How cancer charities are revolutionizing fundraising efforts

An estimated 2,114,850 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in 2026, while 626,140 are expected to die from the disease. These figures show why cancer charities cannot treat fundraising as a once-a-year effort. 

Patients and families need help now, but advances in prevention, detection, and treatment depend on reliable funding over many years. Donors also want to see where their money goes and how it makes a difference. 

Cancer charities are responding by changing how they raise funds, involve supporters, and connect each gift to their mission. That shift is redefining cancer fundraising and offering valuable lessons for nonprofits of every size. 

How are cancer charities changing fundraising?

Cancer charities are transforming fundraising through peer-to-peer campaigns, year-round events, gaming streams, easier online giving, monthly donations, memorial pages, corporate programs, and non-cash gifts. 

They also connect donations to clear outcomes, personalize appeals with donor data, and manage fundraising through integrated platforms. 

Modern cancer fundraising strategies 

1. Giving supporters their own peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns

Peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising empowers individuals to create personal campaigns for your cause. 

For example, the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life is a volunteer-driven event – “the world’s largest peer-to-peer fundraising event” dedicated to fighting cancer. 

ACS has also enabled supporter-led online challenges, which let people fundraise in ways that suit them (from running marathons to playing games). 

This model lets friends, family, or survivors use their networks to raise money, bringing in donors who might never see a formal event. 

2. Turning signature events into larger fundraising ecosystems

Signature events like walks or bike rides are becoming year-round fundraising platforms. Susan G. Komen continues its MORE THAN PINK Walks and 3-Day events in 2026 to mobilize communities nationwide. 

Likewise, MSK’s Cycle for Survival just launched its 20th season with stationary-cycling events in 16 cities. These events unite survivors, caregivers, and supporters in person. 

By adding things like corporate teams, local sponsorships, survivor tents, and online fundraising pages around the event, charities turn each signature event into a larger ecosystem that sustains interest and giving throughout the year. 

3. Reaching new audiences through gaming and livestream fundraising

Cancer charities are now trying to reach gaming communities. The ACS has a “Play Games and Livestream to Benefit ACS” program that encourages fundraisers to host gaming tournaments or streams. 

St. Jude runs PLAY LIVE®, a global streaming event where gamers and content creators raise funds for childhood cancer research. These programs attract younger, tech-savvy supporters who might not attend walks or galas. 

Streamers often rally their followers to donate during live broadcasts, opening a new channel for fundraising beyond traditional events. 

4. Removing friction from online donations

Smooth, easy donation experiences mean more gifts. Experts note that slow load times and long forms are top causes of donation abandonment. 

Modern platforms minimize friction: they use one-click or express checkouts (via saved cards or digital wallets) and limit form fields. For example, newer tools support Apple Pay/Google Pay or even cryptocurrency to speed up giving. 

By simplifying the online process, charities can significantly boost donation completion rates, especially on high-traffic campaign days. 

5. Building predictable revenue through monthly giving

Monthly giving reduces dependence on seasonal campaigns. Recurring donors represented 7.9% of donors in 2025, while monthly gifts generated 27% of online nonprofit revenue. 

That reliable income helps cancer charities plan long-term research and maintain patient services between major appeals.

The American Cancer Society, for example, lets monthly donors choose their amount and adjust or stop their pledge. Regular impact updates can then show donors what their continued support is helping fund.

6. Making tribute and memorial giving easier

Honoring patients and loved ones is a strong motivator to give. Many cancer charities now have built-in honor/memorial fundraising pages. 

For instance, ACS invites supporters to “create an online honor or memorial page [which] gives friends and family a powerful way to celebrate your loved one’s story”. 

St. Jude similarly lets donors “create a celebratory fundraiser in honor of someone or a special occasion”, with customizable pages to share with friends. These tribute fundraisers make it easy to turn a life event (birthday, anniversary, passing) into a campaign. 

They engage communities connected to a patient, often bringing in multiple new donors who give in honor of that person. 

