From $5M in grateful patient giving to faster AI adoption: Kindsight honors client success at the 2026 Kindness Awards

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kindsight, the leader in enterprise fundraising and donor intelligence software, proudly announced the winners of the second annual Kindness Awards during its customer conference, KindCon 2026, held in Nashville September 1–3. The event celebrated the organizations and individuals who have used Kindsight's technology to drive measurable results, adopt new tools with care, and strengthen the fundraising community.

"Today we are here to honor the extraordinary people and organizations who have committed themselves to a simple yet profound purpose: making a difference," said George Wu, Chief Community Officer at Kindsight, who co-hosted the ceremony with Marie Yatco, Vice President of Customer Experience.

Winners were selected from 25 finalists across five categories. The 2026 Kindness Awards winners are:

• Fundraising Innovator
  
  Winner: Purdue for Life Foundation
  
  Using Kindsight's iWave prospect research solution, Ascend fundraising CRM, and Kindsight Intelligence, Purdue for Life continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in advancement, pairing bold system design with a willingness to share both successes and lessons learned with peers. Through the leadership of Michelle Bates, Vice President of Advancement Services, Purdue for Life has become an influential model for innovation and a generous partner to the broader advancement community.
  
  
  
  
• Impact Award
  
  Winner: Hoag Hospital Foundation
  
  Hoag Hospital Foundation expands access to world-class care for patients and families across Orange County. Using Ascend, iWave, and Connect (Kindsight's constituent portal), Hoag powers a modernized grateful patient program with stronger donor visibility and efficiency. The program raised more than $5 million in the first six months of 2026. Under the leadership of Alyce De La Cruz, Executive Director of Advancement Services, and through her service on Kindsight's Ascend Customer Advisory Board, Hoag helps extend that impact through shared learning across the field.
  
  
  
  
• Community Catalyst
  
  Winner: Heather Thorwald, Data Quality Analyst, University of Colorado Advancement
  
  As a founder and co-chair of Kindsight's Interims User Group, Heather has built a trusted space for peers to share challenges, best practices, and operational insights. Her energy, warmth, and commitment to meaningful dialogue have deepened connections across institutions and strengthened community learning.
  
  
  
  
• Cheer Captain
  
  Winner: Jose De La Colina Horta, Data Engineer, Texas A&M Foundation
  
  Jose led the rollout of Kindsight Intelligence at the Texas A&M Foundation, translating complex technical configuration into practical, user-focused tools tailored to the foundation's needs. His collaborative approach built confidence across teams, encouraged adoption through testing and feedback, and turned a behind-the-scenes implementation into lasting organizational impact.
  
  
  
  
• Growth Leader
  
  Winner: Wisconsin Foundation & Alumni Association
  
  WFAA has long demonstrated leadership in advancement technology, pairing a strong culture of innovation with a thoughtful enterprise approach to adoption and optimization. Using Kindsight's AdvancementRM fundraising CRM, iWave, and its broader data and reporting ecosystem, WFAA has built scalable practices that strengthen governance, improve adoption, and expand organizational capacity. Chief Information Officer Marianne Siess's leadership has kept the organization on the leading edge and helped staff work more confidently and effectively.

The Kindness Awards recognize the people behind the progress: the leaders, builders, and community champions who make technology work for their mission. Whether they're scaling grateful patient programs, strengthening data governance, or building spaces for peers to learn from one another, this year's winners show what fundraising teams can do together.

For more information about the Kindness Awards and the inspiring stories behind the winners, visit kindsight.io/kindness-awards.

For media inquiries, contact press@kindsight.io.

About Kindsight:

Kindsight builds technology that helps fundraisers make a difference. Founded on over three decades of innovation, and trusted by over 4,500 organizations worldwide, Kindsight is the market leader in advancement and fundraising software, supporting the education, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors to achieve their goals through smarter, more connected fundraising. Natively built upon the Salesforce architecture, Kindsight's Fundraising Platform is anchored in the strength and flexibility of the Ascend CRM, powered by the trusted insights of iWave data, and unified by seamless workflows and connected data.

Kindsight helps organizations discover the right donors, inspire personal connections at scale, and grow giving year after year. With industry-leading prospect research solutions, award-winning fundraising CRMs, a dynamic constituent portal, and an AI assistant built for modern fundraising, Kindsight's product suite is truly changing the game for donor fundraising. Connect your story to donors who care about your cause—at any scale, in real time—that's the power of Kindsight. Learn more at kindsight.io.

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