International Cancer Advocacy Network
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
ICAN'S MISSION IS TWO-FOLD: TO OPTIMIZE STAGE IV CANCER PATIENT SURVIVAL AND WORK TO ATTAIN THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE QUALITY OF LIFE. ICAN ASSISTS STAGE IV CANCER PATIENTS WITH 1) DIRECT PATIENT NAVIGATION AND CUSTOMIZED ADVOCACY SERVICES; 2) REFERRALS TO ONCOLOGISTS IN ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTERS AS WELL AS COMMUNITY PRACTICES; 3) EDUCATING PATIENTS REGARDING THE IMPERATIVE OF MOLECULAR PROFILING; 4) EXPEDITING ACCESS TO MOLECULAR PROFILING; 5) EDUCATING PATIENTS AND THEIR CARE PARTNERS REGARDING CLINICAL TRIALS AND MOLECULAR MATCHING OF THE PATIENT TO CLINICAL TRIALS; AND 6) EXPEDITING PATIENT ACCESS TO COMPASSIONATE USE/EXPANDED ACCESS PROGRAMS. ICAN IS A PAN-HEME CANCER, PAN-SOLID TUMOR, PAN-SARCOMA, AND PAN-RARE CANCER PATIENT ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION AND RESEARCH ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION. ICAN ALSO FOCUSES ON EXPANDING PATIENT ACCESS AND GALVANIZING OUR COLLABORATORS TO ASSIST UNDER-RESOURCED PATIENT COMMUNITIES IN THE US AND ABROAD WITH CUSTOMIZED INFORMATION SERVICES. ICAN ANNUALLY AWARDS R
- Income
- $2.7 million
- Spending
- $1.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 92%
- Reserves
- 44.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 99%
- Employees
- 1
- Volunteers
- 136
- Highest pay
- $207,571, president an
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 44.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 55% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 88% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1592% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 40% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 6 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
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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, 2024, 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)
- $679,792 spent. PATIENT NAVIGATION PROGRAMS, INCLUDING PATIENT PROGRAM SERVICES/RESEARCH ADVOCACY PROGRAMS/CANCER RESEARCH SERVICES OF WHICH 360,000 WAS AWARDED IN GRANTS TO INVESTIGATORS ASSOCIATED WITH OR COLLABORATING WITH ICAN'S INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CONSORTIUM, INCLUDING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN, THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE AND CITY OF HOPE. GRANTS WERE AWARDED FOR PROPOSALS RELATING TO MOLECULAR ALTERATIONS AND RESISTANCE MECHANISMS, DEVELOPMENT OF DRUGS WITH NEW MECHANISMS OF ACTION, DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY DETECTION ASSAYS,AND RESEARCH REGARDING LEPTOMENINGEAL DISEASE (LMD). THE 2024-2025 GRANT CYCLE WAS FUNDED BY ICAN'S SPECIAL EVENTS, INCLUDING THE ANNUAL FISTBUMP FUNDRAISER AND THE ANNUAL APPLIED UNDERWRITING GOLF TOURNAMENT AS WELL AS