If you want bread, you NEED the dough.. pun intended!

Meet Betty Braysahy, fundraiser for the Doris A. Howell Foundation.   Her business is in the dough... not the one to bake with (although she is a very good cook), but that one required to fund perhaps the single most important aspect in women's health: education.

If you know Betty, you also know she has been in the business of education pretty much all her life.  A pioneer of her time, Betty started her career in radio and TV as a programmer and advertising copy writer at KCBQ Radio, and KFMB TV.   But rather than becoming a media star, she chose to follow a career as an unofficial philanthropist until she became the stellar fundraiser at the Doris A. Howell Foundation.

It is only natural that she would take the fundamental role of fundraising for the Foundation as education has always been a top priority for her.   With studies at UCLA and SDSU, and a pioneer in conceptualizing new methods of education, Betty led an initiative focused on putting TVs in classrooms to implement enrichment programs for kids; at times, having to create her own curriculum.

A caregiver herself, her interest for funding our scholarship program stems from the fact that women need to be informed about their health - especially middle aged woman who perhaps will in turn be taking care of older women in their lives.  "By understanding the differences between women and men when it comes to health, we are able to make more accurate decisions as to the health care of our loved ones".

A proud mother of 2, grandmother of 5 and married for 61 years, she has always been involved with philanthropic educational institutions as a volunteer, the basis of any non-profit organization.   She offered countless numbers of volunteer hours at several non-profit organizations --Children's Hospital, Salvation Army, Girls Scouts --to name a few, until eventually she met Dr. Howell at St. Paul's.

She is good at generating ideas; the kind of ideas that create an impact and stay for life.  She operates under the SPRITES philosophy -- Spiritual, Philanthropic, Recreational, Inspirational, Training, Education and Social -- a group she co-created as a volunteer herself.  It empowers young girls from 7th to 12th grade by providing tools that stay with them for life --mothers and daughters working together to learn how to be leaders, build teams and become involved with philanthropy.  A project that started 47 years ago is stronger than ever, and Betty's legacy to the many young women who are living their lives leading and succeeding today.

When initially offered the opportunity to make a difference in women's health, she hit the ground running.  A woman of many accomplishments - including founding of a unit to the newly formed Children's Hospital Auxiliary, she jumped in and started mixing all the ingredients for the perfect recipe of fundraising.

"There are many ways of giving.  We are certainly very much in need of help to reach our goal of funding all our 2015 scholars and other women's health related programs.  Why not consider honoring someone you love with a meaningful gift of a scholarship donation?  With the high cost of education, so many academically qualified students are looking to us for help in achieving their dreams", she comments.

She is part of a group of individuals that strongly believe in the role that women play in almost every family in America.  As best stated by Dr. Howell: "How many of you have wives; how many of you have daughters; how many of you have sisters? And I know you all have mothers... What do you do to help them stay healthy?"

And leave it to a Fundraiser such as Betty to be creative! The Dollars for Scholars campaign is her brain child.  Under that umbrella, the Howell Foundation is in the process of implementing its first of several initiatives: The "20 for 20" Campaign, in honor of the Foundation's 20th anniversary.

Yup!  TWENTY YEARS is said easily, but for a 95% volunteer-based organization (we need someone to keep us in check!), we are very proud to have awarded more than half a million dollars to scholars who are dictating how women's health is diagnosed today.  To celebrate, we are asking for donations of $20, $200 or $2000 towards the Foundation's Programs.

"There are many causes worth funding as there are many ways to give.  It is a matter of making sure your beliefs fit the criteria of the Doris A. Howell Foundation.  It's about knowing what we do and how we benefit women", comments Betty.

The Howell Foundation offers just the right mix of ingredients to address women's health issues.  Your donation goes to 3 key areas in women's health:   Research,  by developing financial support for undergraduates students to pursue research that will impact women's health and possibly accelerate solutions to women's health problems; Education, by motivating and inspiring men and women to learn more about healthful living through our Luncheon Lecture and Evening Series; and Community, by partnering with academia to fund research projects that will improve women's health and well-being in our community.

"Women are the main ingredient in life's recipe for family:  strong, supportive, independent but yet loving and inspiring.   Let's do all we can to keep them healthy!" she concludes.