Largest Gift in Cedars-Sinai History Among Top 2023 Donations
$143 Million Bequest from Susanne and Ervin Bard Listed as 18th Largest Gift of the Year by The Chronicle of Philanthropy
The largest donation ever received by Cedars-Sinai is among the top 50 gifts to U.S. nonprofits in 2023, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
The leading periodical of the philanthropic sector ranked the $143 million planned gift from the estate of Susanne and Ervin Bard as the 18th largest
donation of the year.
To honor the Bards, one year ago, members of Cedars-Sinai leadership, including president and CEO Thomas M. Priselac, participated in the ribbon cutting for the Susanne and Ervin Bard Pavilion at Cedars-Sinai.
“We continue to celebrate this monumental occasion, which honors the history of Cedars-Sinai and galvanizes the future of an institution known for pioneering scientific research, educational programs to help define the future of healthcare, and forward-thinking community initiatives,” said Priselac, the Warschaw Law Chair in Healthcare Leadership. “We have the Bard family to thank for that.”
The Susanne and Ervin Bard Pavilion is home to the Smidt Heart Institute and the Samuel Oschin Cancer Center, as well as the Women’s Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills. The Bards’ donation also supports groundbreaking translational and clinical research advanced in the laboratories and clinics of our Neurosciences program.
“The generosity of the Bard family allows Cedars-Sinai to broaden its mission to provide compassionate healthcare and advance biomedical discovery for the benefit of Los Angeles, its surrounding communities and beyond,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer at Cedars-Sinai.
Natives of Hungary, Susanne and Ervin Bard were longtime supporters of Cedars-Sinai and believed deeply in the Hebrew concept of giving, known as tzedakah. Mrs. Bard spent years volunteering in various Cedars-Sinai departments after her husband’s passing in 2006 and prior to her death in 2021. The Bards’ impactful and visionary gift is now part of their profound and enduring legacy.
Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Planned Giving: An Enduring Legacy