2018 40 Under 40 Winners

2019 40 Under 40 Logo


2018 Winners

 

Jason A. Huff

Mercy Health Foundation
Chesterfield, MO

Why is a 40 under 40 winner

  1. Since earning his CFRE in 2012, he has helped dozens of others earn their certification through 1:1 mentoring and teaching prep courses.
  2. He was the youngest president in the Greater St. Louis chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ 40+ year history.
  3. For the past six years, he has taught a graduate-level course on fundraising as part of the Non-Profit Leadership Program at Washington University in St. Louis.
  4. He was part of a team that saw a growth of 54% in sustained philanthropic revenue, moving average funds raised from $24 million to approximately $36 million.

Q & A

  1. How did you get into health care philanthropy?

    I fell into fundraising by accident – through one of my first jobs working in the Advancement Office of my alma mater, Webster University.  That experience led to positions with a small social service agency, where I really discovered my passion for philanthropy. At the same time, I was also pursuing my MBA.  I was thrilled when I secured a position working for St. John’s Mercy Foundation (now Mercy Health Foundation St. Louis) as their Corporate Relations Manager.  The position was a perfect mix for me – blending my love for philanthropy with my interest in the corporate sector. 

  2. Why did you choose to make health care philanthropy your career?

    My decision to make health care philanthropy a career was driven more by my affinity for my organization.  Mercy Health had always been an organization I felt passion towards – it was where I and my sons all received our care.  That passion was solidified when my youngest son spent two weeks in the Mercy Hospital St. Louis neonatal intensive care unit after being born seven weeks early.  One evening during his stay, I remember very distinctly walking through the hospital to try to find the foundation office.  It was closed when I walked past, but I said to myself, “I think I’d like to work here someday.”  Ten months later, I was working in that very office.   I left Mercy to pursue other opportunities outside of health care philanthropy in 2011.  When I came back to Mercy in 2015, it definitely had the feeling of coming home. 

  3. What has been the #1 factor in your career success so far?

    One of the first lessons I learned was to be proactive in connecting with other professionals whom you admire.  I have been incredibly fortunate to have a number of mentors who were generous with their time and talents.  Their guidance and counsel have been invaluable to me.

  4. What is your greatest passion and why?

    I have three amazing sons – Dylan (18), Ethan (16), and Logan (10).  They each are so unique in their personalities and interests, yet they all have compassion and care in their hearts.  It’s often the little things that remind me of how fortunate I am that they are the people they are – like watching them opening doors for others or helping out when they see someone in need.  An added bonus is that they are all hilarious in their own way – they always make me laugh. 

  5. What are your future aspirations?
  6. I’d like to continue to be a resource to others through teaching, coaching, or consulting.  I am excited and incredibly blessed to work for an organization that is invested in leadership development.  I am actively engaged in growing myself as a leader.  I love the challenge of defining a vision and figuring out which path is best to pursue it.  Even better is discovering that there is no clear path towards your vision so it’s up to you and your team to build it. 
Jason Huff

Fun Fact:

I've done amateur stand-up comedy.

Sponsored by: 

Borns Group

CCS

Lift Leadership

Learn more about the award, including criteria and the nominations process here

Forty Under Forty