Friends of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

The Friends of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute were founded in 1976 with a dual mission: to raise funds to support research and patient care at the Institute and to provide volunteer support and other services to ensure a welcoming healing environment. The Friends have gifted more than $33 million since our founding in 1976 to projects including: • Support for rising talents throughout the Institute - junior researchers on the verge of new discoveries • Funding for 44 oncology fellows, many of whom are now leaders in their fields • Internships to connect underrepresented minority students with leading researchers at Dana- Farber • Outreach: Mammography Van and Blood Mobile to expand services to underserved communities • Emergency patient and family support • Multi-million-dollar endowments funding prostate cancer research, AIDS research and awareness, spiritual health programs, and oncology fellowships in perpetuity • Gift shop and boutique to help patients access prostheses, wigs, and other personal care products Friends funding is unique for four reasons: 1. Every dollar we raise is allocated to a specific project or program at the Institute through a competitive grant process. 2. We support promising early-stage research, young investigators, and and patient care projects that might not otherwise receive funding. 3. Friends prioritize projects with the potential to leverage our small grants into something much larger (see story to the right) or programs that benefit multiple labs or departments. 4. Donors of $1,000 or more can designate their contributions to a specific researcher, disease, or department at Dana-Farber through a special fund in their names or in the name of a loved one. Friends also provide volunteers and patient services: We provide gift bags for patients undergoing treatment, administer the Institute’s world-class art collection, support spiritual health programs, and manage programs to brighten the holidays for patients and families.