7. Expanding corporate fundraising beyond event sponsorships

Cancer charities work with businesses in more ways than buying event ads. St. Jude, for example, promotes workplace giving programs – including employee payroll donations, company matching grants, volunteer grant programs, and even participating in the Combined Federal Campaign. 

Komen also offers corporate cause-marketing partnerships and encourages companies to field teams in walks or run multi-site campaigns. 

These programs let employers match employee donations, run internal fundraisers, or engage customers (e.g., a company donates a percentage of sales). By broadening corporate ties, charities boost revenue and engage whole organizations in their mission. 

8. Giving donors more ways to contribute beyond cash

Besides checks and credit cards, cancer nonprofits seek gifts of assets. They may accept stock, cryptocurrency, real estate, or legacy gifts. 

Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) have become particularly important: one report notes “more than $250 billion [is] currently sitting in DAFs”. These DAF grants can be directed by donors to cancer causes. 

By promoting options such as Fidelity Charitable grants or stock gifts, organizations can reach more high-net-worth donors. 

Accepting non-cash donations often yields large tax benefits for donors, which makes it an attractive way to give more impactfully. 

9. Connecting each fundraising appeal to a clear cancer-related outcome

Donors give more when they know exactly what their money does. Top cancer charities explicitly link each campaign to programs. 

For example, Komen’s 2026 Walk press release details that walk proceeds will “accelerate breakthroughs in research, improve treatment outcomes and deliver support to those navigating a diagnosis”, plus fund patient care and advocacy. 

In other words, they frame appeals by impact: $50 pays for a genetic test, $100 provides one day of patient lodging, etc. 

This outcome-based approach (also called impact storytelling) makes donors feel their gift will solve a real problem. It builds trust and motivates donors to give again. 

10. Using donor data to make the next ask more relevant

Personalization is key. Cancer charities use CRM and analytics to tailor appeals. For example, they might segment donors by giving level or preferred cause and adjust the ask. 

Fundraising experts advise using donor history to set suggested amounts on forms. Similarly, email appeals can be customized: a donor who gave last year for research might get an update on research progress and a related ask, while a donor who gave at an event might get invited back. 

These data-driven strategies make asks feel more relevant, boosting response rates and retention. 

11. Bringing fundraising campaigns and donor activity into one connected system

Leading nonprofits avoid siloed data by keeping fundraising and donor activity connected. For example, BetterWorld brings donations, events, auctions, ticketing, peer-to-peer campaigns, and recurring gifts into one platform. 

Each donation automatically creates or updates a donor record. Staff can view the supporter’s contact details, giving history, recurring gifts, campaign participation, and past interactions.

BetterWorld also integrates with Salesforce, Blackbaud, HubSpot, and Zapier. 

This means if a supporter donates at a gala, creates a peer-to-peer team page, and sets up a monthly gift, all those activities show up in one profile. 

The result is a 360° picture of each donor and campaign, which helps staff follow up, recognize donors properly, and plan smarter appeals. 

Connect every cancer fundraising campaign with BetterWorld

Cancer charities already face difficult choices about how much funding goes toward research, prevention, and patient services. 

BetterWorld keeps software costs from becoming another burden. Our Free plan costs $0 and has a 0% platform fee. Standard processing fees apply, but more than 95% of donors choose to cover them.

Unlimited campaigns and teammates also allow organizations to grow without paying for extra users or fundraising activity. From a local support group to a national cancer charity, teams can start small and expand as their needs change.

Request a demo or sign up for free today.

FAQs

1. How do cancer charities raise money?

They use a mix of donations and events. Common methods include direct appeals to individuals, grants, corporate partnerships, and public events.

2. Why is peer-to-peer fundraising effective for cancer nonprofits?

Peer-to-peer (P2P) works because donors feel personally connected. Cancer charities often have supporters who have lost loved ones or survived cancer themselves; these individuals are motivated to help.

3. How can a small cancer charity raise more money?

Small groups can borrow ideas from big charities on a smaller scale. Hosting a local walk or run (even a short “fun run”) can bring community members together. Encourage supporters to launch DIY fundraisers online for birthdays or anniversaries. Use free or low-cost tools (like a simple crowdfunding page) to promote campaigns.