Funder Profile: Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Funder Profile: Susan G. Komen for the Cureby Heather Gilbert, BCS Chairman of the Board 
In each issue of Solutions we plan to spotlight a sponsor or donor, partly to let you know what helps make BCS tick, and partly as our way of saying "Thank you so much!" to those who make our work possible. How could we start off with anyone but Susan G. Komen for the Cure? Susan G. Komen for the Cure is an international organization whose vision is "A world without breast cancer," and whose promise is "To save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures." We are proud to be a community grant recipient of not one, but three Komen affiliates blanketing much of southern California. But let's go back to the beginning, so you can see how important the growth of Susan G. Komen for the Cure in our area, and of BCS' relationship with these three wonderful affiliates, has been to the growth of our program in our first 10 years. Breast Cancer Survivors was founded in 1998, and from the very beginning, we have submitted grant proposals to at least one Komen Affiliate. While we were not successful in our first attempt for the 1999 grant year, we have had a grant from at least one affiliate ever since 2000. In fact, we have received Komen funding from the Orange County Affiliate continuously since 2000, from the San Diego Affiliate continuously since 2001, and from the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) in 2002 and then continuously since 2006. Growth in funding from these Komen Affiliates has fueled Breast Cancer Survivors' growth from helping 2 clients in 1998 to 110 in 2007 (and we have already exceeded that number in 2008!). Through 2008, Susan G. Komen for the Cure affiliates will have provided more than $1.6 million in grant support to sustain BCS' programs in their service areas over our 10-year history. We are forever grateful to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for their financial support and their confidence in our program! Learn more about BCS' sponsors here... |
