Tennys Hanson

Tennys J. M. Hanson has been a fundraising professional since 1976 and has devoted her professional career to fundraising excellence in the healthcare and education sectors. She has also contributed significant volunteer time to the arts and grassroots community organizations.

Since 2000, Tennys has been President and CEO of Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation and Vice President and Chief Development Officer of University Health Network. During her tenure in these appointments, she has launched and concluded the Together We Make Life Better campaign. The campaign launched in 2002 and started as a $400 million campaign but raised over $550 million by 2005, making it the largest hospital campaign in Canadian history. Under her leadership, Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation underwent unprecedented growth. Tennys transformed a team of 12 staff raising $14 million in annual revenue to a present staff of 60 that raises $50 million in annual revenue. Today she oversees 16 concurrent campaigns in support of the University Health Network. In conjunction with her staff and board, she has set ambitious goals: To achieve $75 million in annual revenue by 2012/13; to reach $200 million in endowment by 2012/13; and to maintain a cost per dollar raised ratio of $0.20 or less. Tennys demonstrates tremendous energy and motivation as a fundraiser, resulting in high engagement of board members, volunteers and particularly, staff.

Her success as a fundraiser has emerged out of a life dedicated to philanthropy and community involvement. In 1976, she began her involvement with fundraising as Executive Director of Campus Development and Public Affairs at University of Toronto’s Erindale College. From 1989 to 1995, as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer/Acting President for the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation, Tennys had a leadership role in the Friends for Life campaign – a $90 million undertaking. Then, in 1995, she became Campaign Director and Vice President of the University of Toronto Foundation to lead the Great Minds campaign which originally had a $400 million goal. When she departed University of Toronto Foundation in 2000 to join University Health Network, the campaign had stretched to $700 million. The scope and complexity of the organization necessitated that it be managed as a “Campaign of Campaignsâ€. It was this campaign that clearly demonstrated her strength in managing comprehensive, multi-faceted fundraising enterprises.

In addition to fundraising, Tennys’ previous community involvement includes chairing the Education Policy Committee at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and serving as President at both the Mississauga Symphony and the Mississauga Board of Trade. She has been a Governor at Sheridan College, and Director of the University of Toronto Alumni Association, Junior Achievement of Peel, and Mississauga Hospital among many community organizations. Ms. Hanson is an Honourary Life Member of the Mississauga Board of Trade. University of Toronto has awarded her with the Governor General’s Silver Medal and the Arbor Award.