Dear Friends,
At its root, “defy” means to challenge or to do something considered impossible. The Dana-Farber Campaign—our historic, $2.5 billion fundraising effort that wrapped up at the end of September 2024—unequivocally pushed the boundaries of what is possible for the Institute and our patients.
More than 900,000 donors from here and abroad contributed 2.3 million gifts to this historic effort—more than 63% of which were received from first-time donors. The impact of the campaign has touched every part of Dana-Farber’s work and mission. We saw the establishment of 49 new endowed positions for our faculty and fellows, the launch of many new centers and programs, and key advances in initiatives across immunotherapy and vaccine development, artificial intelligence, drug discovery, cancer care equity, pediatric research and care, and more.
None of this would have been possible without our vast community of supporters, scientists, clinical staff, and friends, as well as the incredible leadership of Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, president emerita of Dana-Farber, who launched The Dana-Farber Campaign in 2017 to advance her strategic vision for the Institute. In many ways, it is fitting that her tenure as president and CEO ended as we closed the books on this historic campaign—one that has changed the world of cancer research and treatment.
On behalf of our entire team, past and present, I can confidently say that we have been the beneficiaries of the true partnership and the love of humankind that is at the center of philanthropy. Because of you, this campaign, and your leadership, our impact and growth will expand by an order of magnitude we have only begun to imagine. I am so excited to see what heights we reach next, together.
Melany N. Duval
Senior Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer