Press Releases
ATLANTA, November 18, 2025 — The American Cancer Society (ACS) and its advocacy affiliate the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), today announced the appointment of Darrow Zeidenstein, Ph.D., as chief development officer. In this role, Zeidenstein will lead the organization’s development efforts, overseeing all aspects of resource generation, including corporate partnerships, philanthropy, planned giving, Discovery Shops, community-based fundraising, and revenue-generating field operations. He began his tenure on November 18.
Zeidenstein joins ACS from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center where he served as senior vice president and chief philanthropy officer for six years overseeing fundraising strategy and execution. During this tenure, he led MD Anderson’s $2.5 billion campaign, increased annual fundraising from $153 million to $509 million, achieving a 22% compound annual growth rate with revenue increases every year.
"Darrow brings deep expertise and a remarkable track record in transformational philanthropy. His leadership will be pivotal as we strengthen strategic partnerships and grow the resources needed to advance our vision of ending cancer as we know it, for everyone," said Shane Jacobson, CEO of the American Cancer Society. "We are excited to welcome him to the ACS team."
Zeidenstein also brings more than 15 years of experience from Rice University, where he served as vice president for development and alumni relations. At Rice, he worked closely with the University’s Board of Trustees and served as a member of the executive team, leading his team to increase philanthropic commitments nearly four-fold over 15 years. He led Rice’s successful Centennial Campaign, which ultimately raised a total of $1.1 billion. Prior to Rice, he held key fundraising leadership roles at the University of Texas at Austin and the NYU Stern School of Business, further strengthening his expertise in advancing major campaigns and building strategic donor relationships.
His previous experience includes work with Marts & Lundy, one of the nation's oldest and most distinguished philanthropy consulting firms, where he advised clients such as Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Columbia University, and the National Audubon Society.
"I’m honored to join the American Cancer Society and help advance its mission to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families,” said Zeidenstein. “Having lost close family members to cancer, this work is deeply personal to me. I look forward to partnering with communities and organizations to accelerate progress and expand the impact of ACS’s lifesaving efforts."
Zeidenstein has been honored with the Byron Welch Award for Lifetime Achievement in Fundraising by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. He was also a Fulbright Scholar and a National Science Foundation Fellow (Syria). He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in social-cultural anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. in the same field from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 110 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.