Recognizing our Peers through NACCDO Awards
Patrick Mulvey Scholarship
The Patrick Mulvey Scholarship was created in 2020, in honor of Pat’s retirement from MD Anderson and his contributions to NACCDO over the past 30 years. In addition to his amazing leadership at MD Anderson, Pat was instrumental in the founding of NACCDO and its growth from a small group getting together to talk shop over dinner, to sold-out national conferences. The Patrick Mulvey Scholarship pays tribute to his legacy as a mentor to many and his service to NACCDO and the fundraising profession as a whole.
The Patrick Mulvey Scholarship was given out for the first time in 2020 and provides registration to the annual conference along with $1,000 in travel costs for one person from a member center each year. All applicants must be first-time conference attendees and share why attending this conference would be meaningful to them and their cancer center. Subsequent involvement with NACCDO by the recipient is encouraged.
The 2026 award was presented at the NACCDO-CMCA Conference in Toronto in April 2026.
New applications will be available in early 2027.
Lisa Considine Service Award
The Lisa Considine Service Award is presented each year at the NACCDO annual meeting to a member of NACCDO who has demonstrated great collegiality in their work with fellow members of the organization. The award recipient has shown commitment to their profession of development through mentoring, collaborating and participating with NACCDO colleagues to advance the organization’s mission, and who has gone beyond expected service to their fellow NACCDO colleagues.
Lisa Considine, a founding member of NACCDO to whom this award pays tribute, was recognized as a leading collaborator who greatly assisted the NACCDO organization in its formative years through her collegial leadership. Lisa succumbed to cancer herself at an early age in 2013. The Hummingbird, a favorite subject of Lisa’s artistic expression, is a symbol of tireless energy, of perseverance and because of their ability to hover and take their time drinking nectar, are often thought to be reminders that life is meant to be savored. This symbolizes how Lisa lived her life and the intended spirit of this award.
The 2026 award was presented at the NACCDO-CMCA Conference in Toronto in April 2026.
New applications will be available in early 2027.
Cindy Eller Excellence in Mentorship Award
The Cindy Eller Excellence in Mentorship Award honors accomplished development leaders who demonstrate exceptional skill in mentoring professionals and managing high-performing teams. This prestigious recognition celebrates leaders who, like Distinguished Board Member Cindy Eller, advance their institutional mission by fostering talent, building strategic partnerships and creating collaborative cultures that drive philanthropic success.
Throughout her more than 35-year career at the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cindy led groundbreaking work to secure funding to support the mission of Roswell Park. Recognizing the national need for impactful fundraising in the fight against cancer, Cindy joined with pioneering development professionals to become one of the first members of NACCDO in 1989. Through her leadership as Board Chair (2004-2006) and nearly 30 years of service as treasurer and board member, she has been pivotal in growing the organization to 112 institutional cancer center members.
The 2026 award was presented at the NACCDO-CMCA Conference in Toronto in April 2026.
New applications will be available in early 2027.
