The DONNA Foundation Reports 41% Increase in Patients and Families Served During 2020-2021 Fiscal Year

Nov. 29, 2021 — JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In advance of Giving Tuesday, The DONNA Foundation today released its Annual Impact Report, documenting the Foundation’s work and impact during the 2020-2021 fiscal year (July 2020 through June 2021).

The report reflects a pandemic-fueled growth in requests for assistance received by the Foundation. During the 2020-2021 fiscal year, The DONNA CareLine served 1,521 patients and their families — a 41% increase over the prior year. More than half of the patients and families served by the CareLine reported an annual income of less than $24,000 per year.

These metrics demonstrate the link between the financial challenges of living with breast cancer and the economic impact of the pandemic. The increase in demand coincided with a decrease in revenue and in-person programming, as in-person survivorship, education and awareness programming were reduced or transitioned to virtual formats to ensure the health and safety of participants.

“The 2020-2021 fiscal year was a time when we were everywhere, together,” said Amanda Napolitano, Executive Director of The DONNA Foundation. “This report is a mere snapshot of a year that saw an incredible increase in demand, yet we were able to continue our services without disruption. We had to think on our feet and find creative ways to celebrate survivorship from our own neighborhoods and around the world. I’m incredibly proud of this organization and the way the way our staff, volunteers, runners and donors chose love over fear throughout a challenging year.”

Additional highlights from the Annual Impact Report include:

• Top issues resolved: Requests for assistance with utility bills were the most frequently resolved issues, with 328 cases; rental payment relief followed with 303 cases. Additional issues that received 100 or more case requests included mortgage payment relief (104 cases), transportation assistance (101 cases) and food assistance (100 cases). In total, The DONNA Foundation resolved more than 2,000 issues.
  
• Celebrating survivorship “Everywhere, Together”: The DONNA Foundation’s signature race series and educational events transitioned to a virtual format, bringing together 4,234 people across virtual finish lines and online programs. Together, these programs engaged people from 632 cities, all 50 states and nine countries.
  
• Revenue impacts: Like many organizations, The DONNA Foundation experienced a significant financial impact as a result of the pandemic. In the 2020-2021 fiscal year, the organization’s revenue fell by 31% and program expenses were reduced by more than $750,000, due in large part to the elimination of in-person Survivorship, Education and Awareness programming.
  
• Fundraising and services: Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the Foundation successfully provided more than $418,844.93 in financial services to breast cancer patients and families, including $59,000 in direct financial aid; granted $25,000 to the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Translational Genomics Research Program in support of genomics and immune studies; engaged more than 40 corporate partners and 120 fundraisers; and secured $436,572 through peer-to-peer fundraising.

The full report is available for review at thedonnafoundation.org/impact-financials/. To support the Foundation’s continued work, visit thedonnafoundation.org/support.

About The DONNA Foundation:
The DONNA Foundation was established in June of 2003 by three-time breast cancer survivor and award-winning journalist Donna Deegan to meet the critical financial needs of the underserved living with breast cancer. Our mission is to provide financial assistance and support to individuals living with breast cancer and fund groundbreaking breast cancer research. To date, the DONNA Foundation has served more than 15,600 families, securing more than $418,000 in financial services and debt relief in the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The organization has also disbursed $3.3 million in support of translational genomics and immune studies. The organization also operates in-person and virtual events and programs for survivorship, education and awareness. For more information, visit www.TheDONNAFoundation.org.