NGF Personnel

Cynthia J. Frank
Director of Development
Fundraising and development of funding sources.
Contact Info:
309 France Street
Sonoma, CA 95476
Toll Free: 877.649.2742
FAX 415.839.5189
cyndi@gaucherdisease.org

Cyndi has 18 years of fundraising and event planning experience in the non-profit sector. She has helped to raise millions of dollars for many non-profits including The Sierra Club Foundation, Sierra Club, San Francisco Food Bank, Jewish Community Center of San Francisco and Sports4Kids. She joined the National Gaucher Foundation as the Director of Development in 2005.

Cyndi received a Bachelors degree in English from San Diego State University with an emphasis in Creative Writing and a Certification to teach English as a Second Language in Applied Linguistics. After several years of writing, editing and teaching English, Cyndi stumbled across a job in the non-profit sector and realized that this would be the career path to move forward with. She learned that although program is the backbone to all non-profit organizations, funding makes them a reality and she wanted to be part of making the good work happen.

Part of Cyndi's passion for helping various causes stems from her personal experience with having Gaucher disease. Diagnosed at age 13 in 1976, Cyndi had many of the symptoms common to Gaucher patients: low red blood counts, easy bruising, excessive bleeding, enlarged abdomen, low energy and bone pain. Without treatment until 1991, Cyndi struggled with managing her health and working a full-time job over the years as her body grew weaker from the progression of the disease. Throughout her 20s she spent much time in and out of the hospital, being too weak some days to get out of bed.

Without a specialist in her home town on Long Island, Cyndi first visited the National Institutes of Health the year after she was diagnosed where she continued to visit at least once a year for tests and research until treatment became available. At 25 she had one of the first success partial splenectomies, which drastically changed the quality of her life. She took part in the NIH low dose Ceredase protocol from 1990 - 1992 and for the first time met other people afflicted with Gaucher disease. She realized then that there was so much more she could be doing for Gaucher disease, although it took her years to find the appropriate venue. Since she's been receiving ERT, her quality of life has drastically improved to where she claims to have a normal and healthy lifestyle.

When Cyndi turned 40 and then experienced a string of illnesses for over a year, she realized that it was time to get more active within the Gaucher community. She was fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of the wonderful family at the National Gaucher Foundation, and she is elated to be part of their team to forward its mission. Her dream is to help find alternative treatments for Gaucher Types I, II and III and eventually a cure. When she no longer needs infusions every other week, she plans to travel the world for at least six months!