Our Story Starts Here
Believing in the Magnitude of Gratitude
We believe that a “thank you” goes a long way to build trust and encourage more people from all walks of life to participate in clinical research.
How We Started
Our story begins with Jennifer Byrne, a long-time clinical trial executive, who watched thousands of clinical trial participants take part in clinical research. She observed that not many volunteers truly understood the lasting impact of their participation. Especially where the drug development process can last for years or longer, volunteers may not appreciate just how critical they are.
Then, Jennifer had an idea.
What if we could reinforce the impact of a clinical trial participant by making a donation in their honor? The concept was simple: pay forward the impact of a volunteer's role in a clinical trial with a donation to vulnerable children. One good deed delivers the gift of health of future generations.
Since 2010, Greater Gift has celebrated more than 178,000 clinical trial participants and donated an equal number of vaccines and meals to children in need through our collaboration with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and Feeding America.
Meet the Greater Gift Team
Greater Gift is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Donations fund the costs to administer the celebration program and employ a small team of full-time employees. Greater Gift also depends on volunteers who donate their skills to help advance the organization.
Sharon Pullen, Program Coordinator
Sharon Pullen started as Greater Gift’s program coordinator in late October 2022. She brings extensive administrative expertise from diverse sectors. She dedicated eight years to PMG Research, an independent clinical research site, where she was introduced to Greater Gift and its positive impact on clinical trial participants. Sharon observed the direct impact of showing gratitude to patients and looks forward to adding to Greater Gift’s 13-year legacy of meaningful contributions.
Hally Cooper,
Content Marketing and Design Specialist
Greater Gift Board of Directors
Greater Gift board members include research leaders, community advocates, and thought leaders who are dedicated to improving clinical research for all communities.
Jennifer Byrne
Chair of the Board of Directors
CEO, Javara
Amanda Wright
Secretary, Board of Directors
Chief of Site Operations, Javara
Darren White
Treasurer, Board of Directors
CEO, Medical Consulting Solutions, Inc., Anesthesia Care Services, PA, Healthcare Business Solutions, LLC.
Carlos Orantes
Board Member
CEO, Alcanza Clinical Research
Greater Gift Volunteers
Greater Gift volunteers generously donate their time and expertise to advance the mission.
Logan Smith
Logan is a long time volunteer and has worked with Greater Gift for three years helping with IT system administration, IT security, website development, and technology strategy across multiple domains.
Kai Shapard
Kai started as a student intern and remains a volunteer. They is passionate about amplifying Greater Gift's mission through all different types of media. Kai is currently studying Healthcare Administration at ECPI University.
Sarah Hamilton
Sarah applies her experience as a Chief Marketing Officer to identify strategies for growth and innovative approaches to fundraising for Greater Gift. Her professional expertise spans across cybersecurity, SaaS, and healthcare tech.
Kelly Brown
Kelly has several years of experience in marketing for life sciences. She applies her experience with clinical trials to support the marketing efforts for Greater Gift, including messaging and website strategy.