The mission of LUNGevity Foundation is to save lives and to ease the burden of lung cancer on patients and their loved ones. In order to fulfill its mission, the Foundation will:
- Fund the most promising, innovative, and impactful medical research into diagnosis, treatment, and cure of lung cancer.
- Provide emotional support for lung cancer survivors and their loved ones by creating community.
LUNGevity Foundation was founded by seven Chicago-area lung cancer survivors to increase funding for lung cancer research.
Upon being diagnosed with lung cancer, these individuals learned that while tremendous progress had been made in detecting and treating many of the deadliest cancers over the last two decades, little progress had been made to save the lives of individuals diagnosed with lung cancer. This slow progress was due, in great part, to a lack of funding for lung cancer research. While funding for breast, prostate and colorectal cancer research had grown exponentially over the years, there had been no corresponding growth for lung cancer research.
Since its inception in November 2000, the Foundation has committed to co-funding more than $4 million in innovative lung cancer research projects at the foremost cancer programs in America. The LUNGevity Foundation partners with the American Cancer Society Illinois Chapter, American Lung Association, American Thoracic Society, Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships, and The CHEST Foundation (the philanthropic arm of the American College of Chest Physicians) to make its research awards.
In 2007, and each succeeding year, the Foundation hopes to double its research awards until a cure is found for lung cancer.
LUNGevity Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization.
