Julie Alvarado serves as the Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer for the Dignity Health Foundation - East Valley. Julie is responsible for overseeing the foundation; developing and implementing an annual fundraising plan that meets the ongoing needs of the organization; and comprehensive fundraising and developmental operations. Julie serves as the senior major gifts and planned giving officer, regularly meeting with donors and prospects to create and foster relationships, and ensuring that the organization has the funds for its highest priorities.
Julie joined the Dignity Health team in 2009 and is a mission-driven leader and seasoned fundraiser who has been devoted to growing and enhancing Dignity Health - East Valley programs and services for the past several years.
During her tenure, she has served in leadership roles for the East Valley, St. Joseph’s, and Barrow Foundations. Since fall 2011, Julie served as Director of Philanthropy for Dignity Health Foundation - East Valley. As such, Julie managed the day-to-day operations and budgets of the foundation, cultivated philanthropic relationships, coordinated board development, and overseen the transfer of funds and grants for hospital use. Julie has played a critical role in the foundation raising a record $11.5 million last fiscal year, and she recently completed a fundraising effort that allowed Dignity Health - East Valley to fully fund a new ECMO program.
Before joining Dignity Health, Julie was Director of Community and University Engagement for Arizona State University; she served as Manager of Communications and public affairs for General Dynamics C4 Systems. Julie holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and communications from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in educational leadership from Ottawa University. Julie and her husband, John, are extremely active in community service and have volunteered for several organizations, including the Aris Foundation, YMCA, Raising Special Kids Arizona, and the Arizona Association of Foster and Adoptive Parents. They adopted two of their four children and became involved in several behavioral health, foster and adoptive care organizations. They enjoy sports, camping and outdoor activities with their teenager, Jaxon, and three active grandsons.