Pandora Hess
Associate Director, Donor Experience & Engagement, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Background Info 

1. Can you tell us about your career trajectory? How did you come into donor relations as a career?

Although I have only been in donor relations in an official capacity for the last seven years, I have been actively practicing donor relations my entire career! I began as a museum curator at a preservation organization and, as with many small non-profits, I wore many (read: a teetering stack) of hats, including leading a special-interest donor group, writing content-rich donor communications, delivering behind-the-scenes experiences to donors, and stewarding gifts to the collection. From there, I co-led the program that strategically stewarded the Harvard Art Museums’ highest-level donors. Then I switched from museums to healthcare, joining one of the largest philanthropy teams in the country at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  

2. What influenced your interest in and passion for donor relations?

Donor relations offers a compelling blend of creativity, strategy, and the opportunity to explore human motivation — understanding what drives our desire to give and remain engaged. No two days are the same. 

3. What lessons, words of advice/inspiration would you like to pass on to other donor relations professionals?

In two words: Join ADRP! A professional community like this is rare. In three short years as a member, I have met friends and professional connections for life, gathered invaluable benchmarking insights and resources for my department, and enjoyed every minute of time engaging as a member, presenter, and conference attendee. 

4. Describe a specific donor engagement or stewardship activity that makes you feel like you are providing the best experience for donors. 

From time to time, I am asked to deliver a campus tour as part of a special recognition event for a high-level donor. Seeing the real-time human response to the full scope of our donor-relations efforts—the donor displays, the event production, the recognition gifts, the appearances from faculty, the meaningful remarks—is so rewarding, like a donor-relations Gesamtkunstwerk (German for “total work of art!”).