Sunday, August 23, 2009
Life, Health + Fitness, Atlanta

Wheel of fortune

SP catches up with Donna Narducci of Ovarian Cycle on her new path

By H.M. Cauley 



Change is never easy. And when you’ve been doing something meaningful and personal for 15 years, it’s even harder to move on. 

For Donna Narducci, leaving the helm of Atlanta Pride last year meant parting from the organization that she’d devoted her energy and spirit to for a decade and a half. But it was time to go. 

“I joined the board of Pride in 1993, and became the executive director in 1995 as a part-time job,” she says. “I went full-time in 1997 and while I was there, we added staff; the budget grew; and we had up to 300,000 people attending our event. But it was time for a change for the organization and for me, even though I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do next.”

Narducci left the world of fundraising, grant-writing and promoting the cause of Atlanta’s gay and lesbian citizens and turned first to another passion: pets. She and her partner of four years, Roxanne Fucci, launched Roxie and Donnie’s Pet Sitting, capitalizing on a small clientele they’d established among friends. On any given day, Narducci can be found strolling through various parts of town with four-footed friends in tow.

But it wasn’t long before the pull of the nonprofit world had her looking at other options. Last fall, she answered the call for an executive director to oversee Ovarian Cycle, a locally based organization devoted to raising funds and awareness about ovarian cancer. Though her education on the disease was minimal, her expertise in fundraising and sponsorship helped her land the job.

“I didn’t know much about ovarian cancer, and I didn’t know anyone who was a survivor,” admits Narducci. “But I have a passion for nonprofit work, and I didn’t want to be with a large organization again. This was just a wonderful opportunity: A smaller organization that worked on women’s needs.”

Narducci is the group’s only staffer and works with a board of 10 volunteers. The five-year-old organization has raised more than $500,000 for ovarian cancer research through a single spring fundraising event that puts volunteers on stationary bikes for 100 miles.

“The goal is to combine fitness while raising funds, so participants get six free weeks of training leading up to the event,” says Narducci. “We ride for six hours. It’s a huge commitment on behalf of the people who sign up. They’re committing to training, and they’re expected to raise a minimum of $400.”

A few months ago, Narducci signed on for the training to experience the preparation herself. 


“I’ll be the first to tell you: Spin cycling will kick your butt,” she says with a laugh. “You will get in good shape if you commit to it.”

When she’s not working on outreach and fundraising projects, Narducci spends considerable hours educating people about the disease that often goes undetected.

“This disease mimics so many other things with symptoms such as bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly. A woman has to be very persistent to make sure there are more exams and additional testing. More often than not, doctors aren’t looking for ovarian cancer, but something more common.”

Narducci is now comfortable in her new niche, where she interacts with highly dedicated volunteers, many of whom have lost friends or family to ovarian cancer. 

“No question, it’s a lot less hectic than working with Pride,” she says. “But it’s equally rewarding.” SP
For more information on Ovarian Cycle, visit www.ovariancycle.org.