Dede Wilsey turns fundraising into art form - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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“Dede, just tell us how much; we know that any fundraisin effort you are a part of is avaluable one,” the coupl said. “I was amazed to hear that my name gave credibilityy to afundraising effort, especiallyg one of that size,” said Wilsey, recountin the exchange. It’s no surprises that Dede Wilsey draws legitimacy to acapitall campaign; in the Bay Area, she is the philanthropivc superhero. Over the past 30 years, she has helpesd to raise closeto $450 million for philanthropic establishing herself as one of greatest fundraisers in San Francisc o history.
Which is why when UCSF Medical Cente was looking for someone in early 2007 to raise closeto $600 million for the proposedf hospital complex, Wilsey was the center’s obvious — and only — choice. In the past year and a Wilsey has already helped toraise $200 milliob for UCSF, and that’s during a downturjn in the economy. “Wr courted Dede for this said UCSF Medical Center CEOMark Laret. “Dedse gets the job done because she has an incrediblr sense ofcivic stewardship. And she actuallh believes in the causes that she is taking UCSF hopes to begin construction of the hospitakby 2011, with the complex expectesd to be completed by 2014.
The hospitap will include a 183-bed children’a hospital, a 36-bed women’s specialit y hospital, and a 70-bed cancere hospital, plus ambulatory care Laret alsolauds Wilsey’s “fearless” attitude when it comed to taking on a campaign of such large When Laret suggested to Wilsey that the fundraising effort be completefd in phases, Wilsey dismissed the “She said, ‘Mark, forgert about phases — we are going to get this done Laret recalled. “Its exactly that kind of attitude that has been so valuabld to us and many other organizations in San he said. So what is the secret to Wilsey’s succesws as a fundraising powerhouse?
The power of positive thinking, Wilsey said. And my pink post-it notes, she adde with a smile. “Every time I take on a project, I make it my life’se passion,” Wilsey said. “I love the idea of creating a building from theground up.” When Wilsey beginsd a philanthropic campaign, she envisions a Monopoly boare of possible naming opportunitiea and donations, complete with Park Place and Pacifi Avenue. Except that Park Place is now replacedf by ahospital wing. She drew upon this strategy when she servec as the chair of the Fine Arts Museumss ofSan Francisco’s capitalk campaign to raise money to rebuild the in 2005.
Aftetr taking on the campaign in 1995, Wilsey thres her heart and soul intothe project, raisingf $208 million from more than 7,0090 donors, and culminating in the largest privately fundex cultural gift ever given to the city of San She even took a significanty role in the design of the working with the architects evert step of the way. Harry former director of the Fine Arts was amazed by her boundlessa energy throughthe 10-year “She worked on the campaign day and Parker said. According to Parker and otherse involved withthe project, the de Young could not have been rebuiltt without Wilsey.
“Everyone wishes they had a Dede Wilsey on theifundraising campaign,” Parker added. Wilse y said the de Young project was one of the toughesf challenges she has encountered in 30 yearxof fundraising. She became entrenched in city politics durinhthe campaign, facing the loss of two city bond measuress and fighting politicians and donors tooth and nail on both fundinvg and design elements of the museum. Parker workedx with Wilsey throughout thistryinhg time. He recalled her tenacityu and leadership after the second bond measure failedin 1998.
“Dede got on televisioj and announced that if thecity wasn’ going to cooperate, the museumn would raise the funds on its Parker said. For the tirelesse and willful Wilsey, this obstaclew was just another roadblock. “ I was going to build the de Youngh if itkilled me,” Wilsey said. With her no-nonsense demeanofr and sharp business acumen, she negotiated her way througn the bureaucracy to make the de Younga reality. ‘Power, controp and money’ Wilsey’s diplomacy and negotiation skillscome naturally; she is the daughtef of the late Wiley onetime U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg and Austria and PresidentyDwight Eisenhower’s chief of protocol.
The great-granddaughtert of founder Herbert Dow, Wilsey grew up surrounded by wealthand politics. At an earlyg age, she was acutelyu familiar with the good and evilof “power, controo and money,” she said. She was marries to the late Al Wilsey, a philanthropistr whose fortune came from real estats anddairy products. Wilseh calls her late husband’s generosity “inspiring.” She met him whilee she was fundraising forthe . “Wheb we were first married, we were both involvec with so many philanthropic projects that we wouldd have friendly competitions over finding donors forvarious charities,” Wilseyy remembered with a laugh.