Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers Foundation

Impact Statement

Since its founding in 1999, the RMCCF has provided over $2,000,000 in non-medical financial support to more than 3,200 cancer patients. While we don’t treat or cure cancer, or fund or conduct research toward finding a cure, or even solve a cancer patient’s financial troubles, support from RMCCF helps to alleviate the financial stress that accompanies a cancer diagnosis and treatment.

So far in 2009, RMCCF has assisted an average of 52 cancer patients per month. The average annual income of cancer patients applying to RMCCF for assistance is just over $14,000; however, many applicants report having no income at the time the application is submitted for review.

Through their financial assistance application, cancer patients seeking support from RMCCF, identify their most pressing non-medical needs. Here is a breakdown of the assistance provided so far this year:
Housing= 67 percent
Heat= 10 percent
Food= 6 percent
Transportation= 9 percent
Other Utilities= 5 percent
Medical Insurance/Other Expenses= 3 percent

It is estimated that more than 5,000 low-income Colorado adults will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Resources for non-medical financial support for cancer patients are few and far between. At RMCCF, we understand there are many cancer patients in Colorado that would benefit from our assistance; we strive to help more patients each year.

Needs Statement

The RMCC Foundation has one program, the Financial Assistance program. Through this program, cancer patients may apply for and receive financial support for their basic living needs.

Our needs are simple. The RMCC Foundation’s #1 priority is increasing funds to our Financial Assistance program so that we may increase the amount of assistance we provide to qualified cancer patients and increase the number of cancer patients we can serve.

The RMCC Foundation is operated by a volunteer board of directors and one employee. Because we are a small organization, all of our board members contribute to the Foundation with their hours and their dollars. We are looking to fill a few specific needs on our board of directors including people with community connections, those who can help with fundraising, and those with expertise in marketing, branding, and public relations.

Finally, as the Foundation grows, our need for volunteers to serve on our Financial Assistance, Fundraising, and Outreach Committees will increase.

Background Statement

In 1999, a group of doctors and other caring individuals associated with the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers discovered that doctors were often using personal funds to help patients meet their financial needs. They decided to create a foundation that would have the mission of providing financial assistance for basic living necessities such as housing, food, and utilities. The Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers Foundation was formed and began providing financial assistance in 2000.

The RMCC Foundation is a Colorado-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Assistance is provided to any adult cancer patient receiving treatment in Colorado that meets the Foundation’s treatment and income guidelines. People served by the Foundation are 18 years old and older.

All RMCCF programs and activities are accomplished through the efforts of dedicated volunteers and one staff member. The Board of Directors is made up of volunteers, several of whom are cancer survivors and all have been affected by cancer in some way. Eighty six percent of the Foundation’s revenue is used for direct client support through the Financial Assistance program.

Financial Assistance Program
Through the Financial Assistance program, the RMCC Foundation strives to improve the quality of life for cancer patients by providing support and care with dignity. Support from the RMCC Foundation provides a designated amount of money for daily living expenses such as housing, utilities, food, transportation, and other immediate needs not covered by insurance.

Working with a social worker, patient navigator, or health care professional, cancer patients complete a financial statement of need for submission to the RMCC Foundation. To qualify, a patient must be receiving a cancer-fighting treatment in Colorado and have a total household income at or below 60 percent of the Colorado median income adjusted for the number of family members in the household. The Financial Assistance Committee reviews each application and submits the request to the Board of Directors for approval. Upon approval, checks are made payable to the provider or vendor as designated by the applicant.

The Foundation has never denied an application due to lack of funds; 100 percent of qualified applicants have received assistance.

While assistance from the RMCC Foundation is for the cancer patient, people living in the applicant’s home also benefit from this assistance. In 2007, over 650 family members who live with and support the cancer patient also benefited from support provided by the RMCC Foundation.

Since it’s creation in 1999, the RMCC Foundation has assisted more than 2,500 cancer patients with over $1,500,000 in financial support for their basic living needs. Assistance is open to qualified cancer patients regardless of where treatment is received in Colorado. Since its founding, the RMCC Foundation has never denied assistance to a qualified applicant.

Executive Director Statement

The beauty of the RMCC Foundation is the simplicity of its mission: to provide temporary financial support to cancer patients undergoing treatment. We are not looking to create programs based on where there might be funding. Instead, we prefer to stay true to the original mission and work to increase the amount of support can provide to people seeking help.

The board of directors is a good mix of people who have been on the board for many years along with people who are new to the Foundation’s board of directors. This means we have new ideas and perspectives that are balanced with the historical perspective that comes from long-term board members.

Finally, the Foundation enjoys great support from a diverse and dedicated community including the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers and their employees, the Colorado Springs, Denver, and North Colorado affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, as well as the many individuals, foundations, and corporations that support the RMCC Foundation through independent fundraising efforts and grant programs. These supporters have a substantial collective impact on the organization and we are touched and honored to receive such a broad range of support from across Colorado.