Donors Give to People, Not to Buildings
A foundation event is not a conference. The room is full of donors, board members, physicians, and community leaders who came for an evening, not a session. Chris Sund speaks at hospital foundation galas and donor events with a message about human potential that connects what your hospital does to why it matters in that town.
What a Gala Speaker Has to Get Right
Foundation events are the hardest room a speaker can walk into. People are seated at tables with wine, there is an auction to get through, and half the audience did not come to hear anyone speak. The talk has to earn attention rather than assume it, and it has to leave people feeling something without ever sounding like the ask.
- It has to work after dinner, in a ballroom, with a program running long
- It has to move a room without turning into the fundraising pitch
- It has to honor staff and donors in the same breath
- It has to be the right length so the auction is not squeezed
- It has to sound like it belongs to that hospital and that community
Why This Message Fits a Foundation Room
You Are Capable of More is about human potential, which is the same thing a hospital foundation is actually selling. Donors are not buying equipment. They are buying the belief that the people in that building can do more for this community with the right support behind them.
Chris is President and COO across three healthcare workforce organizations and grew up in a small Nebraska town where the local hospital mattered to everyone he knew. He connects the staffing reality your leadership team lives with to the reason the community should care, without ever making the evening feel like a board meeting.
What Organizations Say
“Chris was an outstanding speaker and a highlight of our Patient Experience Recognition Dinner. He took the time to deeply understand our organization and thoughtfully personalized his presentation. His message resonated across all roles, engaging, relatable, and inspiring from start to finish.”
Foundation Events Chris Speaks At
Annual Foundation Gala
The keynote portion of the evening, sized to fit around dinner service, awards, and the auction.
Donor Appreciation Event
A shorter talk for major gift donors and long-time supporters, focused on impact rather than the ask.
Campaign Kickoff
The opening message for a capital or workforce campaign, framing what the money makes possible.
Board & Community Leadership Dinner
For trustees, physician leaders, and community partners who steward the hospital’s future.
Books, Signings, and Event Promotion
Foundation events almost always include something at each place setting. A signed copy of You Are Capable of More works better than a program insert, and it costs less than most foundations expect at volume. Chris can personalize copies to your foundation, your honorees, or your major donors.
Books can also be used as an auction item, a sponsor thank you, or a table gift underwritten by a sponsor so the foundation carries no cost. Chris can run a signing table during the reception, and he promotes your event across his own channels before and after. Ask about bulk pricing, signings, and promotion when you reach out and it can be quoted together with the keynote as one package.
Who Books This
Related: Employee Recognition Event Speaker · Nurses Week Speaker · Healthcare Leadership Retreat Speaker · State Healthcare Association Speaker · Rural Healthcare Speaker · Patient Experience Speaker · Healthcare Conference Speaker · Long-Term Care & Senior Living Speaker · Critical Access Hospital Speaker
What Foundation Directors Ask
How long should the keynote be at a gala?
Twenty to thirty minutes is usually right for a foundation event, because the program already includes dinner, awards, and often an auction. Chris will build to the slot your run of show needs rather than asking the evening to accommodate the speech.
Will he make the fundraising ask?
No, and that is intentional. The ask belongs to your foundation leadership or your auctioneer. Chris’s job is to warm the room and connect the mission to something personal, which makes the ask land better when it comes from you.
Can the message be tied to our campaign theme?
Yes. Chris asks about your campaign, your honorees, and what the community knows about your hospital, then shapes the talk around it. Planners consistently point to that personalization as the difference.
Can books be used as a table gift or auction item?
Yes. Signed copies work as place settings, donor thank you gifts, or auction packages, and a sponsor will often underwrite them so the foundation carries no cost.
What does a foundation gala speaker cost?
Fees depend on location, format, and whether books are included. Chris is based in Nebraska, which keeps travel costs low across much of the Midwest and Mountain West, and that matters for foundations watching every event expense.
Bring Chris to Your Foundation Event
Tell Chris about your event, your community, and what you are raising for. You will get a straight answer on fit, availability, budget, and book options.
Response within one business day
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