AACR Foundation

The AACR Foundation sustains the critical work of the AACR by enlisting nonprofit organizations, foundations, industry partners, and cancer survivors, family, and friends in support of its mission. The vital resources generated by this philanthropic community funds a broad range of AACR programs and initiatives that accelerate progress against cancer.

AACR Runners For Research

The AACR Runners for Research program continued to expand, enlisting a record number of participants in 2023 to increase the AACR’s visibility and support lifesaving cancer research.

AACR Philadelphia Marathon. Since 2016, the AACR has been the title partner for the AACR Philadelphia Marathon. In November, the AACR fielded its largest Runners for Research team to date, with more than 800 individuals participating in the Marathon Weekend races. Thanks to the enthusiastic fundraising efforts and generous support of the Runners for Research, the marathon weekend raised a record total of more than $562,000 to support innovative cancer science.
AACR Annual Meeting 2023 5K Run/Walk. On the second day of the AACR Annual Meeting 2023 in April, AACR President Philip D. Greenberg, MD, FAACR, and AACR Chief Philanthropic Officer Mitch Stoller welcomed more than 600 participants—including Annual Meeting attendees, Orlando residents, and members of local running clubs—to this signature fundraising event. The runners raised more than $160,000 to fund future progress against cancer.

AACR Runner for Research at the AACR Philadelphia Marathon weekend

AACR Annual Meeting 2023 5K Run/Walk. On the second day of the AACR Annual Meeting 2023 in April, AACR President Philip D. Greenberg, MD, FAACR, and AACR Chief Philanthropic Officer Mitch Stoller welcomed more than 600 participants—including Annual Meeting attendees, Orlando residents, and members of local running clubs—to this signature fundraising event. The runners raised more than $160,000 to fund future progress against cancer.

TCS New York City Marathon. The AACR Runners for Research team was designated as an Official Community Charity Partner for the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon in November. Five team members were invited to run the iconic race and to share their personal stories while increasing awareness of the AACR’s mission—including Anna Smukowski and her fiancé, brain cancer survivor Aaron Roche. Anna and Aaron ran the marathon to celebrate their upcoming marriage and to support the type of groundbreaking cancer research that led to treatments for his cancer in 2008. Anna, Aaron, and the other Runners for Research team members raised more than $39,000 to fund future innovations.

AACR Runners for Research at the TCS New York City Marathon

Foundation Partnerships: Fostering Progress in Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer

The AACR is a trusted partner to philanthropic organizations looking to maximize the impact of their investments in cancer science. In 2023, The Lustgarten Foundation and Swim Across America expanded their partnership with the AACR to meet a critical need in the area of early detection and interception of pancreatic cancer. The first Lustgarten Foundation-Swim Across America-AACR Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Research Grant—a $300,000 grant funded in part by three-time Olympian Elizabeth Biesel’s historic 10.4-mile ocean swim from mainland Rhode Island to Block Island—was awarded in April.

Community Relationships

Believe in Progress Podcast. In July, the AACR Foundation expanded its community outreach with the launch of the Believe in Progress Podcast. Hosted by Chief Philanthropic Officer Mitch Stoller, the podcast features candid conversations with AACR partners, scientific leaders, survivors, and patient advocates about the importance of cancer research and its impact on people who have been touched by the disease.

Players Vs. Cancer (PvC). Under the leadership of its dedicated advisory board, PvC—the AACR Foundation’s initiative to engage the gaming community to promote livestream fundraising—expanded its reach in 2023. The initiative’s two annual fundraising campaigns, Spring to End Cancer and Play to End Cancer Disparities, raised more than $40,000 from nearly 1,000 donors—led by @Feeshie, a biology researcher and Twitch user who raised $13,000 in honor of her mother’s battle with cancer.

AACR Foundation CPO Mitch Stoller interviews AACR CEO Margaret Foti for the Believe in Progress Podcast

Party with a Purpose. In October, the Friends of the AACR Foundation dedicated the sixth edition of this elite fundraising gala to supporting pediatric cancer research. The 2023 Party With a Purpose Scientific Achievement Award was presented to John M. Maris, MD, co-head of the Pediatric Cancer Dream Team and the Giulio D’Angio Chair in Neuroblastoma Research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). As part of his award, Dr. Maris selected Timothy Spear, MD, PhD, a pediatric hematology/oncology fellow at CHOP, to receive the Early-Career Investigator research grant.
The Party With a Purpose Humanitarian Award was presented to Beverly Fassler Goldberg, past president of the Friends of the AACR Foundation, in recognition of her tireless efforts in support of cancer science.
John Kincade Scholarship Fund. Since 2019, the AACR has been the official charity of the John Kincade Show, a sports talk radio program broadcasting from the AACR’s home city of Philadelphia. Mr. Kincade, the host of the program and a two time-cancer survivor, spent the past year rallying community and corporate partners to raise funds to support cancer research and sharing his treatment journey with his audience to erase the stigma surrounding a cancer diagnosis. Through the newly established John Kincade Scholarship Fund, Mr. Kincade raised more than $34,000 in 2023 to support early-career scientists working on the next wave of breakthroughs.

