Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT BLADDER CANCER, TO ADVANCE BLADDER CANCER RESEARCH, AND TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE BLADDER CANCER COMMUNITY.
- Income
- $6.8 million
- Spending
- $7.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- 21.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 99%
- Employees
- 20
- Volunteers
- 75
- Highest pay
- $412,386, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 21.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 10% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1579% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 64% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $2.5 million spent. RESEARCH:BCAN WORKS TO ADVANCE BLADDER CANCER RESEARCH. RECOGNIZING THE OVERWHELMING NEED FOR RESEARCH FUNDING, BCAN HAS ENGAGED A NEW GENERATION OF RESEARCHERS WITH THE YOUNG INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH AWARDS, AND IN 2025 GRANTED THREE AWARDS. IN ADDITION, BCAN SUPPORTS EXCEPTIONALLY NOVEL AND CREATIVE PROJECTS WITH GREAT POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE BREAKTHROUGHS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF BLADDER CANCER THROUGH ITS BLADDER CANCER RESEARCH INNOVATION AWARD, A $300,000 GRANTS AWARDED OVER TWO YEARS. TWO RESEARCH INNOVATION AWARDS WERE GRANTED IN 2025. A THREE-YEAR CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD TOTALING $250,000 WAS INITIATED IN 2022, SUPPORTS RESEARCH THAT TRANSLATES NEW CONCEPTS INTO CLINICAL PRACTICE. IN 2025, TWO CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS WERE ISSUED TOTALING $500,000.
- $1.5 million spent. EDUCATION AND INFORMATION:BCAN HOSTS A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND PUBLISHES PRINTED MATERIALS TO EDUCATE THOSE COPING WITH A BLADDER CANCER DIAGNOSIS. BCAN'S COMPREHENSIVE PATIENT HANDBOOK, "BLADDER CANCER BASICS FOR THE NEWLY DIAGNOSED," HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO THOUSANDS OF SURVIVORS, CAREGIVERS, UROLOGY PRACTICES, AND CANCER CENTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. THE PATIENT INSIGHT WEBINAR SERIES IS AN INTERACTIVE PROGRAM THAT ADDRESS A VARIETY OF ISSUES. THE WEBINARS FEATURE TOP EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD AND ADDRESS PATIENT CONCERNS IN AN EASY FORMAT. THE SURVIVOR 2 SURVIVOR PROGRAM CONNECTS NEWLY DIAGNOSED PATIENTS WITH SURVIVORS WITH A SIMILAR DIAGNOSIS. BCAN BEGAN OFFERING TWO REGIONAL BLADDER CANCER SUMMITS FOR PATIENTS AND FAMILIES TO BUILD AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
- $623,747 spent. THINK TANK:THE BLADDER CANCER THINK TANK (THINK TANK) IS THE PREMIER SCIENTIFIC MEDICAL SYMPOSIUM DEDICATED SOLELY TO BLADDER CANCER. THROUGH COLLABORATION, UROLOGISTS, ONCOLOGISTS, SCIENTISTS, AND RESEARCHERS ARE PIONEERING NEW TREATMENT PROTOCOLS, INVESTIGATING GENETIC EXPRESSIONS, AND IMPROVING ACCESS TO QUALITY CARE FOR THOSE LIVING WITH THE DISEASE. THE 2025 THINK TANK WAS HELD IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
- $855,411 spent. WALK TO END BLADDER CANCERTHE WALK TO END BLADDER CANCER IS BCAN'S SIGNATURE AWARENESS EVENT AND PRIMARILY TAKES PLACE IN MAY. THE WALK UNITES BLADDER CANCER SURVIVORS, LOVED ONES, AND THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY TO PROMOTE RECOGNITION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISEASE. IN 2025, BCAN HAD OVER 3,500 PARTICIPANTS REGISTER TO WALK ACROSS THE UNITED STATES EXCLUDING THE PARTICIPANTS BCAN HOSTED VIRTUALLY.ADVOCACYAS THE VOICE FOR THE PATIENT COMMUNITY, BCAN PARTICIPATES IN COALITIONS AND WORKS WITH OTHER MEMBERSHIP GROUPS TO WEIGH IN ON POLICY ISSUES THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT THOSE LIVING WITH BLADDER CANCER. BCAN PROVIDES THE BLADDER CANCER COMMUNITY WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD CONNECTIONS, IDENTIFY BLADDER CANCER STATE AND NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE, AND LEARN BEST PRACTICES FOR RAISING AWARENESS OF BLADDER CANCER WITHIN COMMUNITIES.PATIENT AND VOLUNTEER SUPPORTBCAN IS A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION AND VOLUNTEERS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF PATIENT OUTREACH. BCAN CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS WHICH WERE FORMALIZED IN 2014.- SURVIVOR 2 SURVIVOR MATCHES NEWLY DIAGNOSED PATIENTS WITH OTHER SURVIVORS WHO HAVE HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. THROUGH THESE PERSONAL CONNECTIONS, NEWLY DIAGNOSED PATIENTS LEARN MORE ABOUT LIVING WITH BLADDER CANCER AND TREATMENT OPTIONS. OTHER PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED INCLUDE:- THE BLADDER CANCER CALL CENTER IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ONCOLOGY SOCIAL WORKERS FROM CANCERCARE.- BCAN'S FEMALE FOCUS ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP MEETING MONTHLY.PARTNERS IN PROGRESSBCAN'S PARTNERS IN PROGRESS PROGRAM OFFERS COMPANIES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECTLY ENGAGE WITH THE BLADDER CANCER COMMUNITY, PATIENTS, CAREGIVERS, AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS WHILE SHOWCASING THEIR COMMITMENT TO ADVANCING CARE AND IMPROVING LIVES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 2005.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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