Telephone Appeals
Get smart about charity telemarketing calls. Learn key questions to ask, how to verify legitimacy, and how to opt out of future calls.
Wise Giving Wednesday: Support Trusted Charities on World Cancer Day
Each February, World Cancer Day reminds us of the ongoing fight against cancer—and how we can make a difference by supporting the right organizations.
Why World Cancer Day Matters
February 4th is World Cancer Day, established 26 years ago in Paris at the World Cancer Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium. The day is dedicated to raising awareness and promoting cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment.
With nearly 20 million new cancer diagnoses in 2025 alone, it’s fair to say that many of us have had a friend, family member, or colleague who has been affected by cancer.
We encourage you to consider supporting trustworthy cancer charities today or throughout the year.
How to Choose the Right Cancer Charity
Choosing a cancer charity can be daunting given the thousands of options available.
Donors often decide where to give based on personal experiences or those of loved ones. For example, you may be particularly interested in charities that focus on supporting children, prioritizing research, or addressing specific types of cancer.
What Your Donations Help Fund
Supporting cancer charities helps fund vital initiatives, such as cutting-edge AI technologies that improve early diagnosis and detection, immunotherapy treatments that strengthen the body’s immune system, and the provision of screenings and treatment for individuals.
Tips for Giving to Cancer Charities
Whichever cancer charity you choose to support, we’d like to share a few tips to help ensure your donation goes to an organization you can trust.
- Double-check charity names. With so many cancer charities out there, it’s no surprise that many include the word “cancer” in their name and may sound familiar. Take the time to look carefully to ensure you’re donating to the intended organization. It’s also a good idea to check that the address listed in any fundraising appeal matches the one on the charity’s official website.
- Look for clear mission statements and descriptions of program activities. Look closely at charity appeals and websites to understand the specific activities each organization is involved in. Don’t make assumptions about what a charity does, and instead look for clear, detailed information. Whether you want to support treatment, prevention, education, or research, look for charities that align with your interests.
- Be wary of exaggerated appeals. If statistics in charity appeals seem too good to be true, think twice and double-check. Be especially cautious of organizations claiming that “100% of your donation goes to supporting cancer research,” for example. If such a statement is made, the organization should also explain how they cover fundraising and administrative expenses.
- Seek clarity in cause-related marketing. Many cancer charities are involved in cause-related marketing campaigns, in which purchases of consumer goods or services will benefit a specific charitable organization. If you are considering purchasing a product that will also benefit a cancer charity, look for clear disclosures that identify the actual or anticipated amount of the purchase price that will benefit the stated group before you give. For more details about Standard 19, on cause marketing disclosures, please see our BBB Charity Standards.
We hope these tips provide you with peace of mind as you explore supporting cancer charities.
Support Cancer Charities You Can Trust
For even more confidence when giving, please review our list of nationally soliciting cancer charities that meet the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Recent Reports
We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.