Players Vs. Cancer (PvC). Under the leadership of its dedicated advisory board, PvC—the AACR Foundation’s initiative to engage the gaming community to promote livestream fundraising—expanded its reach in 2023. The initiative’s two annual fundraising campaigns, Spring to End Cancer and Play to End Cancer Disparities, raised more than $40,000 from nearly 1,000 donors—led by @Feeshie, a biology researcher and Twitch user who raised $13,000 in honor of her mother’s battle with cancer.

Party with a Purpose. In October, the Friends of the AACR Foundation dedicated the sixth edition of this elite fundraising gala to supporting pediatric cancer research. The 2023 Party With a Purpose Scientific Achievement Award was presented to John M. Maris, MD, co-head of the Pediatric Cancer Dream Team and the Giulio D’Angio Chair in Neuroblastoma Research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). As part of his award, Dr. Maris selected Timothy Spear, MD, PhD, a pediatric hematology/oncology fellow at CHOP, to receive the Early-Career Investigator research grant.
The Party With a Purpose Humanitarian Award was presented to Beverly Fassler Goldberg, past president of the Friends of the AACR Foundation, in recognition of her tireless efforts in support of cancer science.

John M. Maris, MD, Beverly Fassler Goldberg, Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), and Timothy Spear, MD, PhD, at the Party with a Purpose fundraising gala

John Kincade Scholarship Fund. Since 2019, the AACR has been the official charity of the John Kincade Show, a sports talk radio program broadcasting from the AACR’s home city of Philadelphia. Mr. Kincade, the host of the program and a two time-cancer survivor, spent the past year rallying community and corporate partners to raise funds to support cancer research and sharing his treatment journey with his audience to erase the stigma surrounding a cancer diagnosis. Through the newly established John Kincade Scholarship Fund, Mr. Kincade raised more than $34,000 in 2023 to support early-career scientists working on the next wave of breakthroughs.

DIY Fundraising: Turning Passion Into Progress

Everyone has been touched by cancer in some way, either directly or through a loved one. Do-it-yourself (DIY) fundraisers turn negative experiences into positive action by raising funds to support cancer research and bring hope to others.

Honoring a Father’s Legacy. When Michael Ross, MD, a Philadelphia-area sports medicine physician, was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014, he and his wife, pediatrician Wendy Ross, MD, started Team Semi-Colon to run an 8K race and raise money to support cancer research. The AACR helped the family find a clinical trial for an experimental therapy that extended Michael’s life and gave him more time with his sons. After Michael’s death in 2019, Wendy re-formed the team to run the AACR Philadelphia Half Marathon to raise funds to support the AACR’s mission. In 2023, Michael and Wendy’s son, Jacob, used his high school variety show performance to raise awareness about the AACR’s work and to raise more than $8,000 to support lifesaving cancer research.

R.J. Hogga Foundation: A Fundraising Milestone. Community leader Robert J. Hogga Sr. died from pancreatic cancer in June 2012 at age 58, leaving behind his wife, Kathleen, and his three children, Robert Jr., Jon, and Jaclyn. Inspired to honor his father’s memory, Robert’s son Jon worked with the AACR to create the R.J. Hogga Golf Tournament, an annual event that supports the AACR’s pancreatic cancer initiatives. In 2023, the tournament marked its 10th year of supporting pancreatic cancer research.

R.J. Hogga Golf Tournament benefiting the AACR

Planned Giving

The AACR continued to enhance its reputation as a beneficiary of choice for a discerning philanthropic public, receiving several impactful gifts in 2023. Users of FreeWill, an online tool that enables families to create a will at no charge and to establish bequests to their favorite charitable organizations, committed more than $2 million to support AACR initiatives, and a U.S. Navy veteran and former schoolteacher who celebrated his 100th birthday in 2022 honored the AACR with a $350,000 bequest in 2023. In addition, the Dr. Bayard D. Clarkson Legacy Society—which acknowledges generous individuals who have made a planned gift to the AACR and is named for the Founding Chair of the AACR Foundation—expanded its ranks in 2023, welcoming several new members who committed to support the AACR’s mission for generations to come through bequests, donor advised funds, and a range of appreciated assets.

2023 AACR SUSTAINING MEMBERS

Leadership Sutaining Members ($100,000)

AstraZeneca
Bayer
Boehringer Ingelheim
Bristol Myers Squibb
Genentech

Loxo@Lilly
Merck
Pfizer
Takeda

Strategic Sustaining Members ($70,000)

Amgen
Eisai
GSK
Incyte

Gilead/Kite
Novocure
Sanofi
Pharmacyclics

Major Sutaining Members ($40,000)

Astex
Daiichi-Sanyko
Exelixis
Pezcoller Foundation
Foundation Medicine

Genmab
Janssen
Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Novartis
Regeneron

Associate Sustaining Members ($15,000)

Karyopharm
Mirati Therapeutics
Qiagen

Servier
Verastem
Zai Lab

Acknowledgement of Donor Support

Donor support helps the AACR fund critical research that leads to groundbreaking discoveries, innovations, and treatments. The AACR is grateful for the exceptional commitment and generosity of its supporters, who drive progress to save, extend, and enhance the lives of patients with cancer.