Make a Difference in Breast Cancer Research

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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

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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!

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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!

See Your Susan G. Komen 3-Day Fundraising Dollars at Work

We know it takes a lot of courage to ask friends, family, and strangers for donations; but it’s all worth it, knowing that you’re making a huge impact on the fight to end breast cancer. One thing you can do to make your fundraising as successful as possible is to arm yourself with resources and knowledge. That way you’ll be prepared when potential donors ask questions about where their fundraising dollars will go. Email this infographic to your donors, or print it out if you’re having an in-person fundraising event. Knowing the direct use of funds donated is exactly what some people need to confidently make a donation and commit to supporting you in the fight against breast cancer.

This infographic will also be available on our website, at The3Day.org/infographics

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Your Dollars at Work: 3-Day Funds and Komen’s Mission Objectives

Participants often ask me how 3-Day funds are put to use. It’s a logical question: If you’re working hard towards raising at least $2,300 each year to walk, you want to know how those dollars get put to work.

If you’ve done the 3-Day before, you’ve probably heard that 25% of the net proceeds goes to local Affiliates to fund community education and treatment assistance programs while 75% of the net proceeds is used by Komen on a national basis to fund research programs and global strategies. But what does that really mean? Here’s some detail to help make this more concrete.

First, let me explain how Komen is structured: There is the national office based in Dallas, which receives funding through national partnerships, individual giving, and national programs like the 3-Day. And, there are also more than 100 Komen local offices called Affiliates, that receive funding through local events like the Race for the Cure, sponsorships, etc.

The funds you raise through the 3-Day (managed by our national office) and the Race for the Cure (managed by our local Affiliates) are unique as both programs have global, national and local impact.

At the end of each 3-Day season we total all of the funds raised on a national level to distribute to the national and local mission. So, the 3-Day’s local proceeds (that 25%) are divided at the end of each season among the 7 host city affiliates, so that 3-Day dollars have a direct impact in 3-Day cities. In most 3-Day cities, there is a single affiliate office, but in Dallas and Michigan, there are several who divide the funds to maximize reach and opportunity in their respective service areas.

Why is this important? Susan G. Komen has funded nearly $889 million in research and nearly $2 billion in community grants. Through this, we have made great strides in decreasing mortality rates from breast cancer, increasing 5 year survival rates, and improving access to screening and treatment for countless women and men. It is this combination – a balance between funding community needs and research priorities – that is so important, and a big reason that 3-Day and Race for the Cure funding is so unique.

In the coming year, a few of our primary mission goals are:

We are focusing major research efforts on metastatic research, primarily what causes the disease to spread from the breast.
- Nearly half of Komen’s funding in 2015 went to metastatic research (23 grants, $16 million)
We are collaborating with other national and international breast cancer organizations to refine goals and minimize redundancy
We are working towards making health resources equally available to all, with a focus on disparities and why the risk of breast cancer is higher amongst African-American women.

Komen President and CEO, Dr. Judy Salerno, said at the Komen Impact Forum in Dallas, “I believe that in a generation we will see more treatments and more cures. You, [our 3-Day community], have been a part of this every step of the way. And we must support you so that we can be successful in achieving this goal.”

We want to make it easier for you to talk with your supporters and donors about Komen’s mission in action. So we’re creating a library of sharable resources on The3Day.org/Komen. The first set is available today: Three infographics talking more about 3-Day funding and our mission in action. (Note: these infographics are in .jpg format below, which you can save to your computer and share on social media. If you would like printable .pdf versions of the infographics, you can find them here.) 3DAY_2016_KomenInfographics_3 3DAY_2016_KomenInfographics_2 3DAY_2016_KomenInfographics_1

Soon, we’ll be sharing more specific details of how each local 3-Day affiliate is putting Komen funds to use in that 3-Day city.

This is just the start of the tools you have told us you need. This will be an on-going project from here forward as your needs change and the 3-Day program begins to grow. As I mentioned in my last blog post, we are forming a 3-Day advisory council (2 participants from each 3-Day city) to help you, the 3-Day family, have a collective voice as we work to meet needs, improve your event experience and grow the 3-Day into the strongest program it can be.

Stay tuned to the blog for more info! Thank you for being you!

– Chrissy Mathews