Douglas Jackson, PhD, JD

As a nonprofit that donates medical supplies around the world, Project C.U.R.E. had to do more than just survive and endure the COVID-19 pandemic. It needed to deliver on its mission, and then some.

“Project C.U.R.E. has survived two years of the COVID pandemic, responded to multiple natural disasters and addressed the emergency needs of a war-torn Ukraine,” said President and CEO Douglas Jackson, Ph.D., J.D. “In that time, the team at Project C.U.R.E. didn’t panic. Instead, we focused on the fundamentals of building culture and good business practices. We avoided layoffs to keep our team together, strengthened our financial position, distributed nearly 15 semi-truck trailers of domestic PPE to U.S. providers, added 50,000 square feet of new distribution warehouse space and delivered a record number of international ocean-freight containers.

“We learned that it is impossible to overcommunicate. We learned the importance of adapting. We learned how to grow in the middle of adversity. And we were reminded that when the chips are down, there are people who will step up. In the last two years, I have been both encouraged and amazed at the outpouring of support that has come on the difficult days when we most needed a hand, from our donors to our staff and volunteers.”

Project C.U.R.E. is the world’s largest distributor of donated medical supplies, equipment and services to medical professionals in more than 135 countries. Jackson outlined seven core values that drive the nonprofit and have allowed it to thrive for 35 years and counting. The goals are on the walls in the warehouses and on the organization’s website. The values are:

1 — Credibility and Integrity: We will be honest. We won’t make promises we can’t keep, and we will keep the promises that we’ve made. 2 — Partnership: We seek to assist other individuals and organizations that share our common vision. 3 — Creativity and Ingenuity: We will endeavor to pioneer new ways of meeting the needs of others, being stewards of our resources and solving problems — from the small inconveniences to the major obstacles. 4 — Stewardship: Despite the fact that most of our assets are donations, we will remember the source and value of these and treat each as a gift. 5 — Excellence in Service: We will do our best work in meeting the needs of one another, our donors, our partners and the sick and dying around the world. 6 — Information and Competence: We will become experts in our area of service. We will gain an increasing body of knowledge and expertise to be used, together with these other objectives, to see our vision become reality. 7 — Attitude: We will respect and honor others in the way that we treat them. We will strive to remain pleasant, positive and optimistic in all circumstances.

Jackson’s goals for Project C.U.R.E. are to launch 18 additional communities to capture the maximum amount of donated medical relief to deliver around the world. Project C.U.R.E. will continue to grow its clinics program and college programs to include cervical cancer screening and treatment, advanced care for mothers and infants and biomedical training. Project C.U.R.E. is also doubling down on training for staff to touch on skills such as leadership, storytelling and group dynamics. The payoff is expected to come in more efficient operations and, ultimately, more lives saved around the world.

Jackson is one of 12 to be named a titan hall of famer. His advice to the new generation of titans is to be clear of purpose, invest in your culture and prioritize your people.

“Don’t assume anything with regard to the people component,” he said. “It is the most difficult element of creating something remarkable, and the single biggest factor to success. Hire carefully. Onboard intensely. Communicate deliberately. Prune cautiously. Celebrate madly.”