The SAMFund
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Grants program
The Samfund is one of the only organizations in the U.S. designed to provide direct financial assistance to young adults with a cancer history, regardless of the specific diagnosis, for help with a wide range of post-treatment needs. Applicants must be between the ages of 21 and 39, residents of the United States, and either finished with planned treatment with no evidence of disease, one year following the completion of planned therapy, or on long-term hormonal or long-term targeted therapy. Since 2005, we have awarded over $1,500,000 to recipients across the country.Grants provided cover a wide range of post-treatment financial needs including (but not limited to):health insurance premiumsrent/mortgage assistancecar payments, insurance, or repairscontinuing education and student loansfamily-building expensesgym membershipsmental health expenses
Webinar series: "Moving Forward With Your Financial Health"
In early 2011, we developed a Webinar series called "Moving Forward With Your Financial Health" to address some of the most common financial challenges faced by young adult cancer survivors after treatment. Presented in partnership with financial professionals and other organizations, our webinars provide information, tools, and guidance to overcome these challenges. Accessible 24/7 on Samfund TV, the YouTube library includes topics such as rebuilding your credit after treatment, reducing medical debt, family building, tackling workplace issues and more.
Online Alumni Community
We have a private Facebook community to add an additional layer of online support for our grant recipients. This online community is a safe place where members can share experiences, strength and hope. The group has over 350 members.
Where we work
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Login and updateAwards
"Make a Difference, Taste a Difference" Award 2012
Hood Simply Smart Milk
Survivor Circle Grant 2012
ASTRO
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our main goal at this stage is to raise awareness, both of The Samfund and our work, and also of the issue of financial toxicity related to cancer. To that end, we recently published our first peer-reviewed paper in Cancer Medicine, entitled "The cost of cancer: a retrospective analysis of the financial impact of cancer on young adults" (found here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cam4.657/abstract). As we continue to grow and be recognized as a unique resource in the cancer community, it will be critical to raise additional funds to be able to appropriately scale our existing programs and develop new ones.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Over the past year, we welcomed three new staff members to our team: a Program Assistant, a Development Associate, and a Social Media Marketing Associate. Working collaboratively as well as individually, our team of five is now able to accomplish exponentially more than before, and we are finally able to dedicate time and effort to brand awareness and fundraising and development, as described above.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
In addition to having five full-time staff members, we are also fortunate to have 42 Sambassadors and Alumni Leaders (volunteers who make a year-long commitment to The Samfund and help with fundraising and outreach efforts) and 6 Advisory Council Members (professionals who share their specific expertise with our staff and Board). Together, we are developing strategies to strengthen The Samfund's presence in cities where we have had events (New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco) and increase visibility in new areas across the country.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Our Sambassadors have begun to raise awareness of The Samfund in their own communities and we are looking forward to having them all together at a retreat in April of 2016 to brainstorm new goals and strategies for the remainder of the year. We saw an increase in donations at the end of 2015, thanks in large part to having additional staff and more volunteers, but haven't yet seen an increase in donations in Q3 and Q4, which will be critical to our ability to scale up our programs and help more young adults in the coming year.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
The SAMFund
Board of directorsas of 04/29/2019
Mr. Steven Bandrowczak
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Term: 2015 -
Samantha Watson
The Samfund
Cynthia Eisenstein
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Steven Bandrowczak
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Victor Feldman
Treasury Equity, LLC & Gemshares, LLC
Morley Goldberg
Dumont & Blake Investment Advisors
Barry Seigerman
Independent Broker
Glenn Eisenstein
Independent Bridge Professional
Melissa Jacoby
First Financial Trust
Jeffrey Cooper
Reis Cooper LLP
Sharon Karsten
Treasury Equity, LLC & Gemshares, LLC
Corey Peterson
Lenox Advisors
Lex Friedman
Midroll
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes