American Cancer Society
Meets Standards
Standards For Charity Accountability
Governance
-
Board Oversight
-
Board Size
-
Board Meetings
-
Board Compensation
-
Conflict of Interest
Measuring Effectiveness
-
Effectiveness Policy
-
Effectiveness Report
Finances
-
Program Expenses
-
Fundraising Expenses
-
Accumulating Funds
-
Audit Report
-
Detailed Expense Breakdown
-
Accurate Expense Reporting
-
Budget Plan
Fundraising & Info
-
Truthful Materials
-
Annual Report
-
Website Disclosures
-
Donor Privacy
-
Cause Marketing Disclosures
-
Complaints
American Cancer Society meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Stated Purpose:
"to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to prevent, detect, treat and survive cancer."
Year, State Incorporated:
1922, NY
The American Cancer Society (ACS) delivers its mission to save lives and improve outcomes for people with cancer in three program areas: (1) Research, (2) Patient Support, and (3) Advocacy. In the area of research, the organization provides grants intended to drive research in cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and survivorship. Patient support programs provide direct support and education for people with cancer, caregivers, and clinicians in 22,000+ communities in the United States and across 60 countries. Through its nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the organization works to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families and delivers a message to elected leaders that fighting cancer must be a national priority. Its grassroots advocacy volunteers work with lawmakers at the local, state, and federal levels to support legislation protecting patients' rights and to safeguard public health. Some ($73,184,000 or 11%) of ACS's program activities are carried out in conjunction with fundraising appeals.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, American Cancer Society's program expenses were:
| Patient support | $426,291,000 |
| Research | $198,658,000 |
| Advocacy | $59,852,000 |
| Total Program Expenses | $684,801,000 |
Chief Executive
Shane Jacobson, Chief Executive Officer
Chair of the Board
Terri McClements
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Retired
Board Size
20
Paid Staff Size
3092
*2024 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
Note: Mr. Jacobson became Chief Executive Officer on August 12, 2025. In 2024, the previous Chief Executive Officer, Karen Knudsen, received $2,242,645 in compensation.
Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Television, Radio, Grant proposals, Internet, Planned giving arrangements, Cause-related marketing (affinity credit cards, consumer product sales, etc.)
ACS incurred joint costs of $104,457,000 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs $73,184,000 was allocated to program expenses, $27,518,000 was allocated to fundraising expenses, and $3,755,000 was allocated to administrative expenses.
Fundraising costs were 16% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $754,444,000, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)
This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
The following information is based on American Cancer Society's audited financial statements - consolidated for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Source of Funds
| Contributions | $265,093,000 |
| Bequests | $197,698,000 |
| Special events, net | $189,144,000 |
| In-kind contributions | $82,020,000 |
| Investment income | $72,800,000 |
| Other support from public | $15,297,000 |
| Grants and contracts from government agencies | $5,192,000 |
| Total Income | $811,868,000 |
Programs: 81% Fundraising: 15% Administrative: 4%
| Total Income | $811,868,000 |
| Total expenses: | $844,867,000 |
| Program expenses | $684,801,000 |
| Fundraising expenses | $124,626,000 |
| Administrative expenses | $35,440,000 |
| Other expenses | $0 |
| Income in Excess of Expenses | $-32,999,000 |
| Beginning Net Assets | $1,360,463,000 |
| Other Changes In Net Assets | $13,272,000 |
| Ending Net Assets | $1,370,984,000 |
| Total Liabilities | $436,084,000 |
| Total Assets | $1,807,068,000 |
Note 1: In the above financial section, "other changes in net assets" represents change in value of split-interest agreements ($28,396,000) and net decrease in retirement plan liability (-$15,396,000).
Note 2: According to the organization's 2024 audited financial statements, ACS received in-kind contributions of $82,020,000 including media communication and production services ($38,048,000), Discovery Shops ($27,935,000), other nonfinancial contributions ($7,544,000), land leases ($5,047,000), peer review services ($2,806,000), and real estate ($640,000).
An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.
This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Meets Standards
-
Standards Not Met
-
Did Not Disclose
-
Review in Progress
-
Unable to Verify
Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance