Lung Cancer Research Foundation

“Mary ann tighe and aaron m. Tighe - family relationship mary ann tighe and raymond e. Chalme - business relationship”

“Board treasurer, ceo, and cfo review 990 prior to filing.”

“The board reviews the conflict of interest policy annually, and asks all board members and employees to disclose any conflicts or potential conflicts. In addition, all contracts are reviewed for known or potential conflicts by the board of directors, executive director, sr. Director finance & administration and the executive committee on an on-going basis.”

“The executive committee of the board looks at compensation surveys and also compares salaries in similar organizations to determine the reasonableness of salaries for the executive director. The executive committee also considers other performance-based criteria which includes a written performance appraisal of the executive director. The executive director approves all other salaries and has oversight in all annual reviews.”

“Financial statements are available on the organization's website. All other documents are made available to the public upon receipt of a written request.”

“Research: despite being the leading cause of cancer mortality, lung cancer receives far less research funding per death. Lung cancer receives $4,440 per death compared to breast cancer at $20,238, prostate cancer at $9,200, and pancreatic cancer at $6,020. That is why funding from non-governmental organizations is so critical. The lung cancer research foundation (lcrf) plays a pivotal role in this funding landscape. Since 2005, the lung cancer research foundation, and its progenitor organizations, has been committed to funding cutting edge research that transforms the lung cancer treatment landscape. When we first opened our doors, our mission was simple: provide hope by funding the best research and help bring it to people. We have been wildly successful. In 18 years, we have become one of the largest private funders of lung cancer research enabling earlier detection, deeper understanding of the mechanisms that allow lung cancer to form, and new and expanded treatment options that have saved many lives. Simultaneously, our scientific advisory board has become one of the preeminent bodies in the lung cancer research community. Furthermore, our investment in early career investigators continues to allow new talent to thrive and grow in the space as is demonstrated through follow-on funding many have received since receiving their lcrf grant. To date, lcrf has provided 429 research grants totaling nearly $48 million, the largest amount provided by a non-governmental organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research. Support within the patient community, researchers, strategic partners, and industry partners is key to our present success as well as achieving our future vision to find a cure for lung cancer. The 2024 grant cycle included awards in the following areas: lcrf leading-edge grant in lung cancer, lcrf research grant on early detection and pre-neoplasia in lung cancer, lcrf research grants on understanding resistance in lung cancer, lcrf minority career development award (cda) for lung cancer, and the iaslc-lcrf team science research grant on the next step in the cure of oncogene-driven lung cancers. Earlier this year, lcrf awarded the american lung cancer screening initiative (alcsi), led by chi-fu jeffrey yang, md, of massachusetts general hospital, a $320,000 grant to conduct its "plus one" screening initiative and research study. Two (2) research grants were funded through the lcrf leading edge research grant program which funds innovative projects across the full spectrum of basic, translational, clinical, epidemiological, health services, and research focused on a myriad of topics. Two (2) research grants were funded through the lcrf research grant on understanding resistance in lung cancer. These projects will focus on understanding the development, prevention, and therapy of resistance by supporting projects that are identifying, characterizing, treating or preventing resistance to therapies in lung tumor cells, tissues, mouse models, and/or patients. These studies will enhance the momentum of improving lung cancer outcomes and have the potential to increase survivorship. Two (2) research grants were funded through the lcrf minority career development award (cda). Minority applicants are less likely to receive grants, to have the r phases of k01 or k99 awards activated, need more submissions to obtain funding, and often will not resubmit proposals. As minority applicants must overcome systemic and structural barriers due to race, ethnicity, country of origin, socioeconomic status, and/or language, many leave academia which further exacerbates the lack of diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (stem) and medical fields. To provide protected time and mentoring to these trainees, we continue to offer the lcrf minority career development award (cda) for lung cancer for minority postdoctoral/clinical fellows and assistant professors within 10 years of completing their md and/or phd degrees”

