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Harold J. (Si) Seymour Award

"Leaders are the ones who keep faith with the past, keep step with the present, and keep the promise to posterity." – Harold J. Seymour

Congratulations to Sharon Jones, the 2018 Si Seymour Award recipient!

Sharon Jones

Sharon Jones started her career in health care fundraising in 1991.  She is Vice President for Development at Haven Hospice in Gainesville, Florida.  Haven provides Advance Care Planning, Palliative Care consultations as well as hospice services to adults and children in 18 counties in Northeast Florida.

Before joining Haven, Sharon served 12.5 years as Vice President at Chapters Health System in Temple Terrace, Florida.  She led the fundraising efforts and directed and managed a comprehensive development program.  She completed several capital campaigns and developed major and leadership gifts.  Before Chapters, Sharon served for 14 years as Vice President for Development at Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Florida.

Sharon serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy and has been a faculty member of the Madison Institute since 2012.  She became the chair of the Institute in 2014 and continues to serve in that capacity.  She serves on the AHP Task Force for Certification/Fellows and has frequently presented at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization annual conferences.

Sharon received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida with high honors.


About the Award

The association's highest honor, the AHP Si Seymour Award, recognizes distinguished leadership in association affairs and in the health care philanthropy community. The award is in the name of Harold J. (Si) Seymour, one of the trailblazers in the world of philanthropy who fostered and promoted exemplary standards of excellence for volunteerism and philanthropic support. His career spanned a half-century of fundraising on behalf of many worthy causes, from the National War Fund during World War II and Harvard University to youth groups, educational institutions, health organizations and numerous community service projects. Seymour’s book, Designs for Fundraising, published in 1966 is regarded as a bible of philanthropic fundraising to this day.

Every year since 1970, AHP presents its prestigious Harold J. (Si) Seymour Award to development professionals whose careers reflect excellence and outstanding leadership in health care philanthropy. This award is given annually and presented each year at the AHP International Conference.

Award Criteria 

The Award Committee uses six criteria in determining the winner. The candidate should:

  • Be a member in good standing, or a representative of a member firm in good standing, who has maintained development professional membership for a minimum of 10 years during his or her career
  • Be a successful fund raiser, demonstrated by documented dollars raised
  • Have a statesmanlike quality, embodying the recognized traits of leadership in our profession
  • Represent the profession well to other professionals and to the candidate's community
  • Have made continuing contributions to the association by holding office, publishing articles, teaching at conferences, etc.
  • Have improved in some way the level of professionalism in the association 
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Previous Seymour Award Winners

  • 1970

  • 1974

  • 1975

  • 1976

  • 1977

  • 1978

  • 1979

  • 1980

  • 1981

  • 1982

  • 1983

  • 1984

  • 1985

  • 1986

  • 1987

  • 1988

  • 1989

  • 1990

  • 1991

  • 1992

  • 1993

  • 1994

  • 1995

  • 1996

  • 1997

  • 1998

  • 1999

  • 2000

  • 2000 - Second Recepient

  • 2001

  • 2002

  • 2003

  • 2004

  • 2005

  • 2006

  • 2007

  • 2008

  • 2009

  • 2010

  • 2011

  • 2011 - Second Recipient

  • 2012

  • 2013

  • 2014

  • 2015

  • 2016

  • 2017