BY ICAN MEMORIAL AND TRIBUTE PROGRAMS. ICAN'S EXON 20 INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CONSORTIUM CONSISTS OF TOP THORACIC RESEARCH ONCOLOGISTS AND SCIENTISTS WHO HAVE PRODUCED AN ARRAY OF TRANSFORMATIVE AND PRACTICE CHANGING JOURNAL ARTICLES THAT ARE PROPELLING THE FIELD OF ACTIONABLE MUTATIONS FORWARD. ICAN'S PATIENT SERVICES FOCUS ON HEMATOLOGICAL, SOLID TUMOR, SYNCHRONOUS CANCERS, AND RARE CANCERS. OUR PATIENTS, CARE PARTNERS, AND RESEARCH ADVOCATES REVIEW CLINICAL TRIAL CONCEPTS, PROTOCOLS, AND INFORMED CONSENT FORMS. THE ORGANIZATION'S ONCOLOGY NURSING SERVICES AND ANGEL BUDDIES/MET MENTORS (PEER-TO-PEER PATIENT AND CARE PARTNER ADVISORS) ASSIST PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES WITH SIDE EFFECTS MITIGATION STRATEGIES THROUGHOUT CLINICAL TRIALS AND STANDARD TREATMENT. UNDER THE ICAN NONPROFIT UMBRELLA, ICAN MANAGES THE EXON 20 GROUP (EGFR EXON 20 WARRIORS/HER2 WARRIORS), THE MET CRUSADERS, THE BIOMARKER COLLABORATIVE, THE PD-L1 AMPLIFIEDS, AND THE NRG1 ENERGIZERS. PATIENT NAVIGATION PROGRAMS, INCLUDING PATIENT PROGRAM SERVICES/RESEARCH ADVOCACY PROGRAMS/CANCER RESEARCH SERVICES OF WHICH 360,000 WAS AWARDED IN GRANTS TO INVESTIGATORS ASSOCIATED WITH OR COLLABORATING WITH ICAN'S INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CONSORTIUM, INCLUDING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN, THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE AND CITY OF HOPE. GRANTS WERE AWARDED FOR PROPOSALS RELATING TO MOLECULAR ALTERATIONS AND RESISTANCE MECHANISMS, DEVELOPMENT OF DRUGS WITH NEW MECHANISMS OF ACTION, DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY DETECTION ASSAYS,AND RESEARCH REGARDING LEPTOMENINGEAL DISEASE (LMD). THE 2024-2025 GRANT CYCLE WAS FUNDED BY ICAN'S SPECIAL EVENTS, INCLUDING THE ANNUAL FISTBUMP FUNDRAISER AND THE ANNUAL APPLIED UNDERWRITING GOLF TOURNAMENT AS WELL AS BY ICAN MEMORIAL AND TRIBUTE PROGRAMS. ICAN'S EXON 20 INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CONSORTIUM CONSISTS OF TOP THORACIC RESEARCH ONCOLOGISTS AND SCIENTISTS WHO HAVE PRODUCED AN ARRAY OF TRANSFORMATIVE AND PRACTICE CHANGING JOURNAL ARTICLES THAT ARE PROPELLING THE FIELD OF ACTIONABLE MUTATIONS FORWARD. ICAN'S PATIENT SERVICES FOCUS ON HEMATOLOGICAL, SOLID TUMOR, SYNCHRONOUS CANCERS, AND RARE CANCERS. OUR PATIENTS, CARE PARTNERS, AND RESEARCH ADVOCATES REVIEW CLINICAL TRIAL CONCEPTS, PROTOCOLS, AND INFORMED CONSENT FORMS. THE ORGANIZATION'S ONCOLOGY NURSING SERVICES AND ANGEL BUDDIES/MET MENTORS (PEER-TO-PEER PATIENT AND CARE PARTNER ADVISORS) ASSIST PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES WITH SIDE EFFECTS MITIGATION STRATEGIES THROUGHOUT CLINICAL TRIALS AND STANDARD TREATMENT. UNDER THE ICAN NONPROFIT UMBRELLA, ICAN MANAGES THE EXON 20 GROUP (EGFR EXON 20 WARRIORS/HER2 WARRIORS), THE MET CRUSADERS, THE BIOMARKER COLLABORATIVE, THE PD-L1 AMPLIFIEDS, AND THE NRG1 ENERGIZERS.
