Posted: July 23, 2010

Brenda Kuntz is the new leader of the foundation's fundraising efforts.

At work

I'm the individual responsible for leading the fundraising efforts at the foundation. So it involves reaching out to corporations and individual donors who already give and seeking out potential donors. The foundation has been around since 1994. The money collected goes to programs, services and equipment needed by Chesapeake General Hospital. As with most organizations, a large percentage of our funds comes from corporate gifts to the hospital. We also do a number of annual galas a year, which include the huge golf tournament we hold every year. And we do receive a good number of donations from individuals and from people donating money in honor of another individual.

$3.3 million raised

Working as the director of corporate relations and events for Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of national corporations such as Walmart, Food Lion, Rite Aid and Dairy Queen. At CHKD I was involved in special events that included hosting and working on third-party events. I also oversaw the Children's Miracle Network program, which helps its 170 children's hospitals across the country. I helped raise $3 million in a year for CHKD. Most of the funds came from corporations and we also had a high renewal rate from our donors. Although at CHKD I worked mainly with corporations and events, my experience with them helped prepare me for my job now. At Chesapeake, I look forward to identifying more organizations in this area and expanding our efforts to bring in more revenue. A majority of our funds come from the annual events. Our plan is to broaden our revenue stream to include more corporate gifts and working with individuals looking to leave legacy gifts.

Raising money in this economy

As you can imagine, a lot of corporations are cutting their budgets, and we have seen a slight drop in donations. I find that people who are still passionate about a cause will continue to give. Even if their funding is cut, companies who still see a value in that foundation will support it. Plus it's a win-win situation for them as well. It still makes their corporations look good when they continue to give even in a bad economy.

Working in the health profession

My degree is actually in mathematics. I started my development career working for the Society of Automotive Engineers. It tied into my mathematics background because I would reach out to organizations and discuss giving back to the industry. I loved it and the best part of my job was learning about the organizations in the community. Another reason I have such a passion for this job is because of my daughter Sophie. She was born extremely premature and was in the hospital for four months. The hospital staff was amazing. Knowing what they did and how the money raised helps them, keeps me going.

My legacy

I don't know. It's like asking someone in an interview where they see themselves in five years. I want to make a substantial contribution to the hospital and help meet its needs. I really want people to think of this foundation as a partner and help rally support from the community to assist with supporting the needs of the hospital. nib