When Cedar Connell was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia at just 15 years old, his family found themselves navigating a world of decisions and complex treatments. Although the rate of survival for leukemia was high, the effects of chemotherapy often alter children’s lives forever. They watched as Cedar and other children with diagnoses suffered from lifelong side effects, from collapsed bones to neurological impairments. This was when they got curious.
Was there a better and safer treatment for children that would allow them to be cured of cancer and live a full life after treatment? What if chemotherapy wasn’t the only option to cure childhood cancer?
The Connells asked William Blair's Laura Coy, partner, head of philanthropy and sustainability, and Renee Marongwe, lead philanthropic advisor, to investigate organizations that were leading the pediatric cancer space under the auspice of the Butler Family Foundation, where William Blair clients Karen “Kiki” Connell, her mother, and her sister serve as trustees for the foundation. They have long supported education, the arts, and human services, but Cedar’s diagnosis introduced a new urgency: How could philanthropy directly accelerate life-saving innovation in healthcare?
That question led the family to Blood Cancer United, formerly known as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Blood Cancer United has an innovative Therapy Acceleration Program (TAP), a pioneering venture philanthropy initiative that invests in biotechnology companies advancing therapies for blood cancers.
Unlike traditional grantmaking, TAP’s model creates a self-sustaining cycle, reinvesting financial returns into research, advocacy, and patient education. Since 2017, TAP has helped accelerate five Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapies and invested more than $115 million in over 50 projects.
“No Matter Your Age, You Can Make a Real Impact”
Initially founded in 1953 by Kiki’s grandparents, the Butler Family Foundation has provided the family with various opportunities to give back to their communities. The multigenerational, collaborative approach is what Kiki believes has helped instill family values and traditions with her own children.
“For us, philanthropy has been about supporting communities that have supported us,” Kiki said. “It’s also a way to pass our values to the next generation. It’s at the core of how we’re connected as a family.”
That new focus inspired the Butler Family Foundation to partner with William Blair and Blood Care United to host TAP Into a Cure, an event at the Harvard Club in Boston in 2024. The event brought together more than 150 biotech leaders, investors, research scientists, and venture capital firms for an evening of panels and networking.
“Our goal was to shine a light on how venture philanthropy can accelerate cures for cancer,” Kiki said. “The room was electric. It was a hopeful and exciting evening with many new relationships forged.”
The Connell family’s commitment extends beyond the foundation and the TAP Into a Cure event. Cedar and his 17-year-old sister Posey launched Team ConneLLS for a Cure, uniting their teen community to support Blood Cancer United. They hosted blood drives and created a virtual team, 3 miles for 31 Days for 1 Cure, that exercised daily with Cedar on his path to wellness. Earlier this year, the duo became the winning national Student Visionaries of the Year for the Blood Cancer United program, raising an extraordinary $620,438 for pediatric cancer research.
“Seeing Cedar and Posey support each other and form fundraising and athletic teams had a positive healing effect for our family.” Kiki said. “Cedar was still in active treatment, and Posey was a sibling who had been through over three years of her brother’s cancer treatment. They did it—with grit and grace—together and with support from our family and friends. The depth of empathy, kindness, and love we felt was immense.”
Redefining What Philanthropy Can Accomplish
Programs like TAP highlight the evolution of philanthropy. Venture philanthropy goes beyond traditional giving by providing capital where investment risk may be high, but the potential for impact is transformative. It also offers a way to make measurable, lasting changes in areas where commercial investors may hesitate to step in.
Coy sees venture philanthropy as a way to redefine what philanthropy can accomplish.
"We were thrilled to partner with the Butler Family Foundation on TAP Into a Cure,” Coy said. “The program showcases what combining venture philanthropy with a multigenerational approach can do. Focusing on a shared purpose helps maximize impact for essential research and awareness.”
For Kiki, the event was another way for all the trustees and their families to make an impact within the research space.
“This was our family’s son, grandson, and nephew,” Kiki said. “His life was forever changed. We were never not going to know about pediatric cancer again. As a foundation board, we decided to use our resources and skills to make a difference in a field that we knew intimately, with Blood Cancer United as the partner that we learned to trust.”
Throughout the process, Kiki worked closely with William Blair’s Tom Wilson, partner, wealth advisor, who helped them align their philanthropic goals with their long-term financial goals.
Light the Night
The Butler Family Foundation continues to support non-healthcare organizations in the Midwest and on the East Coast, but blood cancer research remains a top priority for Kiki.
“If our support can help bring a new treatment to a patient, then we’ve done something worthwhile,” Kiki said.
Blood Cancer United’s Light the Night events offer hope instead of helplessness, connection instead of loneliness, and life-saving research and support at every step. Across the U.S., people light lanterns and send them into the sky as a way to “bring more people out of the dark.”
Learn more about events near you and how you can support Blood Cancer United.