- $225,917 spent. PATIENT, CARE PARTNER, AND CLINICIAN EDUCATION/ U.S. AND GLOBAL PATIENT ACCESS PROGRAMS-FOCUSING ON PATIENT ACCESS TO MOLECULAR TESTING AND PRECISION MEDICINE; U.S. AND GLOBAL ACCESS ISSUES RELATED TO UNDER- RESOURCED PATIENT COMMUNITIES; EARLY DETECTION (IMAGING AND MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS); ONGOING HEALTH INFORMATION PROJECTS FOR EXON 20 GROUP, MET CRUSADERS, BIOMARKER COLLABORATIVE, AND PAN-TUMOR ICAN PROGRAMS; AND ACCESS ISSUES REGARDING EXPANDED ACCESS/PRE-APPROVAL ACCESS/COMPASSIONATE USE PROGRAMS IN THE U.S. AND ABROAD. ICAN'S PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY EFFORTS WERE VIGOROUSLY PURSUED AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS, INCLUDING ISSUES SUCH AS THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT AND FIXING THE SMALL MOLECULE PENALTY; WEIGHING IN ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG AFFORDABILITY BOARDS; SUPPORTING PBM REFORM; SUPPORTING 340B PROGRAM REFORM; ADVOCATING FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE BAYH-DOLE PROGRAM; SUPPORTING BIOMARKER TESTING BILLS (PASSED IN 22 STATES AND COUNTING); SUPPORTING CO-PAY ACCUMULATOR AND REBATE REFORM BILLS (ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE "ALL COPAYS COUNT COALITION"), AND OPPOSING STATE-LED EFFORTS THAT IMPEDE PATIENT ACCESS TO NOVEL THERAPEUTICS, SUCH AS STEP THERAPY/FAIL- FIRST THERAPY WHERE WE HAVE VIGOROUSLY OPPOSED THOSE ANTI-PATIENT PRACTICES SINCE 2012. PATIENT, CARE PARTNER, AND CLINICIAN EDUCATION/ U.S. AND GLOBAL PATIENT ACCESS PROGRAMS-FOCUSING ON PATIENT ACCESS TO MOLECULAR TESTING AND PRECISION MEDICINE; U.S. AND GLOBAL ACCESS ISSUES RELATED TO UNDER- RESOURCED PATIENT COMMUNITIES; EARLY DETECTION (IMAGING AND MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS); ONGOING HEALTH INFORMATION PROJECTS FOR EXON 20 GROUP, MET CRUSADERS, BIOMARKER COLLABORATIVE, AND PAN-TUMOR ICAN PROGRAMS; AND ACCESS ISSUES REGARDING EXPANDED ACCESS/PRE-APPROVAL ACCESS/COMPASSIONATE USE PROGRAMS IN THE U.S. AND ABROAD. ICAN'S PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY EFFORTS WERE VIGOROUSLY PURSUED AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS, INCLUDING ISSUES SUCH AS THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT AND FIXING THE SMALL MOLECULE PENALTY; WEIGHING IN ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG AFFORDABILITY BOARDS; SUPPORTING PBM REFORM; SUPPORTING 340B PROGRAM REFORM; ADVOCATING FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE BAYH-DOLE PROGRAM; SUPPORTING BIOMARKER TESTING BILLS (PASSED IN 22 STATES AND COUNTING); SUPPORTING CO-PAY ACCUMULATOR AND REBATE REFORM BILLS (ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE "ALL COPAYS COUNT COALITION"), AND OPPOSING STATE-LED EFFORTS THAT IMPEDE PATIENT ACCESS TO NOVEL THERAPEUTICS, SUCH AS STEP THERAPY/FAIL- FIRST THERAPY WHERE WE HAVE VIGOROUSLY OPPOSED THOSE ANTI-PATIENT PRACTICES SINCE 2012.
- $248,520 spent. MOLECULAR PROFILING CONNECTION SERVICES/CLINICAL TRIALS MATCHING SERVICES: 1) ADVISING PATIENTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING AND EDUCATING THEM ABOUT THE ARRAY OF MOLECULAR PROFILING TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN EITHER BE ACCESSED BY PATIENTS AND/OR RESEARCHERS--DNA, RNA, AND THUS MULTI-OMICS: GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS, TRANSCRIPTOMICS, METABOLOMICS, METHYLATION, IMMUNE CELL STUDIES, AND SO FORTH; 2) REVIEWING MOLECULAR PROFILING REPORTS WITH PATIENTS AND THEIR CARE PARTNERS; 3) CONVENING AD HOC MOLECULAR TUMOR BOARDS WHERE NEEDED, WITH THE INPUT OF MEMBERS OF ICAN'S BIOMARKERS COUNCIL, PHYSICIANS COUNCIL, AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL; 4) EDUCATING PATIENTS ABOUT MOLECULAR TUMOR