Increasing Funding for and Awareness of Breast Cancer Research

Ensuring the CBCRP’s present funding sources and increasing funds from new sources are necessary. CBCRP funding from the State cigarette tax decreases every year. Moreover, current funds are not sufficient to do all that needs to be done. During 2008, the CBCRP turned down grant applications requesting a total of $12,751,425 that were rated by expert reviewers as having sufficient scientific merit for funding.

To increase its revenue, the CBCRP began its Community Partners Program in 2002. The Community Partners Program pursues two goals:

Community Partners: Increasing Voluntary Donations to the CBCRP

The Community Partners Program has led to growth and diversification in donations to the CBCRP. During 2008, the CBCRP received major funding from the California state income tax check-off program and from private foundations. In addition, the public took a number of other opportunities to donate to the CBCRP.

California State Income Tax Check- Off Program. More than 43,500 individuals donated over $568,000 to the CBCRP during 2008 through the state income tax check-off program. This made the CBCRP one of the check-off program’s top beneficiary organizations for the year.

The following grants were funded in part through voluntary tax contributions in 2008:

Reproductive Concerns and Depression among Younger Survivors Jessica Gorman, University of California, San Diego

Pesticide and Gene Interactions in Latina Farm Workers Paul Mills, Ph.D., MPH, University of California, San Francisco

Nanotherapy for Breast Cancer Targeting Tumor Macrophages Gaurav Sarma, Ph.D., The Burnham Institute for Medical Research

Stratifying DCIS Biopsies for Risk of Future Tumor Formation Thea Tlsty, Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco

Faith Fancher Research Award
Faith Fancher was a long-time television news anchor and personality with KTVU (Oakland) who waged a very public battle against breast cancer. She also was the founding member of the CBCRP Executive Team, which formed in 2001 to help raise the visibility and fundraising profile of our program. Faith passed away in October 2003 after a sixyear struggle with breast cancer. In Faith’s honor we have created the annual Faith Fancher Research award, which is presented to a researcher, institution, or community- based organization whose work reflects those values that Faith held most closely and extends the work that Faith did for all women facing breast cancer. The advisory Breast Cancer Research Council named Georgia Sadler, Ph.D. M.B.A., University of California, San Diego, Natasha Riley, M.A., Vista Community Clinic and Vanessa Malcarne, Ph.D., San Diego State, Research Foundation the recipients of the Faith Fancher award for a grant, entitled Breast Cancer Clinical Trials Education Program.

Foundations. During 2008, two foundations signaled their approval of the CBCRP’s pioneering efforts by joining with the Program to support our leading-edge research.

United Way. The CBCRP is a participant organization in the Community Campaign of the United Way of California, which allows residents of the state to make donations at their place of work. During 2008, the CBCRP received donations from the United Way of the Bay Area, United Way of the Capitol Region, United Way Silicon Valley, United Way Southeastern Philadelphia, and the United Way State Employees Charitable Campaign.

Individual, Business, and Community Group Efforts. This year, the public demonstrated continued enthusiasm for the CBCRP’s research. Runners participating in the San Francisco Marathon raised almost $11,000 for the CBCRP. The top fundraiser was runner Dipa Valambhia, who brought in $2,496; second was Christian Fitchett with $1,910; and third was Lauren Holmes, with $1,250. Businesses that made donations to the CBCRP included the Avon Foundation, Spectrum Clubs Inc., and Life Sera.

Business and Employee Giving Campaigns. Businesses that made the CBCRP the beneficiary of their community or employee fundraising efforts included: California State Employees Contribution Program, AT&T Employee Giving Program, Amgen Corporation Matching Gift Program, and Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign. In addition, the CBCRP received contributions from the Kaiser Permanente Community Giving Campaign, and the Superior Court of California - County of San Bernardino.

The public has also responded to the opportunity to make donations via the Program’s Web site, www.CABreastCancer.org.

Community Partners: Increasing Awareness of Breast Cancer Research and of the CBCRP’s Work

During 2008, the CBCRP’s outreach campaign focused on raising awareness of breast cancer research results and the Program’s work. The campaign also concentrated on increasing citizen contributions via their state income tax forms.

With the assistance and participation of Community Partners, individual donors to CBCRP, and breast cancer advocacy organizations, the CBCRP held public exhibits over the past year calling attention to the opportunity to donate to the CBCRP on state tax returns. During 2008, in addition, the CBCRP conducted a combined outreach effort, named Checkoff California, with other California nonprofit organizations who receive state tax return contributions. Together, the CBCRP and these nonprofit organizations created a radio and Internet marketing campaign to alert the public to the income tax check-off program. The campaign was conducted in partnership with the tax preparation firm Jackson Hewitt and California radio stations. It included radio public service announcements in English and Spanish, along with a Web site highlighting all nonprofit organizations included in the income tax check-off program. To augment this campaign, the CBCRP conducted its own on-air and Internet-based campaign alerting the public to the opportunity to make donations to the CBCRP via the income tax check-off. The campaign included radio spots on the Bay Area’s Alice radio station. Targeted advertising was mailed to CBCRP and University of California contacts. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger further boosted California’s awareness of the opportunity to make donations through the tax check-off by issuing an official proclamation declaring March as Check-off California Month.

The CBCRP’s special Web site dedicated to the income tax check-off, www.endbreastcancer.org, informed stakeholders about fundraising progress. It also summarized progress researchers achieved with the grants funded via contributions made on state income tax returns. The CBCRP gained exposure in a variety of media over 2008, including: