Childrens Cancer Research Fund
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
CHILDREN'S CANCER RESEARCH FUND FUELS TRANSFORMATIONAL RESEARCH TO BRING BETTER TREATMENTS AND CURES TO CHILDREN WITH CANCER.
- Income
- $4.5 million
- Spending
- $7.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- 0.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 74%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 70
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: 24 out of 100. Higher than 1% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.2 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 69% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 62% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 76% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 27 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 65% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 15 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.
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)
- $3.3 million spent. RESEARCH AND GRANTING PROGRAMS:IN FY25, CCRF AWARDED NEARLY $2.3 MILLION IN RESEARCH GRANTS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: - HARD-TO-TREAT CANCERS: CCRF PRIORITIZES RESEARCH ON CANCERS WITH PERSISTENTLY LOW SURVIVAL RATES. THESE INCLUDE HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE AND OFTEN FATAL CANCERS SUCH AS BRAIN TUMORS, SARCOMAS, AND CERTAIN TYPES OF LEUKEMIA. IN FY25, WE AWARDED $250,000 TO FUND A PROJECT AT MD ANDERSEN CANCER CENTER TESTING A NOVEL DRUG CANDIDATE THAT TARGETS A KEY DRIVER OF ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA (AML). WE ALSO AWARDED $187,799 TO A RESEARCHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA WHO IS WORKING ON NEW TREATMENTS ENABLING IMMUNE CELLS TO BETTER INFILTRATE HIGH-RISK BRAIN TUMORS, INCLUDING DIFFUSE MIDLINE GLIOMA AND GLIOBLASTOMA. IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS RESEARCH WOULD FURTHER IMPROVE THE EFFICACY OF A NOVEL IMMUNOTHERAPY DEVELOPED BY UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA RESEARCHERS WITH CCRF SUPPORT. FINALLY, WE AWARDED $375,000 TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA IN SEED GRANTS FOR RESEARCH INITIATIVES, ALLOWING FLEXIBLE AND NIMBLE FUNDING FOR EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES. - SURVIVORSHIP: MANY CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVORS LIVE WITH ENDURING CONSEQUENCES OF CHEMOTHERAPY, RADIATION, OR SURGICAL INTERVENTIONS, INCLUDING COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, CARDIAC ISSUES AND INFERTILITY. CCRF SUPPORTS RESEARCHERS WORKING ON NEW TREATMENTS AND INTERVENTIONS THAT WILL REDUCE ADVERSE LONG-TERM EFFECTS AND PROMOTE HEALTH AMONG SURVIVORS. IN FY25, CCRF GRANTED $250,000 TO A RESEARCHER AT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA TO CONDUCT A RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF A GAME-LIKE TECHNOLOGY AIMED AT HELPING BRAIN TUMOR SURVIVORS BETTER UNDERSTAND FACIAL CUES AND BUILD CRITICAL SOCIAL CONNECTIONS. - FELLOWSHIPS: CCRF MADE A COMMITMENT OF $1.2 MILLION IN FY25 TO SUPPORT THE CHILDREN'S CANCER RESEARCH FUND PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY/HEMATOLOGY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. THIS COMMITMENT BUILDS ON NEARLY 40 YEARS OF SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, A PROGRAM WITH A STRONG LEGACY OF TRAINING EXCEPTIONAL LEADERS IN PEDIATRIC CANCER CARE AND RESEARCH.
- $1.8 million spent. EDUCATION AND AWARENESS PROGRAM:IN ADDITION TO FUNDING RESEARCH AND OFFERING SUPPORT PROGRAMS, WE GENERATE AWARENESS ABOUT THE NEED FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH AND PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHERS. WE REACH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, AND IN-KIND TELEVISION AND PRINT ADVERTISING TO SHARE THE STORIES OF KIDS, FAMILIES, AND RESEARCHERS. WE'RE ALSO PROUD TO SUPPORT THE CANCER SURVIVORSHIP CONFERENCE, THE MARK E. NESBIT LECTURESHIP IN PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY, AND THE NORMA K.C. RAMSAY, MD, DISTINGUISHED VISITING PROFESSOR LECTURESHIP SERIES. THESE BRING NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CHILDHOOD CANCER EXPERTS TO MINNESOTA TO SPEAK ON CURRENT SURVIVORSHIP, CLINICAL AND RESEARCH ISSUES, AS WELL AS BUILD NEW RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS.
- $364,641 spent. FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS:OUR DEDICATED FAMILY PROGRAMS IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING OF KIDS AND FAMILIES AS THEY NAVIGATE THE DIFFICULT EXPERIENCES OF CANCER TREATMENT, SURVIVORSHIP, OR BEREAVEMENT. THESE OFFERINGS INCLUDE: - THE BIG DREAMS TOUR - A CREATIVE OUTLET THAT REDUCES ISOLATION BY LEVERAGING AR, VR, AND XR TECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE PEDIATRIC CANCER PATIENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAME TOGETHER MONTHLY AND CREATE THEIR OWN ANIMATED MUSIC VIDEO, VIDEO GAME, OR VFX VIDEO; INCLUDING COMMUNITY EVENTS WHERE THEIR CREATIONS ARE BROUGHT TO LIFE IN TEXAS, VIRGINIA, MAINE AND MINNESOTA. - CAMP NORDEN - IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL FIVE-DAY SUMMER CAMPS ARE DESIGNED ESPECIALLY TO MEET THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER AND SUPPORT FRIENDSHIP-BUILDING, SOLIDARITY WITH PEERS, INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM, AND A FEELING OF INDEPENDENCE. THESE CAMPS FOSTER COMMUNITY AND ELIMINATE FINANCIAL OR GEOGRAPHICAL BARRIERS TO ATTEND. -CC BEAR- OUR CURE CANCER "C.C." BEAR IS READY TO COMFORT AND CARE FOR THOSE WHO NEED HIM MOST AT NO COST TO FAMILIES. 358 BEARS WERE SENT TO CHILDREN WITH CANCER, AND THEIR SIBLINGS.
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 November 6, 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 February 1998.
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 November 4, 2026.
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