2020 Annual Report presented by The LiFT Network
Table of Contents
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Letter from the Director
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The LiFT Network Powered by Family Reach
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The LiFT Network Approach
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2020 Collaboration Spotlights
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The Solution to the Financial Burden of Cancer
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Impact on Cancer Families
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2020 by the Numbers
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Reaching More Families Together in 2021
The LiFT Network • Annual Report 2020
Letter from the Director None of us could have predicted a year like 2020 — and yet, the pandemic shined a light on the long-standing inequities in healthcare, illuminating a national problem that cancer nonprofits know all too well. When disaster hit, LiFT Members already knew the immeasurable benefits and incredible power of working together rather than independently. Our collaboration on program delivery reduced redundancies within our organizations, thereby optimizing our resources and staff. This streamlined access to services for healthcare professionals and increased the reach of our programs to patients and their families. Bonded by a core belief that all families should have equitable access to cancer care and the financial barriers of cancer should never get in the way of treatment, The LiFT Network nonprofit members were already poised to fight for the cancer community. Instead of buckling under the weight of 2020, we used The LiFT Network as reinforcement. We doubled down on our commitment to collaboration, ramped up our communication, and created a strong feedback loop for sharing our challenges, pivots, and successes. This was critical for all of us as we bravely stepped into the world of virtual events and asked donors to support our work during such new and uncertain circumstances. Most importantly, The LiFT Network allowed its members to continue delivering critical financial support and programs to families facing cancer without any disruption. We proved, once again, that collaboration is the only way forward. We remain incredibly grateful to our LiFT Network Members, who are our allies, mentors, advisers, and sustainers. They have the firsthand experience to help us recognize common challenges and barriers, and then navigate them with more speed and grace. For all that 2020 was and continues to be, we remain dedicated to delivering programs that make a difference and elevate the voice of the cancer community. Through The LiFT Network, Family Reach will continue to offer a combined 80 years of experience and invest in program delivery for nonprofits who share our belief that we are stronger and more effective together. So, we ask ourselves, as we do every year: how can we do better? We hope you will join us. With admiration and gratitude,
Joanna Scott Director of The LiFT Network
The LiFT Network • Annual Report 2020
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The LiFT Network Powered by Family Reach Family Reach is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to removing the financial barriers standing between a cancer patient and their treatment. Loss of income, out-ofpocket expenses, and socioeconomic factors create disparities in the financial burdens families face. Family Reach delivers financial education, financial planning, resource navigation, and emergency relief funds to patients and caregivers facing a cancer diagnosis so no family has to choose between their health and their home.
When the Morello family lost their daughter, Kristine (left), to cancer in 1995 and the Colangelo family lost their son, Christopher (right), in 1981, both families were astounded by the expenses associated with treatment — transportation, special nutrition needs, daycare, and the list goes on. Motivated by their personal experiences and their desire to reduce the financial stress experienced by so many families, they started Family Reach. 25 years later, collaboration remains at the heart of our organization. Born out of this core belief, The LiFT Network, powered by Family Reach, unites likeminded cancer nonprofits in the fight against financial toxicity.
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The LiFT Network • Annual Report 2020
The LiFT Network Approach The LiFT Network helps nonprofits thrive and survive. Joining forces means reaching families more effectively and efficiently, which deepens our impact on the cancer community. There are thousands of cancer nonprofits across the country that are dedicated to a solution, yet most of them are working independently. As a result, patients and healthcare providers spend valuable time and energy searching for support programs and resources, weeding through websites and eligibility requirements only to find themselves filling out multiple applications with the same information. Launched in 2018, The LiFT Network unites like-minded nonprofits in the shared belief that together, we can do more for the cancer patients and families we serve. Through shared program delivery and resources, The LiFT Network ensures cancer nonprofits don’t have to reinvent the wheel or waste limited resources. Together, we streamline the process and make our support services easy for more families and healthcare providers to access. This collaborative approach supports three groups:
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Cancer Nonprofits
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Cancer Patients and Families
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Healthcare Providers
The LiFT Network allows nonprofits to scale and expand their impact through reduced redundancies, increased time and spending efficiency, and access to shared tools and resources.
Our collaboration amplifies our message, expands our reach, and elevates our ability to influence policy and systemic change in cancer care, making us stronger advocates for the cancer community.
Expanding the delivery of the Financial Treatment Program to multiple nonprofit organizations streamlines the application process and better supports healthcare providers, giving them more time to offer clinical, mental, and emotional support rather than taking on a financial advisor role.
