NEW DAY FOUNDATION FOR FAMILIES
Where Hope Begins for Families Fighting Cancer
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
New Day is working to solve the multi-faceted problem of cancer-related financial toxicity. The goal is to advance solutions for the most pressing problems faced by patients and caregivers. We're focused on three key components designed to both serve and solve the problem of financial toxicity: continuing to offer financial assistance to our families while also providing financial navigation services and financial education support. This strategy will improve life expectancy and help families avoid succumbing to financial strains.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Positive Impact Program
The goal of this ongoing, signature program is to sustain cancer families who have children under the age of 18 in the home as they face the many physical, emotional, and financial challenges that accompany the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. This program seeks to reduce the effects of financial toxicity in order to provide hope and stability in the midst of crisis. Grants (in the form of bill payment services) are tailored to the specific needs of the family.
Care Pack Program
This program provides basic necessities (fuel and grocery gift cards), resources (books and referrals for counseling and camps) and comfort items (stuffed animals for children, holiday gifts) as a means of welcoming a family into relationship with the hope-filled New Day Foundation. Each Care Pack is customized to meet specific needs, ease financial burdens, and bring a smile to the faces of cancer families.
Single Parent Program
This program recognizes the unique burdens of a single parent fighting cancer while raising children and seeks to alleviate financial, emotional and practical burdens in order to provide hope and stability for parent and children. This targeted program helps single parent families in a variety of areas, but often includes rent or mortgage, childcare, school supplies, clothing and Pay-to-Participate school activities, utility payments, counseling services, cleaning services, grocery and fuel gift cards.
Holiday Giving Program
Our holiday program is an extension of our desire to give hope to families and uphold our belief that no child should go without Christmas. Through our gift-gifting program we are able to share the love of Christ and soften the financial impact of the devastating effects of cancer at Christmas time. This allows families to enjoying the true meaning of the holiday season. When we provide Christmas for a family, it’s not just about giving them presents — it’s an effort to restore normalcy, happiness and hope to their lives.
Where we work
Accreditations
Gold Seal of Transparency 2019
Gold Seal of Transparency 2020
Gold Seal of Transparency 2021
Affiliations & memberships
Great Nonprofits 2018
Great Nonprofits 2019
Great Nonprofits 2020
External reviews

Videos
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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 goal is to improve treatment outcomes and save more lives. We accomplish this by providing access to immediate financial assistance (paying bills direct to creditors, no cash payments) as well as financial navigation services and educational resources to mitigate the impact of financial toxicity. Further, we intend to increase the number of families we serve by using technology and leveraging relationships with community partners who, like us, want to eliminate the financial burden of cancer.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
New Day will continue providing access to immediate financial assistance. Paying bills for families (direct to creditors) reduces financial hardships (foreclosure, bankruptcy, and financial insolvency) and means families will not have to choose between medical treatment and providing basic necessities. We will also work with families to create a financial treatment plan utilizing a technology platform to gain access to resources that will predict financial burden and recommendations for support. We also partner with companies like Uber Health to ensure that all patients have access to transportation to attend all their medical appointments. Lastly, we will provide educational resources to mitigate the impact of financial toxicity. Access to these resources will empower patients and caregivers to advocate and problem solve.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
New Day is uniquely positioned to advance solutions for Michigan families that will prevent financial toxicity from becoming a reality by educating and preparing families before they hit critical breaking points. We have trained staff, a technology platform, an affiliate partnership with a national nonprofit which provides access to critical resources and data.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
New Day focuses on meeting the immediate needs of patients and families by addressing critical financial and emotional burdens that directly impact the success of treatment. We've helped more than 550 families since 2007. Based on a 2017 survey of the families who received financial assistance from New Day, 90% reported that it was effective in reducing the financial burden caused by cancer treatment. Over 80% reported that financial assistance from New Day eased the anxiety caused by these financial burdens. Moving beyond financial assistance and into financial navigation and education, we anticipate at least doubling the number of families we help every year, armed with data and multiple resources that will preemptively minimize or eliminate the impact of financial toxicity.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Michigan families facing a cancer diagnosis. Applications are received through an oncology social worker or financial navigator at a hospital or cancer center, and meet the following criteria: - Have a household consisting of a parent and at least one dependent child under the age of 18. - Have an immediate family member in treatment for a cancer diagnosis. - Be represented by a health care professional, social worker, or financial navigator to begin the application process. - Applicant must demonstrate financial hardship and identify specific expenses for which they need assistance. Reside in the state of Michigan.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
SMS text surveys, Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Case management notes, Suggestion box/email,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, we reached out to our current and past New Day families to find out their biggest needs and concerns as a cancer patient trying to stay healthy during a pandemic. Food insecurity was at the top of the list, which inspired us to create a grocery delivery program to meet this need. When volunteers grocery shop and deliver to a family fighting cancer it minimizes a patient’s risk of exposure to viruses. This act of kindness provides protection and eliminates hunger for cancer patients and families who are highly vulnerable while in treatment — especially during a pandemic.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
Asking our New Day families their greatest needs helps us to support them where they need it most and helps relieve burdens and stress during an already extremely difficult time.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,
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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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.
NEW DAY FOUNDATION FOR FAMILIES
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Michael Spehn
Thrivent Financial
Term: 2007 -
Michael Spehn
Thrivent Financial
Steve Elmer
Tipping Point Solutions
Matthew Preuss
JMA Services
JoAnne Purtan
WOMC Radio
Caron Koteles-Riha
Real Estate One/Max Broock
Dr. Steven Meyer, PhD
Oakland University
Michael Toth
Oakland Ballistics
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? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
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Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data