Blue Ridge Hospice Names Dawn Draayer Director of Philanthropy

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Nov 28, 2022, 12:48 ET

WINCHESTER, Va., Nov. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Ridge Hospice has named veteran fundraiser Dawn Draayer its Director of Development, where she will be responsible for programs supporting major giving, legacy donations, and corporate partnerships, as well as fundraising events. She also will lead development of new fundraising campaigns designed to support the organization's growth as a future-maker for the northern Shenandoah Valley and northwestern Virginia.

"Dawn has a passion for building lasting relationships with donors and a commitment to establishing sustainable giving," explained Chief Business Development Officer Jason Parsons, who worked with her previously at Capital Caring Health, Falls Church, Va.

Draayer's commitment to hospice fundraising stems from that work at Capital Caring Health, where she served as Major and Corporate Gifts Officer. In that role, she took the organization's fundraising to new heights, securing major gifts for naming at several care centers, including the Adler Center in Aldie, Va. She also established a new corporate partnership/sponsorship program and expanded a business networking event series for donors and supporters to build long-term sustained giving in support of patient care.

Draayer more recently served as Director of Engagement at The Arc Montgomery County in Maryland, where she developed a new major gift program, conceptualized and launched the organization's 's first legacy society, built a corporate partnership program, and oversaw development communications, a grants program, and the volunteer program.

Draayer's experience also encompasses veteran's causes and policy work. She previously worked as Development Programs Manager for the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va., and Director of Individual Giving at The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.

"Hospice fundraising is personal for me," Draayer says. It's all about building connections and relationships with people at a profound level. Hospice creates a sense of community and I care deeply about that as well as seeing the impact that philanthropy can play in the lives of the people around me, especially those who need it most."

Draayer earned her Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., with a major in Asian Studies and a concentration in Economics. She also has an International Baccalaureate from the United World College of Southeast Asia in Singapore.

Draayer is delighted to return to fundraising in Virginia, where her 24-year-old son lives.

About Blue Ridge Hospice
Blue Ridge Hospice is a community-based, not-for-profit serious illness and end-of-life care provider that has been serving friends and neighbors across the northern Shenandoah Valley since 1981. With a mission of "brightening life's journey with quality and compassionate care for all whom we are privileged to serve," Blue Ridge Hospice serves Winchester City and the northern Virginia counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah, and Warren. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Blue Ridge Hospice consistently exceeds the national averages for quality as reported on Medicare's Hospice Compare website. To learn more about Blue Ridge Hospice visit www.brhospice.org, or call 540-313-9200.