Atlanta, GA – February 3, 2016 – The American Cancer Society (ACS) has launched a new initiative, “Fund the Next Generation of Cancer Researchers”, to raise funds for cutting-edge research and engage millennials in the fight against cancer. The campaign offers anyone interested in investing in cancer research a unique opportunity to support researchers at the earliest points in their careers by donating directly to postdoctoral research grants. Funds will be collected online through CrowdRise and monies raised will be restricted for postdoctoral cancer research with ACS’s extramural research programs.
Postdoctoral grants support the training of researchers who are generally 29-40 years old and have received a doctorate enabling them to qualify for an independent career in cancer research. Postdoctoral work includes basic, preclinical, clinical, cancer control, psychosocial, behavioral, epidemiology, health services and health policy research, and each three-year grants requires $163,500 for execution. Many such researchers whose grant applications meet ACS’s high standards go unfunded each year due to budget constraints. The campaign is an effort to support additional researchers at this level.
“Research is at the heart of what we do, as it fully supports our mission to eliminate cancer as a major health burden ,” says Bill Chambers, PhD, Senior Vice President, Extramural Research for the American Cancer Society. “As an organization, we primarily support scientists early in their careers, and we’re now empowering donors to give to this area of research in a new way. We suspect that some millennials may feel very comfortable with this form of giving and may feel a much greater affinity for supporting researchers from their ranks. Now they have a chance to give directly to their peers, with the knowledge that the work they make possible could very well lead to the next major breakthrough or treatment.”
The campaign utilizes CrowdRise, the worlds’ leading platform for online fundraising. Anyone interested in supporting postdoctoral cancer research with ACS is encouraged to visit a dedicated CrowdRise site where they can easily make donations, leave comments, and learn about ACS’ research program and how certain dollar amounts can be used.
"We’re so psyched to be working with ACS, particularly for this campaign because it resonates with everyone. It’s cool and fun and interesting and everyone will get it," said Robert Wolfe, CEO and co-founder of CrowdRise. "The idea of getting a community to rally to raise money for the next generation of cancer researchers is just awesome and exactly the kind of campaign we built CrowdRise for."
“By working with CrowdRise we’re able to connect with younger audiences, because we’re using the technologies that they use every day,” says Daniela Campari, Senior Vice President of Integrated Marketing for the American Cancer Society. “We are rethinking the standard flow of donations and information, understanding that millennials want to be part of a movement to fight cancer and share that with their social networks. It’s an exciting campaign and we’re thrilled to see where it goes.”
For more than 65 years, ACS has been investing in research that saves lives, to the tune of more than $4.3B. No single nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization in the US has invested more to find the causes of and cures for cancer. Still, funding for research is a critical need, and particularly for young investigators.
The campaign is expected to run through the end of February. Please visit www.CrowdRise.com/ACSResearch to make a donation or learn more.
About the American Cancer Society: The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society's efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. We're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the nation’s largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
About CrowdRise: CrowdRise is the world’s largest and fastest growing online platform dedicated exclusively to charitable fundraising. CrowdRise is used by millions of individuals, tens of thousands of charities, hundreds of companies and many of the most famous artists and athletes in the world to creatively leverage their resources and networks to unlock the power of the crowd and raise hundreds of millions of dollars to support positive social missions. Founded by actor Edward Norton, film producer Shauna Robertson and Robert and Jeffrey Wolfe, CrowdRise has conceived, implemented and powered campaigns that have raised over $300 million to date. For more information visit www.CrowdRise.com.