Tower Cancer Research Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THROUGH LOCAL INVESTMENTS, WE ADVANCE GROUNDBREAKING CANCER RESEARCH AND PROFOUNDLY SUPPORT PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE DISEASE TO CREATE OUTSIZED IMPACT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND BEYOND.
- Income
- $3.1 million
- Spending
- $3.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 69%
- Reserves
- 1.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 14
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $295,587, executive director
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
Weak: 45 out of 100. Higher than 8% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.6 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 63% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 16% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 24% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1569% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 20 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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 64% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2523 of 23 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, 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 (1)
- $2.5 million spent. IN 2023, TOWER FUNDED FOUR NEW CAREER DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH GRANTS FOR FOUR PROMISING YOUNG PHYSICIAN SCIENTISTS LOCATED AT UCLA, UCI AND UCSD. RESEARCH AREAS FOCUS ON INNOVATIVE THERAPIES SUCH AS: THE USE OF PH TO TARGET GLIOBLASTOMA CELLS IN HOPES TO IMPROVE TREATMENT FOR THIS DEADLY DISEASE; USING A MODEL OF SKIN CANCER, A NEW TOOL TO TRACK CANCER CELLS IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT TO FIND HOW LYMPHATIC VESSELS SHIELD CANCER CELLS AND AID THEIR SPREAD TO OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY; TARGETING LIVER-METASTATIC PANCREATIC CANCER BY IDENTIFYING WEAKNESSES THAT CAN BE EXPLOITED TO SLOW THE GROWTH OF TUMORS IN THE LIVER OR POSSIBLY PREVENT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF METASTASIS FROM HAPPENING IN PANCREATIC CANCER; STEM CELL REPROGRAMMING OF ANTI-TUMOR T CELLS TO MAKE TIL THERAPY A MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENT. IN ADDITION, TOWER CONTINUED FUNDING MUL-TI-YEAR SENIOR INVESTIGATOR GRANTS. TOTAL SCIENTIFIC GRANT EXPENDITURES IN 2023 TOPPED $700,000. INVESTING IN NOVEL IDEAS OF YOUNG INVESTIGATORS AND EXPERIENCED SENIOR INVESTIGATORS ALLOWS US TO LEVERAGE OUR DONOR DOLLARS TO HAVE MAXIMUM IMPACT. IN 2023 ALONE, TCRF RESEARCHERS REPORTED NEARLY $3M IN FOLLOW-ON FUNDING, DOZENS OF GRANTS, PUBLICATIONS ACADEMIC AWARDS, TWO CLINICAL TRIALS, AND SO MUCH MORE.OUR CLINICALLY-GROUNDED SURVIVORSHIP SUPPORT PROGRAMS, HOSTED BY MAGNOLIA HOUSE, ALIGN WITH THE CHALLENG-ES FACED BY PATIENTS, SURVIVORS, AND THE WHOLE CANCER COMMUNITY. WE PROVIDE INTEGRATIVE HEALTH AND WELL-NESS SUPPORT AND EDUCATION, THROUGH FREE FITNESS, THERAPEUTIC, AND HOLISTIC CLASSES, THAT EMPOWERPEOPLE TO DEVELOP A PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL TOOLKIT TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF CANCER FROM DIAGNOSIS TO SURVIVORSHIP. IN 2023, TOWER INVESTED OVER $500,000 IN SURVIVORSHIP PROGRAMS. IN 2013, MAGNOLIA HOUSE SURVIVORSHIP SUPPORT PROGRAM OFFERED 20 CLASSES AND HAD 500 VISITS IN THE FIRST YEAR. IN 2023, MAGNOLIA HOUSE OFFERED OVER 1500 CLASSES/SERVICES AND RECEIVED OVER 20,000 PARTICIPANT VISITS. IN RESPONSE TO COVID19, WE CONTINUED OFFERING CLASSES ONLINE VIA ZOOM WHICH HAS EXPANDED THE DEMOGRAPHICS IN WHICH WE SERVICE AND ENABLED US TO INCREASE OUR CLASS CAPACITIES. WE ADDED OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING AT LOCAL PARKS WHICH HAVE BEEN WELL RECEIVED. EVEN WITH AN INCREASE IN CLASS CAPACITIES, MANY OF OUR CLASSES HAD A WAIT LIST WHICH HIGHLIGHTS BOTH THE QUALITY IN THE PROGRAMS WE OFFER AND THE VOID THAT EXISTS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ISO-LATION MANY CANCER PATIENTS EXPERIENCE. PARTICIPANTS VIEW MAGNOLIA HOUSE SURVIVORSHIP SUPPORT PROGRAM AS A LIFELINE THAT PROVIDES NOT ONLY ENHANCED QUALITY OF LIFE BUT A COMMUNITY OF FRIENDSHIP, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND COMFORT AS WELL. ONE EXAMPLE THAT REFLECTS THE IMPACT OF MAGNOLIA HOUSE, IS THE SURVIVOR 2 THRIVER PEER TO PEER FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN WE LAUNCHED IN THE SUMMER OF 2023. OUR GOAL WAS TO RAISE $5,000. MAGNOLIA HOUSE PARTICIPANTS RAISED $30,000 THROUGH THIS CAMPAIGN, HIGHLIGHTING THE DEPTH OF COMMUNITY AND IMPACT OF THE MAGNOLIA HOUSE PROGRAM.TOWER'S COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEE IS COMPOSED OF EXPERT VOLUNTEERS WHO REVIEW APPLICATIONS IN DEPTH AND THEN MEET TO DISCUSS GRANT APPLICATIONS FROM CANCER SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. IN 2023, WE FUNDED $200,000 IN COMMUNITY PARTNER GRANTS AND CONTINUED TO REFINE OUR REVIEW PROCESS WITH A NEW GRANT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, NEW AND EXPERIENCED PEER GRANT REVIEWERS, AND A NEEDS ASSESSMENT TO REFLECT A MORE TARGETED FOCUS ON FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT UNDERSERVED AND UNDER RESOURCED COMMUNITIES ALLOWING US TO EXTEND OUR SUPPORT TO THOSE MOST IN NEED OF CARE.
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 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 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 March 1997.
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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