The LiFT Network • Annual Report 2020
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“The LiFT Network has given our organization the opportunity to serve even more families and has allowed us to streamline many of our processes, which has proven to be vital for an organization like ours.” — Kim Gradisher, Executive Director, Tyler Robinson Foundation, Member since 2020
LiFT Network Members in 2020
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The LiFT Network • Annual Report 2020
2020 Collaboration Spotlights Virtual Events In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, members replaced their plans for traditional inperson events with virtual alternatives. Working together to reimagine these vital sources of funds, members promoted and participated in each other’s events, embraced co-fundraising, and reaped the mutual benefits of in-kind donations.
Networking and Shared Experiences LiFT Members gathered throughout the year for roundtable discussions, camaraderie, and support. The conversations focused on crisis management, board development, donor communications and portfolio development, events, and nonprofit leadership.
End-Of-Year Campaigns Family Reach led a Lunch & Learn for LiFT Members to offer tips and tricks for a successful end-of-year campaign. Members applied the actionable ideas and creative approaches in successful fundraising campaigns for GivingTuesday and the holiday season.
The LiFT Network • Annual Report 2020
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The Solution to the Financial Burden of Cancer The millions of families facing cancer each year experience a health crisis that is all too often followed by a financial crisis. Carrying the weight of financial burdens, families face additional stress that can negatively affect well-being, access to care, and patient outcomes.
70% of adult cancer patients and over 30% of families who have a child with cancer will experience debilitating financial hardship1, 2
In our 2020 survey, 77% of patients reported a decrease in financial distress after receiving the Financial Treatment Program, with patients who receive more than one service reporting a greater decrease3
Part of the solution is meeting families where they are in their cancer journey with critical solutions. Family Reach’s Financial Treatment Program (FTP) available through The LiFT Network, is a comprehensive program zeroing in on education, resource navigation, financial planning, and emergency relief to promote financial health and better treatment outcomes.
Financial Education
Resource Navigation
Financial Planning
Emergency Relief
1. “THE 2017 CANCER EXPERIENCE REGISTRY REPORT.” CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY, 2017. 2. BONA K, LONDON WB, GUO D, FRANK DA, WOLFE J. TRAJECTORY OF MATERIAL HARDSHIP AND INCOME POVERTY IN FAMILIES OF CHILDREN UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY: A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY. PEDIATR BLOOD CANCER. 2016;63(1):105-111. DOI:10.1002/PBC.25762 3. PATIENT IMPACT SURVEY. FAMILY REACH. JULY 2020
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The LiFT Network • Annual Report 2020
The Solution to the Financial Burden of Cancer As LiFT Network Members, nonprofits across the country deliver FTP services to the patients and families they serve. Once patients are referred to the program, the Family Reach team conducts a comprehensive needs assessment to identify the best combination of services and resources based on the individual patient and caregiver needs.
The Financial Treatment Program
Financial Education: Financial Guidebooks specific to pediatric, young adult, and adult cancer
Financial Planning for Cancer: Free financial coaching from a Certified Financial Planner™ professional
The LiFT Network • Annual Report 2020
Resource Navigation: Personalized resource recommendations within and beyond FTP services
Emergency Relief: Grants provided to eligible families to cover non-medical, everyday living expenses
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Impact on Cancer Families Originally diagnosed with very high-risk leukemia in July 2019, 16-year-old Sophie faced a relapse in May 2020. She has endured CAR-T therapy, a bone marrow transplant, various complications, and hospital stays as long as 90 days. After her most recent discharge, she needed 24/7 caregiver support and follow-up appointments with her care team three times a week.
rehabilitation needs. Sophie’s dad also lost his job in October 2020, leaving the family with no income as the costs associated with Sophie’s treatment piled up and their savings continued to take significant hits. We were introduced to Sophie and her family by her healthcare provider, who told us that the family voiced concerns about falling behind on their bills. Knowing the Financial Treatment Program could help Sophie’s family manage their financial distress, Family Reach and LiFT Member JUST TRYAN IT provided her family with a Financial Guidebook for Pediatric Cancer and connected them with a Certified Financial Planner™ professional for free financial advice. Thanks to funding from JUST TRYAN IT, we also covered an upcoming housing payment for immediate relief that could help Sophie’s parents secure her safe place to heal.
After being laid off in March 2019, Sophie’s mom has remained unemployed throughout her daughter’s treatment so she can care for Sophie and manage
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“Our partnership with Family Reach is critical to making sure that the families at our partner hospitals get the emergency financial assistance they need quickly and efficiently,” said Maureen Colburn, Executive Director of JUST TRYAN IT. “As a member of The LiFT Network, our families also get access to financial planning resources they need to make smart financial choices as they navigate through treatment.”
