Overly is the ‘FUN’raising expert for Fulton County Medical Center She said ‘yes’ 18 years ago and has since been at the forefront of over $14 million raised Editor’s Note: To say Helen Overly, 89, is a mover and a shaker would be an understatement. She moved to Fulton County from New Jersey with her business partner Freda Raker in 1971. They founded Overly-Raker Inc. Throughout her career, Helen blazed a trail for women entrepreneurs. She was the first woman to preside as President of the Fulton County Medical Center Board and the first female to serve as President of the Chicago Gift Show. Never thinking of slowing down, Helen is known in the business and local community as a person who can “make things happen,” and a person who “gets the job done.” We sat down with Helen recently, as she reflected on an 18-year fundraising journey.
would give him an answer, and I had not given it any thought.” Because I promised a decision, I called him to explain that I had not really given this proper thought. I was leaving for Washington the next day to work at another tradeshow. I would return in three days and then for sure I would give him an answer. This decision plagued me. What to do? Little Offers Big Incentive While I was in Washington, Will Little, the president of the company that I worked with, flew in for three hours to attend a board meetBoard of directors (October 1981), with Helen Overly front and ing. After the meeting he came into the office center. where I was sitting. We chatted for a minute or two. He casually asked what I was doing these days. “Are you still on the board of the hospital?” hy did I volunteer, or what made me volunteer for a fundraising job for Fulton County Medical Center? I’ve been asked that many “No,” I said. “You’re way behind the times, Will. I have not been on that times over. board for years, but funny that you should mention the hospital. We (notice Before this current building was constructed, I received a call from then she said we) are going to build a new hospital and they have asked me to CEO Bob Murray (in 2002) inviting me to come to his office. He wanted to chair the fundraising committee. But I don’t think I can do it. I am way too talk with me. He and the CFO ( Jason Hawkins, who would later become the busy and don’t know anything about fundraising.” CEO) met with me to ask if I would serve as chair for the fundraising com With that, he asked, “How much do you have mittee for a new hospital. There had been a lot of talk for a few years about to raise?” a new hospital but nothing was done. Now, they were ready to go. My very I replied, “Oh, about a million or million first thought was: I have no experience in fundraising, nor do I want to find and a half.” out about it. Number two, I was way too busy with many other things on my With that, he pulled his business card plate to consider taking on this job. out of his pocket and said, “If you will As we talked, I asked, “How much do you have to raise?” do it, l will give you one percent.” I saw The answer: $1.5 million. $15,000 flash in front of my eyes. What I didn’t know until after I finally volunteered was that the board I exclaimed, “Oh, no, Will, now I have to had previously done a feasibility study and was told that we could raise $1 do it.” million, maybe, one and a half million dollars. Interesting that’s the amount In the great scheme of things, when they said we had to raise. I made the first mistake (laughing) by telling the building a hospital, $15,000 isn’t CEO I would think about it. That was the wrong thing to say … lets the door much, but when you have nothing wide open to being pushed through to a “yes” answer. and you’re offered $15,000, it’s I was working for a trade show company and left the next day for Atlanta. huge. I told Mr. Murray when I got back I would give him an answer. My family Suddenly, I realized I had my said, “No, you are too busy.” My friends thought I was too busy, and I thought answer. Unless God wrote it on so, too. the wall, could the guidance I am a person of faith and I prayed about it, asked for guidance and direcI had prayed for been made tion on what to do. any clearer? Interesting Off I went off to Atlanta for a week, was busy there and really didn’t to note, Will Little didn’t think about it. Actually, I had completely forgotten about it until I was on know anyone in Fulton the plane coming back home. I suddenly remembered, “Oh my, I told him I County except Freda
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FULTON COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY
