Dear MSK Community,
Our knowledge of cancer — what it is and how it progresses — has developed at a staggering pace over the past 20 years. Today, thanks to remarkable advances in the understanding of how cancer cells behave and evolve, many led by MSK, researchers have devised previously unimaginable strategies to detect and treat the disease. We are at a moment of unprecedented hope and opportunity, and we would not be here without the generous philanthropic support of MSK Giving, our donor community.
MSK has achieved many “firsts” in its 140-year history, and philanthropy has been essential to every one. From establishing the first fellowship program to playing important roles in developing the first chemotherapy, the first cancer immunotherapies, and the first laboratory-developed test authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to screen for cancer-causing mutations in tumors, all of these innovative and creative ideas relied on philanthropy to get their jump-start.
This is because donor support is the best way to fund a good idea, and every breakthrough begins with an idea. Traditional funding sources, like the National Institutes of Health, usually kick in only after there is ample evidence indicating the idea will work. Philanthropy allows MSK doctors and scientists to apply courage and creativity to answer cancer’s biggest questions.
Today, despite all of our progress, cancer rates are rising, due largely to an aging population that has a higher risk of cancer and an unexpected increase in the disease among people under 50. We have many innovative tools and quantities of data available to us, but we need to invest in new technologies to unleash their full potential. Cancer research has reached a critical turning point, and, once again, we need donor support to ensure that our approach to cancer can successfully adapt to meet the demands of the future.
To respond to this urgency, MSK has launched “The MSK Campaign: Leading Science. Changing Lives.” We are committed to raising $6 billion by 2030, under the leadership of our co-chairs Stanley F. Druckenmiller, Member of the Board of Trustees; Marie- Josée Kravis, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees; and Scott Stuart, Chair of the Board of Trustees.
Organized across six strategic initiatives, The MSK Campaign ensures that our doctors and scientists will have the resources needed to create new treatments and cures, turning a legacy of innovation into impact.
This special issue of MSK News tells the story of how far MSK has already come — and how much further we can go with the partnership of MSK Giving, our donor community.
Last year, more than 415,000 people donated to MSK, each one a valued member of the community. Ninety-seven percent of these donors contributed less than $1,000. Whether you ride with Cycle for Survival®, run with Fred’s Team®, laugh with Comedy vs Cancer, give now or through thoughtful future arrangements, you can join The MSK Campaign and our effort to advance MSK’s mission of ending cancer for life.
The MSK Campaign is ambitious and bold, and so is the MSK Giving community. To learn how you can change lives with us, visit giving.mskcc.org/msk-campaign.
Sincerely,
President and Chief Executive Officer