JPL&P Disease Initiative

PR Newswire – Chicago: Jerold Panas, Linzy & Partners, an international fund raising consulting firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois (USA) has announced the establishment of a specialty practice serving organizations focused on research-intensive diseases and conditions such as cancer, AIDS, diabetes, mental disorders, stroke, Alzheimers and infectious diseases. This is a response both to soaring morbidity and mortality rates for certain diseases, and rapidly advancing research through genomic and genetic discovery that are driving improvements in diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

The Firm is one of the nation’s largest in the field of campaign services and financial resource development. It is a major force in the industry, and since its founding in 1968 has served nearly 2,000 client-institutions around the world.

The Firm will dedicate highly-experienced personnel and key resources to accelerate its response capacity for organizations and institutions combating deadly diseases with extraordinary financial and leadership resource needs. “Strangely, it often is the success of these organizations that so often creates critical resource needs,” noted the Firm’s Executive Partner and Founder Dr. Jerold Panas, in making the announcement. “Research breakthroughs generate ever-greater pressure to move advances from laboratories to patients,” he said,” and higher screening and detection rates build larger patient caseloads. These are good things, but they demand more funding.”

As one example, Panas pointed out that today, and every day for the next 20 years, 13,000 Americans will turn 60—the largest population cohort in history. These are their peak years for cancer risk, and thanks to advances in prevention, detection, treatment and supportive care, most of those with cancer can have a full and high quality of life—IF our cancer organizations have greater capacity to serve them.

“Neuroscience is another area of tremendous scientific progress, perhaps second only to oncology for the rate of new insights,” said Panas. With mental disorders being the leading cause of disability in America, and an estimated 6,000,000 children in the U.S. with diagnosable and treatable conditions, the need for public education, expanded diagnostic and treatment capabilities is urgent.

Its not all good news, however, Panas noted. Federal funding cutbacks are forcing more organizations to seek private sector funding in order to fulfill their missions. And new web-based technologies such as online auctions and viral marketing are forcing organizations to make new and unfamiliar kinds of decisions about their resource development activities. “The combination of critical needs and fierce competition for donor attention can be overwhelming, “said Panas, whose numerous books, seminars and consulting career have been focused on major gift philanthropy. “We call ourselves ‘Consultants to Philanthropy’ he explained, because “that is the most satisfying level on which individual donors and worthy causes can work together to help others.”

Panas announced that the Firm’s “deadly diseases initiatives” would be led by Roger Sullivan, a Senior Principal who first became associated with the Firm in 1994 after many years as a client.

“Roger brings more than three decades of experience as a development professional, holding top fundraising and resource alliance posts with higher education, medical research, and international cancer advocacy, vaccine and prevention organizations,” stated Panas. Sullivan has been the principal major gift fundraiser for the Sabin Vaccine Institute, the American Cancer Society, the International Union against Cancer in Geneva, Switzerland, the National Dialogue on Cancer chaired by former President George H.W. Bush, and CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation.

“Roger is known especially for his success in building long term relationships,” Panas observed, “and has shown time and again his enormous regard for volunteer leadership and philanthropy, resulting in consistently creative campaigns and resource alliances.

A Wesleyan University (CT.) honors graduate, Roger held numerous higher education posts, becoming a JPL&P client while heading development at the University of New England. He directed public university system campaigns in Massachusetts and Texas.

“Our client-institutions who are challenged by urgent circumstances and extraordinary needs will find in Roger a tireless and resourceful problem-solver whose motivational force is energizing for volunteers, staff and donors alike”, noted Panas, “and his solutions are distinctly thoughtful and creative.

Panas would know. He is an acclaimed teacher, speaker and writer in the field of philanthropy and trustee governance, whose books include: Mega Gifts, Born To Raise, the National Fundraising Almanac, Boardroom Verities, EXCEL!, Finders Keepers, Wit, Wisdom & Moxie, ASKING, Making the Case, Mega Gifts (Revised) and Fundraising Habits of Supremely Successful Boards.

“For more than a decade,” responded Sullivan,” it has been my privilege to work with brilliant researchers, clinicians, patient support, health policy, prevention and advocacy leaders. I know how urgently they need greater resources to save and improve lives—taking on this assignment with Jerry’s endorsement is a dream come true!”