Meet Your Trusted Partners at John Stoddard Cancer Center
Every day, patients and their loved ones turn to John Stoddard Cancer Center, seeking comfort and healing. At the UnityPoint Health – Des Moines Foundation, we are deeply honored to join hands with you to ensure exceptional care and support remains close to home and is available when patients need it most.
We invite you to meet your dedicated partners in giving: the members of the John Stoddard Cancer Center Fundraising Team, the UnityPoint Health – Des Moines Foundation Team and the Des Moines Foundation Board of Directors. We look forward to working with you to explore meaningful ways to support the causes close to your heart, bringing hope and healing to cancer patients and families.
Our work begins with our vision:
Improving the health of our communities through philanthropy, service and volunteerism.
This vision fuels our mission:
To develop community and financial resources necessary to support UnityPoint Health – Des Moines in providing premiere quality health care for the communities we serve, now and into the future.
Starting with a generous gift in 1990, John Stoddard’s legacy of hope and compassion lives on.
At John Stoddard Cancer Center we know, while cancer is a big part of someone’s life, it isn’t their entire life. There are still birthday parties, children’s sporting events, work duties, grocery store runs, holidays, vacations and spending important time with those you love. This is why, in addition to providing the best clinical treatment possible, with the help of our donors, the team at Stoddard also provides programs and services to support patients – and their loved ones – throughout their cancer journey and beyond to help them live their best lives possible.
Your support keeps John Stoddard’s vision alive and builds upon it. The cancer center started with a gift, and it’s only through the generosity of others that we’ll be able to grow with the needs of our community.
When you support the Stoddard Cancer Center, you join our extensive team of experts and volunteers in walking beside patients to help them heal and thrive.
Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the not-for-profit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:
- To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
- To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
- To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.
- To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
- To receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition.
- To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
- To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
- To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
- To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
- To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.
Adopted 1964, Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Copyright AFP, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Your generosity gives hope and healing to patients and families. Discover how your giving makes a difference to John Stoddard Cancer Center and to all of UnityPoint Health – Des Moines.
John Stoddard Cancer Center Fundraising Team
Our team is here to help you find ways of giving through the UnityPoint Health – Des Moines Foundation that are unique and meaningful to you. We're eager to connect with you, hear your story and discuss opportunities to partner in supporting Stoddard Cancer Center patients, families, caregivers and our community. Click the arrows below to learn more about each of our team members!
Meet the esteemed UnityPoint Health Des Moines – Foundation Board of Directors.
Adam Haselhuhn
Sr. Director of Development
Major Gifts, Planned Giving, Leadership Annual Giving
What inspires you about working in fundraising?
Every day at work, I’m inspired by the remarkable people I interact with—whether it’s the care team members performing life-saving work or the patients undergoing transformative journeys. Each person has a unique story, and being a small part of their experience is profoundly rewarding.
Is there a motivational quote that resonates with you and fuels your passion for fundraising?
“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.” – John F. Kennedy
How do you go about cultivating meaningful relationships with donors?
I’m a listener, first. I love hearing a donor’s story and personal experience with the organization. I get a lot of joy out of learning what a donor is passionate about and how that connects with our priorities.
Do you have a hidden talent or quirky hobby that might surprise people?
I’m an actor! So, you might find me on stage at a local theater production.
What is a fun or interesting fact about you that not many people know?
Growing up, my family owned a movie store. To this day, putting a movie on and popping some popcorn is still one of my favorite ways to relax.
Tristan Carman
Associate Director of Development
Leadership Annual Giving, Grateful Patients, Stewardship
What inspires you about working in fundraising?
We’re fortunate to be part of such a generous community. It’s inspiring to see donors support others through cancer’s challenges, even without personal connections. Connecting people’s passions to meaningful causes is deeply rewarding, and I’m privileged to help them make a difference.
How do you go about cultivating meaningful relationships with donors?
Building meaningful relationships with donors is the heart of our work. I cherish the opportunity to meet diverse individuals, learn about their inspirations, and connect them with causes they might not have known about. Establishing trust and demonstrating the impact of their contributions is crucial, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have formed lasting connections with so many amazing people early in my career.
What drives your passion for connecting with donors and engaging them in philanthropic initiatives?
Everyone wants to make a difference, but not everyone knows how. I love meeting people, understanding their passions, and guiding them toward causes they can support. It’s fulfilling to help them make a meaningful impact in their community by aligning their interests with the right opportunities.
What is a fun or interesting fact about you that not many people know?
I was my high school’s mascot, Freddie the Falcon. At first, my identity was a secret, but in our small school, it didn’t take long for people to figure it out. I was thrilled when we got a new suit with a fan inside the head—those warm Friday night football games were much more bearable!
What do you like to do outside work?
Outside of work, I’ve recently taken up golf—I'm not bad, just inconsistent. My wife, Brooke, and I have been enjoying transforming our first home with various projects. We’re also lucky to have two wonderful cats, Winnie and Rosie. I never thought I was a cat person until we met them, but I’ve loved almost every moment with them.