BC Cancer Foundation

About BC Cancer Foundation:

Founded in 1967, BC Cancer Foundation is the main fundraising partner of the BC Cancer Agency. Through its funding, BC Cancer Foundation supports cancer research, education, and treatment. It aims to facilitate the entire process - from discovery of new cures to treatment using those very cures. In addition to ongoing research, BC Cancer Agency provides extensive cancer care including detection, diagnosis, and support programs.

BC Cancer Foundation reports that it is the largest funder of cancer research in British Columbia. In F2017, BC Cancer Foundation distributed $28.3m in grants to BC Cancer Agency to fund multiple projects. Grants were allocated to research and education (71% of total grants), equipment (25%), and enhancements to patient care.

In F2017, the Foundation funded 396 research projects, including 47 projects involving more than 50 types of cancer through its Ride to Conquer Cancer fundraising event. The Onco-Genetics program, which was launched in F2016, had 300 patients in F2017. Research in breast cancer developed 2 new breast cancer drugs, which the foundation says might show promise for other cancers beyond breast cancer, including prostate and ovarian cancer. Research in lung cancer has developed a risk prediction model that can accurately screen patients with a 95% rate of accuracy.

BC Cancer Foundation funded new equipment at BC Cancer’s Vancouver Centre in F2017. The new VERO radiation machine allows delivery of radiation to tumours that cannot be targeted through traditional radiation therapy. Patients with hard-to-treat cancers (lung, liver, pancreas, kidney, and brain) are given new hope as this therapy can focus radiation on a tumour while sparing surrounding healthy tissues and organs.

Financial Review:

BC Cancer Foundation is a Major-100 charity with $45.1m in donations and special events fundraising in F2017. Administrative costs were 6% of revenues and fundraising costs were 28% of donations. For every $1 donated, 66 cents went to the cause. This falls within Charity Intelligence’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

Funding reserves of $100.6m include $54.5m in endowed funds. BC Cancer Foundation does not specify how much of these are endowed by donors. Including all endowed funds, the Foundation can cover annual grants to BC Cancer Agency 3.6 times.

BC Cancer Foundation reports using external fundraisers on its T3010 filing with the CRA. In F2016, the most recent year filed, BC Cancer Foundation paid $1.2m to external fundraisers and received $1.7m in donations. As a result, the external fundraising had a 71% fundraising cost. F2016 is the first year since Charity Intelligence began analyzing BC Cancer Foundation that positive returns were collected from external fundraisers. In F2015, external fundraising costs were 103% of revenues, while in F2014, for every $1 paid to the fundraisers, the charity received only $0.35.

Fundraising revenues per full-time staff member were $642k in F2016. With an average full-time salary of $92k, each $1 paid in compensation brought in $7 of fundraising revenues.

This charity report is an update that is currently being reviewed by BC Cancer Foundation. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on July 10, 2017 by Juliana Badovinac.