Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO IMPROVE SURVIVORSHIP AND LESSEN THE BURDEN OF CANCER THROUGH EXPERT TREATMENT, COMPASSIONATE CARE, EARLY DETECTION, RESEARCH, AND EDUCATION.
- Income
- $318.0 million
- Spending
- $326.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- -0.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 87%
- Employees
- 493
- Volunteers
- 59
- Highest pay
- $807,407, president/ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 43 out of 100. Higher than 12% of charities in its peer group (diseases, over $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 68% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 39% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 33% of charities in its peer group (diseases, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 17 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 June 30, 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 (3)
- $285.9 million spent. PATIENT CARE ACTIVITIES: DURING THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2025 MPBCC PROVIDED APPROXIMATELY 58,000 RADIATION ONCOLOGY TREATMENTS AND 54,000 MEDICAL ONCOLOGY TREATMENTS TO 35,000 PATIENTS SEEKING CANCER CARE. PATIENTS RECEIVING CARE WERE PROVIDED ACCESS TO NATIONAL AND LOCAL CLINICAL RESEARCH TRIALS INVESTIGATING WAYS TO BETTER PREVENT, DETECT, DIAGNOSE AND TREAT CANCER. ADDITIONALLY, APPROXIMATELY 11% OF ENCOUNTERS WERE DERIVED FROM PATIENT PARTICIPATION IN MEDICAID AND APPROXIMATELY 58% WAS DERIVED FROM PATIENT PARTICIPATION IN MEDICARE.
- CANCER PROGRAM ACTIVITIES: MBPCC HAS IMPLEMENTED THREE COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CARE PROGRAM MODELS AND ASSUMED CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES FOR DEVELOPING AND DELIVERING THE CANCER CARE CONTINUUM TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. SERVICES INCLUDE CANCER PREVENTION, EDUCATION, EARLY DETECTION, FREE CANCER SCREENING AND TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2025 THE CANCER PROGRAMS SCREENED 5,705 PEOPLE AT 134 FREE CANCER SCREENING EVENTS. 728 WERE NAVIGATED DUE TO ABNORMAL FINDINGS AND 43 WERE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. SINCE 2002, OVER 118,000 PEOPLE THROUGHOUT LA AND MS HAVE BEEN SCREENED FOR CANCER AT NO COST TO PARTICIPANTS.
- MEDICAL PHYSICS RESIDENCY PROGRAM: MBPCC PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE MARY BIRD PERKINIS CANCER CENTER LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY (MBPCC-LSU) MEDICAL PHYSICS AND HEALTH PHYSICS PROGRAM. THIS ACADEMIC PROGRAM PROVIDES DIDACTIC INSTRUCTION AND CLINICAL AND RESEARCH TRAINING TO THE LSU MS AND PHD GRADUATE STUDENTS IN MEDICAL PHYSICS. THE LSU MEDICAL PHYSICS ACADEMIC PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY TRAINING MEDICAL PHYSICISTS TO SERVE CANCER PROGRAMS NATIONWIDE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 June 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 March 1969.
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.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.