All it took was a regular visit to Jupiter Medical Center to ignite Tim and Jayne Donahue’s philanthropic nature. The seasonal residents of Palm Beach Gardens stopped in for routine testing and were impressed by the patient-focused professionalism. “We really liked Jupiter Medical Center, and when we learned the hospital was developing a cardiac surgery program that will include open heart procedures, we felt it was very important to help,” says Tim. “We have been involved with medical and educational philanthropy before, and we felt this program is worth our time and energy. We want the people of our community to be able to get the great care they need.”
In December 2017, the Donahues made a $5 million lead gift to kick off efforts with the Timothy and Jayne Donahue Cardiac Surgery Program, Phase 1 of a larger Heart and Vascular Institute that will allow Jupiter Medical Center to deliver the most advanced cardiac procedures for patients with heart and vascular disease. The hospital, already designated as a Center of Excellence in Cardiac Care, has invested a great deal in its expansion of interventional cardiac capabilities over the past three years. Partnering with Mount Sinai Heart New York, Jupiter Medical Center was able to add two interventional cardiac catheterization labs for procedures like balloon angioplasty and coronary stents, thus increasing the number of coronary interventions the hospital’s doctors perform by 300 percent.
By April 2017, Jupiter Medical Center had reached the 1,100 procedural volumes required by the State of Florida for open-heart attestation. The next important step is becoming a Level II Cardiac Surgery Program—which the Donahues’ generous donation will help it achieve.
“When Tim and I walked through the hospital and saw what they are trying to do, we wanted to jump-start the program with a meaningful gift,” says Jayne. “We feel that the new Cardiac Surgery Program is yet another step in the continuation of providing those with cardiac issues state-of-the-art care in a patient-first environment that is the hallmark of the Jupiter Medical Center.”
The couple has made a conscious decision to use their time and resources to give back . They met through work. Both Tim and Jayne were marketing and sales executives with cable television and wireless technology companies. Tim went on to become the CEO of Nextel Communications and the chairman of the newly merged Sprint Nextel. Under Tim’s leadership at Nextel, the company positioned itself as a different kind of wireless carrier, eager to launch services that competitors did not provide. When he joined the company in 1996, it serviced 100,000 customers; by the start of 2004, Nextel jumped to 13 million customers. At the time, Business Week named the affable executive one of the “best managers” around, and he was also Ernst & Young’s 2003 Entrepreneur of the Year.
With no children of their own, Tim and Jayne decided to use their resources to help other kids. They committed $6 million to Tim’s alma mater, John Carroll University in Cleveland—a gift that provides scholarships for low-income students who have demonstrated academic excellence and a commitment to service. “Jayne and I sponsor five students a year at John Carroll,” Tim says of the aptly named Donahue Scholars fund. “We are proud to be able to do this.”
The retired couple spends part of the year on Massachusetts’ Nantucket Island, where they are building a home. For about eight months a year, they reside in Palm Beach Gardens, where they devote a great deal of time to philanthropy. Last year, they were recognized for their support of Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches, a nonprofit with a mission to strengthen families with children and help them achieve self-sufficiency by providing access to many services. “We help fund housing, training, and after-school programs for kids,” says Jayne. “We like to target people in need so they can get their lives back together.”
Tim also sits on various boards, including NVR Inc., the homebuilding and mortgage company, UCT Coatings, Inc., where he is chair, Ligado Networks, and Radius Networks. (He has also been on the boards of ADT Corp., Tyco International Ltd., Covidien Ltd. and Eastman Kodak Co. ). When not playing golf or boating, the Donahues enjoy an active social schedule with friends in Florida and up and down the East Coast.
Jayne and Tim feel very blessed to have the resources to enjoy their retirement years, and give back to organizations and communities that they both love and respect.”