WHY? WHAT? HOW?

BY JOHN BRUBAKER, MPF chair

I want to ask these three questions as it relates to the Michigan Pharmacy Foundation and to you, the members of the Michigan Pharmacists Association.

Why does the Michigan Pharmacy Foundation exist?

MPF began 31 years ago when 10 forward-thinking MPA members felt there was a need for a philanthropic arm of the MPA. This is common to many organizations. With their initial investment, the Michigan Pharmacy Foundation Board of Trustees has seen this investment grow to over $750,000. This may seem like a great deal of money; however, like any investment, the idea is to grow this for the future, while still investing in the ideals of the Foundation for today.

What does the Foundation actually do?

MPF’s mission is to “Foster the Future of Pharmacy” by providing future leaders who are MPA members an expensefree opportunity to attend the Health Professional Leadership Academy. This program has been developed to train future leaders through exercises in personal growth and introspection, working and recognizing how others respond and how to best motivate and develop skills to lead the profession to greater heights.

For the past 20 years, the Foundation has provided three scholarships to qualified pharmacy students to the amount of over $150,000. The Foundation has also created the Larry Wagenknecht Leadership Scholarship, in honor of the longtime MPA CEO. The Leadership Scholarship is awarded annually in the amount of $3,000.

The third tool the Foundation has at its disposal is its grant program. Awarded grants have provided inhalation instruction to patients, provided free blood pressure monitors, and billboard and bag stuffers to advertise the “Use Caution, Drive Safely” campaign to warn drivers about the dangers of driving while on cold and flu medications.

How can you be more involved with Fostering the Future of Pharmacy?

There are numerous opportunities to be involved. Sponsorships and participating with a foursome in our Golf Classic in June, at the Cornhole Tournament at the Annual Convention & Exposition and signing up to help the Motion for a Mission fundraiser in the fall. The Foundation also accepts donations through the Michigan Pharmacy Foundation website, michiganpharmacyfoundation.org and there are seven different forms of online giving. The Foundation can also help individuals establish a named endowed scholarship in their honor. For those who are interested, we also accept nominations to serve on the MPF Board as a Trustee.

For those donors who have supported the Foundation through the years, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without your support, the Foundation would not be as successful as it is today. I want to welcome new donors, who help the Foundation Foster the Future of Pharmacy!