Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Dallas 8

Susan G. Komen Mission: Save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.

Susan G. Komen's Vision: A world without breast cancer.

Susan G. Komen® is the world’s leading nonprofit breast cancer organization, working to save lives and end breast cancer forever. Komen has an unmatched, comprehensive 360-degree approach to fighting this disease across all fronts and supporting millions of people in the U.S. and in countries worldwide. We advocate for patients, drive research breakthroughs, improve access to high-quality care, offer direct patient support and empower people with trustworthy information.

Forty-two years ago, a sisterly promise ignited a spark that would fuel a global crusade against breast cancer. Today, that promise continues to prevail as the driving force behind Susan G. Komen’s unwavering quest for a future free from the grip of this deadly disease.

Founded by Nancy G. Brinker, who in 1980 promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything in her power to end the disease that claimed Suzy’s life. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was formed in 1982. In Orange County, California, then an affiliate organization was established in 1991 in recognition of the vital need to build local awareness of and provide services to women affected by breast cancer.

Today, as one organization, Komen remains at the forefront of ensuring that life-saving breast health initiatives are accessible to all people in the community, regardless of their age or background. Each year, we help all people, including those with little or no health insurance, to receive breast health education, access and navigation to screening and treatment, financial assistance and support in Orange County and in all local communities and around the country.

Susan G. Komen is the only organization that addresses breast cancer on multiple fronts including research, community health, global outreach and public policy initiatives – while providing help to those facing the disease - in order to make the biggest impact against this disease.

Our vision is to end breast cancer forever through knowledge, intervention, treatment, and support. Through our programming, Komen is advancing the belief that all women - regardless of their backgrounds and circumstances - deserve equal access to breast health information, resources, and treatment so they can lead healthy and successful lives.

Komen remains committed to supporting people affected today by breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer, while tirelessly searching for tomorrow’s cures.

Visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.
In Orange County, California, connect with us on https://www.komen.org/community/california/orange-county/
Connect with us on social at komen.org/social
To learn how to be a Komen Advocate visit komen.org/how-to-help/advocacy

For over four decades, Susan G. Komen® has stood at the forefront of change, demanding that individuals be able to talk openly about breast cancer and not be shunned to the shadows, mobilizing communities across the world and completely revolutionizing the way people support a cause. With your help, we’ve been able to accelerate advances and fund research.

ENDING BREAST CANCER NEEDS ALL OF US
Komen is the world’s only breast cancer organization taking a comprehensive, 360-degree approach, fighting for breast cancer patients on all fronts and supporting millions of people in the U.S. and worldwide.

WE’VE MADE SO MUCH PROGRESS
• Through early detection and effective treatments, we’ve helped reduce the breast cancer mortality rate in the U.S. by 42% since 1989.
• We’ve invested nearly $1.1 billion in research, leading to new ways to prevent, detect, diagnose and treat breast cancer. 2.5 MILLION
• We’ve invested nearly $2.5 billion in advocacy and patient support services, including ensuring patients have access to a patient navigator who supports them every step of the way; helping them understand the disease and get access to services, resources and financial support.
• Komen is the only dedicated breast cancer organization serving as a nonpartisan voice for more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. on Capitol Hill and in all 50 states, empowering people and policymakers with knowledge, connecting advocates together and mobilizing everyone to act for lasting change.

BUT OUR WORK IS NOT DONE
• Worldwide, breast cancer was still the most common cancer in women and the leading cause of cancer death among women in 2022 (most recent data available).
• Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the U.S. and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the U.S.
• Black women in the U.S. are about 40% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women and have a lower five-year relative breast cancer survival rate compared to white women.
• Hispanic and Latina women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a later stage than white women.
• About every two minutes, somewhere in the U.S., a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.
• It’s estimated that more than 168,000 people in the U.S. are living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), which is the most advanced stage of breast cancer.
• Nearly 43,000 people in the U.S. are expected to die from breast cancer this year alone.

ENDING BREAST CANCER NEEDS STRATEGY
Our Strategic Imperatives:
Komen’s work is driven by two strategic imperatives that will help us achieve our mission:
• Conquer aggressive and deadly breast cancers to help people live longer, better lives.
• Ensure all people get the care they need and achieve health equity.

IMPACT OF SUSAN G. KOMEN
• Provided more than 52,000 direct patient support services through the Patient Care Center, an 18% increase year over year.
• Educated more than 2.5 million people on breast health and breast cancer through community-based educational programs, workforce training courses and information from Komen.org.
• Launched ShareForCures®, a breast cancer research registry that will help us find the cures for breast cancer, faster.
• Invested $10 million in 32 research grants supporting cutting-edge projects focused on conquering metastatic and aggressive breast cancers, advancing precision medicine and eliminating breast cancer disparities.
• Introduced legislation in 29 states, with the support of nearly 120,000 grassroot advocates, that would provide key patient protections and remove barriers to needed care.

