Helping people 'see what can be'

General Article

Nancy Wells, vice president of Development, focuses on doubling private donations by realigning existing strengths, defining and reaching new audiences

Nancy Wells, new vice president of Development, is a self-described people person who looks forward to building strong partnerships with Center researchers and potential donors at home, across the country and around the world as she works to bring in donations of $1 million or greater. Photo by Todd McNaught

Nancy Wells, a fund-raising expert with more than 15 years in the field, answers matter-of-factly when asked what motivates an individual to donate money. "People give because they see what can be."

As the Center's newly hired vice president of Development, Wells believes that when people look at the Hutchinson Center, what they see is world-class scientific research with the potential to save lives.

"Cancer is a very powerful, emotional disease that affects everyone," said Wells, who began her new job last month. "And the Center has a proven track record of producing when given the resources. Now, we're simply looking for new opportunities to bring our science and the world together."

Wells joins the Center at a time when the institution has begun to take a hard look at diversifying its revenue stream, which has consisted largely of federal dollars that are predicted to become increasingly scarce under the current administration. Dr. Lee Hartwell, president and director, said that Wells has the right combination of experience, energy and vision to lead the Hutchinson Center toward its goal of doubling private donations during the next five years.

A journey paved with success

"Nancy brings a wealth of experience in managing complex development operations and in securing and stewarding large philanthropic gifts," he said. "Her background and experience will be invaluable as we move forward with our strategic fund-raising goals. We are all very pleased she is here."

Wells most recently served as vice principal of Development and Alumni Relations at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, where she directed the university's $500 million comprehensive fund-raising campaign. Prior to joining McGill, she spent 10 years at Stanford University, where she held the positions of associate vice president and director of University Development. During her tenure at Stanford, she was actively involved in planning and implementation of a $1 billion endowment initiative.

"I've been privileged to work at places with highly successful development operations," Wells said. "The Hutchinson Center is the kind of institution with the potential to increase its fundraising potential — I believe substantially. It's a matter of realigning — not re-engineering — existing strengths and opportunities."

Marketing the Center's research

First among those strengths, Wells said, is the Center's research. "There's simply no question about the quality of our research — that's a no-brainer. Now we must bring it out to market in a way that doesn't compromise its integrity."

The Hutchinson Center's efforts during the last year to develop a focused marketing and communications strategy to better convey its research and mission to the public will play an important role in connecting the institution with new audiences, she said. In Wells' mind, there are many untapped connections that already exist — and many more to be made.

"Think of what a United Airlines route map looks like — you have a hub that connects to different cities all over the world," she said. "Now think of every patient treated here, every postdoc or fellow who has trained here, every industry connection — anyone whose life has been touched by the Center in some way. We haven't even defined all of our constituencies yet. We have many opportunities to build new audiences and bring our science to the world."

The most challenging audience can often be an institution's own back yard, she said. "It's very common for a great institution to have a lot of untapped potential right in its own city. We need to find ways to freshen our image locally — but there is also potential across the nation and the world." She believes that the most successful development departments are those that are viewed as helpful to the institution and its constituents — in this case, the investigators. To Wells, a self-described people person, that means not only building relationships with potential donors, but with the scientists themselves.

Building a philanthrophy-friendly culture

"I want to learn as much as I can about the research that takes place here and I want my staff to do the same," she said.

Wells said that a critical ingredient for success is to have the strong commitment of the Center's leadership toward fund raising, which includes building an institutional culture that is receptive to large philanthropic gifts. Her efforts will focus on bringing in donations of $1 million or greater.

"The Center is making this commitment for solid reasons — not just for the sake of raising money," she said. "We know that to attract and retain the best minds and forge new research directions, we need money. We've done this successfully with federal dollars, but we know now that this money is flat. An institution that doesn't pay attention will suffer."

Being receptive to large gifts, Wells said, will present some challenges for the institution. "It's a challenge right now for the leadership and will become a challenge for the scientists to support the changes that go along with it. We will have to learn how to partner successfully with the scientists."

She looks upon this challenge as an unusual opportunity — "unusual in the good sense."

"This is a first-rate institution that is totally worthy of philanthropic support," she said. "The leadership is ready to take it on and has a long-term plan. They understand it takes time. We are not in a desperate situation — which means we have the time to do it right."

Wells views her job as helping to make that happen — and enjoying herself along the way. "I'm a down-to-earth, informal person, and I'm already appreciating the friendliness, sharpness and wit of the people here — there's definitely an edge to this place. I'm thrilled to be a part of it."

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