Jennifer Svihus Named President of Sequoia Hospital Foundation

Svihus brings extensive experience in nonprofit management and fundraising.

The Sequoia Hospital Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Jennifer Svihus as president of the organization, effective Aug. 1, 2019. 

For three decades, the Sequoia Hospital Foundation has partnered with the community to secure the funds and resources necessary to support Sequoia Hospital’s life-changing and life-saving programs. Svihus comes to the Sequoia Hospital Foundation with more than 30 years of nonprofit management experience in health care and higher education fundraising. She brings proven leadership and management experience to the Foundation, as well as a passion for supporting patients and their families as they experience some of the most vulnerable and challenging moments in their lives.

With her innate kindness and her breadth of nonprofit management and fundraising experience, Jennifer Svihus is uniquely positioned to further the mission of our organization in new and innovative ways,” said Joan Ulibarri, Sequoia Hospital Foundation’s board chair. “We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer and to partner with her as we continue our work to provide critical funding support to Sequoia Hospital.

Most recently, Svihus was senior associate in the health care practice of Bentz Whaley Flessner, where she focused on campaign planning and management, major and principal gifts, advancement assessments, grateful patient fundraising, and building processes for comprehensive fundraising strategy and accountability. Prior to her work as a consultant, Svihus served as executive director for fundraising at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. In this position, she oversaw major giving programs and developed a physician-focused grateful patient program. She also served as vice president of philanthropy for Sutter Health’s Valley Region and associate vice chancellor for development at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Earlier in her career, Svihus worked with the University of California, San Diego Health Sciences and Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. 

Svihus received her master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in health administration from Chapman/Brandman University, and her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of the Pacific. 

The Sequoia Hospital Foundation has a celebrated history of supporting the goals of Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital, and I am excited to build on that legacy,” Svihus said. “I look forward to further strengthening existing relationships and to forging new ones to ensure we continue meeting the Peninsula’s unique health care needs.”