by Jacob Espinoza
For 57 years, a nonprofit has quietly helped Salem Health Hospitals and Clinics do more for our community — funding the programs, equipment, and initiatives that improve patient care and close gaps in access.
This includes car seats for families who can't afford one, 17,000 diapers a month to community partners, and support programs for parents whose newborns are in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
On October 2, the Salem Health Foundation is throwing a party to keep that work going, and they want you there.
I sat down with Jill Munger, the Foundation's development director, virtually on a Wednesday morning and learned more about the impact this organization has in our community.
What the Foundation is, in one paragraph
The Salem Health Foundation is a separate nonprofit from the Salem Health hospital system, formed in 1968. Funded through the generosity of donors in the region, the foundation is the health system’s philanthropic arm. The funds raised reduce access gaps and remove barriers to care. And since it started, donors have come alongside to help thousands of community members receive the support they need.
When Munger talks about "gaps," she means specific things a nurse notices at the patient’s bedside.
For example, when a family's car seat is expired, recalled, or the wrong size, a nurse steps in with one funded by foundation donors. And when NICU parents face the scariest weeks of their lives, foundation donors help the parent-run advisory group offer programs that mark milestones and ease stress.
Nurses spot the need, and the Foundation directs its donor resources.
Why babies, and why now
The October event, Bubbles & Bites, is their first attempt at a new style of fundraiser. Their goal is to raise money specifically for pediatric, NICU, and newborn programs.
That's a deliberate choice, because the foundation believes that these are the most vulnerable community members and they deserve a healthy start.
Munger pointed out that most don’t anticipate complications. "Everything's going along fine, then something happens and the next thing you know your newborn is in the NICU. You didn't plan on that."
70% of children in Marion County are covered by the Oregon Health Plan.
One program stood out to me as the sleeper hit: the Diaper Depot. The Foundation leverages Salem Health supply chain resources to procure and distribute about 17,000 diapers every month through volunteer services, partnering with food banks and churches to get them where they're needed. Their event materials say the program has moved more than 1.2 million diapers since 2018. It runs almost entirely under the radar.
How the nonprofits work together
I always wonder whether an organization plays well with others, or protects its turf. The Salem Health Foundation primarily works as a connector.
Because it sticks to a healthcare niche, it partners rather than duplicates. A few she named:
Salem Free Clinics — reducing barriers to care for uninsured and underinsured patients.
Punks for Purpose — the Foundation funds rides so kids can get to medical appointments.
Darian's Gift — an all-volunteer group supporting families whose kids are being treated for cancer. The Foundation supports them with transportation grants because a family driving to treatment three times a week burns through gas money fast.
The event is an Oregon sparkling wine tasting plus a heavy hors d'oeuvres spread plus bingo.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Friday, October 2, at the Willamette Heritage Center's Spinning Room in Salem.
The name has a story, and it's a good window into the Foundation's personality.
They'd run a golf tournament for 18 years but hadn't done a Salem area gala in ages. Munger and her chief development officer, a serious wine aficionado, wanted something different. They'd added a bingo hall to a casino-night event over in West Valley last year, and people loved it, so they built a whole event around it. "Bubbles, Bites, and Bingo" was the original name. It was too long. They cut it down.
The goal is to raise money, but she also wants people to have a great time. “I think we don't get to do that as much as we should.”
Tasting tables — regional sparkling wines (rosé, brut, and Blanc de Blancs), with someone to walk you through the differences whether you're a novice or a know-it-all
First ~45 minutes — tasting and cheese pairings, then the hors d'oeuvres buffet opens
Wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages for anyone who's not a bubbles person
Live music throughout
Silent auction — One item Munger mentioned was a loaded fall basket from South Salem Ace Hardware
Short program — a video showing where the money goes
Bingo with prizes such as a weekend stay at the coast
Wrapped by 8:30 — Munger's aiming to keep it from being a late night
If you want in
Two ways to be part of it.
Attend or sponsor. Sponsorships run from a $750 table up to $5,000, and the Foundation is asking sponsors to commit by September 15. The sponsor packet and commitment form are on their site, and tickets are at e.givesmart.com/events/PFQ. Sponsor questions go to Micheal Seraphin at the Foundation ([email protected]).
Just want to learn more or give directly? The Foundation is at salemhealthfoundation.org. They've also started publishing a quarterly magazine called The Giving Effect — the Summer 2026 issue is up now — which is their own attempt to fix the exact problem this piece is about: doing a lot of quiet good and rarely telling anyone.
Get people in a room, let them have fun, and the work speaks for itself.