Cover Story: Worth The Gamble

A vision of hope
Soon after the NVCI’s April 2002 incorporation, the state of Nevada declared it its official cancer institute.

“That kind of gave us instant credibility and really allowed us to have some visibility. Even though it wasn’t monetary, this declaration was a valuable contribution from the state,” Gitomer says.

From its inception, the NVCI wanted to achieve the National Cancer Institute Designated Comprehensive Cancer Care Center designation, which has only been bestowed on 39 cancer facilities in the United States. It’s awarded for cutting-edge research and for programs that demonstrate the close integration of research and clinical efforts, and that translate these discoveries to exemplary patient care.

“It generally takes 10 years to get this designation. We’re three years in, and I don’t think it’ll take us seven more years to get it,” she says, adding, “We wanted to build a facility that would address all facets of cancer care, including outreach and education, research, actual clinical care — really, the entire continuum of care for cancer patients.”

Such a grand vision, Gitomer says, bolstered her team’s confidence in approaching donors for the $1 million gifts they were soliciting.

Ask and you shall receive
In the last three years, the NVCI has been running three efforts concurrently: fundraising; recruiting a robust, high-profile development, medical and research staff; and preparing to open the NVCI’s first building.

Gitomer knew that to complete the NVCI’s facility in record time, they needed to ask for big gifts first. Although the fundraising program was slated to be all-inclusive and eventually focus on donors of all levels, Gitomer says, “Most of my time, and the president’s, has been spent soliciting gifts of $1 million and up.”

She targeted people she calls the “usual suspects,” individuals “who were known to be generous, known to be affluent and had the inclination to give.”