A Ray of Sunshine on Cancer Care and Research at MSK

Samantha and her loving circle of friends and family are supporting new research efforts for cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in memory of and inspired by her husband, Rich, through a new fellowship program. The Richard L. Diver Research Endowed Fellowship will support one fellow every two years as they contribute to patient care, research, and education efforts in bile duct cancer.

Under the guidance of Leslie H. Blumgart Chair in Surgery William Jarnagin, MD, MSK is launching the new fellowship program to make groundbreaking strides in the fight against cholangiocarcinoma. After Rich was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in November 2020, he underwent over 50 procedures and was hospitalized for more than 200 days. Samantha says the care and support provided by healthcare workers at MSK was truly remarkable. The 18th floor at Memorial Hospital became Rich’s home, and the doctors, nurses, and staff became his family. Rich’s grace and gratitude throughout his hospitalization touched everyone he met.

“Rich was a ray of sunshine. Even on his most difficult days, he saw positivity and light,” says Samantha.

While surgery is currently the most effective treatment for bile duct cancer, it is only possible in a minority of patients.

Having set a goal of raising $1.5 million, Samantha is organizing fundraising events and reaching out to supporters. This summer, she raised nearly $500,000 at the Richard L. Diver Memorial Golf Outing and Cocktail Party. Several of the gifts supporting the fellowship, including Samantha’s, have been made through donor-advised funds (DAF). In fact, many MSK supporters, including Cullum Society members, enjoy making their donations through DAFs as part of their overall philanthropic planning.

Samantha and her loved ones are on their way to achieving their goal and are still working hard to bring the vision Rich inspired life.

“Rich taught us always to have faith and make the world a better place for others,” says Samantha. “He handled his illness with a kind of grace and ease that was truly remarkable.”

A DAF is like a charitable savings account. It gives you the flexibility to recommend how much and how often money is granted to MSK and other charities.

Through a DAF, you can transfer cash or other assets to a tax-exempt sponsoring organization, such as a public foundation. You qualify for an income tax-charitable deduction at the time you contribute to the account. The DAF also allows for a centralized giving and record-keeping system in one location.

You can recommend — but not direct — how much and how often money is granted. The fund administrator has an obligation to deny grants that do not meet criteria established by law. A significant benefit of a DAF is that having one is less expensive than managing a private foundation.

Advantages of giving through a DAF

• The process is easy: Simply contact the sponsoring organization for your DAF and complete the required form to request that a grant or recurring grant be made to MSK.
• The grant is made using assets already in your DAF, so you don’t need to make any additional deposits.
• Because donations to your fund appreciate tax-free, you could recommend a more substantial grant than might be possible otherwise.

Two ways to donate from your DAF

1. Recommend a grant: Contact your fund administrator to request a distribution form or download the form from your administrator’s website and recommend that funds be distributed to MSK.
2. Create a legacy: Name MSK as a beneficiary of your account. Or you can designate MSK to receive a portion of the account value. The remaining balance can be managed by your loved ones to continue your legacy of giving.

To learn how you can join Samantha in supporting MSK through a DAF, and to join our Cullum Society which honors our community of legacy donors, contact the Office of Gift Planning at giftplanning@mskcc.org or 800-688-1827.