About American Cancer Society
To eliminate cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service.
Focus Areas
Cancer researchPrevention & risk factors (tobacco, diet, physical activity)Screening and early detectionPatient support services (rides, lodging, helpline)Community fundraising (Relay For Life, Making Strides)
Who They Fund
external researchers/institutions (extramural investigators)patients (recipient-facing support services)research programs/teams (program-level support)
Funding Style
extramural research grantsprogram support
About American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society Inc pairs large-scale program support with a long pipeline of research and training grants. In the recent grants list, the biggest awards go to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in Washington, DC, including $38,070,794 in 2025 and $36,352,310 in 2023, showing that advocacy and public-policy work sits alongside its research funding. The foundation also backs major academic medical centers and universities through extramural research and support/research awards, including $9,837,685 to Massachusetts General Hospital in Somerville, MA and $6,670,500 to Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai in New York, NY. Its active programs point to a broad research agenda: investigator-initiated cancer studies, clinician-scientist development, post-baccalaureate training, institutional seed funding, and staged translational grants. The organization’s stated purpose is to eliminate cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering through research, education, advocacy, and service.
What American Cancer Society Funds
Cancer research is the clearest throughline. American Cancer Society Inc gave $6,719,500 to The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio for extramural research in 2023, and $5,618,158 to Yale University for extramural research in 2024. It also funds independent investigators through Research Scholar Grants and institutional seed support through Institutional Research Grants. Training is another visible area: the ACS Center for Innovation in Cancer Research Training supports two-year post-baccalaureate cancer research training programs for participants preparing for doctoral study. Translational work appears in Mission Boost Grants, which move patient-focused research toward clinical impact. Patient-facing support is part of the portfolio as well, reflected in the foundation’s stated focus on rides, lodging, and helpline services.
How American Cancer Society Gives
Typical grant size clusters at $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $60,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows both very large program awards and a broad base of research grants, with awards recurring across years to the same institutions and entities, such as Washington University, Yale University, and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. American Cancer Society Inc is classified as a regular funder and operates as a national grantmaker. Its active opportunities are described as unsolicited and application-based, including research grants, clinician-scientist development, institutional grants, and mission-oriented funding mechanisms.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$574M
Total Assets
$1.7B
Total Revenue
$724.2M
Total Expenses
$791.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $60K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$60K
Geographic Reach
National53 states funded
About 3% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
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