About
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it describes itself as the leading cancer-fighting organization and the only organization working to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.
Mission
To improve the lives of cancer patients and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.
What they do
- Road to Recovery, providing free rides to cancer treatment
- Hope Lodge, offering free lodging for patients during treatment away from home
- A 24/7 cancer helpline (1-800-227-2345) and the ACS CARES program
- Free smoking cessation support, online survivor communities, and breast cancer support services
- Cancer research grant funding, plus large population studies including Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) and the VOICES of Black Women Study
- Publication of cancer screening guidelines and cancer facts and statistics
History
The organization was founded in 1913 in New York City by 10 doctors and 5 laypeople as the American Society for the Control of Cancer (ASCC), and was reorganized as the American Cancer Society in 1945. Its research program was established in 1946 with 1 million dollars in funding; ACS-funded researcher Sidney Farber, MD, produced early leukemia remissions in children. The Society was instrumental in the 1960s Surgeon General's report linking smoking and cancer, and its advocacy contributed to passage of the National Cancer Act in 1971.
Scale and impact
According to the Society, it has invested more than 5 billion dollars in research since 1946, and 53 of its funded researchers have gone on to win the Nobel Prize. It cites a 33 percent drop in the US cancer death rate between 1991 and 2023, representing 3.8 million fewer cancer deaths.
Financials
Per its IRS filings summarized by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (EIN 13-1788491, American Cancer Society Inc., Atlanta, GA), for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024 the Society reported total revenue of approximately 724.2 million dollars, total expenses of approximately 791.9 million dollars, and net assets of approximately 1.3 billion dollars.
Governance
Shane Jacobson serves as the organization's chief executive officer, as featured on its About Us page.