Foundations of Fundraising

Barbara James is the Assistant Vice President, Chief Development Officer, Bethesda Hospital, Baptist Health Foundation, Baptist Health South Florida in Boynton Beach, Fla. She has been interviewed by Authority Magazine, Thrive Global, The Palm Beach Post, WPTV, BizBash, The Boca Raton Observer, The Coastal Star, and more.

As the chief spokesperson for the Foundation, James is available to speak about such topics as leadership in healthcare, philanthropy, non-profit management, fundraising, organizational development, budgeting, business solutions implementation, relationship building, and community wellness.

Since joining the Foundation in November 2017, James has raised an impressive $27 million through annual giving, private donors, fundraising campaigns, events, and corporate sponsorships. This money has been used to bring preeminent healthcare to Baptist Hospital in Palm Beach County through updated technologies and the expansion of world-class medical offerings, including the nationally recognized orthopedic total joint replacement program; cardiovascular care; cancer care; vascular, endovascular and robotic surgery, general surgery and emergency medicine.

James' focus in 2021 and 2022 will be raising $15 million for the Emergency Services Capital Campaign to modernize the Bethesda Hospital East Emergency Department with private rooms, smart technology, and optimized patient care. The virtual Gala of Generosity on March 25 helped the Foundation work towards this goal.

James is working towards earning her Master of Science in Management & Leadership from Western Governors University in Seattle. She earned a Bachelor Degree in English & Business Management from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn.

She is very involved in several community and professional organizations including Leadership Palm Beach County, Palm Beach County Medical Society Services Board, Palm Health Foundation, Impact of the Palm Beaches, Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, Palm Beach Round Table, Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians & Jews, International Women's Forum Palm Beach, American College of Healthcare Executives, Association of Fundraising Professionals/Planned Giving Council, and more.

James previously served in executive roles at CHI Franciscan's Harrison MedicalCenter Foundation (now called St. Michael Medical Center Foundation), Washington State Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Big Brothers Big Sisters Puget Sound, and St. Charles Borromeo in Seattle and Tacoma, Wash. She also spend time in Southern California at UC Irvine's Chao Comprehensive Cancer Center, as well as at Families Forward, a non-profit center that provides transitional housing, a food pantry, and career development, Laura's House, a domestic violence agency, and Orangewood Children's Foundation, a social services agency for children in the foster care system. James started her career in West Palm Beach, Fla. as the national project manager for US Diagnostic, the largest publicly-held physician practice management provider in the U.S.

James is originally from Upstate New York and moved to Florida in the late 70's where she later met and married her husband. They raised their two daughters in the Pacific Northwest before relocating to South Florida. The family enjoys spending time together near the water with their dog, Finn, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.