In the high-stakes world of healthcare philanthropy, few opportunities offer the chance to build a legacy from the ground up. Lions Gate Hospital Foundation (LGHF)—a small but mighty team responsible for massive capital campaigns like the $127 million Paul Myers Tower—is creating a Director of Philanthropy role. This isn’t just a job; it’s an opportunity to shape the future of major gift fundraising and transform patient care for the entire North Shore community.
In an exclusive interview, LGHF President and CEO Judy Savage shares why now is the time for this new role, how a $25 donor once became a $10 million one, and what it takes to join a culture built on unwavering trust, transparency, and a shared passion for making a tangible difference.
Are you ready to broker transformational gifts, lead a program with a proven track record, and work alongside one of the most respected leaders in Canadian philanthropy? Tune in for the insights you need to know about this rare and compelling leadership opportunity.
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Listen to the podcast here
Lions Gate Hospital Foundation With Judy Savage, CEO
I have the distinct pleasure of speaking with Judy Savage. Judy is the President and the CEO of the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation.
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Welcome, Judy.
Thank you very much. Good to be here.
I’m looking forward to speaking with you. We’re going to be speaking about a newly created role, the Director of Philanthropy, who has some very exciting responsibilities at the foundation, working very closely with you, your donor partners, and your staff partners. Lots to take in and lots to talk about. I’m excited about this opportunity. I’m looking forward to chatting with you. Judy, I’ll ask you to say a few words. Maybe you can talk a little bit about yourself. What has brought you to the foundation? How long have you been there? What does your role entail? How would you describe what you do?
Judy Savage’s Background & Connection To Lions Gate Hospital
Thanks. As you say, I’m the President and CEO of the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation. It’s a role that I’ve had for 24 years. I can’t believe it. That speaks to how much I love my job because I truly do love what I do. I have been a resident of the North Shore for 34 years. Lions Gate Hospital is located in North Vancouver. I live here with my husband. Our two daughters have flown the nest.
Lions Gate Hospital has always been very close to my heart. I had my second daughter here. My family has used the hospital extensively. Myself, my husband, and my parents. In fact, my father passed away in our hospice a couple of years ago. I have a personal connection to the hospital. I’m very proud of Lions Gate, and I’m sure we’ll get more into that in a little bit. I’m passionate about my work, and I love my role, but I’m equally as passionate about how I spend my time outside of work. I love biking, hiking, and ocean swimming all year round. I love the fiber arts. I’m an avid and passionate knitter. I also learned to play mahjong not long ago. That’s a little bundle about me.
I saw that in your bio. You and I have never spoken about your ocean swimming. I’m keen to learn more about that. If I were a braver person, I would do that. Kudos to you for doing that. That’s fantastic. I appreciate you sharing your personal stories and your personal journey, for that matter. I know so many of your donors and your community members have that close connection.
Many people have those long tenures on the North Shore. Maybe there are some shorter-term residents, some newer people, down the North Shore as well. Anyone who has been by the hospital will have seen the new tower, the new building, the new activities, and things like that. You’ve achieved so much in your tenure there. If you could try to give a few highlights or a few things that you’re particularly proud of in your tenure at the hospital and the foundation, what do you think you’d highlight?
Major Campaigns & Donor Relationship Philosophy
I would start by talking about what I’m proudest of is our small but mighty team. We have grown our donor program, and notably with unwavering commitment to exceptional stewardship. By treating every donor well with care and respect, we’ve built lasting relationships that have enabled a series of very highly successful campaigns. All of which we have done. Even with our $100 million campaign, we did it in under eighteen months. We’ve earned the trust and confidence of our community.
Lions Gate Hospital Foundation: By treating every donor with care and respect, we’ve built lasting relationships that have enabled a series of highly successful campaigns.
Our first big capital campaign, or I should say mine, was a $20 million campaign to improve our emergency department. That led to building the North Shore’s first freestanding hospice, which is located a block from the hospital on land that we own. We built the Hope Centre, which is our mental health facility. Our largest campaign, which is our Paul Myers Tower, for which we raised $127 million. I’m excited because we’re coming up to the first anniversary of the opening of the tower on March 9th, 2026.
