OCAF President’s Message
An Indebted Thank You To Our Amazing Donors
A non-profit like the OCA Foundation can highlight the impact of a scholarship on a medical student by focusing on how it empowers them to pursue excellence.
Sadie Daugereaux was one of the numerous recent scholarship recipients who best summed up the impact of your generosity by writing: “To be able to have dedicated time with experienced teachers was a true gift (that) has completely changed the way I treat patients,” she wrote. “I want to sincerely thank our kind donor … (and) I look forward to learning even more in the future.” Her scholarship was made possible by the late Dr. David Coffey as part of his Legacy Fund.
This is simply the surface of the progress we’ve made this year: The amazing generosity of our donors has also made possible OCAF’s commitment to further allocate funds for Osteopathic research and extracurricular/CME courses (see breakdown in annual report).
Your unwavering support and gift giving has made possible a sense of shared purpose in our community.
It’s important to note this distribution of funds, in part, was made possible by OCA leader Dr. Julie Mai & other board members including Dr. Maria Gentile. The OCA Board under Dr. Mai’s leadership worked assiduously to recognize and offer fiscal reporting necessary to allow the Foundation to proceed with further allocation of funding.
We, as Foundation Board Members, have every reason to remain optimistic about continuing to exceed our expectations. This is only the beginning…
You’ll find much of the progress we’ve made in the board notes below.
Website and Marketing
Dr. Jared Cruz is a much-needed tech-savvy member who brings his social-platform skills to the Foundation. He’s expanded the presence of the specialty on various internet sites, focusing on amplifying our mission to current supporters, producing long-form interviews with our scholarship recipients, and stressing the necessity to advance Osteopathic education and research to our supporters. The results have been promising, but we are extremely optimistic of building on our success.
Pay-It-Forward
Dr. Christopher Stephenson, Foundation Board Member, deserves credit for continuing to generate funds through his donor-based program titled, “Pay-It-Forward”. He has increased our revenue base reaching new supporters and raising awareness of our goals. His efforts have generated more than $144,000.00 in a few short years (since 2022). “Being of service to others is one of our highest callings,” Dr. Stephenson wrote in his “Pay It Forward” statement. “Learning the unique skills of Osteopathy is an honor.” He deserves recognition for passing on that honor to others.
Awesome Donations
Dr. Stephen Davidson is making a tremendous impact in the lives of our scholarship recipients with his magnanimous $100,000 gift. Many of those young practitioners are now inspired to acquire the knowledge and develop the skills of their predecessors. Thank you, Dr. Davidson.
This is an excellent time to remind our physicians and supporters that you decide where your money goes and you may access information about the distribution of your funds on our donor website. …Drs. James Binkerd and Sandy Skates earmarked their cumulative $16,370 fund for AAO scholarships.
Changes Ahead: Board Member Updates
Dr. John Reed, much to the appreciation of board members, returns to offer his invaluable participation on our board. He is best known for his oratory brevity (essential in board meetings), insightful intelligence and diplomatic skills.
Dr. Richard Feely, a founding member, is credited with having protected OCAF’s managerial integrity and financial success. His current term has ended after more than two decades of service, dating back to his early position as treasurer in 2002. His departing letter stressed his gratitude for having “served our profession — and, by extension, the millions of patients who have benefited from high-quality Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine.” His contributions remain in place, and his absence will be deeply felt.
Mr. Brian Benoit represents the new and innovative direction of the board, as a highly accomplished financial executive. He will provide crucial monetary oversight, budget planning and assist in expanding the fiscal base of the Foundation. The background Mr. Benoit brings to the board includes currently managing a multi-billion dollar portfolio — of private equity and real estate assets — with the International Private Bank (IPB), St. Thomas USVI.
The board welcomes his financial acumen….
Building Relationships: Extend Charitable Giving
The Foundation’s plans include recruiting the assistance of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and the American Osteopathic Foundation’s Project Future Initiative. (More information to come.) This goal is designed to further enrich the education of students and young physicians. And, it is the first step towards our outreach program.
Research
The Foundation’s mission has always included supporting research. This year we continued that support through CORK aiding young Osteopathic researchers, with OPC. We plan to support additional research projects in OCF.
Feedback from the Next Generation
Many of our scholarship recipients wrote heart-felt notes of gratitude to OCAF. Additional feedback from the recipients may be accessed in the Foundation Annual Report.
Distribution of Funds
The OCAF Board is proud of this year’s financial report and will continue to assure our members of complete transparency in all financial matters. You will find an outline of how your funds are allocated in the Treasurer’s Report.
The numerous benefits from your donations continue to serve as an advantage to our recipients and our gift givers. The end-result of your gift giving is now a matter of record from those numerous letters of gratitude we’ve received from our scholarship recipients.
We are so grateful for your donation!
Eric J. Dolgin, DO, FCA, President
