Introducing Carol Shannon

When Carol Shannon stepped into her new role as the MUSC Foundation’s vice president for institutional advancement in March, she brought more than two decades of fundraising leadership, and a deeply personal commitment to inclusive care. From New York to Washington, D.C., she’s helped transform philanthropy in academic medicine. Now, she’s ready to do the same in South Carolina. 

Shannon comes to the foundation from NYU Langone Health, where she served as assistant vice president for development and alumni affairs. There, she led a team of 110 and achieved a 28% increase in major gift donations.  

Before that, Shannon served as vice president for development at Johns Hopkins Medicine Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington D.C., where she built a giving program designed to give patients and their families a stronger hand in shaping and strengthening patient care within the institution. Through this program, patient donations to Hopkins more than tripled during her tenure.  

Now in South Carolina, Shannon describes MUSC as “a rocket in flight” and looks forward to growing and engaging its community of donors to elevate health care throughout the entire state.   

Early influences 

Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Chicago, but my dad worked for RCA (Radio Corporation of America), so we moved a lot – Chicago, Montreal, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Indiana, two places in Belgium, two places in New Jersey. I’m used to being the new person in the room, which has actually been helpful.   

Did you start your career with philanthropy in mind?  

No, I started in retail, in the buyer’s program for JCPenney and later Kmart. I did management training. But at the same time, I was also volunteering at a shelter for youth in crisis. That’s really where my journey into nonprofits began.  

Who planted that seed for you?  

My parents had a big influence on me that way and taught me about living with your fellow man.  

Wherever we lived, they were always doing something in the community. In Indiana, they spent their Saturdays giving respite to a mother down the street whose son had hydrocephalus, spending time with him and helping him with his therapy so she could have a break and run errands and things. I remember my dad would always stop to talk with people experiencing homelessness and offer them a meal. 

Finding purpose in health care 

You’ve spent a lot of your career in academic medicine. 

For me health care is the most important thing. If you’re not healthy, it impacts every aspect of your life – and not just for the individual but also the entire family. 

Academic medicine is especially unique. It says, “We’re going to do more than take care of patients. We’re going to cure disease and completely change the landscape of health care delivery.” I don’t think there’s any higher calling.  

You were in New York City during the pandemic. Did COVID change your conversations around health care philanthropy?   

Completely. I went there right at the beginning. The pandemic started in March 2020 and I moved there in May. If you didn’t already understand the value of academic medicine, you caught on quickly. You knew which hospitals were working on the disease and developing the vaccine. If you didn’t get it before, you sure do now.   

What brought you to MUSC?   

The opportunity to work for an institution that does academic medicine really well.  All three pieces – academics, research and patient care – had a national reputation for excellence, and that was important to me. When I started thinking about this position, I talked with some of my contacts at Hopkins and Langone and they confirmed what I was thinking. 

They said, “There’s a trajectory there. They’re pulling in a lot of people from across the country who want to do really innovative work.” They talked about academics. They called out some names, like (MUSC Hollings Cancer Center Director) Ray DuBois.  

They mentioned the breakthrough work MUSC is doing with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. I could see that the caliber was there and that it was very much aligned with what I’d been doing. And I have to say, living in beautiful South Carolina with its warm and welcoming residents was a big plus.  

So, reputation was important. What about the institutional ethos? 

Absolutely. During the interview process, everyone I met talked about elevating health care across the entire state. There was a deep commitment to improving care for all, not just a few. That really drew me in. 

It’s in my DNA, going way back. At my grandfather’s funeral, people experiencing homelessness introduced themselves to my mom and told her about times he had slipped them a few bucks here and there. My parents were the same way. I worked at a shelter for youth in crisis. 

And now I have the privilege of working for a place that says, “If not us, then who, to bring quality care to people who are underserved and often invisible?” This is the first place I’ve ever seen that talked about it that way. So MUSC married a lot of things that matter to me.  

Looking ahead

What do you see now that you’ve been here for a few months? 

So many doors are opening right now: the new cancer hospital. A new medical education building. The Innovation District. Our clinical footprint now includes 16 hospitals, which creates so much opportunity for training and patient care. 

Together, these things have the potential to transform health care in South Carolina, and I see leadership at MUSC making some very strong moves to make that happen.  

I really believe the trajectory is there to become one of the country’s top-tier, best-in-class health systems. Our team can’t wait to share that vision with donors and help them become part of it. 

Obviously, the academic side of MUSC’s mission will play a role in that vision. What are the biggest challenges there?  

Student debt is a big one. It’s not uncommon to see people starting their careers in health care with two or three hundred thousand dollars in debt. That’s obviously having a huge impact on the health care landscape, especially on access. MUSC President David Cole says this is a multidimensional problem that needs to be addressed on many levels.

Of course, in my role, I look at what can be done through philanthropy, and my mind goes immediately to scholarships. I think that’s a natural and fulfilling way for alumni to help usher in the next generation. 

Speaking of donors, what’s the most essential ingredient in a successful philanthropic partnership?  

Trust. Trust based on truly listening to a donor’s philanthropic goals and then aligning those with the needs of the institution. Many times, that trust begins with a provider experience.

They had a great experience with a physician, a nurse or someone else on the health care team, and they come to us on the fundraising side to help make that happen for someone else.  

It’s our job to honor that trust and build on it. It’s also important that they see and understand the impact of their philanthropy.   

Do you see philanthropy as duty or a privilege? 

I can answer that in two ways. As a donor myself, I look at it through the lens of my faith, which my grandmother gave me: To whom much is given, much is expected.  

A lot of people might think that means just millionaires or billionaires, but I believe it applies to all of us. So yes, as a donor, I see giving as a duty. My faith says, “Help your brother.” I really believe that. 

But as a fundraiser, I see it as a privilege to help others develop their own response to that calling.