Congratulations.
In fact, I’m sitting in our new tower recording this. It’s hard to believe. It didn’t happen overnight. There was a series of campaigns that led up to this. I am very proud. It is our crowning achievement, our new Paul Myers Tower. I would also say that building this tower has opened up new opportunities. We’re expanding our oncology clinic. That’s a campaign for which we raised $24 million. We’re focusing on renovating our South tower.
There are a lot of achievements, and they are all very tangible. I see them every day when I come to work. Outside of our capital improvements, two of our investments have also been around surgical robots. With our new tower, we have new operating rooms, and they’re large enough to accommodate these robots. We have the second neurosurgery robot in Canada. Our DaVinci surgical system for general surgery went into operation.
It’s brilliant that you can be a national leader where you are and the communities that you’re serving, having such high-level and innovative care, quality care, and humane care as well, for that matter. I want to come back to that because I love that you’ve put the team first in your highlights, because it speaks to culture. It speaks to care. It speaks to looking after your people.
You talked about earning the trust and confidence of your donors. Maybe you can talk a little bit more about that. How exactly do you go about that? What is it you try to achieve? What do you focus on amongst yourself, your board members, and the staff? How do you develop that with your donors? It’s such a rare and valued relationship to have.
My mantra is that communication is key. My family will tell you that as well. Having transparent communication and good quality communication with donors and building those authentic relationships is so important. We built those relationships with every donor. Often, the focus is on the major gift prospects or the high-level donors. I can give you many stories of people who have started off as a $25, $50, or $100 donor. Over time, through building a personal relationship, thank you phone calls, inviting donors to come in, and having receptions, you deepen those relationships.
Communication is key. Having transparent, high-quality communication with donors and building authentic relationships is incredibly important. Share on XI like to share one particular story that immediately comes to mind because this happened not long ago. There’s a gentleman who came into a lot of money with several million dollars through a bequest. He came to meet with me to give a close to a million gift. I said to this gentleman, “There are so many organizations that you could have given this money to. Why did you choose Lions Gate?” He said, “I’ve never forgotten getting a thank-you phone call for my $25 donation.” That’s why we do this. We treat every donor well.
When I also think about our capital campaign for the Paul Meyers Tower, I took a look at the donors who gave over $100,000. The analysis is 80% of those people, their very first donation to the foundation was under $1,000. In fact, even our $25 million Paul Myers, his first donation to the foundation was $100. I have seen it many times. We have a lot of buried treasure in our database. We have a philosophy of treating every donor well. That means reaching out to them with the phone to say thank you. In addition to the other things, like providing them with the receipt promptly.
It is a challenge, particularly with online giving. The other thing I will say, too, is that I hand-sign every thank-you letter that leaves our office. Over the years, those huge batches of letters have gone down because of online giving when they get their receipts, but we still find a way to connect with those donors individually. Even for $1,000 gifts, we’re still sending them a personal note in the mail.
Those expressions of gratitude and that expression of impact are so important, aren’t they? People are giving what they can at whatever level. People talk a lot about test gifts, exploratory gifts, and things like that, but when it gets down to it, it’s people showing compassion and care. Sometimes in tribute. Sometimes, it is a positive or a not-so-positive experience that hospital people have had, but ultimately, it’s so gratifying. That’s wonderful. Before we pivot to the director role specifically, I still want to stay on the theme of staff and culture. What’s the working environment like? What is the culture you want to create among your team members and your staff?
Our office environment reflects this openness and positivity that we have on our team. We’re supported by a wonderful group of dedicated volunteers who serve as our front office receptionists. They bring warmth and energy to the space. You’ve been to our offices. They’re very bright. They’re filled with natural daylight. They’re conveniently located off the main lobby of the hallway that runs through Lions Gate Hospital.
We also have a satellite office in the Paul Myers Tower. Beyond our immediate team, our sense of community also extends to the board, our twelve volunteer committees, and, importantly, our donors. Together, we’re creating a supportive, engaged network that makes work at the foundation not just a job, but a shared passion.
I’m glad you brought up the board.
