September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and it is a great time to spotlight the Yolonda Pajot Memorial Fund for Ovarian Cancer, a Donor Advised Fund.
In April 2020, I established the Fund in memory of my wife, Yolonda Pajot, who passed away in May 2019 after a brave battle with ovarian cancer. I spent hours talking with my financial advisor who put me in contact with someone who works closely with foundations. This person gave me the pros and cons of establishing a foundation versus reaching out to community foundations. The goal was to set up the fund but also not be constrained with all the working details of running a foundation like managing a Board, working with financial auditors, etc. It became clear that working with the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia was the pathway to achieving my goals. The staff told me that Donor Advised Funds would give me more control over how the funds would be used. As this Fund grows, I may change the distributions, but I will have a say in what that will be. Additionally, my wife’s niece and nephew are very much involved with the Fund. They will become caretakers of the Fund upon my passing. It will be much easier to pass on a Fund versus a foundation.
Creating this Fund was a personal goal I set shortly after her passing. This endeavor would not have been possible without the support of many friends in the legal and financial community, family members who helped review my goals and intentions for the Fund, the nurses who cared for Yolonda in Virginia and Georgia, and the directors of philanthropy at Inova Schar Cancer Institute (Schar) in Fairfax, Virginia, and Piedmont Hospital (Piedmont) in Atlanta, Georgia—hospitals where Yolonda received treatment.
The Fund's original intent was to provide funding to four pillars: (1) Continuing Education, (2) Family Assistance, (3) Palliative Care, and (4) Critical Needs (also known as wrap-around care). In the initial years, scholarships were presented to frontline Oncology Nurses at Schar and Piedmont hospitals. A total of $12,000 has already been awarded to each hospital in 2021, 2022, and 2023, facilitating continuing education for oncology nurses to learn the latest in cancer research, treatment, and innovations.
I visited Inova Schar in June 2021, where I met with Amy Richards, Assistant Vice President of Philanthropy, Inova Schar Cancer, Inova Women’s Services, Inova Center for Personalized Health, and Kristen Bentivegna, Director of Philanthropy, Inova Life with Cancer. They gave me a tour of the infusion center and introduced me to the nurses, recipients of the scholarship, and the Oncology Department’s Nursing Director. The gratitude expressed by everyone, from the oncology nursing staff to the representatives of Inova Life with Cancer, was palpable. The impact of the scholarships exceeded my expectations and led me to reconsider how best to utilize this Fund.
Looking ahead to 2024, the Fund will focus solely on continuing education. You may wonder why we decided to eliminate family assistance, palliative care, and critical needs. The answer is simple: after visiting Inova Schar, it became clear that the oncology nurses receiving continuing education were able to share their new knowledge with their colleagues, ultimately benefiting cancer patients through improved care. My biggest hope for the cause is that we find a cure. I fully believe that adding resources in continuing education will benefit more patients down the road. The purpose of the Fund may change depending on the needs in the future, but my niece and nephew will determine that in partnership with the expert team at the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia.
Support Oncology Nurses and Patients
So, why should you donate to The Yolonda Pajot Memorial Fund for Ovarian Cancer? Your donation will not only support those fighting ovarian cancer but also provide continuing education to oncology nurses. This training empowers them with the skills to treat all cancer patients more effectively, regardless of the type of cancer. Your contribution will support the Oncology Nurses at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute and Piedmont Hospital of Atlanta.
Questions?
