For Bill Manley and his family, the connection to Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) traces back to his grandparents.

“We’ve been blessed to receive incredible care at the Brigham and its affiliates for multiple generations,” says Manley, who considers his primary care physician, Ronald Katz, MD, to be a true friend and medical partner to his family. “It’s important to support great institutions that keep us all healthy.”

Manley has also been moved by the spirit of innovation he sees at BWH. He, his wife, Rebecca, and his sister, Donna, recently made their first contribution to the hospital with a $100,000 pledge. They are directing their gift to research and the Brigham Innovation Awards, which seeds high-reward, high-impact projects from up-and-coming researchers who pitch their ideas at an annual BWH competition.

The Manleys see their gift as an investment in the people behind new ideas that will elevate patient care.

“There should be a high value placed on innovation in medicine, and the Brigham does a great job promoting that,” says Manley, noting that some projects have the potential to transform into new products, services, or companies that benefit patient care. “The talent and ideas that spring from researchers here are going to radically change healthcare.”