Jarrard Senior Vice President of Philanthropy, Melinda Church, attended the NACCDO-CMCA Conference. These are her key takeaways.
EVENT: National Association of Cancer Center Development Offices (NACCDO) and the Cancer Marketing & Communications Association (CMCA) Annual Conference
WHEN & WHERE: Toronto, Canada | April 27-30, 2026
For the last four days in April, leaders in cancer fundraising and marketing and communications gathered in Toronto to share ideas, tools, templates, what worked and – uncommonly – what did not.
The brilliance of the conference, a joint meeting of the National Association of Cancer Center Development Officers and the Cancer Marketing and Communications Association, stems from the diverse institutions represented by participants across North America. There were freestanding cancer centers and those embedded in academic medical centers, some with NCI designation, others without it (yet!). Some large MarComm teams with the full power of internal branding agencies and some small fundraising shops that have innovated their way to astonishing results.
The Jarrard team focused largely on fundraising sessions, and we’re tucking away tons of tips and tricks.
Here are a few:
- The team behind a freestanding cancer center that is halfway toward its 10-figure campaign goal feels fortunate that they didn’t announce a timeframe. The concept runs counter to the usual notion of building urgency with timeframes. But these are not usual times.
- A prominent Canadian cancer center measures Net Promoter Scores for anything and everything. Events. The donor experience. The patient experience. (The latter figure? A remarkable 87% NPS!)
- A large U.S. health center took a systems approach to grow a sustainable, grateful-patient program. The model is physician-led, foundation-supported, highly visible and as frictionless as possible for clinicians. The result: 70% of clinical staff are actively engaged.
- A Midwest cancer center launched an international philanthropy program last year. Keys to traction include strong internal partners, starting with the CEO, outside help with cultural sensitivities and a steady cadence of global convenings.
On a personal level, we were overwhelmed by the wicked smarts, passion and unmatched kindness of this mission-driven group. Interested in learning how Jarrard’s fundraising and communications experts can help supercharge your philanthropy?
Contact us to start the process.
— Melinda Church, Senior Vice President, Philanthropy
