Facts About the American Cancer Society About your American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service. How the American Cancer Society is organized The American Cancer Society, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation governed by a single Board of Directors that is responsible for setting policy, establishing long-term goals, monitoring general operations, and approving the organizational outcomes and allocation of resources. The Board seeks advice and support from regional non-governing volunteer boards. The Society s structure includes a central corporate office in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as regional and local offices throughout the country supporting 11 geographic Divisions, ensuring that we have a presence in every community. The corporate office is responsible for: overall strategic planning; support services such as human resources, financial management, IT, etc.; development and implementation of global and nationwide endeavors such as our groundbreaking research program, our international program, and 24-hour call center; and provides technical support and materials to regional and local offices for local delivery. With a presence in more than 5,000 communities, the American Cancer Society fights for every life threatened by every cancer in every community. Our regional and local offices are organized to engage communities in the cancer fight, delivering lifesaving programs and services and raising money at the local level. Offices are strategically placed around the country in an effort to maximize the impact of our efforts, and be as efficient as possible with the money donated to the Society to fight cancer and save lives.
How donated money is used The American Cancer Society is committed to our obligation to spend donor dollars wisely. Here s a year-end glimpse at how your donations helped save lives by the numbers. The most recent data (as of August 2015) is from fiscal year 2014. (Source: Where Does Your Money Go? At www.cancer.org/research/infographicgallery/wheredoes-money-go-2015 and the 2015 Annual Stewardship Report at www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@finance/documents/image/acspc-045852.pdf) Fulfilling our mission Overall, in 2014, 74% of Society resources went to cancer research, patient support, prevention information and education, and detection and treatment. The remaining 26% of resources were spent on management compensation, general infrastructure, and fundraising expenses. Resources allocated to program services (totaling 74% of Society resources) include: $144 million spent on cancer research (academic institutions and new scientists are funded to learn more about the causes, prevention, and cure of cancer) $276 million spent on patient support (programs that directly assist people with cancer and their families to ease the burden of cancer in their lives) $117 million spent on prevention information/education (these programs for the public and health professionals give information on how to prevent cancer and reduce the risk of developing cancer) $95 million spent on detection and treatment (these efforts are directed at finding cancer before it causes problems and giving information about cancer treatment, recurrence, symptom management, and pain control) Resources allocated to supporting services (totaling 26% of Society resources) include: $49 million spent on management and general expenses (executive, financial, and administrative services needed to direct the efforts of the Society) $177 million spent on fundraising expenses (securing charitable financial support for the Society s programs and services) Delivering our mission We are always focused on ensuring we spend the funds entrusted to us in the most efficient manner so we re able to make the greatest impact as we fight for every birthday in every community.
Volunteers As a global grassroots force, the Society relies on the strength of millions of dedicated volunteers. From leadership volunteers who set strategy and policy to community volunteers who organize special events and patient support programs, our volunteers, supported by professional staff, drive every part of our mission. The Society s diverse volunteer opportunities empower people from every community to play a role in saving lives, while fulfilling their own. How the American Cancer Society is saving lives Together with our millions of supporters, the American Cancer Society is saving lives by helping people stay well, helping people get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back. No other cancer-fighting organization has such a comprehensive mission. Stay well We help you take steps to prevent cancer or detect it at its earliest, most treatable stage. We help people eat right, get active, quit tobacco, and get early detection testing. We develop early detection guidelines, screening test recommendations, and nutrition and physical activity guidelines so people know how to find cancer early, and how they can help prevent it. We educate people on what screening tests are right for them, and what healthy lifestyle choices they can make to stay well. Using a cancer prevention and early detection worksheet on our website, individuals can create a personalized action plan that they can discuss with their doctor. Through the Quit For Life Program, brought to you by the American Cancer Society and Alere Wellbeing, we help people quit smoking by developing a quit plan that is unique to each person. Get well We re in your corner around the clock to guide you through a cancer experience. We know that every cancer patient is a fighter and we re in the ring with you through every round. If you have questions about cancer, need practical solutions to everyday problems like finding a ride to treatment, or just want support from someone who has been there, we can help, day or night.
Whether it s 2 p.m. or 2 a.m., our phone lines at 1-800-227-2345, are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help connect people with the answers that they need. Each year, we provide information, help, and support to nearly a million individuals who call us or contact us online. Our website serves millions of visitors each month, offering access to the latest information and news on cancer and helping people find programs and services in their area. We know that a key to getting well is getting to medical appointments. Through the American Cancer Society Road To Recovery program, we connect patients with specially trained volunteer drivers to help them get to their lifesaving treatments. In 2014, cancer patients got more than 341,000 rides to and from their cancer treatments. Through our American Cancer Society Hope Lodge program, we provide cancer patients and their caregivers a free place to stay when they have to travel far from home for treatment. In 2014, we provided free lodging to nearly 44,000 patients and caregivers, saving them more than $36 million in lodging costs. The American Cancer Society Patient Navigator Program provides one-on-one guidance to people facing cancer, and connects them with information, resources, and support through every step of their cancer journey. In 2014, our navigators helped about 56,000 patients through their cancer experiences. Find cures We re getting results by investing in research that helps us understand the causes of cancer, determine how best to prevent it, and discover new ways to cure it. As the largest private, non-profit funder of cancer research in the US, as of 2014 we have spent more than $4.3 billion on cancer research since 1946. Our own research, and that of our funded researchers, helped confirm the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, established the link between obesity and multiple cancers, developed drugs to treat leukemia and advanced breast cancer, and showed that mammography is the most effective way to detect breast cancer. We fund researchers with cutting-edge ideas early in their careers 47 of whom have gone on to win the Nobel Prize, the highest accolade in scientific achievement. Fight back We help pass laws that defeat cancer and provide people with opportunities to fight cancer in their communities. At its core, the American Cancer Society is a grassroots force of about 2.5 million passionate volunteers who tirelessly help save lives from cancer. We work with lawmakers everywhere to make this world a healthier place to live, and we rally communities around the globe to join our fight.
Whether it s passing smoke-free laws, increasing funding for cancer research, improving access to quality health care, or inspiring communities to rally together, we fight on all fronts because the lessons we learn from one battlefield can mean victory on another. Together with our non-profit, non-partisan advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), we have helped pass state laws ensuring that people have access to and coverage for lifesaving cancer screenings and treatments. We have helped millions of uninsured, underinsured, and low-income women get breast and cervical cancer screening tests since 1991, and, along with ACS CAN, we have successfully fought for legislation to protect this care. As the world s largest movement to end cancer, American Cancer Society Relay For Life events joined more than 4 million people in more than 6,000 communities across the US as well as 24 other countries in 2014. The American Cancer Society is the leader in the fight to end breast cancer. Our Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event united more than 1 million people across the nation in 2014 to help save lives from breast cancer and together, to get to the finish line faster. We re making progress By taking what we ve learned through research and translating it into action, we ve contributed to a 22% decrease in the overall US cancer death rate since 1991. That means that we helped avoid nearly 1.5 million cancer deaths during that time. No other organization has had quite such an impact for so many years on the cancer fight. More of the American Cancer Society s financial information 2015 Stewardship Report Available online at: http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@finance/documents/image/acspc-045852.pdf You can also call us to have a copy sent to you free of charge. Where Does Your Money Go? The 2015 infographic can be found online at: www.cancer.org/research/infographicgallery/where-does-money-go-2015.
Other resources The Society s current Combined Financial Statements, IRS Form 990s, and information about our BBB Wise Giving Alliance Seal are also available on www.cancer.org. Last Medical Review: 8/25/2015 Last Revised: 8/25/2015 2015 Copyright American Cancer Society