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Questions & Answers: Development and marketing professional puts community care first in their mission to provide resources

By Faith Hatton, posted Aug 20, 2025 on BizFayetteville.com

Development and Marketing Director for The CARE Clinic Nicole Ryan is passionate about connecting her community to healthcare resources. Joining the clinic staff in January 2025 and working her way from administrative assistant to her current position, Ryan is committed to building support and awareness for the clinic’s mission. 

When she isn’t running marathons for charity or shredding on rollerblades, she’s cultivating clinic events and creating connections. The Greater Fayetteville Business Journal sat down with Ryan to learn more about her drive and passion behind helping the most vulnerable in our community access healthcare.

GFBJ: What inspired you to pursue a career in nonprofit healthcare development? 

RYAN: It’s likely to sound cliché, it’s because I personally know what it’s like to need help, but either not know where to turn, or not be able to afford it. 

In terms of The CARE Clinic, I actually was a patient here long before my initial role of administrative assistant. When I moved here from New York with my partner for her career advancement, I ended up with a bit of a health scare, and I was only working part-time remotely. I did not have insurance, and The CARE Clinic was able to help me. 

GFBJ: How did you get started in this field, and what was your first role? 

RYAN: My first role in development was with To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA), which is a mental health and suicide prevention non-profit with a mission that’s dedicated to presenting and finding help for people struggling with depression, anxiety, self-injury and suicide. I followed them since the MySpace days when I was in college and took a chance on a remote internship at the end of 2022. I ended up being the only intern they kept on as a contracted employee for an additional year and a half. Not only was I a development assistant, but I also ran the 2023 TCS NYC Marathon on Team TWLOHA.

GFBJ: What does a typical day in your role look like? 

RYAN: My focus is on all things Toast of the Town. That includes seeking sponsorships and vendors, as well as obtaining donated items for the silent auction portion of that event. It’s answering emails, making phone calls and making trips to local businesses either to pitch the event or pick up donated items. Up until [recently] my day also included two interns working directly with me over the last eight weeks. It’s also juggling other community initiatives such as The Lung Bus, which will return on Aug. 27. It’s ensuring proper stewardship for donors. It’s researching prospective donors and volunteers, because The CARE Clinic can’t exist without either of them.

GFBJ: What’s one lesson you learned early in your career that still guides you today? 

RYAN: This goes for any role...but it’s that at the end of the day, we are all human. So much is out of our control, but what we can control are our reactions, actions, effort and attitude. Be a good human, be accountable, have integrity. Show others the same grace that you wish to see.

GFBJ: What kinds of campaigns or projects are you most proud of so far?

RYAN: With regards to TWLOHA, I had the honor and privilege of handling many aspects of their Legacy of Hope Campaign which deals directly with In Memory of Campaigns for those lost to suicide or overdose. I would assist in finding obituaries in which TWLOHA was listed in lieu of flowers, logging all donations related to the loved one that was lost; keeping the direct family contact up to date on donations; ensuring memorial flowers were sent each year and helping with proper stewardship regarding those donors. It was both heavy and light.

In terms of The CARE Clinic, we brought back our golf tournament for the first time since 2022. We hosted it at the end of June, and I only entered this role at the end of April. I am very proud that we ended up with 70 golfers across 18 teams, and after major expenses (and including in-kind sponsorships and donations), we raised over $16,000. I was amped to bring in 18 new sponsors/team sponsors. I was also part of linking up with FirstHealth of the Carolinas to bring The Lung Bus to the Clinic.

GFBJ: What’s the biggest challenge in development for a nonprofit health organization?

RYAN: Specifically, here at The CARE Clinic it would be that we receive no government funding. We rely on grants, our major fundraising events and the generosity of individuals, families, churches and businesses within the community and beyond. I have also discovered that awareness of The CARE Clinic as a whole needs improvement, so I am working to get our name out there more.

GFBJ: What keeps you motivated in a mission-driven organization?

RYAN: The answer is in the question. It’s the mission. To continue to provide invaluable medical and dental services to those that so badly need them but can’t afford them (and to be able to do it at no charge to them). 

GFBJ: What does “success” look like for you in this role? 

RYAN: Success looks like me sitting here for this interview. It’s to continue to improve the impact that The CARE Clinic has within the community. It’s attending and being invited to more community events and increasing awareness. It’s approaching our annual fundraisers with a new perspective. It’s maintaining relationships with existing donors and volunteers, while cultivating relationships with prospective donors and volunteers. It’s pulling myself out of my comfort zone to continue to grow personally and professionally.

GFBJ: What advice would you give to someone wanting to enter nonprofit healthcare development and marketing? Or the nonprofit sector? 

RYAN: Be ready for long days and long hours, but also be ready to see how hard work pays off for those directly (and indirectly) affected by your efforts. Follow your heart. I know that for me personally, I need to be serving a purpose, and when I am, it makes all of the ups and downs worthwhile 

GFBJ: How can the community support the CARE Clinic? 

RYAN: We could always use donors and volunteers. We have our Toast of the Town on Sept. 18 which is an amazing wine, beer and spirits tasting and silent auction event. Tickets for that directly benefit the Clinic, as do the proceeds of our other annual fundraisers. For volunteers, we have roles for licensed clinic volunteers including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, phlebotomists and others. We also have non-licensed roles such as receptionists and those that wish to help with fundraising and special events. We accept gift cards to grocery stores too and all meals on clinic nights are also donated. 

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