Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation receives $4 million gift from the Daniels Fund

Funds will go toward the Betty Ford Center campus transformation

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation—the nation's leading nonprofit system of substance use disorder treatment, mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention and education services—today announced it has received a $4 million gift from the Daniels Fund of Denver, Colo., to support the Betty Ford Center campus transformation.

“Bill Daniels was a great friend of former First Lady Betty Ford and supporter of the Betty Ford Center. His legacy of healing and hope continues through the Daniels Fund,” said Joseph Lee, MD, president and CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. “As the Betty Ford Center celebrates its 40^th year, we are grateful to the Daniels Fund for this significant commitment to the campus transformation, which will enable us—over the next 40 years—to help countless more families on their road to recovery.”

The generous gift comes amid record-high overdoses and rising alcohol-related deaths nationwide, as well as escalating mental health concerns on the tail of the pandemic. It will support the Betty Ford Center’s courageous leadership in the field and Hazelden Betty Ford’s care for individuals and the whole family impacted by a loved one’s substance use disorder.

The Betty Ford Center is a crown jewel in the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s national system of care. Celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year, the Center’s four-year, more than $40 million construction project will enable the world-renowned treatment center in Rancho Mirage to meet increasing demand for services, expand accessibility, and help more individuals, families and communities.

“Bill was inspired by Betty Ford’s bravery, honesty, and recovery and treasured his relationship with her. His gratitude for her and the life-changing treatment he received at the Betty Ford Center was apparent in his life,” said Hanna Skandera, president and CEO of the Daniels Fund. “We are honored to carry forward their legacy through this gift which will help thousands of people.”

The Daniels Fund has been a vital supporter of the Betty Ford Center campus since its early days. Former First Lady Ford had a vision to treat addiction with unprecedented compassion and to provide healing and hope to children from families struggling with addiction. The Daniels Fund has been an invaluable partner in making that dream a reality. Founder Bill Daniels helped develop, fund and expand the Betty Ford Center’s visionary Children’s Program to support kids ages 7 to 12 who are growing up in a family affected by addiction. Today, the Children’s Program continues to expand throughout the nation and includes a site in Greenwood Village, Colo. His initial gift in the year 2000 also enabled construction of the Daniels Building at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, giving the site its own dedicated space for children and their families. This most recent gift brings the lifetime giving of Bill Daniels and the Daniels Fund to more than $7 million.

“With the visionary leadership of dedicated supporters like the Daniels Fund, we are creating a space that honors the dignity of every individual who comes to us for care. When the campus transformation is complete in 2025, the Betty Ford Center will be the ideal setting for the personal transformations that take place on campus every day,” said Moira McGinley, Hazelden Betty Ford’s chief development officer. “It will ensure a future of healing and hope for thousands of individuals and families seeking the latest, most comprehensive, evidence-based treatment, and will help the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation empower recovery and well-being for all.”

Interested in learning more about how you can make a difference at the Betty Ford Center, or inquiring about programs and services at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation? Contact Greg Fisher, executive director of development, at gfisher@hazeldenbettyford.org.

About the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Harnessing science, love and the wisdom of lived experience, the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a force of healing and hope for families and communities affected by substance use and mental health conditions. As the nation’s foremost nonprofit provider of comprehensive behavioral health care, the Foundation leads the way in helping society rise above stigma and overcome addiction. With a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center, the Foundation now has treatment centers and telehealth services nationwide as well as a network of collaborators throughout health care. Charitable support and a commitment to innovation drive ongoing advances in care, research, programs and services to impact more lives. In addition to clinical care, Hazelden Betty Ford encompasses a graduate school of addiction studies, a publishing division, a research center, thought leadership and advocacy, professional and medical education programs, school-based prevention resources and a specialized program for children—with a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in all of its endeavors. Learn more at www.HazeldenBettyFord.org and on Twitter.

About the Daniels Fund

The Daniels Fund, established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, is a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better for the people of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through its grants program, scholarship program, and ethics initiative. Visit DanielsFund.org to learn more.

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