2011 Grant Requests Exceed $2.4 Million

Challenging economic times and a continued effort by local agencies to help as many women as possible have sparked the largest group of grant funding requests that Komen Indianapolis has ever received, totaling nearly $2.5 million for 2011.

“As individuals around our community have been challenged by the recession, more and more people are relying on our many grantees for critical screening, education, and treatment services,” said Dana Curish, Executive Director of Komen Indianapolis. “We are determined to do everything we can to raise funds so that we can fulfill as many of these grant requests as possible.”

31 Organizations Serving 21 Counties

Applications were received from 31 organizations serving all 21 counties supported by the local affiliate.

Grant requests range from funding clinical breast exams and screening mammograms for women who are living without health insurance, to education and outreach for the Hispanic community promoting the need for clinical breast exams and regular mammograms.

Wendy Noe, community grants coordinator for Komen Indianapolis, notes the requests for financial support are as diverse and critical as they have ever been. “We received requests for mobile mammography programs that visit food pantries and homeless shelters to survivor support programs for young women diagnosed with breast cancer, ” said Noe. “These programs reach into the community to provide direct help to Hoosiers.  They will have an immediate impact.”

Many Requests Will Go Unfunded

Many of the grant requests will go unfunded due to a lack of available funds.

“Ideally, we will raise enough funds in 2011 to support all of the requests we receive,” said Curish. “However, the reality is that we’ll need to raise at least $1.5 million more this year to make that possible.

Komen raised nearly $3,000,000 in 2009. Seventy-five percent of all funds raised stay locally to support Komen Indianapolis grants and initiatives in Central Indiana. The remaining 25% goes toward Komen’s national programs.

The grant review committee will now begin to review the submitted proposals, discuss each one and make funding decisions. This process will take approximately three months before a final slate of fundable grants is sent to Komen Indianapolis’ board of directors for final approval.

Help fund these requests

Komen Indianapolis raises funds to support grant programs throughout the year. The annual Race for the Cure® is the affiliate’s largest fund raiser, but personal donations, gifts in honor of survivors or in memory of those who have lost the battle and corporate sponsorships also make a significant impact on the affiliate’s ability to fund critical programs.

“We need the community’s support – and every dollar can make a direct difference in saving lives and helping advance our mission to end breast cancer forever,” said Curish.

Komen is the Largest Private Source of Breast Cancer Funding

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is the nation’s largest non-governmental source of funding for breast cancer research and community outreach programs. Locally, the Indianapolis Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure has granted more than $10 million in the past 10 years to organizations in the 21 county Central Indiana service area. Because of efforts by Komen donors, volunteers and supporters in 2009, Komen granted more than $1.6 million in 2010 to 21 non-profit organizations in Central Indiana.