OREF Highlights

As OREF grew, its role in the center of the orthopaedic world becamemore established and well-known. While the Shands Circle was a major step toward creating an endowment, an increase in annualsupport was also needed.

In discussions with donors it became clear that many of them wished to support OREF while also supporting a particular specialty society or other state or regional association. While there had been some discussion of developing a relationship with the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, OREF's Trustees thought other societies and associations could benefit from receiving donations through OREF as well.

With this in mind, Kenneth E. DeHaven, M.D., Roby C. Thompson Jr., M.D. and Garth S. Russell, M.D., who was president of OREF's Board of Trustees in 1994, formed a special committee to investigate the issue of designated giving. Designated giving permits annual gifts of $1,000 or more to be shared, with the first $500 going to OREF as an unrestricted gift and the remainder directed to the donor's choice of associated partners.

This model helps ensure that the type of general, interdisciplinary research OREF supports is funded, yet it also allows donors to focus on more specific projects. It helps demonstrate that OREF and all of the many sub-specialties and associations can work together for the good of orthopaedics.

In 2003, $1,963,511 was contributed through OREF to the research and education programs of our Designated Giving Partners.

RETURN TO OREF HIGHLIGHTS