Judging by any metric, financial figure or fundraising target, Kristy James has more than found her niche in the working world.
As CEO of Burnaby Hospital Foundation (BHF), James is currently heading up a campaign to raise $30 million to help the Phase 1 redevelopment of Burnaby Hospital. Two years in and that target sits at $23 million and counting.
James, however, is happy to defer credit to those around her.
“It’s about building a great team,” James says. “We have a fantastic team here, a very engaged Board of Trustees and a phenomenal Fundraising Cabinet who have taken on the fundraising side of the redevelopment campaign.”
James arrived in Burnaby in 2017 and began her role by completing a campaign to bring in a second CT scanner to the hospital. At the time, the Foundation’s annual revenue was between $2 and $3 million – three years later, BHF wrapped up the fiscal year of 2020/21 with $9.34 million in revenue, which was a 400% increase.
Halfway through the fiscal year of 2021/22, the Foundation has achieved $6 million in revenue. Which helps bring them closer to their $30 M campaign goal.
It’s those kinds of results that have followed James throughout her career. She began at Lions Gate Hospital Foundation, where she spent nine years.
Her success led to a role as Executive Director with Cystic Fibrosis Canada, and most recently, Chief Executive Officer with Variety – the Children’s Charity in Burnaby. Kristy holds a Certified Fundraising Executive designation and a Non-Profit Management Associate Certificate from BCIT.
“I love working in a hospital environment,” James says. “Hospitals are the heart of your community—you’re born there, your life journey may end there, and you have unexpected situations through your whole life where you need the care of a hospital. It’s a community.”
Established in 1982, BHF bridges the gap between what government provides and what the community needs.
Donors are encouraged to log on to www.bhfoundation.ca to assist with the Foundation’s current fundraising campaign.
