Make a Difference in Breast Cancer Research

3Day_2017_ATL_MDER-27

Today is National Trivia Day, and we are taking this opportunity to share important and impactful facts from the 3-Day and our Susan G. Komen family at large. You can use these facts in your own 3-Day trivia game, as part of your fundraising letters, or as encouragement for you and your team this year. We have come so far since 2003, and every step you have taken has made a difference.

You can continue to make a difference in 2018, too! Register now, and get $20 off your registration through February 5th!

One amazing fact is that in the last 12 years, Komen has been able to put 80 cents of every dollar directly into research, community health programs, as well as education and advocacy programs. This money supports the mission to save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research.

This means that every donation makes a huge impact. Some stats to know and share:

$25 could buy research supplies so scientists can work toward finding the cures
$30 could provide an hour of patient navigation services for someone with breast cancer
$135 could provide one screening mammogram for someone in need

3Day_2017_MI_MD-671

The sixty miles you walk also make a huge difference! Since 2003, the 3-Day has:

Raised more than $820 million in total
Helped support more than 2,500 research projects & 460 clinical trials and counting
Sent $650 million in funds raised directly to breast cancer research

In addition, Komen’s network of Affiliates fund nearly 1,000 community organizations providing education, screening, patient navigation and treatment assistance to those facing breast cancer each year. You might have seen some of these local Affiliates at cheering stations on 3-Days this year. If you see them in 2018, give them a hug and a high five to thank them for all the amazing hard work they do!

3Day_2017_DAL_MDER-64

Because of the hard work that Komen, the 3-Day and all our Affiliates do, there has been a 38 percent decline in breast cancer mortality (deaths) in the U.S. between 1989-2014.

This means that there are more and more survivors for us to honor each year at the 3-Day. In fact, there are more than 3.1 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.

Each of these facts are important, and all of them work towards Komen’s Bold Goal of reducing the current number of breast cancer deaths by 50% in the U.S. by 2026.

To learn even more, visit our website for infographics, personal stories and more!

Susan G. Komen 3-Day Fundraising Dollars: See Your Impact Locally with Our Infographics

In 2016 Susan G. Komen announced a Bold Goal to reduce the number of current breast cancer deaths in the United States by 50% by the year 2026. That means that each dollar raised, and each step walked in the 3-Day is working towards that Bold Goal.

Dollars raised by 3-Day participants also go towards funding local research grants community health programs. This year, Komen announced $30.7 million in research funding for 98 research grants nationwide, which will predominantly focus on discovering new treatments, as well as improving our understanding of the most lethal forms of breast cancer. These grants and research are critical in helping us move closer to achieving Komen’s Bold Goal.

To fully understand your direct impact in our work, Komen released the direct impact that local research dollars has in all our local 3-Day markets. Last year, fundraising dollars contributed to the 160 total research grants in the state of Pennsylvania, and funded 186 career investigators in California.

To see the direct impact of the 3-Day in 2017, and all your hard work, look up your home state in the infographics below. These are also great informational resources to share with potential donors, or to send to donors from this year’s walks to show them just how much their support means.

Michigan

Michigan_2017_Page_1

Michigan_2017_Page_2

Minnesota

Minnesota_2017_Page_1

Minnesota_2017_Page_2

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania_2017_Page_1

Pennsylvania_2017_Page_2

Washington

Washington_2017_Page_1

Washington_2017_Page_2

Georgia

Georgia_2017

Texas

Texas_2017_Page_1

Texas_2017_Page_2

California

California_2017_Page_1

California_2017_Page_2

How have you seen fundraising dollars at work in your local market? Tell us in the comments!

Insight Into Komen’s 2017 Research Grants

This year, Komen announced $30.7 million in research funding for 98 research grants which will mostly focus on discovering new treatments and improving our understanding of the most lethal forms of breast cancer – helping us move closer to achieving our Bold Goal.

For the first time, Komen will be giving members of the public an opportunity to directly fund specific research by participating in a crowdfunding initiative on Komen’s website.

We wanted to share with you the grant process and how the 2017 portfolio breaks down this year since 75% of net proceeds from your fundraising support this research and we could not accomplish any of this work without you.

Peer-Review

Komen has a renowned peer-review process – lead by Komen’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) – that ensures the organization is funding the best and most imperative forms of research. Advocates and breast cancer patients also take part in peer-review, to ensure all aspects of breast cancer needs are being covered. You can learn more about peer-review here.

The 2017 research grants came through the request for applications (RFA) issued last year, prior to the Bold Goal announcement in September of 2016. Still, 41.3% of Komen’s grants are focusing on metastatic breast cancer research and 54.4% of grants are focusing on new treatments.

The 2018 process for new proposals began in April and all applications submitted were asked to directly support Komen’s efforts towards the Bold Goal. Researchers were invited to submit projects that addressed metastasis or resistance to current therapies.

This Year

In 2017, Komen research funding went to institutions in 27 states and across 8 countries. The majority of grants are focusing on new screening technologies, metastatic and aggressive types of breast cancer and understanding and addressing disparities in breast cancer. By targeting metastatic disease – which is responsible for almost all of the nation’s 40,000 annual breast cancer deaths – Komen is hoping to reduce breast cancer deaths in the U.S. dramatically. To date, Komen has funded more than $180 million in metastatic breast cancer research. 2017 funding also includes $17.6 million to early-career investigators which helps to ensure a continuum of breast cancer research across generations.

Komen’s 2017 portfolio includes*:

37 grants expanding our knowledge of metastatic breast cancer and how to better treat it or prevent it;
42 grants looking into triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive subtype of breast cancer; 59 grants focused on new therapies;
24 investigating drug resistance (why drugs stop working in some patients);
9 on disparities in breast cancer outcomes;
As well as projects investigating inflammatory breast cancer, early detection, prevention, Big Data and more.

Crowdfunding

This fall, Komen is making it possible for supporters to make a personal impact on breast cancer research. During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Komen will highlight four metastatic breast cancer researchers and encourage donations to their specific grants. More information on the crowdfunding initiative will be announced in October.

Thank You!

When you walk and raise money you are making a direct contribution to our grants. Funds that you raise through 3-Day could support a young scientist for a day working toward finding the cures, or could support an oncologist for a day as they run clinical trials to find the cures for breast cancer. We could not fund potentially lifesaving research without your help and support. Thank you for the impact that you make here at Komen and always being More Than Pink.

You can learn more about Komen’s 2017 funding here.