October 31, 2019
Mountain Shadows Foundation Welcomes Angela Addington, New Director of Development
By Sheryl Wilde
Being a Girl Scout has influenced Angela’s personal philosophy and she has been doing her best to live up to the organization’s core principle to “make the world a better place.”
“I’ve always wanted to make a difference in the world,” says Angela Addington, the new Director of Development, Mountain Shadows Foundation. “I went into the nonprofit sector after graduating from UC Santa Barbara. I cared about the environment and people. I wanted to make an impact.”
And make an impact she has:
Giving the Gift of Sight
Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International in Santa Barbara provides free eye care to some of the world’s most vulnerable and underserved individuals – those living in poverty and the uninsured. As the Development Coordinator, Angela spearheaded a team of volunteers and interns, raising $1,000,000 annually to provide these critically needed, sight-saving services to those who would otherwise have no access to eye care.
Feeding the Hungry
Meals on Wheels of San Francisco delivers more than 2 million meals a year to seniors who face the threat of hunger and often live alone. As the Development Associate, Angela managed communications and maintained a grant portfolio of $350,000 to provide nutritious meals and daily safety checks for seniors.
Advancing Exceptional Healthcare
The Tri-City Hospital Foundation’s mission is to help build and support the best community hospital in California. As part of the administrative team, Angela assisted in the fundraising, planned giving, and marketing for this organization responsible for funding innovative healthcare solutions such as the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System and NicView – the NICU camera system.
Building Leaders for Today and Tomorrow
Girl Scouts San Diego is a leadership development organization for girls and young women. Returning to her roots, Angela joined the organization as a Development Associate in 2014. Since then, she’s been instrumental in increasing the annual fund and doubling the number of monthly donors.
Giving the gift of sight, feeding the hungry, advancing healthcare, building leaders for the future …
Making the world a better place …
“Working in the nonprofit arena, that’s my passion,” says Angela. “Giving back. That’s my passion.”
From all outward signs, it seemed that Angela was well on her way to making the world a better place. Then came the turning point in a six-letter word – CANCER.
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After the initial diagnosis, there were a couple of weeks of waiting … waiting to see what I was dealing with. It was then I realized how short life could be. I thought about all I had done, and all I had not.
“Thankfully, the cancer was caught early but I still had to undergo full treatment. During that time, I learned how supportive people can be, how much I could endure, and how fortunate I was.
“I’m now a cancer survivor and thanks to that journey, I realized there is so much I still need to get done in this life. I went back to school and expect to complete my MA in Nonprofit Management and Leadership in 2020 from University of San Diego.
“In looking at my career, I missed working where I could make a direct impact. I wanted to wake up each morning and come up with great ways to change people’s lives. My hope is that I can help do that at Mountain Shadows.
“My first step as the Director of Development will be to learn all about Mountain Shadows Support Group and get to know the residents, staff, board members, and other supporters.
“F rom there, my goal is to create a robust fundraising program and build an endowment so funds are available for the support group, regardless of government funding. I want to create a program that will serve Mountain Shadows residents and help them live their best lives.”
Be the change you wish to see in the world – Gandhi
We welcome you, Angela, to our Mountain Shadows family. We look forward to working together to be the change that will make our Mountain Shadows community a better place for all of our residents.