ALUMNI NEWS
112 th Elder Watson Diggs Awardee Richard Lee Snow Thrives With Transition
By: Nicholas Cole
Snow moves from Senior Advisor for Multicultural Marketing and Business Development for ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to Regional Development Director, leading fundraising efforts for UNCF across the Washington DC region, including its local office in Philadelphia, PA
F or many people, transition in life can be riven with anxiety- due to the obstacles one must overcome, but for 112 th Elder Watson Diggs Awardee Richard Lee Snow (Delta Theta 1977), transitioning to various roles throughout his career is what has allowed him to achieve at the highest level. “Transitions can be scary, but I have been blessed to be a part of three iconic organizations – Kappa, St. Jude and, now, UNCF - that are mission-driven and that’s a blessing,” said Snow. In November, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) presented Snow as its new regional development director lead- ing fundraising efforts for UNCF across the Washington DC region, including its local office in Philadelphia, PA. In this role, Snow is responsible for establishing short- and long-range goals and conduct- ing comprehensive, cost-effective annual fundraising campaigns within his area of operation to support the 37 UNCF- member institutions and the students they serve. In addition, Snow will serve as an ambassador for the organization, engaging donors and leveraging key re- lationships on a national level to ensure that revenue goals are met. Snow transitioned from his role as senior advisor of multicultural marketing and business development for ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In that role he and his team had the nation- al responsibility of managing current and cultivating potential relationships with
African American groups, individual do- nors and celebrities, including collective partnerships with the National Pan-Hel- lenic Council, The Links, Inc., Jack and Jill of America, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Prince Hall Shriners, the NAACP, and the National Urban League. Snow also served as the eighth executive director of Kappa Alpha Psi and at the 76 th Grand Chapter Meeting in 2003, was the first to be given the additional title of Chief Operating Officer. “I’ve been tremendously blessed to con- tinue my personal work and employment pretty much in the same line, starting with Kappa; then joining St. Jude for eight years, and now joining my third iconic nonprofit organization that pri- marily focuses on helping young African American children,” said Snow. As it relates to Snow’s time at St. Jude, Snow revealed that when he transitioned from his position as executive director of Kappa Alpha Psi; Kappa was St. Jude’s only national African American part- nership, but under his leadership, St. Jude now has approximately 49 national partners including all of the Divine Nine organizations. “We increased our African American revenue from about $11 million when I started in 2011, to right around $70 million in 2019, as well as increased our donor base by around 64 percent so the numbers for me speak volumes as to where we were when I started, as opposed to where we were when I left,” Snow said, before adding, “We had be-
come one of the true national nonprofit organizations in the African American community where we are known just as well as any of the other organizations and that just wasn’t true when I started at St. Jude.” An additional achievement under Snow’s leadership is that St. Jude became the first-ever health care organization and non-African American organization to re- ceive the Legacy Grant from The Links Foundation, Inc., the largest and oldest professional organization for African American women. The grant supports African Americans by advancing the re- search of sickle cell disease, not only in the United States, but Nigeria, as well. St. Jude was named the fifth recipient of the grant, following the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, the National Civil Rights Museum, the United Negro College Fund and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. “It was an honor to play a role in estab- lishing the relationship and, ultimately, securing the Legacy Grant,” Snow said. As for his secret to success and advice to members of Kappa Alpha Psi, Snow said, “the most important thing for any young person or anyone that’s starting out is to establish a support system. In that support system, you need coaches, partners, and mentors. Build a team around you that is going to be with you through thick and thin – through life. It is critical to have people who are looking
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