ENDING BREAST CANCER NEEDS HEALTH EQUITY
At Komen, health equity means every person should have an equal opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Health equity is at the core of our mission. Our health equity strategy is designed to work with the communities we serve, using data-driven approaches to craft a plan, measure impact and foster partnerships to create lasting, systemic change. This population health approach equips Komen with a holistic view of the inequities and disparities in breast cancer outcomes and allows for tailored approaches to meet the specific needs of each population.

Despite our ongoing progress, we know people are still struggling, problems are not yet solved and our work is not yet done. To realize our vision of a world without breast cancer, we have made achieving health equity a strategic priority of our work.

At Susan G. Komen, WE STAND FIRM IN OUR PROMISE TO NEVER GIVE UP ON OUR VISION OF CREATING A WORLD WITHOUT BREAST CANCER.

Susan G. Komen works to helps people to receive quality access to breast health care. It is through community support via donations, volunteer hours, and participation in our events like the Susan G. Komen Orange County MORE THAN PINK Walk (formerly the Race for the Cure®) and The Pink Tie Ball, including corporate and individual donations, family foundations, and estate and planned gifts that we are able to continue our mission-focused work.

All contributions fund Komen's Mission Initiatives work to address breast cancer disparities right here in Orange County, California and beyond to advance health equity for all. In Orange County, our FY25 goal of $1,206,500 to fund Komen programs and services including:
- Breast Cancer Helpline
- Financial Assistance Program
- Patient Navigation
- Emotional Support
- Public Policy & Advocacy
- Breast Cancer Research
For information on how to volunteer, get involved, donate, sponsor and learn more about breast health visit our website or call our OC team members.
Our work is not done. We will never give up.

The services of Susan G. Komen are accessible to all people in the Orange County community, California, and throughout the United States, regardless of their age or background.

Statement from Paula Schneider, President & CEO, Susan G. Komen

When Susan G. Komen was founded in 1982, women were experiencing breast cancer privately and silently. If you can believe it, people rarely uttered the word “breast,” detection made solely by feeling for lumps, and almost everyone diagnosed underwent a mastectomy.

Today, thanks to our supporters, Komen is at the forefront of driving research and programs that have never existed before, and we’ve played a large role in transforming the breast cancer experience for the better. In fact, our efforts have helped reduce the breast cancer mortality rate by 43% since 1989. But we still have a lot of work to do to create a world without breast cancer.

Komen is the world’s only breast cancer organization taking a comprehensive, 360-degree approach to fighting breast cancer across all fronts, supporting millions of people in the U.S. and worldwide through research, care, policy work and unifying communities to make the greatest collective impact.

While we’re well-recognized for our pink-powered races and walks nationwide, Komen also serves thousands of people through our Patient Care Center, providing individualized care to help ensure the best possible outcomes for every person in need during their breast cancer journey.

Not only are we in desperate need of a cure for breast cancer, but people should also feel empowered to make the right decisions for their own care, with the right information and support system. For many people, Komen is that support system — we make sure no one ever has to face breast cancer alone.

Statement from Ed Dandridge, Chair of Susan G. Komen’s Board of Directors

I joined Susan G. Komen’s Board of Directors to support the mission of ending breast cancer in our lifetime. After attempting to research my family’s generational health and related genetic issues, I fully understood the importance of leading from the front on a fundamental health issue that touches virtually every family. With proper access to health services, breast cancer is a disease that can be screened for, detected and many times, successfully treated. But for all the advances we’ve made, countless people are still dying simply because they did not have access to the care or information they needed. Awareness of the right resources and information alone could help prevent these deaths, and that is a crucial year-round need Komen works to fill in communities across the country.

Whether I’m recruiting new board members, speaking to our world-class team or enlisting donors, I point out that ending breast cancer in our lifetime is an investible proposition that could generate a limitless return. Here’s why: You can’t have a peaceful society without a stable and growing economy. You can’t have sustained economic growth without a fully deployed labor market. You can’t have a thriving labor market unless all communities are included. You can’t have prosperous communities without engaged families. You can’t have productive families without healthy women, who often serve as the family chief household procurement officer, the family chief financial officer and the family chief executive. While steady progress has been made, it has not benefitted all communities—another challenge Komen is addressing daily, especially through its innovative program Stand for H.E.R. - A Health Equity Revolution. Leaving a legacy doesn’t always require dramatic action. It can start with a donation of any size, a conversation that might save a life, or the awareness that support systems like Komen exist. Health is wealth, for all of us.