“Patient education & outreach: the patient education portfolio includes print and digital educational resources (pdf downloadable format as well as easily accessible website content) that are provided at no cost. The overall goals of our patient education materials are to help patients and their families better understand lung cancer, learn about treatment options, participate in shared decision making with their care team, make decisions about clinical trials, and understand the implications of comprehensive biomarker testing. Patients and caregivers need information at all steps in the continuum of care, from diagnosis through treatment and beyond. The lung cancer research foundation has a portfolio of educational resources to help patients and their families better understand lung cancer and learn about their treatment options. Helping patients to understand new treatments and the hope offered by these treatment advances are key objectives of our educational materials. We also have materials designed to educate the public about the magnitude of lung cancer as a health care problem and ways to identify symptoms of the disease. In 2024, lcrf distributed over 368,000 educational pieces to lung cancer patients, caregivers, advocates and healthcare professionals across the nation in both print and digital format. Our website also contains links to information and resources, which receives on average of more than 380,000 pageviews annually. Our continued goal is to steadily increase our materials distributed, particularly with digital downloads as there has been a surge in demand for readily available information. The key objectives of the portfolio are to: empower patients and caregivers by increasing their knowledge of lung cancer, biomarker testing, clinical trials and treatment options; provide an up-to-date and credible source of information on available treatments, educate patients on what to expect from treatment and what is critical for optimal outcomes; provide tools to facilitate discussions between patients and healthcare providers; educate the public about the magnitude of lung cancer as a health care issue, ways to identify symptoms of the disease, and explain the importance of early detection, tumor biomarker testing and clinical trial participation; share progress and impact of research (including that which is funded by lcrf), and explain why funding research is crucial for the development of new treatments for lung cancer; and ensure that the materials are culturally appropriate, at appropriate literacy levels, and accessible through a variety of delivery methods (online, through community groups and community healthcare providers, patient and caregiver focused events, etc.). The patient education materials are evidence-based and developed in conjunction with the education and engagement committee, composed of oncologists, researchers, oncology nurses, social workers, and patients/caregivers. The patient educational portfolio is also crafted with assistance from the feedback we receive from our community. Our materials are rated on average a 4.6/5 according to the feedback collected from individuals who download or order our print materials on our website. Sample feedback includes: thank you for providing free educational resources. I am a thoracic nurse navigator and provide these to all of my lung cancer patients. My patients like and appreciate them very much. Thank you so much for providing information to people trying to navigate a lung cancer diagnosis and all the stress related to the entire process. My mother was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. Very heartbreaking and a surprise to us all. Heard nothing but good reviews about lcrf so i look forward to learning about everything and i appreciate what you all do. I love the living with lung cancer booklet. It is definitely very comprehensive in that it includes coping with diagnosis/treatment, information about our newer targeted and immunotherapies, and”

“The learning objectives of our educational programs are: 1. Provide up-to-date education and information about lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, so our audience has a reliable source to turn to for accurate and timely information; 2. Inform about new advancements in the field of lung cancer research and the treatment landscape; 3. Provide opportunity for dialogue and a sense of connection and community; 4. Highlight research advancements, newly discovered treatment options, best practices and standards of care for patients undergoing treatment, and psychosocial support for patients and their caregivers; 5. Ensure awareness of and access to important lung cancer resources and programs offered through lcrf and its partners. Since its inception in march 2020, we've had over 10,000 registrants for our #togetherseparately virtual events with an average attendance record of over 100 individuals per webinar. Most of the attendees in this series are lung cancer patients, survivors, advocates, caregivers, and community providers. Our goal is to continue the series, while focusing on the biggest areas of unmet needs in the lung cancer community. Additionally, since 2022, we've reintroduced our in-person programming with the launch of our lcrf together in-person educational program series. We hosted one lcrf together program in chicago on may 15, 2024. This event had over 50 people in attendance, including patients and caregivers, those who have lost a loved one, as well as healthcare professionals and industry sponsors. Another lcrf together program was held in tarrytown, new york on april 13, 2024.”

“Returned grant funds 51,697.”