SPRING 2026

Known both locally and nationally for excellent patient care, advanced technology, innovation and exceptional clinicians, Sarasota Memorial is stronger than ever. We can point to moments of extraordinary care—lives saved, diagnoses made earlier, families given more time together. But behind every one of those moments is something less visible and far more fragile for a community hospital: the ability to plan for the future.

An Endowment Is How a Hospital Protects Its Future
We’ve all seen changes in our own community: new diseases, new technologies, new financial pressures and a population that is expanding rapidly. While annual gifts are vital to the success of SMH, what will healthcare look like here five, 10, 50 years from now—and will we be on the cutting edge?

Endowments are the answer. An endowed fund allows individuals and families to put their values permanently into motion. It ensures that what they care about continues forever, long after any single campaign or building project concludes. Funds can be purpose-specific or flexible and are usually created to honor a loved one, a caregiver or a personal healthcare situation. Creating an endowed fund is often a meaningful way to turn gratitude or loss into hope for others. The impact continues quietly and intentionally, funding progress when circumstances are uncertain and needs are greatest.

“Healthcare is always changing. New challenges emerge, technologies advance and the needs of our growing community shift,” says Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation president Stacey Corley. “Endowments are critical because they create stability and ensure that our incredible health system will be here for patients—not just today, but always.”

Giving With the Long View in Mind
Creating a named endowed fund is meaningful for those who want to give the hospital the freedom to plan, to innovate and to lead—year after year. It provides an impactful legacy that is a reliable, permanent source of support that the hospital can count on. Endowments also provide leaders with the confidence to recruit top-tier talent, to pilot new models of care, to invest in ideas before they are proven—because someone believed in the future enough to fund it.

“An endowment also allows donors to make a long-term investment in what they care about most and gives them the reassurance that their gift will be carefully stewarded,” says Eric Spiegel, chair, Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation Finance and Investment Committee. “For those who believe SMH should never have to choose between excellence and sustainability, there is no more powerful investment.”

For 100 years, philanthropy has helped SMH evolve into a trusted, innovative leader in healthcare. For more information on how you can create a named endowment for your area of interest and to ensure the future of healthcare in our community, please call 941-917-1286.

Read the stories of a few donors whose endowment gifts reflect a deep commitment to the future of healthcare at SMH: