Sequoia Hospital Foundation

What Sequoia Hospital Foundation does

Sequoia Hospital Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization (Tax ID 94-2909990) founded in 1984 and headquartered in Redwood City, California. It operates as the dedicated fundraising arm for Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital, part of the CommonSpirit Health system, and channels 100% of donations to patient care and programs at the hospital. Over its history, the Foundation has raised approximately $95 million cumulatively to support hospital mission, equipment, and people, with no grants made to external organizations.

The Foundation operates a multi-channel fundraising platform encompassing individual donations, planned giving and bequests (via the 1950 Sequoia Society), corporate matching gift programs (with partners including Google, Genentech, Electronic Arts, Franklin Templeton, Oracle, and Visa), employee payroll giving, IRA charitable distributions, donor-advised fund grants, and gifts of stock. Signature annual events include the Steven San Filippo Memorial Invitational Golf Tournament and the Hearts of the Hospital Gala, complemented by educational Lunch and Learn sessions and the Hearts of the Hospital women's donor group. Recognition programs such as Guardian Angel (honoring caregivers) and the Dr. William Kennett Memorial Nursing Scholarship (with San Francisco State University and Cañada College) round out the donor engagement model.

Technically, the Foundation underwrites capital acquisitions of advanced clinical equipment for the hospital, including the Mako SmartRobotics orthopedic system, Globus ExcelsiusGPS and Medtronic StealthStation S8 surgical platforms, Siemens SOMATOM Drive CT scanner, Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator, and the Brevera biopsy system. It is governed by a community Board of Directors (Chair: Thomas Cortopassi, 2024–25) and staffed by 62 personnel across philanthropy leadership, major gifts, annual support, and philanthropic operations functions.

Name

Sequoia Hospital Foundation

Legal name

Sequoia Hospital Foundation

Website

https://sequoiahospitalfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sequoia Hospital Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fundraising organization supporting Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, CA, channeling individual, corporate, planned, and event-driven donations toward advanced medical equipment, nursing scholarships, and patient care programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Philanthropy and Hospital Fundraising

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers (BPAGACAB), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Healthcare philanthropy
• Hospital fundraising
• Charitable giving
• Planned giving programs
• Donor recognition

Headquarters

HQ city

Redwood City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals supporting various hospital programs and departments. Donors can designate gifts to specific areas or the greatest need fund.
2. Corporate Matching Gifts: Many companies match employee donations, often up to $3,000 per year, effectively doubling or tripling individual contributions.
3. Employee Giving: Payroll deduction or one-time gifts from hospital employees supporting the foundation through recurring campaigns.
4. Planned Giving and Bequests: Estate gifts, charitable remainder unitrusts, and other planned giving arrangements recognized through the 1950 Sequoia Society.
5. Gifts of Stock: Donors can give appreciated stock to avoid capital gain taxes while supporting the hospital.
6. IRA Charitable Distributions: Donors aged 70½ or older can give up to $100,000 directly from their IRA without paying income taxes.
7. Donor Advised Funds: Donors can direct grants from their donor advised funds to support Sequoia Hospital.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sequoia Hospital Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises charitable donations to fund patient care programs, advanced medical technology, nursing scholarships, and capital equipment at Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, California. It channels 100% of donor contributions into hospital priorities through giving programs including online donations, planned giving, stock gifts, IRA rollovers, donor advised funds, and signature fundraising events. The foundation also operates recognition societies (1950 Sequoia Society, Hearts of the Hospital, Guardian Angel Program) and the Dr. William Kennett Memorial Nursing Scholarship.

Product overview

Sequoia Hospital Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fundraising organization supporting Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital. The foundation operates as a unified platform offering multiple interconnected charitable programs: online and planned giving donation systems (including the Guardian Angel recognition program and 1950 Sequoia Society legacy giving), scholarship programs (the Dr. William Kennett Memorial Nursing Scholarship with San Francisco State University), nursing excellence awards (Jernigan Exceptional Nursing Awards), and signature fundraising events (annual Steven San Filippo Memorial Invitational Golf Tournament and Hearts of the Hospital Gala). The foundation also manages the Hearts of the Hospital volunteer donor group. All donations are directed entirely to patient care and programs at Sequoia Hospital, with no grants provided to external organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hearts of the Hospital: A group founded in 2019 to help advance Sequoia's legacy through public education and engagement, raising funds for patient care and cutting-edge technology.
• 1950 Sequoia Society
• Guardian Angel Program
• Dr. William Kennett Memorial Nursing Scholarship Program

