The Art of Philanthropy
Community Fundraising in Full Color
Eight-year-old Juliette Leong’s philanthropy journey began when she was just four years old.
At that young age, Juliette was already a prolific and internationally acclaimed art prodigy. When she learned that her father planned to host a fundraiser in support of bone marrow donation, she offered to auction some of her pieces. That day, Juliette’s stunning work raised more than $4,000, and her love of philanthropy was born. Since then, Juliette has helped raise over $250,000 for life-saving causes.
This past summer, the Leong family decided to launch a new community fundraising event in San Francisco focused on Juliette’s work: Captured in Color, a month-long, solo art exhibition featuring 50 of Juliette’s latest paintings. The goal: to give Juliette an outlet for her love of giving back. All proceeds from the day were donated to her favorite local organizations, with an entire day devoted to fundraising for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals.
“It was a new concept for us!” says Juliette’s dad, Jonathan, founder of the Asian American Donor Program and former advisory board member for UCSF’s global health committee. “It was just about using our imaginations, thinking about what we have to share, reaching out to some great organizations, and giving it a try. It was a blast.”
The event raised $11,000 for child life activities at UCSF and has opened the door for new partnerships between UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals Foundation and community members in attendance who are excited to support excellence in pediatric health care. From our hospital’s earliest days to the present day, community fundraisers like these have raised millions of dollars for our patients.
“Any time you’re bringing people in your community together, whether it’s around a shared interest, an event you’re hosting, or a celebration like a birthday or a wedding, there’s always an opportunity to share why you support our hospitals and ask others to join you,” says Beverly Ingram, Director of External Relations at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals Foundation. “So many of the vital services we provide are not covered by insurance, and community fundraisers like these generate resources that help us meet our most pressing needs. That's a very real and immediate impact.”
Next up for Juliette? “One of her goals is to cure cancer!” Jonathan says. But first, Juliette hopes to become even more involved with our hospitals, partnering with our child life programs to teach art and music classes to hospitalized kids. She's also excited to continue using her talents to raise funds for the causes close to her heart.
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