Dean Crowe studied journalism in college and began her career working in the banking industry—running a research foundation wasn’t part of her plan. In 2005, however, a pivotal moment inspired Crowe to found Rally Foundation, a nonprofit that funds pediatric cancer research, and she hasn’t looked back.
It started when her son’s baseball teammate, William, was diagnosed with brain cancer in the early 2000s. After he relapsed, Crowe visited him and his parents at the hospital and asked what they really needed. His mother challenged Crowe to raise money for childhood cancer— not just brain cancer but all forms of childhood cancer, including leukemias, lymphomas, and central nervous system tumors. Crowe realized how underfunded the field is, and she was all in. “Some of the larger organizations really only focused on adult cancers, so it became evident that there was a need,” she says.
Getting people to “rally” for Rally was easy. “I knew that people would want to help, even if they didn’t necessarily know a child with childhood cancer,” Crowe says. “When you see the pictures and hear the stories, you want to get involved.” In the ensuing years, Rally has raised more than $40 million, funded peer-reviewed studies around the country, and expanded with offices in Nashville, Pensacola, and Salt Lake City.
“There are kids alive today because of Rally assisted research,” Crowe says. “We see ourselves as philanthropic seed investors in the next great discovery.” Working in childhood cancer research brings the “highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows,” Crowe admits. But the families Rally supports keep her motivated. She keeps in touch with all of them. “They become part of your life and they become your friends,” Crowe says. “You want them to know that you love and care about them.”
– LIA PICARD