BOARDS (E.G. TARGET CANCER'S TRACK STUDY, ASCO TAPUR STUDY; ROCHE NAVIFY); AND, 5) CONNECTING PATIENTS TO PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS AND STUDY TEAMS ON A PAN-TUMOR/PAN- HEME/PAN-RARE CANCER BASIS IF AN APPROPRIATE CLINICAL TRIAL IS A MOLECULAR MATCH. ICAN AND ITS SUPPORT GROUPS ARE ALSO ENGAGED IN THE AREAS OF DECENTRALIZING TRIALS; "JUST-IN-TIME" TRIALS; AND EXPEDITING THE TRANSFER OF PATIENTS FROM ONE CLINICAL TRIALS SITE (MID-REGIMEN) TO ANOTHER MORE CONVENIENT SITE (U.S. TO U.S. OR EU TO U.S.). ICAN, THE EXON 20 GROUP, AND THE MET CRUSADERS SPECIALIZE IN CLINICAL TRIAL ACCRUAL AND RETENTION ISSUES AS WELL AS CLINICAL TRIALS SITE SELECTION ISSUES. THE BIOMARKER COLLABORATIVE 1) CONNECTS PATIENTS TO BOTH THE APPROPRIATE SPECIFIC BIOMARKER SUPPORT GROUP AND THE RELEVANT GENERAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT COVER THE PATIENT'S SPECIFIC CANCER TYPE; AND 2) EDUCATES PATIENTS ABOUT THEIR DRIVER MUTATION, AMPLIFICATION OR FUSION (IF IDENTIFIED BY THE RELEVANT LABORATORY'S REPORT) AS WELL AS THEIR GENE CO-ALTERATIONS. ICAN AND ITS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS EACH STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF MULTI-STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATIONS WITH RESEARCH ADVOCATES, PATIENT ADVOCATES, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, CLINICIANS, AND SCIENTISTS. MOLECULAR PROFILING CONNECTION SERVICES/CLINICAL TRIALS MATCHING SERVICES: 1) ADVISING PATIENTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING AND EDUCATING THEM ABOUT THE ARRAY OF MOLECULAR PROFILING TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN EITHER BE ACCESSED BY PATIENTS AND/OR RESEARCHERS--DNA, RNA, AND THUS MULTI-OMICS: GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS, TRANSCRIPTOMICS, METABOLOMICS, METHYLATION, IMMUNE CELL STUDIES, AND SO FORTH; 2) REVIEWING MOLECULAR PROFILING REPORTS WITH PATIENTS AND THEIR CARE PARTNERS; 3) CONVENING AD HOC MOLECULAR TUMOR BOARDS WHERE NEEDED, WITH THE INPUT OF MEMBERS OF ICAN'S BIOMARKERS COUNCIL, PHYSICIANS COUNCIL, AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL; 4) EDUCATING PATIENTS ABOUT MOLECULAR TUMOR BOARDS (E.G. TARGET CANCER'S TRACK STUDY, ASCO TAPUR STUDY; ROCHE NAVIFY); AND, 5) CONNECTING PATIENTS TO PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS AND STUDY TEAMS ON A PAN-TUMOR/PAN- HEME/PAN-RARE CANCER BASIS IF AN APPROPRIATE CLINICAL TRIAL IS A MOLECULAR MATCH. ICAN AND ITS SUPPORT GROUPS ARE ALSO ENGAGED IN THE AREAS OF DECENTRALIZING TRIALS; "JUST-IN-TIME" TRIALS; AND EXPEDITING THE TRANSFER OF PATIENTS FROM ONE CLINICAL TRIALS SITE (MID-REGIMEN) TO ANOTHER MORE CONVENIENT SITE (U.S. TO U.S. OR EU TO U.S.). ICAN, THE EXON 20 GROUP, AND THE MET CRUSADERS SPECIALIZE IN CLINICAL TRIAL ACCRUAL AND RETENTION ISSUES AS WELL AS CLINICAL TRIALS SITE SELECTION ISSUES. THE BIOMARKER COLLABORATIVE 1) CONNECTS PATIENTS TO BOTH THE APPROPRIATE SPECIFIC BIOMARKER SUPPORT GROUP AND THE RELEVANT GENERAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT COVER THE PATIENT'S SPECIFIC CANCER TYPE; AND 2) EDUCATES PATIENTS ABOUT THEIR DRIVER MUTATION, AMPLIFICATION OR FUSION (IF IDENTIFIED BY THE RELEVANT LABORATORY'S REPORT) AS WELL AS THEIR GENE CO-ALTERATIONS. ICAN AND ITS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS EACH STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF MULTI-STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATIONS WITH RESEARCH ADVOCATES, PATIENT ADVOCATES, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, CLINICIANS, AND SCIENTISTS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 2024.
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 May 1996.
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.