Philanthropy Careers

Philanthropy Careers

Join our Philanthropy team and help #endcancer.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is a leader in the fight against cancer, and our Philanthropy division plays an essential supporting role in many of the institution's achievements. By joining our experienced team, you can play a vital part in our progress toward ending cancer while securing broad support for patient care, research, education and prevention.

The scope of our efforts

Led by Nati McWilliams, Vice President, Philanthropy and Interim Chief Philanthropy Officer, we’re an award winning, highly successful team of professional fundraisers who specialize in donor cultivation, board engagement, major gifts, planned gifts, annual giving, digital fundraising and special events, as well as support services such as prospect research, data management and analytics, proposal writing and related collateral, stewardship and reporting, faculty programs, gift processing, finance, professional development and training.

What it's like to work with us

You'll have the opportunity to share your talents in relationship-based, high-caliber fundraising for one of the world's most respected organizations.
You'll be part of a widely experienced team, sharing a fulfilling mission and funding life-saving research.
We have comprehensive training and onboarding processes, and you'll work within a collaborative framework that provides the support you need to achieve your goals.
We offer both onsite and remote work options.

Our commitment to your talent

The most valuable asset of any organization is its people. Our talent management philosophy is built on recruiting, developing and engaging a talented team of experienced professionals.

We actively engage in professional networks serving as mentors, ambassadors and examples of the talent we seek to attract.
We're committed to helping you reach full potential by providing access to training, mentoring and other opportunities aimed toward achieving your professional and career growth goals.
We offer a culture of coaching which both welcomes and offers continuous feedback.
We seek to provide a psychologically safe and positive culture that celebrates camaraderie, commitment and connection to each other.

Let's connect.

Feel free to search our current Philanthropy careers. Or simply fill out the form below and a Philanthropy team recruiter will be in contact with you.

Get to know our Senior Leadership Team

Nati McWilliams, Vice President, Philanthropy and Interim Chief Philanthropy Officer, leads the fundraising efforts including teams for Principal Gifts, Major Gifts, Leadership Giving and Planned Giving. She has been a member of MD Anderson’s Philanthropy team since 2007. The former executive director served previously on the principal gifts, regional and transformational initiatives teams. Prior to joining the institution, Nati was interim executive director of the Nashville State Community College Foundation in Nashville, Tennessee, leading fundraising and public relations for the college. She holds a bachelor of business administration in marketing from the University of Mississippi, where she graduated with honors from the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.

Nati McWilliams, CFRE

Vice President, Philanthropy
Interim Chief Philanthropy Officer
Melissa Brasher, Associate Vice President for Principal Gifts and Strategic Initiatives, leads the division's collaborative and dedicated efforts to secure principal and transformational gifts in support of MD Anderson Cancer Center's initiatives of highest value and priority. An integral part of her role is to serve as a thought partner to the Chief Philanthropy Officer, Senior Leadership team and MD Anderson President to guide fundraising strategy development. She additionally oversees the engagement of MD Anderson's network of committed Board of Visitors. Melissa joined Philanthropy in 2007 and has personally raised more than $60 million in principal, major and planned gifts.

Melissa Brasher, CFRE

Associate Vice President, Principal Gifts and Strategic Initiatives
Darrin Goldin, Assistant Vice President of Major Gifts, joined Philanthropy in January 2025 from UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he spent the past eight years serving as the Associate Vice President in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. In that capacity, he oversaw principal and major gifts, planned giving, and corporate & foundation relations. Working with leading philanthropists, Darrin and his team were responsible for securing more than $50 million annually. Darrin holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Rollins College and received his law degree from Northeastern University School of Law. He holds the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) designation and has presented at several local and national fundraising conferences.

Darrin Goldin, CAP

Assistant Vice President of Major Gifts
Sushmita Gupta, Associate Vice President of Foundation and Corporate Relations, leads Philanthropy’s fundraisers who manage relationships with scientific and corporate foundations, as well as corporations. Her goal is to expand collaborative and strategic partnerships within this donor segment and increase grant funding. She oversees her team’s engagement with faculty and leadership across MD Anderson, aligning the institution's research, clinical, educational, and prevention programs with the interests of foundations and corporate donors to strengthen philanthropic support for MD Anderson’s basic, translational, and clinical research activities. Under her leadership, the Foundation and Corporate Relations team has raised over $190M since its launch in 2018.

