Some donors give to Cedars-Sinai with a specific purpose in mind, such as funding cancer research or supporting innovation in cardiac care. Other donors instruct the medical center’s leadership to apply their donations to the institution’s areas of greatest need. Over the past 12 months, we were extremely fortunate to benefit from the generosity of donors in this latter category—philanthropists focused on maximizing their impact by enabling us to determine where their gifts would help most.

Donations that are not linked to a targeted objective are known as unrestricted gifts, and they play a critical role in Cedars-Sinai’s ability to serve a dynamic and diverse community. With these funds, we can recruit world-class physicians and scientists, expand key programs and services, and mount capital projects to build the facilities of the future that will keep Cedars-Sinai at the leading edge of excellence in healthcare. Unrestricted gifts are among the most valuable of the charitable donations we receive each year and ensure that we are prepared for unexpected events when our community needs us most.

Equally vital are planned gifts—donations that are designated to Cedars-Sinai as part of a donor’s financial or estate planning. This year, we were proud to name our planned giving society, The Bard Society, after Susanne and Ervin Bard in recognition of their historic legacy gift of more than $140 million—the largest gift in the hospital’s 121-year history. The gift from the Bards’ estate, along with the other planned gifts we receive each year, will continue to fuel Cedars-Sinai’s advancement as it provides unparalleled patient care, breaks new ground in medical discovery and educates the next generation of distinguished medical professionals.

“We are eternally grateful to the visionary donors whose unrestricted gifts advance our vital mission,” said Arthur Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer at Cedars-Sinai. “Working together, we are transforming patient outcomes and strengthening the fabric of our community.”