Cure Starts Now Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO EDUCATE, AID, AND FUND CURES FOR CANCER, STARTING FIRST WITH PEDIATRIC BRAIN CANCER.
- Income
- $5.7 million
- Spending
- $8.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- -0.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 80%
- Employees
- 23
- Volunteers
- 1,500
- Highest pay
- $142,280, cio
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
Weak: 32 out of 100. Higher than 4% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 85% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 49% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 5% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 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 61% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 254 of 7 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 (3)
- $5.1 million spent. IN ITS EFFORTS TO FOCUS ON THOSE CANCERS THAT PRESENT THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR AN ENCOMPASSING CANCER CURE, THE FOUNDATION ANNUALLY AWARDS RESEARCH GRANTS TO INSTITUTIONS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. TYPICALLY, GRANTS AWARDED HAVE A FOCUS ON PEDIATRIC BRAIN CANCERS, AS THIS WAS THE ORIGIN OF THE FOUNDATION'S PHILOSOPHY. GRANT APPLICATIONS WILL BE JUDGED ON A PEER-REVIEWED BASIS WITH THE FOUNDATION'S MEDICAL ADVISORY COUNCIL, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF TOP ONCOLOGISTS AND RESEARCHERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, AS WELL AS PARENT ADVOCATES. GRANTS ARE JUDGED BASED ON MULTIPLE CRITERIA INCLUDING SCIENTIFIC MERIT, DISEASE IMPACT, INNOVATION, FEASIBILITY, AND EXPERTISE OF THE INVESTIGATOR.
- $1.6 million spent. FAMILY SUPPORT AND AWARENESS FUNDS PROVIDE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, MECHANISMS TO HONOR THEIR CHILD'S LEGACY AND OTHER ASSISTANCE FOR FAMILIES BATTLING PEDIATRIC CANCER. THIS INCLUDES INFORMATION WEBSITES, TRIAL DISCOVERY TOOLS, PATIENT ASSISTANCE AND PROGRAMS TO FEATURE PATIENTS WITH THE INTENTION OF BUILING LOCAL SUPPORT AND AWARENESS.
- $878,880 spent. THE BRAIN CANCER SYMPOSIUM (FORMERLY DIPG/DMG/MEDULLOBLASTOMA SYMPOSIUM) IS THE WORLD'S FOREMOST AND LARGEST INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE FOCUSING ON DIFFUSE INTRINSIC PONTINE GLIOMA (DIPG), DIFFUSE MIDLINE GLIOMA (DMG) AND MEDULLOBLASTOMA. RESEARCHERS, DOCTORS, FAMILIES AND FOUNDATIONS COME FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS INNOVATIVE EVENT. THE BIENNIAL SYMPOSIUM ORIGINATED IN 2011 AND HAS CONTINUED TO GROW OVER THE YEARS. IN 2025 IN BANFF BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, MORE THAN 200 OF THE LEADING EXPERTS, RESEARCHERS AND DOCTORS IN DIPG, DMG, AND MEDULLOBLASTOMA ATTENDED. THE BRAIN CANCER SYMPOSIUM BRINGS THE RESEARCHERS, DOCTORS, FOUNDATIONS AND FAMILIES TOGETHER IN THIS COLLABORATIVE EVENT IS A UNIQUE APPROACH TO CREATING AND FUNDING NEW AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH.
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 September 2007.
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.