Eric M. Suhl Foundation banner image

About the Foundation

The Eric M. Suhl Foundation (the "EMSF") was created in memory of Eric Matthew Suhl, who passed away in February 2016. Eric was a fun loving person who enjoyed numerous sports activities, his friends, and being with his family.  His ever present smile, infectious personality and enormous heart allowed him to make friends wherever he went.

During Eric’s senior year at the University of Texas, he began to struggle with ulcerative colitis. Despite the nature of the disease and the complications arising from it, he never let anyone know he was suffering.  He was consistently upbeat and made every effort to ensure everyone around him was having a great time.

The mission of the EMSF is to positively impact the lives of those suffering with Crohn's and Colitis and mental health issues.  In each of the past three years, the Foundation’s largest fundraiser was the Eric M. Suhl Memorial Golf Tournament.  With an outpouring of love and support from friends, family and our Houston community we donated $25,000 in 2016 and $50,000 in 2017 to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation ("CCF"). In 2018, we once again had a tremendous turnout for Team Cool Suhlio and the Golf Tournament. This support from friends, family, and sponsors allowed us to donate $75,000 towards Crohn’s and Colitis and mental health initiatives, as well as start a scholarship in Eric’s name.

Allocation of Funds

2016

All $25,000 of the funds donated in 2016 were directed to the CCF General Fund for their use in a diverse array of projects to optimize the effectiveness of currently available treatments and to advance quality treatment of patients.

2017

The $50,000 donated in 2017 was directed:

  • $30,000 to the CCF Clinical Research Alliance, which is a consortium of research centers dedicated to clinical studies in adult IBD patients.  Three of Eric Suhl’s former doctors (Frachtman, Thompson, and Haas) recommended clinical research because this area was doing groundbreaking work in testing for treatments that could help Crohn’s and Colitis patients.
  • $11,500 to CCF Coping with IBD, which is creating specific communication tools that empower patients and caregivers to proactively address disease coping concerns with their healthcare providers and support network.  IBD does not just affect patients physically….it can take an emotional toll as well, and so Coping with IBD is offering resources and tools to educate patients on the relationship between their emotional well being and their health outcomes.
  • $8,500 to the CCF General Fund.

2018

The $75,000 from 2018 was directed:

  • $20,000 to funding Touching the Heart , a mental health initiative at Jewish Family Service (JFS). The program was created based on proven studies conducted during and since World War II that showed veterans off at war that received a message from someone they didn’t know saw a statistically significant reduction of death by suicide and were more likely to ask for help than those with no contact. Touching the Heart is a text-based messaging service open to our entire community specifically focusing on second semester high school seniors, college and/or graduate students of any age, and young professionals. The goal is to send messages just to say hello and to offer psychological support, guidance and tips for resilience and well-being.
    To learn more about the program or to sign up, please visit www.mentalhealthletstalk.org/touching-the-heart/
  • $22,500 to CCF Coping with IBD, which is creating specific communication tools that empower patients and caregivers to proactively address disease coping concerns with their healthcare providers and support network.  IBD does not just affect patients physically….it can take an emotional toll as well, and so Coping with IBD is offering resources and tools to educate patients on the relationship between their emotional well being and their health outcomes.
  • $7,500 to the CCF General Fund.
  • $25,000 towards setting up a scholarship in Eric's name.

2019

The $105,000 from 2019 was directed:

  • $45,000 to JFS Touching the Heart.
  • $15,500 to CCF Power of Two, a peer-to-peer support program for individuals seeking to talk by phone to other patients or caregivers with IBD. Peer supports are trained volunteers who have gone through their disease journey and are able to offer a supportive ear that focuses on encouragement, empathy, and navigating patients/caregivers to the Foundation resources and support programs.
  • $4,500 to the CCF General Fund.
  • $40,000 towards The Eric M. Suhl Scholarship at UT Austin.

2020

The $30,000 from 2020 was directed:

  • $20,000 to JFS Touching the Heart.
  • $5,000 to the CCF General Fund.
  • $5,000 towards The Eric M. Suhl Scholarship at UT Austin.

2021

The $80,000 from 2021 was directed:

  • $30,000 to JFS Touching the Heart.
  • $20,000 to the CCF Power of Two.
  • $30,000 towards The Eric M. Suhl Scholarship at UT Austin.

2022

The $95,000 from 2022 was directed:

  • $35,000 to JFS Touching the Heart.
  • $20,000 to the CCF Power of Two.
  • $40,000 towards The Eric M. Suhl Scholarship at UT Austin.

About our Board

The Eric M. Suhl Foundation is made up of a group of individuals who grew up with Eric and are deeply connected with the mission of the organization. They represent the broad diversity of our membership and contribute significant amounts of time, talent, and energy to further the mission of the organization.

Officers

Eric Horvitz

President & Co-Founder

Board Member

Jeff Magids

Vice President & Co-Founder

Board Member

Brett Luskey

Vice President & Co-Founder

Board Member

David Siegman

Vice President 

Debra Suhl

Board Member