Before joining MD Anderson in 2008, Sushmita worked for Oxford University Press in the United Kingdom as an academic journal publisher. She holds a master’s degree in electronic publishing from City University in London and a master's degree in English literature from Jadavpur University in India.

Sushmita Gupta

Associate Vice President, Foundation and Corporate Relations
Gokul Murugesan, Executive Director of Decision Science and Analytics, joined Philanthropy in 2021. Gokul leads a dynamic team responsible for analytics, campaign management office, reporting, business solutions, and prospect development, driving innovative strategies to optimize campaign performance and enhance philanthropy. His primary focus is on enhancing technology stack, continuous improvement, and developing end-to-end analytics solutions that deliver actionable insights, support data-driven decision-making, and provide empirical performance assessments across institutional, divisional, and team levels.

Gokul Murugesan

Executive Director, Decision Science and Analytics
Florence McKelvey, Executive Director of Finance and Gift Operations, guides the finance, gift operations, risk management and gift compliance teams. She plays a pivotal role in developing strategies and processes to carry out the division's objectives, including overseeing budget, revenue and expense management. Florence holds a Ph.D. from the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and an M.B.A. from Texas Woman's University. She also is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the State of Texas. Florence joined MD Anderson more than 20 years ago, working in General Accounting, Pharmacy Financial Services and the Division of Cancer Medicine.

Florence McKelvey

Executive Director, Finance and Gift Operations
Iska Wire, Director, Office of the Chief Philanthropy Officer, joined Philanthropy in 2020. Iska serves as the Chief of Staff and leads the Philanthropy Talent team. A native Houstonian and sixth-generation Texan with over 23 years of professional fundraising experience, Iska previously served as senior director of Talent Management and Organizational Development and Director of Development for Rice University’s Development and Alumni Relations Division. Prior to her time at Rice, she held fundraising positions at both the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council and the University of Houston. Iska holds a coaching certificate from Rice University’s Doerr Institute and is a CFRE.

Iska G. Wire, CFRE

Director, Office of the CPO

Hear from members of our Philanthropy team

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity for career growth in Philanthropy at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Over the past five years, I have honed in on development skills by teaming with members of the Individual Giving team, attending conferences and serving as a mentor/mentee. I look forward to the future and continued growth surrounded by a team of talented colleagues.

Hunter Smith, Director, Major Gifts
Because of our resources, mission and history, there are great opportunities to experience a rich and fulfilling career path here. There are constant education opportunities in my selected specialty, as well as support for leadership and external education. It doesn't get much better than to have a noble mission and know that your team is all pushing towards it with you.

Richard Bennett, Senior Director, Trusts, Estates and Gift Planning
Our work really matters. It is an honor and a privilege to work alongside so many amazing people, making such real impact in the lives of others. I find it to be the perfect blend of entrepreneurial, well-resourced, cutting-edge, driven, caring and collaborative. In every aspect and role of my life, working at MD Anderson has transformed me.

Karim Kafray, Executive Project Director, Philanthropy
I moved cross-country to join this Philanthropy team and have been welcomed so well from the very start! Every day, I'm thankful to work with a team that values transparency, collaboration and innovation.

Emily Behrens, Sr. Associate Director, Planned Giving
MD Anderson offers patients unparalleled care backed by cutting-edge research - together these two strengths rooted in a singular mission to end cancer create an ecosystem unlike any I've seen in my career in healthcare philanthropy. Helping donors realize meaningful impact and having the privilege of hearing their personal connection to the mission is beyond rewarding

Tina Santana, Director, Major Gifts
I'm grateful for the opportunity to grow my career in Philanthropy at MD Anderson Cancer Center. I interned twice in Philanthropy as a college student and am now coming up on my five-year anniversary here. My colleagues and manager are very supportive of my career and continue to provide opportunities for me to learn and advance. The passion for our mission of Making Cancer History is palpable in everything we do.

Emily Koch, Sr. Associate Director, Leadership Giving
Working in Philanthropy at MD Anderson means being a part of a mission that impacts so many people in my community and beyond.

Tamara Carter, Sr. Associate Director, Prospect Development