Products and services

• Online Donation Platform A secure online donation system allowing donors to make one-time or recurring gifts to various hospital departments and programs at Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital.
• Guardian Angel Program A donor recognition program enabling grateful patients to honor caregivers at Sequoia Hospital with tax-deductible donations, including lapel pin recognition for caregivers and annual reception invitations for donors.
• Planned Giving / Legacy Giving Estate planning and legacy giving program offering bequests, charitable remainder unitrusts, IRA charitable rollovers, and donor advised fund contributions to support Sequoia Hospital.
• 1950 Sequoia Society A planned giving recognition society that honors donors who have remembered Sequoia Hospital in their wills and estate plans, named for the hospital's 1950 founding.
• Hearts of the Hospital A women's volunteer and donor group established in 2019 to advance Sequoia's legacy through public education, community engagement, and fundraising for cutting-edge technology and patient care programs at Sequoia Hospital.
• Dr. William Kennett Memorial Nursing Scholarship Program Financial assistance program for Bachelor of Science in Nursing students at San Francisco State University, in partnership with Cañada College, supporting the next generation of compassionate healthcare professionals at Sequoia Hospital.
• Exceptional Nursing Awards (Jernigan) Recognition program that honors nurses at Sequoia Hospital who demonstrate kindness, empathy, respect, dignity, and excellent customer service, funded through philanthropic donations from Berdine and Cliff Jernigan.
• Steven San Filippo Memorial Invitational Golf Tournament Annual fundraising event at Green Hills Country Club supporting Sequoia Hospital programs, currently focused on the Neurosurgery Fund for high-definition imaging and robotic navigation technology.
• Hearts of the Hospital Annual Gala Annual black-tie fundraising gala celebrating Sequoia Hospital milestones and raising funds for the Heart & Vascular Institute at Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital.
• Lunch and Learn Series Educational planned giving events, such as the 'Shape Tomorrow, Today: A Planned Giving Lunch & Learn' held during 'Make a Will Month' to demystify estate planning considerations for prospective legacy donors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Birth Center voted Family Favorite Best Birth Center for nine consecutive years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Dignity HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSequoia Hospital Foundation is the fundraising arm for Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital. The foundation operates under an operating grant from the hospital and ensures 100% of donations support patient care and programs. Foundation staff work closely with hospital leadership to identify funding priorities.
• Samaritan HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Samaritan House, a leading nonprofit serving San Mateo County, to bring a diabetes nurse educator to their Redwood City clinic to work with at-risk patients on lifestyle modifications including meal planning, activity, and stress management.
• San Francisco State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with San Francisco State University School of Nursing for the Dr. William Kennett Memorial Nursing Scholarship Program, providing financial support for BSN students at Canada College.
• Hannig FamilymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree generations of support including Theresa Hannig on board since 1992, sons Frank Jr. and Ted continuing legacy. Frank joined Foundation Board in 2001 and served as Board Chair. Family supported Guest House, Birth Center, and rehabilitation services.
• Sensiba San Filippo LLPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-time partner accounting firm that received Transformational Award. Steve San Filippo was Foundation Board Chair and founder of the golf tournament committee.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health: Bay Area hospital foundation where the current Sequoia CPO previously closed ~$70M in gifts. Directly comparable academic/community hospital foundation with similar signature events, major-gift programs, and grateful-patient fundraising model.
• Washington Hospital Healthcare Foundation: Hospital foundation supporting Washington Hospital in Fremont, CA. Directly comparable as a community hospital foundation serving a single regional hospital through events, major gifts, and planned giving programs.
• Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation: Affiliated hospital foundation supporting Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame, CA—the closest comparable community-hospital foundation in the same San Mateo County / Peninsula service area, with identical fundraising program structure.
• El Camino Hospital Foundation: Funds El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, CA—a nearby community hospital within the same Bay Area market. Same fundraising model (donations, events, planned giving) supporting a single community hospital under a Catholic/non-profit health system.
• John Muir Health Foundation: Bay Area hospital foundation supporting John Muir Health's community hospitals in Walnut Creek and Concord. Comparable in scale, regional footprint, and reliance on signature events and major-gift programs.

Broad incumbents

• Sutter Health Foundations: Umbrella foundation network supporting multiple community hospitals across Northern California. While not a single-hospital foundation, Sutter Health Fund Development provides a comparable system-level fundraising model that competes for the same Peninsula donors.
• Stanford Health Care Foundation: Major academic hospital foundation in the same Bay Area philanthropy market. Operates a much larger and more sophisticated fundraising apparatus but competes for the same high-net-worth Peninsula donors and corporate matching-gift relationships.
• UCSF Health Foundation: Major academic hospital foundation that competes with Sequoia for Bay Area donors and corporate matching-gift programs. While larger and more national in scope, it operates in the same hospital-foundation category with overlapping donor base.

Regional players

• Hoag Hospital Foundation: Community hospital foundation supporting Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Orange County, CA. Similar community-hospital foundation model with signature events, major gifts, and grateful-patient fundraising—operates in a different geographic market but is structurally comparable.
• Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital Foundation: Community hospital foundation supporting Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System in Monterey County. Comparable community-hospital foundation model serving a single regional hospital in Northern California through events, major gifts, and planned giving.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCd4tGNkV4pVUazhNyOZgG2g/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/SequoiaHospitalFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sequoia-hospital-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/seqfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sequoia Hospital Foundation