Major fundraising events do not happen by chance. They require strategy, capital oversight, operational discipline, and leadership under pressure. In this issue, we explore the executives behind the scenes of philanthropy and the real investment required to move a mission forward.
Hillary Leto
Co-Chaired and Table Sponsor, Childhelp 2025
Table and Model Sponsor, PANDA 2025
Auction Committee, Gentry Foundation 2025
Underwriter, Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels 2025
Sponsor of Gentry, AHRA, and C4C for the past 6–7 years
2026: Chairing Chances for Children Annual Gala (November) and Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels Annual Gala (October)
Many chairs quietly give up family time and personal bandwidth. How has your family influenced your decision to keep saying yes?
My husband is incredibly supportive and knows that when I commit, I go all in. He never complains about the late nights or ordering dinners because I’m tied up with event planning. My kids see me volunteering and working with organizations. Knowing I’m leading by example and teaching them the importance of giving back makes it an easy yes.
When recognition isn’t the motivation, what keeps you committed through the hardest moments?
Knowing that big or small, we are making a difference. Seeing the funds we raise in action and watching them provide services and a sense of normalcy during an incredibly difficult time in someone’s life is what keeps me committed. That impact outweighs everything.
What is the mental pressure of being responsible for an outcome that impacts a cause, a team, and a community?
I’m very Type A and don’t ask for help easily. Seeking such perfection can be emotionally draining. You want to raise as much as possible because this one night often funds organization for the year, and such funds benefit their give back mission. Knowing all of that rests on your shoulders can be scary.
How do you push forward when the weight feels heavy?
You just do. That’s how I’ve always been. You put your head down and push through task-by-task until the job is done. I remind myself who it’s for, and that perspective outweighs any insecurity or overwhelming emotion I may be feeling in the moment.
Dena Zell
Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Make-A-Wish Arizona (2026)
Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Make-A-Wish Arizona (2025)
Co-Chair, Wish Ball (2024 & 2025)
Wish Ball Committee Member (2017–Current)
Chairing an event is often unpaid, time-intensive, and largely behind the scenes. What does it actually require of you in real terms?
If I say yes to something, I’m all in. Co-chairing Wish Ball meant early mornings before work, late nights after, and filling the in-between moments to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks. It became part of my daily rhythm. I’ve always thrived in busy environments and enjoy the momentum of building something meaningful. When you care deeply about the outcome, you don’t see it as sacrifice.
Tell us about your family.
I was fortunate to grow up in Paradise Valley, and my parents still live in the home I was raised in. My family taught me that success isn’t just professional achievement; it’s about contributing to the place and people who shaped you. In my career, I operate in a fast-paced, high-performance environment. Chairing Wish Ball requires the same discipline and accountability.
There is usually a moment when the weight of chairing becomes very real. Can you share one that stays with you?
There’s a quiet moment before the event begins, when the room is empty and everything is finally in place. I remember standing there realizing how many people were depending on the outcome of that night. Later, spending time with the Wish kids and their families shifted everything. It stopped being about the black-tie event and refocused on the purpose. What we built over months wasn’t just one evening. It was hope.
When the event ends and the spotlight fades, what makes you feel the effort truly mattered?
It isn’t the event itself that stays with me. It’s knowing the impact continues long after the night is over. The funds raised translate into real wishes, real moments of joy, and real hope for families facing incredibly difficult circumstances. Being part of that is what makes it meaningful.
What would you want someone and their family to understand before saying yes to chairing their first philanthropic event?
Chairing will challenge your time and your energy, but it will also connect you more deeply to your community and to something bigger than yourself.
Molly Stockley
TGen and City of Hope Runway for Research Co-Chair 2025
Gateway Celebrity Fight Night Committee Co-Chair 2024
30th Catholic Community Foundation Crozier Gala Chair 2018
Teen Lifeline Chair 2018
58th American Heart Association Heart Ball Vice Chair 2017
Phoenix Symphony Savor the Symphony Co-Chair 2017
Assistance in Healthcare Cancer Organization Super Ball Chair 2017 and 2015
Catholic Community Foundation Leadership Circle Chair 2016
Assistance in Healthcare Cancer Organization Project Pink Chair 2016
Cancer Support Community Porch Party Chair 2014
Phoenix Children’s Hospital West Valley Advisory 2013
49th American Cancer Society Jewel Ball Co-Chair 2009
2026: American Heart Association Publicity Chair and 11-year member
Explain the demand of chairing an event.
It will demand your time, your energy, and sacrifices most people will never see, but you do it anyway because it matters. You pour your relationships, your voice, and your hope into it, knowing your leadership can change someone’s life. It does mean less time with your family, which is why timing matters.
How do you balance family with philanthropy?
