Susan Ross, Co-Founder and Partner

Susan Cranford Ross, Co-Founder and Partner

Susan Ross and Mary Moss launched moss+ross in 2009 and now share leadership in a team of five partners. Susan and Mary were named the Outstanding Fundraising Professionals in the Triangle in 2022 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Susan enjoys adapting her work to meet the needs of a wide variety of nonprofit clients. She specializes in campaign goal setting and management, strategic planning, executive coaching, and board training. She has a reputation as an insightful listener, creative thinker, energetic coach, and tireless worker for all her causes, personal and professional.

Susan spent nearly three decades as a senior fundraiser at Duke University, leading teams that raised well over $500 million. As Assistant Vice President, she led a university-wide staff and volunteer team that raised $308 million for financial aid. Previously she served as Associate Athletics Director, Associate Dean in Arts and Sciences and Annual Fund Director. Her work at Duke won three CASE awards and she was a regular presenter at national fundraising conferences.

Active in the nonprofit community for decades, Susan currently serves as a member of the Board of Advisors for UNC’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media. She is a Past-President of Durham Rotary and the Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties and was Assistant Governor of Rotary District 7710. She is a member of Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church.

A Durham native, Susan graduated from UNC in 1977, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She is married to recently retired Duke fundraiser Tom Hadzor and together they have six children, ages 33-43, and eight grandchildren. The Ross-Hadzor family loves college sports, tennis, golf, traveling and great food.

Fun fact:  Next trip to Nashville, Susan suggests you try one of the Biscuit Love restaurants, which are owned and operated by four members of her family.