The CDO Leadership Educational Track at Elevate brought together Chief Development Officers and Foundation Leaders from across Children’s Miracle Network for a dynamic, relationship-driven experience focused on connection, collaboration and impact. Throughout the two-day track, participants explored shared challenges, celebrated collective successes and exchanged forward-thinking ideas that will continue to inspire innovation and deepen impact across our network. 

 
Tuesday established a strong foundation with key organization updates, a forward-looking strategic overview and the continued success of the brand refresh. Attendees also gained valuable perspectives from a featured guest speaker and explored emerging trends in donor behavior through the Bank of America Study of Philanthropy. These sessions provided both context and clarity regarding the evolving fundraising landscape and the opportunities ahead. 

 
On Wednesday, the focus shifted to leadership in action. Through engaging conversations with guest speakers, participants explored timely topics such as navigating donor questions around AI, grounding leadership in strong guiding principles, and identifying strategies to maximize CMN partnerships. The dialogue was practical, candid, and rooted in real-world applications. This approach equips leaders with tools and insights they can immediately bring back to their markets. 

 
Most importantly, the track created space for meaningful connection and shared learning. The two days were focused on reinforcing the power of this network and its leadership. Attendees left energized, aligned and better equipped to elevate their leadership and accelerate mission impact in the year ahead. 

The week at Elevate also included the presentation of prestigious annual awards recognizing individuals and organizations making an extraordinary difference for local children’s hospitals. Dawn Wilcox, representing Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Foundation, was recognized as Foundation Leader of the Year. 

 Since 2013, Dawn Wilcox has been a transformative senior leader, elevating corporate partnerships and expanding creative fundraising initiatives. Her dedication to children’s healthcare inspires innovation and teamwork across our network. 

She launched Make March Matter, uniting companies each March to raise critical funds for kids, and oversees Walk & Play L.A., a family-centered event bringing together sponsors, entertainers, athletes and teams to support the hospital. 

Dawn also leads CMN programs at her hospital, mentoring her team while collaborating with leaders nationwide. She helped establish the CMN New Business Network to share ideas, strengthen partnerships, and drive new national opportunities.  

See the full list of 2026 Elevate award winners, click here. 

 
Access Tuesday’s CDO Leadership Track Deck: CDO Leadership Session Tuesday 

Access Wednesday’s CDO Leadership Track Deck: CDO Leadership Session Wednesday.pptx