Indianapolis couple Sidney and Lois Eskenazi have been recognized by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as one of the top 50 generous donors in 2011 for their $40 million gift to the capital campaign benefitting the new Wishard hospital facilities.

"I am delighted that Sidney and Lois Eskenazi continue to be honored in ways that showcase their unique and irreplaceable contribution to both Wishard and the city of Indianapolis," said Ernest Vargo II, CFRE, president and CEO of the Eskenazi Health Foundation. "The legacy they are establishing with this gift is truly extraordinary, and our community’s future is only more bright and promising because of it." 

The Chronicle on Philanthropy, an online and print news source providing coverage of and connecting the nonprofit community with the philanthropic enterprise, publishes the Philanthropy 50, a yearly list highlighting the top 50 couples or individuals making the largest charitable contributions throughout the nation. The Eskenazis placed 33 in this year’s listing along with such prominent names as New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Huntsman Chemical founder Jon Huntsman, Sr. 

The historic $40 million gift provided by Sidney and Lois Eskenazi on June 22, 2011, is one of the most significant donations ever given to the people of central Indiana and is one of the largest gifts ever made to a public hospital in the United States. Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County will rename the new hospital the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital when it opens in December 2013. The entire Wishard system will be renamed Eskenazi Health in early 2014. 

The Eskenazi Health Capital Campaign has currently raised more than $71 million for the new hospital, including more than $2 million raised through employee giving. As one of the largest safety-net health systems in the United States, philanthropic gifts enhance Wishard’s ability to provide low-cost, high-quality health care to the community regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. 

The Eskenazi Health Foundation, formerly the Wishard Memorial Foundation, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the awareness of and raising funds to support health care initiatives that benefit the well being of Marion County residents, with a special emphasis on its most vulnerable populations. The Eskenazi Health Foundation was established in 1985 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

Contact: Todd Harper
Phone: (317) 630-7808
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