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Connecticut affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure announces more than $1 million in grants to educate, save lives
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Apr 24, 2010 - 9:29 AM

During a time when many nonprofits aren’t getting the funding they need to serve our communities, one local funder, the Connecticut Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, announced today more than $1 Million in support of Connecticut community-based breast cancer organizations. “This is a milestone not just for us as an organization,” said Anne Morris, executive director of Komen Connecticut, “but for the women and men in our communities who rely on local services to receive the care they need to be diligent about their breast health.”

Komen Connecticut supports the community each year in the form of grants to fund local education, screening and treatment programs throughout the state. This year, 21 breast health programs are receiving $1.02 Million, the single largest investment in the organization’s 17-year history.

“We’ve taken a close look at the needs of Connecticut women and men and asked ourselves, ‘How will this investment best help us educate Connecticut about the importance of early detection and help provide free and low cost breast health services?’” said Morris.

To ensure it is funding programs that address the specific unmet breast health needs of the Connecticut community, Komen Connecticut works with local health care professionals and community leaders to conduct a comprehensive community needs assessment called the Community Profile of Breast Health in Connecticut. This profile is then used to establish funding priorities for the next two grant making cycles.

The 2010/2011 Community Profile identifies the following disparities:

· Connecticut has the fifth highest incidence of breast cancer in the nation.

· Connecticut ranks 16th in the nation in breast cancer mortality.

· Connecticut’s breast cancer mortality rate is higher than the national average.

· Knowledge of available programs and services and the importance of early detection is low. It is also not well known that breast cancer may be very treatable when diagnosed early.

· Certain minority populations and the uninsured/underinsured are at particular risk for forgoing recommended breast screenings.

This year’s grant slate specifically addresses these needs, with a focus on expanding outreach, facilitating access to breast health services to underserved Connecticut populations and promoting the availability of breast health programs and services among Connecticut women.

“When personal budgets are tight, it’s not always easy to continue supporting the causes we care about,” said Lillian Cruz, Komen Connecticut grants chair. “Our supporters know that we will be a good steward of the money they donate. We’re taking the money Connecticut residents give and reinvesting it in the communities where it was raised.”

Seventy five percent of Komen Connecticut’s net revenue is used to support local breast health programs and 25 percent funds national and local clinical research.

“Until we find the cures for breast cancer, early detection is our best way to reduce mortality rates for the disease,” said Morris. “It’s our responsibility to take care of our residents, to make sure they have access to the screenings that make early detection a reality, and to make sure that all communities know that early detection is our best option right now to fight this disease. This is exactly why it’s so important to focus our funds locally.”

For more information on the specific grants awarded and to read the Community Profile, visit www.KomenCT.org.

About the Connecticut Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure:
Komen for the Cure’s presence in Connecticut began in 1994 with a Race for the Cure. The local organization was incorporated as an Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 1999. Komen Connecticut serves local communities by providing funding for research and local life-saving programs which address education, screening and treatment for Connecticut residents. In 2010, Komen Connecticut invested $1.02 Million locally, providing funding to 21 Connecticut breast health programs. Since 1994, Komen for the Cure has awarded more than $20 Million to programs in our local communities. For more information, visit KomenCT.org or call 860-728-4955.

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