If I can also just add. It has been over six years since we’ve gone out on a search. The last position we filled was our director of gift planning. We have an incredibly low turnover in our office. In fact, of our 11 employees, 7 of us have worked at the foundation for over ten years. That is quite unique.
In the search space, as you can appreciate, lots of people are thinking about short turnovers. They look at CVs and think it’s a few years here and there. The reputation of the sector can sometimes be of shorter roles, for that matter, but you’re clearly the exception. You appreciate the drive, compassion, and dedication that you and your team have to your roles and the great culture that you have.
I’m glad you brought up the board, for that matter. I’ve spoken to a few board members, and that culture is pervasive with them as well. They’re all donors. They’re all supportive of you and the team. They themselves feel that passion and connection. They are fundamentally doing great community work, too. It’s quite compelling and exciting. Let’s pivot to the director role then. This is a new role. Why this role? Why now? What were you thinking about when you thought about creating this role?
New Director Of Philanthropy Role
It often surprises people who are in fundraising. Apart from me, we don’t have a major gift person or somebody who is solely dedicated to major gifts. I have to say it’s truly the part of my role that I love the most along with donor stewardship. The time has come when adding this expertise to our team will make a difference.
With the gap widening between what our healthcare teams need to deliver exceptional care and the constraints of government budgets, the role of our foundation is only set to grow. We have a master plan that’s nearing completion, and I expect that there are going to be several large-scale capital projects coming down the pipeline. This represents an exciting and rare opportunity for somebody who’s passionate about healthcare, who has a proven track record in cultivating and securing major and transformational gifts, and who’s keen to join our eleven-member team.
Lions Gate Hospital Foundation: With the gap widening between what our healthcare teams need to deliver exceptional care and the constraints of government budgets, the role of our foundation is set to grow even further.
As you say, a small but mighty team. It’s remarkable, the results that you had. You’re averaging something like $30 million a year for a team of eleven. It shows the dedication of the community and the exceptional relationships that you build with your community of supporters and communities at large for that matter.
What do you think we’re looking for in this person? You’ve talked about the track record of major gifts, transformational giving, healthcare interest background, and healthcare philanthropy. What might be some other traits or competencies that you think are going to best align with you, the community at large, and the kind of work you want this person to be doing?
Our ideal candidate is going to have a high degree of emotional intelligence, connecting authentically with donors, prospects, and volunteers at all levels, from long-time supporters to emerging leaders. I mentioned how we’ve seen time and again how thoughtful engagement with loyal donors can inspire transformational gifts. This role offers the opportunity to make that impact every day.
Our new director will bring energy, accountability, and a collaborative spirit to the team. They will be helping to shape and execute strategies that are going to advance our mission. I will also add that familiarity with the North Shore community is going to be a strong asset, as is experience in healthcare, fundraising, and securing major gifts.
It’s that familiarity again. Those close ties. I don’t have close ties to the North Shore, but I was reminded by my family that my brother was born at Lions Gate Hospital, for that matter, too. The webs go in a lot of different directions, for sure. Judy, tell me a bit about yourself as a leader and a manager. How do you see yourself working with this person? What is the dynamic going to be like in that respect? How do you engage with your staff? You talked about your Tuesday roundup meetings. Beyond that, what do you see as a partnership with this person?
I look forward to working closely with this person. There is going to be a deep dive into Lions Gate Hospital and understanding our past campaigns, the impact we’ve had here, and becoming comfortable doing tours of the facility. I look forward to mentoring this person into our culture and making introductions to our donors and our board.
In terms of my leadership style, I like to think that I am a transformation leader. I like to inspire. Also, I’m a delegator, so I’m looking to share the wealth, as it were, in helping this person to broker those new relationships. We have a lot of prospects in our database. This is an opportunity to take a look at our database, giving patterns of donors to identify those who, with a little bit of care and attention, could be significantly larger donors.
Last few questions here. What would you see as the most compelling reasons to come join you at the foundation? Why would someone want to leave their job? They’re enjoying what they’re doing. They’re comfortable where they are. What is the case, to use the fundraising terminology, for coming to join you? You’ve certainly highlighted a few key elements here, some things that are compelling and exciting. What would you say are the highest-level reasons?
