by Melinda Kotzian, Chief Executive Officer, Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation
Over the last 24 hours, news broke that some cancer charities raised funds and did not use the money responsibly. The Meso Foundation has always prided itself on transparency when it comes to financials. We voluntarily subject our organization to an audit every year and then submit our financials to be reviewed by Charity Navigator (they rate us as a 4-star (out of 4) charity and give us a transparency score of 100 (out of 100)) and the Better Business Bureau. At curemeso.org/about, you can view our latest 990, financial statements, and annual report.
To make sure that other charities are financially responsible, you can do the following:
- Look for financial statements and annual reports on the organization’s website
- Check www.charitynavigator.org or www.bbb.org to see how the organization is rated
- Call the organization and ask how much of their money is going toward programs
A reputable nonprofit organization will have a level of financial transparency. At the Meso Foundation, individuals contribute 65% of the money coming in to the organization, while law firms and pharmaceutical companies contribute the remaining 35%. Of these contributions, 86% goes directly into our programs, including patient and family support, research, education, advocacy, and prevention. Additionally, 9% goes towards fundraising and 5% goes towards management.
With $0.86 per dollar going into programs, the Meso Foundation is able to help over 600 patients, caregivers, and bereaved per month and has funded $9 million in mesothelioma research. Additionally, with the help of our advocacy programs, $9.3 million in government funding has been contributed to mesothelioma research.
To learn more about the Meso Foundation, what we do, and how we rely on donations, visit curemeso.org/about.
