: Support nurse professional expertise in development of nursing and health policy
• Grow Next Generation of Leaders: Donate to prepare the next group of nurse leaders
• Nurse Support Emergency Fund: Provide immediate financial assistance to ACNL Registered Nurses who face unforeseen emergencies that affect their personal or professional lives

In January of this year, wildfires ravaged Southern California, killing at least 30 people and forcing more than 200,000 to evacuate. Thousands lost their homes and businesses in the fires. ACNL developed the Nurse Support Emergency Fund to help our nurse colleagues who were impacted by the fires. Several registered nurses were impacted by the fires, some losing their homes. ACNL

developed the Nurse Support Emergency Fund to provide support to our nurse

colleagues during this challenging time and forward. We also recognize that other

unfortunate events may occur, so we have extended the focus to provide funds for

ongoing support when disasters occur that impact the nursing professionals in California

who are members of ACNL.

The purpose of the ACNL Nurse Support Emergency Fund (NSEF) is to provide

immediate financial support to ACNL members who face unforeseen

emergencies that affect their personal or professional lives. ACNL has developed a

team of nursing professionals to guide the use of the funds to ensure that Registered

Nurses in need have access to resources to support them during challenging times,

promoting the well-being of healthcare professionals who provide much needed care to

others.

The team is a subgroup of the Philanthropy Subcommittee of the Board and is chaired

by Dr. Mary Kay Shibley and Dr. Bob Patterson and is supported by the ACNL CEO, Dr.

Kimberly Long. To date funds have been awarded to registered nurses who were

impacted by the Southern California fires. Additional funds are available to provide

subsidies for hotel accommodations and scrubs for work. We thank our donors for their

generosity, and we are honored to be able to support our nurse colleagues in this

manner.

Thank you for engaging with the Circles of Giving table at the Annual Conference! We were able to raise $19,875.00 at the Annual Conference. We could not have done it without your support and dedication to Circles of Giving.

• 80% of ACNL scholarship recipients are now actively involved in professional organizations
• 70% are advancing their nursing degrees
• 50% have published

We have currently raised $41,692! Contributing to Circles of Giving gives members an opportunity to “Pay it Forward” and to collectively embrace ACNL’s Culture of Generosity.

Philanthropy has been a core part of ACNL for over 20 years. ACNL has focused on providing scholarships to aid emerging nurse leaders in enhancing their skills in leadership and increase their contribution to health care oversight. Initially, funds were raised through the sale of raffle tickets and small donations from interested ACNL members and seasoned nurse leaders.

During the first stages of our philanthropy efforts, ACNL partnered with the California Masonic

Foundation, offering many opportunities for nurse leaders to advance their education and

professional development.

The Claire V. Cunningham Masonic Scholarship Fund awarded five scholarships in 2010 for

emerging nurse leaders to attend ACNL’s Foundation for Leadership Excellence program, as

well as a two-year academic scholarship. In 2011, the California Masonic Foundation unveiled a

new scholarship opportunity, entitled By Your Side, to help ACNL members in obtaining

oncology certification.

ACNL also administered the Victor Schimmel Scholarship Fund, awarded by the Camden Group, as well as and the Barbara Brantley Scholarship, sponsored by Catalyst Systems in memory of Barbara Brantley, an ACNL member and founding partner in Catalyst.

Building upon the existing efforts, in 2016, the Circles of Giving Philanthropy Project re-

invigorated. This effort further formalized the philanthropy efforts, positioned the project for

future growth, and enhanced scholarship support. Donations continued over the years with

annual scholarship awards ranging from $15,000 to $ 27,500 dollars.

Between 2021 and 2024, added infrastructure for the growth of ACNL’s philanthropy project

was further enhanced which included the commission of the Philanthropy Subcommittee of the

Board, to oversee the philanthropic efforts; revised donation tracking to ensure funds were

captured and monitored appropriately, development and implementation of a comprehensive

communications and marketing program to bring to awareness the successes realized through

the donation from our nurse leaders to support the growth and professional development of our

nurse colleagues. ACNL is currently implementing a donor database to better track donations

and provide more detailed information and support for our valued donors.

We continue to see increased investment and commitment of our donors, and we invite you to

join us in our Culture of Generosity and make an investment in the Circles of Giving.

The ACNL Philanthropy Subcommittee of the Board assist with the procurement activities to be used for education scholarships, sponsorships of seminars, workshops, courses and series.

ACNL Philanthropy Subcommittee of the Board members:

Mary Lopez (Chair)

Sue Acquisto (Co-Chair)

Deloras Jones

Michelle Goldbach

Jami de Santiago

Mary Kay Shibley

Jeffery Hudson-Covolo

Steve Garcia

Paulina Van

Lisa Duncan

Ben Farber

Ali Tayyeb

Enna Trevathan

Kimberly Long (ACNL, CEO)

Mariah Gillam (Project Coordinator, ACNL)

From the left to right: Mary Lopez, Sue Acquisto, Lisa Duncan (bottom), Ben Farber, Michelle Goldbach (bottom), and Mary Kay Shibley

Grab your coffee and set a timer to 1 minute! That is how long it will take you to make a gift to support emerging nurse leaders like me.

Contributing to Circles of Giving gives members an opportunity to “Pay it Forward” and fulfill our responsibility to develop the next generation of nurse leaders.

Circles of Giving is part of ACNL’s 501(c)(3) and all donations are tax deductible.

If you would like to be included in the next newsletter, tell us what is new in your career, family, how you benefitted from a scholarship from ACNL, and other life events.

Please send an email to cog@acnl.org for your chance to be featured.

Created by Mariah Gillam, BA - ACNL Project Coordinator

Email: info@acnl.org
Website: https://www.acnl.org/
Location: 180 Promenade Circle suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95834, USA
Phone: 916-779-6949