Alberta Cancer Foundation

About Alberta Cancer Foundation:

Founded in 1985, Alberta Cancer Foundation (ACF) is the main fundraising organization for Alberta’s 17 cancer centres. The charity’s mission is to make Alberta the leader in cancer research, care, and prevention. ACF aims to improve cancer treatment effectiveness, improve the quality of life for cancer patients and their families, diagnose cancer earlier, and reduce the risk of developing cancer. Alberta Cancer Foundation reports that one in two Albertans will develop cancer in their lifetime, and one in four Albertans will die from cancer. 

Research is ACF’s largest program, making up 73% of program costs. Major projects funded by Alberta Cancer Foundation are $10m in clinical trials, $5.4 million in immunotherapy, and $2.9 million in colorectal cancer. ACF also funded $5.3m over five years in Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, which uses 55,000 biological samples to understand the root causes of developing cancer.

Alberta Cancer Foundation spends 27% of program costs on enhanced care to provide mental, physical, and financial support to cancer patients. ACF spent $6.8m on its Patient Navigator Program at the 15 regional and community cancer centres in Alberta. Navigators are registered nurses that guide cancer patients through the health system and provide physical, practical, and emotional support. The program was accessed approximately 19,061 times in F2017. ACF has a navigator program focused on adolescent and young adult (AYA). ACF spends $1.2m yearly on its Patient Financial Assistance Program. The program supports cancer patients undergoing active treatment by providing financial support covering costs including childcare, food, housing, and transportation. This program was accessed 5,395 times in 2016.

The remaining 0.4% of program costs go toward prevention and screening. ACF invests in a pilot lung cancer screening project that aims to screen 800 high-risk patients over three years in Calgary, Edmonton, and Fort McMurray. The project is the foundation in developing Alberta’s provincial screening program. So far, the project confirmed eight lung cancer diagnoses, all detected at an early stage.

The under-funded cancers that kill the most Canadians are lung, colorectal, and pancreatic. ACF is spending $2.5m over five years on its lung cancer screening project explained above, $2.9m on colorectal cancer but was not clear about the number, and does not mention its spending on pancreatic cancer.

Results and Impact: Alberta Cancer Foundation reports that in F2017 its investment in clinical trials saved the healthcare system $17.9m, over double that of F2016. ACF spent $150k on the AYA Navigator Program and the program is estimated to save the healthcare system at least $1m annually.

Financial Review:

Alberta Cancer Foundation is one of Canada’s Major 100 charities with F2017 donations and special events revenue of $22.8m. Administrative costs are 19% of revenues and fundraising costs are 43% of donations.  The overhead spending percentage increased by 8% from F2016. The overhead costs are over double the Canadian average.  For every dollar donated, 41 cents goes to the cause, falling outside of Ci’s reasonable range for overhead costs.

ACF has funding reserves of $159.5m, including $43.8m in donor-endowed funds. Excluding donor-endowed funds, funding reserves can cover program costs for 8.8 years. ACF reports commitments to fund clinical trials and research of $1.5m. This does not show a need for funding. From F2016 to F2017, the charity’s return on its funding reserves fell from 7% to 5%.

ACF used external fundraisers in F2017. The charity paid $1.2m to raise $900k from the external fundraiser for a cost of $1.35 per dollar raised.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Alberta Cancer Foundation for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on May 15, 2018 by Joeyanne Cheung.