Avon - The Company for Women - Corporate Responsibility

Avon Breast Cancer Crusade

Despite medical advances, breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, and in the United States there is a new diagnosis every three minutes.

Addressing this issue is the “flagship” program of the Avon Foundation, the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, which launched in 1992 in the United Kingdom and in 1993 in the United States. In 2009 the Breast Cancer Crusade will encompass 55 countries. For information on programs worldwide, click here to access country websites.

Advancing access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer, with a focus on the medically underserved.

Through 2008, the Avon Crusade raised more than $585 million worldwide to advance access to quality care for all, regardless of ability to pay or insurance status, and for research into the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of breast cancer.

The Avon Crusade raises funds and awareness through numerous initiatives that engage millions of women and men each year:

Breast Cancer Grantmaking

Grants are awarded for breast cancer education and awareness; screening and diagnosis; access to treatment; support services; and medical research. Beneficiaries range from leading cancer centers to community-based nonprofit breast health programs.

The Avon Foundation Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) helps guide the research and clinical care grantmaking in the United States. The SAB includes experts in public health and biomedical research relevant to breast cancer, as well as breast cancer survivor-advocates, who review proposals and make recommendations to the Foundation Board of Directors, which makes the final funding decisions. The SAB also evaluates the progress of currently funded beneficiary projects and provides the strategic direction for the Foundation breast cancer programs.

Grants to U.S. community-based breast health programs are coordinated through the Avon Breast Care Fund. Each year 130-150 community-based organizations are supported by the Avon Breast Care Fund in the United States.

Impact and Achievements

Some key Avon Breast Cancer Crusade achievements include:

  • $130 million for Avon Breast Cancer Centers of Excellence
    • University of California, Los Angeles, Jonsson Cancer Center
    • Massachusetts General Hospital
    • Johns Hopkins (Baltimore)
    • New York Presbyterian
    • Northwestern University (Chicago)
    • Emory Winship Comprehensive Cancer Center (Atlanta)
    • University of Colorado
    • San Francisco General Hospital.
  • More than $34 million for 62 translational research or clinical trials through the Avon Foundation-National Cancer Institute (NCI) “Progress for Patients” program to get research discoveries into patient care settings faster.
  • $12.3 million to breast cancer prevention
  • Support for more than 100 “safety net” hospitals that treat the medically underserved.
  • More than 1,100 grants to community-based organizations for education, screening and diagnostics.
  • Funding for research action plans to address disparities in diagnosis, treatment and mortality between Caucasian and minority populations.
  • Launch of the Love/Avon Army of Women, which is well on its way to recruiting one million healthy women to partner with researchers to help prevent breast cancer.