I would put right at the top is our culture. As a small, close-knit team, this is a chance to have an impact. There’s a great opportunity to shape our major gifts program. It’s a brand-new role, so you’re not taking over what somebody else has done. We have a very strong and credible case for support. We can always articulate what we’re raising money for. We’re a little bit different in that regard from what I’ve talked to my peers about.
We work closely with Vancouver Coastal Health in identifying priority projects that we’re raising money for. We’re not a case where we raise the money, and then somebody else decides how it’s going to be spent. We’re very much at the table in that regard. We have an extremely strong volunteer and donor community. We have a proven track record of success. We’ve hit or exceeded our goals on all of our campaigns, and we do it in pretty short order. Also, it’s an opportunity for somebody to become visible on our team. We’re such a highly respected organization that if I weren’t here, I’d want to apply for this job.
That’s another reason to work with you, for that matter, at the risk of being a bit of a sycophant. You’ve been in place for so long. You’re a highly credible leader. People know you and respect you across fundraising communities here in the Lower Mainland and elsewhere, for that matter. The opportunity to work with you and the team is inherently compelling as well in many ways.
We’re in a great community. We have such an incredible group of donors. It truly is a joy to come to work every day. I’ve mentioned our team members who have been with us for more than ten years. It’s a great place to work.
When you're in a great community, it truly is a joy to come to work every day. Share on XOne thing I would highlight as well is that, because you’re in a hospital or you’re embedded on site at the hospital, physical presence is important. This is not a work-from-home job necessarily. Certainly, there are some opportunities if you need to put your head down, do some writing, and write some proposals, but presence is important.
I get the sense. You’ve talked about the volunteers. You’ve talked about the people at the front desk. I’ve had the chance to meet some of the volunteers and get a sense of that community. That community feel comes from those in-person engagements fundamentally. Sometimes, they’re spontaneous or serendipitous moments if people come in, or somebody is a patient suddenly, and there’s an okay to come see them or meet with them as the case may be as well.
I’m glad you raised that. Our satellite office is in the main hallway of the new tower, and our main office is in the main hallway of the other tower. Frequently, we have people dropping into the office. If I can tell one other little story. I’ve had two of these. A lady dropped into the office and said she wanted to make a major donation.
Somebody came and got me. We sat in our boardroom and had a chit chat. I knew that she was a donor, but around $100 a month or so. She came to let me know that her family wanted to give $10 million. The other situation is where a donor came in, and they were a connection to our lead donor for the Paul Myers Tower. No appointment. They knew that they could come into our office and meet to talk about a potential large gift, which was $25 million.
I always say, “We have to come to work dressed and prepared when the million-dollar donor walks into our office.” It is so great to be located on-site. The joy of the job too is all the social connections. Patients will drop by. Family members will drop by. It is beneficial to be here on the site. You might do the occasional day at home when you’re catching up on paperwork. There is the flexibility to do that.
Fair enough. I love those donor stories. It’s great to create those conditions of both proactivity and getting out there, seeing people, cultivating gifts, and sometimes creating that community of support. That warm feeling does lead to people coming in and saying, “We’ve heard good things. I want to support the hospital. I want to support the foundation,” as the case may be. That’s super exciting. That’s great. In closing, if I may, anybody who’s reading this who wants to learn more and is curious, I want to encourage them to reach out to me at [email protected].
I also want to encourage them to take a look at your webpage, LGHFoundation.com, which has a lot more information, and your relatively public presence as well. People can track down information on you as needed to get a better sense of you and your background. I’m excited to be working with you on this search and bringing some candidates forward to get to know you and the community in the coming months. In summary, anything else you want to highlight or share? Any closing messages for potential candidates or curious people?
I want to say I’m very excited about this search and this new position. For someone who’s motivated by building relationships, creating meaningful donor experiences, and seeing the tangible difference that your work makes in people’s lives, this role is for you. I hope that we’ll hear from you.
I’m sure they will. I’m looking forward to bringing some wonderful people forward.
Thank you.
I appreciate your time. We’ll chat again soon, I’m sure.