The LiFT Network • Annual Report 2020
Impact on Cancer Families These stories of support are made possible by the collaboration between our LiFT Members, providing the vital link between healthcare providers, Family Reach Resource Navigators, and families in need.
“Our partnership with Family Reach is critical to making sure that the families at our partner hospitals get the emergency financial assistance they need quickly and efficiently. As a member of The LiFT Network, our families also get access to financial planning resources they need to make smart financial choices as they navigate through treatment.” — Maureen Colburn, Executive Director, JUST TRYAN IT
It takes a village to break down the financial barriers of cancer, and The LiFT Network is unique in its ability to streamline the process of connecting all the key players so families can access support as quickly as possible. Together, LiFT Members deliver the most impactful financial services and strive to ensure no family falls through the cracks.
The LiFT Network • Annual Report 2020
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2020 by the Numbers Throughout 2020, FTP services were delivered to almost 500 LiFT families, serving over 2,000 individuals. During that time, members provided nearly $750,000 in financial assistance to help with daily non-medical expenses such as housing, food, utilities, and car/transportation expenses. Members of The LiFT Network use demographic information to better understand who is receiving our services. This information allows us to identify gaps in our reach and collaborate on outreach strategies to serve more patients. Distribution of Patients by Primary Cancer Type
Patient Age
8%
10%
Leukemia Other Pediatric/ Young Adult/Adult
11%
Ages 0 to 9 47%
Ages 10 to 17 Ages 18 to 30 Ages 31 +
32%
Brain
5% 47%
5%
Neuroblastoma Rhabdomyosarco…
5%
Lymphoma Sarcoma - Other
10%
Wilms Tumor Other othersCancers
10%
Patient Income Levels
Patient Race and Ethnicity White
17% 28% 6%
Under $24,250 $24,251 $48,500
Black or African American
16% 48%
$48,501 $100,000 Unknown 31%
Hispanic or Latino Other
Over $100,000
18%
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Breast
Unknown 25%
Asian or Paci c Islander
The LiFT Network • Annual Report 2020
2020 by the Numbers Expanding our reach ME
WA MT
VT
ND MN
NH MA
OR SD
ID
NY
WI
CT
RI
MI WY
PA IA
NE NV
IL UT
IN
DE
WV
DC VA
CO
CA
NJ MD
OH
MO
KS
KY NC TN
AZ
OK NM
SC
AR
MS TX
AL
GA
LA
FL AK HI
Served families in 37 states
Partnered with 116 hospitals Why it matters: Healthcare professionals have limited time and more patients with financial hardship than ever before, and we can provide streamlined access to meaningful financial resources.
Welcomed 4 new nonprofit members in 2020 Why it matters: This growth proves how vital collaboration is not only in times of stability but even more so in times of uncertainty. Nonprofits experienced a dramatic decrease in funding and challenges to their program delivery, and The LiFT Network allowed them to weather the storm and continue fulfilling their missions.
The LiFT Network • Annual Report 2020
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Reaching More Families Together in 2021 In 2021, The LiFT Network is invested in three key objectives.
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Reach more families with proven financial support earlier in their cancer journey • Continue joining efforts to remove redundancies, provide effective program delivery, and support families as close to diagnosis as possible. • Partner with organizations that help us level the playing field for all cancer patients by addressing unmet needs caused by social determinants of health and improving the effectiveness of financial intervention for low-income and underrepresented communities.
Lead with impact • Measure and report on the reach, engagement, and impact our programs have on patients and healthcare providers to improve program delivery and outcomes. • Enable Network Members to communicate their impact effectively to donors and other key stakeholders.
Elevate the cancer community, one another, and our work • Double down on partnerships so that, together, we can amplify our impact and build solutions to overcome the complex financial challenges of a cancer diagnosis. • Welcome additional cancer nonprofits to The LiFT Network, strengthening the national fight against the financial burden of cancer.
Reach out to liftnetwork@familyreach.org to learn more.
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The LiFT Network • Annual Report 2020
POWERED BY FAMILY REACH Family Reach is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to removing the financial barriers standing between a cancer patient and their treatment. Loss of income, out-of-pocket expenses, and socioeconomic factors create disparities in the financial burdens families face. Family Reach delivers financial education, financial planning, resource navigation, and emergency relief funds to patients and caregivers facing a cancer diagnosis so no family has to choose between their health and their home.
Please email liftnetwork@familyreach.org to join or sponsor The LiFT Network. Thank you to our 2020 LiFT Network sponsors: