Hanley Foundation announces capital campaign; Palm Beach mayor gives lead gift

Jodie Wagner, Palm Beach Daily News
Updated ·4 min read

A lead gift from Palm Beach Mayor Danielle Moore, through The Mary Alice Fortin Foundation, has helped to jump start the Hanley Foundation's $35 million capital campaign.

The amount was not disclosed to the Daily News, but Hanley CEO Rachel Docekal said it will aid her organization's expansion efforts.

The West Palm Beach-based nonprofit provides substance abuse prevention and recovery support, as well as education programs for parents and caregivers.

Related: 'Quiet ambassador' Danielle Moore honored by The Lord's Place for her efforts to end homelessness

"Dani Moore is somebody who is a leader in our community," Docekal told the Daily News following Monday's Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce breakfast event at The Breakers. "She's somebody I personally look up to as a mentor. There is nothing more that we could have asked for than to have her make that first lead gift. She is tremendous."

The Mary Alice Fortin Foundation, of which Moore is the director and president, provides grants to qualified charitable organizations whose initiatives improve the quality of life in local communities. Its primary focus is children, education, homelessness and animal welfare.

Palm Beach Mayor Danielle Moore (left) and Gil Walsh attended Monday's Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce breakfast at The Breakers. Moore contributed a lead gift toward the Hanley Foundation's $35 million capital campaign.
Palm Beach Mayor Danielle Moore (left) and Gil Walsh attended Monday's Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce breakfast at The Breakers. Moore contributed a lead gift toward the Hanley Foundation's $35 million capital campaign.

Moore told the Daily News that the work of the Hanley Foundation and its sister organization, the Hanley Center, is a vital resource for those dealing with addiction.

The Hanley Center, which sits on a 14-acre campus at 933 45th St. in West Palm Beach, provides services such as age and gender-specific addiction treatment options, a residential mental health program, on-site medical and detox services, neurological interventions, experiential therapies, continuing care, and discharge planning.

"It's a resource that so many people in our community need," Moore said of the center, which was founded in 1986 as an addiction treatment center and expanded 12 years later to include care for older adults. "If it's not available here, where are people who are struggling with addiction going? It's important to have a top-notch, world-class treatment center here."

Turner Benoit, chief philanthropic officer of the Hanley Foundation, announced a $35 million capital campaign Monday during the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce's monthly breakfast meeting at The Breakers.
Turner Benoit, chief philanthropic officer of the Hanley Foundation, announced a $35 million capital campaign Monday during the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce's monthly breakfast meeting at The Breakers.

The Hanley Foundation's capital campaign, which was launched a year ago and announced publicly to donors during a Jan. 18 fundraising event that Moore co-hosted at the home of Palm Beach resident Joanie Van der Grift, has raised more than $10 million so far, said Turner Benoit, the foundation's chief philanthropic officer.

Benoit said the foundation hopes to raise the remainder of the funds during the next five years, when much of the proposed expansion is expected to be complete.

Plans include the addition of new and upgraded treatment pavilions on the grounds and an increase in the number of programs Hanley Center can offer, including: treatment for pregnant and postpartum women; specialized treatment for veterans and first responders; stand-alone treatment for impaired practitioners with licensure requirements; a recovery bookstore and coffee shop staffed by individuals in early recovery; and vocational and life skills development programs.

Docekal said she hoped to break ground on the bookstore and coffee shop project within a year, while the remainder of the expansion should take five to seven years to complete.

"We're really excited to start to work with our specialty populations, such as veterans, first responders, pregnant women and children," she said. "We're looking at housing and early learning as well as job training and education that will help launch these moms back into the community versus just getting them sober."

Rachel Docekal
Rachel Docekal

During Monday's Chamber breakfast, which was sponsored by the Hanley Foundation and drew a sell-out crowd, Benoit announced that the Foundation had reacquired the Hanley Center from for-profit Origins Behavioral Healthcare and returned it to nonprofit status.

Origins Behavioral Healthcare, a recovery and treatment facility with locations in Florida and Texas, purchased the Hanley Center in 2016 for $11.5 million.

"We somehow made it happen," Benoit said of the Foundation reacquiring the property, which it secured in December for an undisclosed price. "We definitely couldn't have done this without our donors."

To donate to the Hanley Center's capital campaign, contact Benoit at 561-797-2777 or email Turner@HanleyFoundation.org.

For information on the Hanley Foundation, visit https://hanleyfoundation.org/.

Also Monday, the Chamber welcomed J. Christopher Giancarlo, a former chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and author of "CryptoDad — The Fight for the Future of Money." Giancarlo discussed cryptocurrency and the coming digital network transformation of financial services.

Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach mayor gives lead gift to Hanley Foundation capital campaign