To eliminate cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service.
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.
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.
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.
$23.1M
$1.7B
$136.8M
$166.6M
Most grants fall between $10K and $60K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$60K
About 3% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Grantmaking is national, and all recent grants shown go to US recipients. The highest concentration by state is New York, while Georgia accounts for 3% of grants. In the recent list, Washington, DC appears repeatedly through program support to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and New York City appears through Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai and Columbia University. Other frequent recipient locations include Boston, New Haven, St Louis, and Philadelphia, indicating a strong mix of major academic medical centers and policy-focused grantees.
The foundation funds cancer research, prevention and risk-factor work, screening and early detection, patient support services, and community fundraising programs. Its active grant programs include investigator research, clinician-scientist development, post-baccalaureate training, institutional seed grants, and translational research support.
The grant-size distribution centers at $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $60,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes much larger awards for program support and research, showing a wide spread across grant types.
The recipient country distribution shown is entirely US-based: 2,059 grants, or 100.0%, go to US recipients. The active grant programs listed are also scoped to the United States.
Yes. The active programs include multiple unsolicited opportunities, such as American Cancer Society — Research Grants, Clinician Scientist Development Grant, Discovery Boost Grants, Research Scholar Grants, Institutional Research Grants, and Mission Boost Grants.
The recent grants list is dominated by academic medical centers, universities, and research institutions such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Yale University, Washington University, Columbia University, and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, alongside program support to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in Washington, DC.
DR KAREN E KNUDSEN PHD
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network | Washington, DC | $9,602,782 | 2026 | Program Support |
| U Of Tx Md Anderson Cancer Ctr | Houston, TX | $850,955 | 2026 | Support/Research |
| Patient Advocate Foundation | Hampton, VA | $351,250 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Coriell Institute for Medical Research | Camden, NJ | $300,000 | 2026 | Extramural Research Grant |
| Texas Oncology Foundation Inc | Dallas, TX | $212,500 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| American College Of Surgeons | Chicago, IL | $201,000 | 2026 | Research |
| University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center | Oklahoma City, OK | $157,500 | 2026 | Support/Research |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation | Baton Rouge, LA | $150,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| The Milken Institute | Santa Monica, CA | $125,000 | 2026 | Research |
| The Ohio State University | Columbus, OH | $125,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinics Inc | Gainesville, FL | $120,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Virginia Tech Foundation Inc | Blacksburg, VA | $113,694 | 2026 | Extramural Research Grant |
| University Of Miami | Coral Gables, FL | $110,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| IMD Guest House Foundation | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Memorial Foundation Inc | Hollywood, FL | $100,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Memorial Hermann Foundation | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Northside Hospital Inc | Atlanta, GA | $100,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| St Joseph Health Northern California LLC dba Providence St Joseph Hospital | Renton, WA | $90,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Duke University Health System Inc | Durham, NC | $90,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Allegheny Health Network | Pittsburgh, PA | $90,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Mayo Foundation for Medical Education & Research | Rochester, MN | $85,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Penn State Health | Hershey, PA | $85,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| National Association of Community Health Centers Inc | Bethesda, MD | $80,084 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Sanford USD Medical Center | Sioux Falls, SD | $80,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital | Lebanon, NH | $75,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Thomas Jefferson University | Philadelphia, PA | $75,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Medical University Of South Carolina | Charleston, SC | $75,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Spectrum Health Foundation | Grand Rapids, MI | $75,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Sloan - Kettering Institute For | New York, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | Research |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | $75,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Mercy Health Foundation St Louis | Saint Louis, MO | $75,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Trustees of the University of Penn | Philadelphia, PA | $72,500 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Cleveland Clinic | Cleveland, OH | $70,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Renown Health Foundation | Reno, NV | $70,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Rutgers The State University | New Brunswick, NJ | $68,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Virginia Commonwealth Univ | Richmond, VA | $65,000 | 2026 | Support/Research |
| Bob Perks Cancer Assistance | State College, PA | $64,985 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Vital Access Care Foundation | Fountain Valley, CA | $60,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $60,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Parkland Foundation | Dallas, TX | $60,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| OSF Healthcare System | Peoria, IL | $53,500 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| University of Colorado Cancer Center | Aurora, CO | $53,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Essentia Health Foundation | Duluth, MN | $50,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Food Outreach | Saint Louis, MO | $50,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| God's Love We Deliver Inc | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Atrium Health Foundation | Charlotte, NC | $50,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Ceres Community Project | Sebastopol, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Sibley Memorial Hospital Foundation | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| Baptist Health South Florida Foundation Inc | Atlanta, GA | $50,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
| The Heimerdinger Foundation | Nashville, TN | $50,000 | 2026 | Patient Support |
U Of Tx Md Anderson Cancer Ctr
$850,955Support/Research
American College Of Surgeons
$201,000Research
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
$157,500Support/Research
The Ohio State University
$125,000Patient Support
IMD Guest House Foundation
$100,000Patient Support
Patient Support
Allegheny Health Network
$90,000Patient Support
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education & Research
$85,000Patient Support
Sanford USD Medical Center
$80,000Patient Support
Medical University Of South Carolina
$75,000Patient Support
Sloan - Kettering Institute For
$75,000Research
University of Alabama at Birmingham
$75,000Patient Support
Rutgers The State University
$68,000Patient Support
Virginia Commonwealth Univ
$65,000Support/Research
Bob Perks Cancer Assistance
$64,985Patient Support
Vital Access Care Foundation
$60,000Patient Support
University of Colorado Cancer Center
$53,000Patient Support
The Heimerdinger Foundation
$50,000Patient Support
Current and upcoming funding from American Cancer Society that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Members of the ACS research ecosystem, including grantees and intramural scientists, who are independent investigators at any career stage.
Deadline: June 2, 2025.
Who can apply: Independent investigators at eligible institutions listed in the RFA.
Deadline: June 24, 2026.
Who can apply: Independent investigators at any career stage.
Deadline: Rolling submissions; a 60-day deadline is established in ProposalCentral after application creation.
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
