| Raymond James Grace |
The Washington Post-- Matt Schudel
Raymond Grace
CEO of Fundraising Firm
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Fundraising Group, a Bowie company that raises funds for nonprofit organizations, died
April 14 of esophageal cancer at his home in Riva.
Mr. Grace founded CDR, originally named Creative Direct Response, in 1982. He raised
money for health groups, animal welfare causes, Catholic charities, children's groups and
various veterans organizations, including POW-MIA, the Blinded Veterans Association,
Wounded Warrior Project and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. He also worked with
MADD, the Special Olympics, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the Winter Olympic Games
and the Christian Appalachian Project.
Raymond James Grace was born in Abilene, Tex., and grew up in the
Washington area. He graduated from Gonzaga College High School in 1962 and
Xavier University in Cincinnati in 1966. He was a Navy Seabee during the Vietnam War.
He worked in advertising, fundraising and printing businesses in the Washington area
before founding CDR. He had been semi-retired since 2004. Last year, he received
FundRaising Success magazine's lifetime achievement award.
Mr. Grace was a founding member of the Association of Direct Response Fundraising
Counsel and the business advisory council of the National Federation of Nonprofits, now
part of the DMA Nonprofit Federation. He helped develop the first set of ethics for the
fundraising industry.
He was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church in Davidsonville.
Survivors include his wife of 39 years, Reezie Scanlon Grace of Riva;
three children, Brian Grace of Riva, Mary McCarthy of Davidsonville and Melissa Patterson
of Edgewater; three brothers, Timothy Grace of Arnold, Patrick Grace of Kensington and
Michael Grace of Annapolis; a sister, Mary Robinson of Davidsonville; and four
grandchildren.
.
Raymond Grace
CEO of Fundraising Firm
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Fundraising Group, a Bowie company that raises funds for nonprofit organizations, died
April 14 of esophageal cancer at his home in Riva.
Mr. Grace founded CDR, originally named Creative Direct Response, in 1982. He raised
money for health groups, animal welfare causes, Catholic charities, children's groups and
various veterans organizations, including POW-MIA, the Blinded Veterans Association,
Wounded Warrior Project and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. He also worked with
MADD, the Special Olympics, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the Winter Olympic Games
and the Christian Appalachian Project.
Raymond James Grace was born in Abilene, Tex., and grew up in the
Washington area. He graduated from Gonzaga College High School in 1962 and
Xavier University in Cincinnati in 1966. He was a Navy Seabee during the Vietnam War.
He worked in advertising, fundraising and printing businesses in the Washington area
before founding CDR. He had been semi-retired since 2004. Last year, he received
FundRaising Success magazine's lifetime achievement award.
Mr. Grace was a founding member of the Association of Direct Response Fundraising
Counsel and the business advisory council of the National Federation of Nonprofits, now
part of the DMA Nonprofit Federation. He helped develop the first set of ethics for the
fundraising industry.
He was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church in Davidsonville.
Survivors include his wife of 39 years, Reezie Scanlon Grace of Riva;
three children, Brian Grace of Riva, Mary McCarthy of Davidsonville and Melissa Patterson
of Edgewater; three brothers, Timothy Grace of Arnold, Patrick Grace of Kensington and
Michael Grace of Annapolis; a sister, Mary Robinson of Davidsonville; and four
grandchildren.
.
| HOME PAGE |
| MEMORIAL PAGE |