Cancer donations support more than laboratory research. Recent reports from the American Cancer Society, Cancer Research UK, and Susan G. Komen document funding for research, patient services, financial assistance, information, facilities, and fundraising. The figures below keep each organization’s currency, geography, and reporting period explicit so caregivers and donors can see how charitable support is described in published accounts.
Contents
- American Cancer Society finances
- How ACS restricted funds were released
- Cancer Research UK fundraising and spending
- Cancer Research UK research grants
- Susan G Komen research investment
- Patient services and financial assistance
American Cancer Society finances
The American Cancer Society’s audited financial statements report total support and revenue of $865.725 million for 2024. Within that total, contributions, gifts, and bequests were $265.093 million. These figures describe the organization’s United States financial reporting for the year and combine multiple forms of support rather than representing only individual online donations.
The same audited financial statements report $88.580 million in investment income in 2024. Donated merchandise was recorded at $27.935 million among nonfinancial contributions. The organization’s Discovery Shops sold donated merchandise worth $27.935 million during the year, connecting in-kind donations with a reported fundraising channel.
At December 31, 2024, ACS reported $91.994 million in gross pledges receivable. Its allowance for doubtful accounts on those pledges was $0.475 million, while the unamortized present value discount was $8.103 million. After those reported adjustments, net pledges receivable were $83.416 million. A pledge receivable is a reported commitment expected to be collected; it is not the same as cash already received.
ACS reported $403.210 million in total current assets at December 31, 2024. Total financial assets without donor restrictions were $579.213 million, and total financial assets available for general expenditures within one year were $454.586 million. These measures answer different questions: total current assets is a balance-sheet category, while financial assets available for general expenditures describes resources identified as available for near-term general use.
The statements also reported $846.298 million in total financial assets with donor restrictions at December 31, 2024. Total net assets with donor restrictions were likewise reported as $846.298 million. Donor restrictions can specify how or when resources may be used, so the presence of restricted assets should not be read as unrestricted cash available for any caregiver-support need.
How ACS restricted funds were released
The American Cancer Society’s 2024 audited financial statements identify several ways restricted resources were released for their designated purposes. Net assets released from donor restrictions for research totaled $81.785 million. Net assets released for patient support and other programs totaled $130.282 million. Net assets released for Hope Lodge facilities totaled $36.522 million.
These release figures describe accounting recognition when restrictions were satisfied; they are not a count of donations received during the same year. For readers interested in caregiver support, the patient-support and Hope Lodge figures are especially relevant because they show reported restricted-resource releases connected with practical programs and facilities. The figures do not identify how many caregivers were served or how much any individual household received.
Other reported ACS expenses provide context for interpreting an annual financial statement. Matching contributions to employee plans totaled $12.859 million in 2024. ACS paid $2.177 million for retiree health and life insurance benefits, and depreciation and amortization expense was $16.648 million. These are reported organizational expenses, not direct measures of the quality or reach of patient or caregiver services.
Cancer Research UK fundraising and spending
Cancer Research UK’s annual report and accounts for 2024/25 report £735 million raised and £715 million spent. The reporting period runs from April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025, and the currency is pounds sterling. Because this is a different organization, country context, currency, and reporting period from ACS’s 2024 statements, the totals should not be combined or ranked as if they were one financial system.
Cancer Research UK reported £403 million spent on new and ongoing research in 2024/25. It committed £419 million to cancer research, infrastructure, grants, and training fellowships. The report also lists £34 million committed to cancer information and influencing activity, £132 million committed to trading, and £130 million committed to generating funds.
The charity raised £530 million from regular gifts, philanthropic gifts, gifts in Wills, corporate partnerships, events, giving platforms, and social media challenges in 2024/25. It raised a further £59 million from licensing intellectual property and £135 million through shops, superstores, and online marketplaces.
One reported efficiency measure was 78 pence per £1 donated in 2024/25, compared with 76 pence per £1 donated in 2023/24. The annual report also states that the chief executive received total remuneration of £288,200 between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025. These figures describe the measures and disclosures in the Cancer Research UK annual report; they do not by themselves measure caregiver outcomes.
| Cancer Research UK measure | Reporting period | Amount or result |
|---|---|---|
| Raised | 2024/25 | £735 million |
| Spent | 2024/25 | £715 million |
| New and ongoing research spend | 2024/25 | £403 million |
| Pence per £1 donated | 2024/25 | 78p |
| Pence per £1 donated | 2023/24 | 76p |
Cancer Research UK research grants
Cancer Research UK’s grant funding research table reports institution-level grant spend for 2024/25. The Francis Crick Institute received £64,782,252 in reported grant spend, while the University of Cambridge received £63,395,102. University College London received £29,379,769, and the University of Manchester received £27,681,730.
The University of Oxford received £21,392,000 in reported grant spend. The Institute of Cancer Research, London received £18,832,698. Queen Mary, University of London received £7,541,406, while Newcastle University received £6,635,117.
The University of Edinburgh received £6,551,486, and the University of Birmingham received £5,879,822. The University of Glasgow received £5,439,654, and Imperial College London received £4,620,753. These are institution-level grant-spend figures for the stated 2024/25 period, not estimates of future research results or counts of projects.
Susan G Komen research investment
Susan G. Komen announced $10.05 million in research grants in June 2024. The announcement said the grants comprised 32 grants across 27 institutions worldwide. It also stated that 71% of the $10.05 million investment was dedicated to metastatic and aggressive breast cancer research, while 65% was focused on precision medicine.
Those percentages describe overlapping or separately categorized focus statements in the Komen announcement. They should not be added together, and the announcement does not establish that every dollar was assigned to only one of those categories. The $10.05 million total is an announced grant investment, not a measurement of all Komen fundraising or all cancer donations worldwide.
For caregivers, the focus descriptions matter because research priorities and family support are related but distinct forms of charitable activity. Research funding may address disease progression, treatment selection, or other scientific questions, while caregiver-facing assistance is measured through services and aid delivered to people. The supplied Komen reports provide separate figures for that practical support.
Patient services and financial assistance
Susan G. Komen’s 2025 impact report said that 42,895 direct patient services were provided to 35,904 people in the prior year. The same report said $7.5 million in financial assistance went to 17,087 people. The report’s wording identifies the service period as the prior year relative to the 2025 impact report; it does not provide a calendar-year label in the stated figure.
The two counts measure different things. Direct patient services are reported as service instances, while 35,904 is the number of people receiving those services. Financial assistance is reported in dollars and paired with 17,087 people. Because one person may receive more than one service, the service count should not be treated as a unique-person count.
| Susan G. Komen impact measure | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Direct patient services | 42,895 |
| People receiving direct patient services | 35,904 |
| Financial assistance | $7.5 million |
| People receiving financial assistance | 17,087 |
For caregivers assessing potential support, these figures show why donation statistics need several dimensions: amount raised, amount committed, research destination, service volume, and people reached. A financial statement can document assets, pledges, restrictions, and expenses, while an impact report can document services and assistance. Neither format alone answers every question about eligibility, local availability, waiting times, or the experience of an individual family.
The American Cancer Society’s reported $130.282 million released for patient support and other programs and $36.522 million released for Hope Lodge facilities provide accounting context for patient-facing work. Susan G. Komen’s 42,895 direct patient services and $7.5 million in financial assistance provide impact-report measures. They use different accounting and reporting frameworks, so these figures are best read as organization-specific indicators rather than combined totals.