I was raised the Cajun way in Louisiana, surrounded by strong, faithful women, especially my beautiful mother, who taught me that kindness and grace can live powerfully alongside grit and resilience. That foundation guides me every day in my role at City of Hope Cancer Center, where my work is not just a career but a calling to expand access to exceptional cancer care and help patients find hope. My husband of 17 years lost his first wife to cancer, and that profound loss fuels our shared commitment to serve others facing the same fight. Giving back is woven into our marriage and our family life. We even call co-chairing events our date nights because showing up for others is both a privilege and a responsibility.
Recall a moment that has stayed with you.
The moment it became real was when my husband Bob and I co-chaired the 49th Annual American Cancer Society Jewel Ball during the height of the recession. Many longtime donors were facing financial challenges, and the pressure of sustaining an event that funded patient lodging in Arizona felt overwhelming. That night, however, we reached our goal. It felt nothing short of a miracle and remains one of the most powerful moments of my leadership journey.
What would you want someone to understand before chairing their first philanthropic event?
It can feel like a second full-time job, but when you chair as a family, something extraordinary happens. Your children see sacrifice in action. Your spouse becomes your teammate. You learn what it means to give your heart to something bigger than yourselves. Only say yes if the cause moves you to your core.
Advice I always give is to co-chair with women who share your passion but bring different strengths.
Discover what ignites your passion. That is your real job here on earth.
Leslie Duffy
2024 All Saints Episcopal Day School Auction and Gala Chair
2025 Childhelp Fashion Show and Luncheon Chair with Hillary Leto
2026 All Saints Episcopal Day School Auction and Gala Chair
2026: Amanda Hope Gala Co-Chair with Hillary Leto
How demanding is chairing a fundraising event?
It's a significant time commitment that begins long before anyone sees the final result. Planning can start nine months in advance, with weekly meetings to shape the vision, budget, fundraising strategy, and overall experience. As chair, you’re setting direction, keeping momentum, and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. The hours can range from a few each week to nearly full-time as the event approaches. It is deeply rewarding, but it requires discipline, organization, and a willingness to sacrifice personal time.
How does your family shape your decision to step into leadership roles like this?
I’m a proud wife to Jake and mother to Landon and Ava. I serve as a full-time Director at a national medical device company, and while I value my career, I often tell my children that being their mom is my most important role. I first chaired the All Saints Gala to support their school and be more present on campus. What started as giving back quickly became a passion. Balancing business calls with charity meetings can feel like a whirlwind, but I’m grateful to contribute both professionally and within our community.
Dive into the emotional pressure.
There is real pressure in knowing the outcome directly affects a cause and the people behind it. During my first gala as chair, I felt a strong need to prove to myself and to the organization that I was the right person for the role. When the mission centers around children, that responsibility carries weight. At the same time, it adds purpose.
What would you tell someone considering charing a fundraising event?
Understand both the commitment and the opportunity. It requires time, flexibility, and the support of your family, especially as the event draws near. There will be long days and moments of stress. But it is also energizing, relationship-building, and deeply impactful. You strengthen your leadership skills, connect more deeply with your community, and play a direct role in advancing a mission that matters.
Krystal Grogan
Co-Chair, NICU Tea 2023–2025
Co-Chair, Childhelp Gala 2024–2026
NICU Tea Committee Member since 2018 inception
Childhelp Supporter since 2015
2026: HonorHealth NICU Tea Committee, HonorHealth Honor Ball Committee, and Northrise University Board of Trustees
How does your family shape the reason you step into such leadership roles?
For our family, it has always been about children, long before we even had our own. Our drive comes from a passion to protect, teach, and love on the generations to come. We have three children and four godchildren, and anything advancing the most vulnerable is closest to our hearts. Our firstborn son arrived two months early in 2018 and spent his first month in the NICU at HonorHealth Shea. That same year, a friend launched the NICU High Tea event. My immediate yes grew into co-chairing for three consecutive years. Today, our seven-year-old understands that others paved the way for his story, and one day he will do the same for someone else.
When recognition isn’t the motivation, what keeps you committed through the hardest moments?
The mission is everything to us. If we are involved, the mission will remain the focus of the event. When you truly believe in the objective, recognition is not part of the equation. There will be hard moments, but you return to the roots. Re-centering on what brought everyone together re-energizes you to keep going.
What makes you feel the effort truly mattered?
If you did your job well, you will see it in the faces and hear it in the voices of the organization. Feedback, even constructive criticism, means people cared. Bringing together others who care deeply about a cause that matters to our family feels like an answered prayer. Good people working together for the greater good creates impact that lasts far beyond any single event.
Insight for those chairing their first philanthropic event?
A full family buy-in goes a long way. Having my husband’s support in my yes allows me to dedicate myself fully. We involve our children through dinner conversations, prayers for the events, and attending when possible. Even though they are young, it is never too early to show them the purpose and impact behind what we are doing.
“Saying yes will test you and transform you and your family in many ways. It will demand your time, energy, patience, and sleep. But when you stand in the room and see the lives changed because you were willing to lead, you understand why it mattered.”