The ASTS Foundation now recognizes giving based on annual giving as well as lifetime giving. The two lifetime giving levels are: The President’s Club ($10,000+) and the Starzl Club ($25,000+). There are 22 members of the President’s Club, and 8 members of the Starzl Club!
Many of you know what the Society means to you, but what about the Foundation? Below are featured stories from our inaugural President's Club and Starzl Club members, so you can learn more about their perspectives and personal connection with the ASTS Foundation. We hope you will be inspired to join your colleagues and share your story too!
I am truly honored to have been appointed as the ASTS Foundation’s new Board Chair. This is time for changes within the Foundation, and I am excited to help pave a new path.
Over the past 18 months, the ASTS leadership has been working on a revised strategic direction for the ASTS Foundation. With an emphasis on growing our culture of philanthropy and the need for dedicated efforts in fundraising, the ASTS Foundation Board of Directors recently voted to approve a new, 12-person board responsible for and focused on the goal of raising money to fund the Society’s critical programs and initiatives. Seven members of the Board currently serve on the ASTS Council, and 5 of us have been selected as independent, at-large members. I am joined by my esteemed colleagues Dr. Ginny Bumgardner as the Vice-Chair and Drs. Ron Busuttil, Goran Klintmalm, and Tom Peters. The ex officio members from the ASTS Council are Drs. Dixon Kaufman, Lloyd Ratner, Will Chapman, Osama Gaber, Wendy Grant, Alan Reed, and Julie Heimbach.
As the inaugural Chair, I want to identify the best way for the Foundation to support the efforts of the Society and put the money that is so generously donated from our members and colleagues to good use. In 2018, the ASTS Foundation committed to $350,000 in research grant funding, and with the support of our industry partners we awarded $575,000 in grants this year. These types of initiatives are critical to the ASTS mission, and we will continue to explore the best ways to deploy our resources.
In October, the new Board will meet for the first time and we will embark on this new journey. Although the agenda has not been set, I hope that we will establish new goals for the Foundation and continue to identify programs and initiatives we should be supporting. I am encouraged by the success of our past, and I am enthusiastic about our future.
If you haven’t already joined our culture of philanthropy, please consider joining me and many of your peers! All contributions received help fund activities within the ASTS. Visit ASTSfoundation.org to learn more.