Affiliate Spotlight

Why Komen?

The reason behind the running ribbon...

This webpage was created to educate volunteers, donors, grantees and the general public by providing in-depth, honest and useful information regarding how your donation of time, talents and dollars are a worthwhile investment into our community and the promise to end breast cancer forever.
Much of the public believes that all pink ribbons are the same, but this is not true.  Please read below to learn how the Central Valley Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is different and how your donation, no matter how large or small can be a part of big change.

• Transparency
• Local Grant Programs
• Grassroots Volunteerism
• Four-Star Rated Charity
• Dedicated to Breast Cancer Only

Transparency
Our goal is to protect our good name (reputation) by which you have come to know us.  When working with community partners in third party events in which proceeds from the event benefits the Central Valley Affiliate, we follow the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance guidelines, our national organization’s branding guidelines, Internal Revenue requirements and risk management insurance requirements. Events or promotions  must clearly state a specific percentage of net revenue or a specific dollar amount that will be contributed to the Central Valley Affiliate.

Local Grant Programs
Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is the only breast cancer organization where 75% of funds raised stays in our community and goes directly to local services and resources for Fresno County residents through our community grants. The remaining 25% of the funds raised goes directly to Komen National Breast Cancer Research and Awards Program.  Visit our grants page
Komen Central Valley grant funds are restricted to breast cancer programs to non-profit organizations.  Every two years, In order to ensure that local funding addresses the unmet breast health needs in Fresno County, the Komen Central Valley Affiliate conducts a community needs assessment to determine where gaps in breast cancer services exist to guide the selection of local grant recipients and the design of special projects for collaboration.  These awards help bridge these gaps for hospitals, clinics, support groups and other organizations supporting breast cancer education, screening, diagnostic procedures, treatment and support services throughout Fresno County.  For additional information, please review our complete Komen Central Valley Community Profile

Grassroots Volunteerism
• Our Affiliate operates daily through grassroots volunteers with a limited paid staff of 1.5.
• 12 board members, who create and follow a strategic plan based on our mission.
• 40+ Race for the Cure committee members, the Central Valley Race for the Cure, a largest annual fundraiser, is entirely volunteer-run.
• 350+ grassroots volunteers who assist on-site at events, secure donations of goods or services, and help do whatever is needed!
• Interested in general volunteering or being a leader, volunteer TODAY!

Charity Navigator 4-Star Rating-Three Years In a Row
Charity Navigator is the premier independent charity evaluator who rates charities by evaluating two broad areas of financial health, their organizational efficiency and their organizational capacity. Charity Navigator ratings show givers how efficiently they believe a charity will use a donor’s support today, and to what extent the charities are growing their programs and services over time. They provide these ratings so that givers can make intelligent giving decisions, and so the philanthropic community can monitor itself effectively.  For more info on Susan G. Komen’s Charity Navigator Rating, please visit here.

Dedicated to Breast Cancer Only
• As a predominately grassroots volunteer organization, we know we can’t be all things to all people. Our organizational success is based on volunteers giving their time and talent to be leaders. Thus, we address one cancer...breast cancer. We take one cause and fight it to the best of our ability. Our volunteers are united and passionate because breast cancer has touched their lives at some point to someone they care about.
• Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest private funder of breast cancer research and community health programs. With more than $1.3 billion invested to date, Komen for the Cure is moving ahead with its commitment to invest $2 billion by the year 2017.
• Every major advance in the fight against breast cancer has been touched by Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
• Susan G. Komen has helped train more than 400 breast cancer researchers and funded more than 1,800 research projects over the past 26 years.
• The promise of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is to energize science to find the cures.

How The Power of Ten Challenge Can Make An Impact

Q:  Since the state program, Every Woman Counts no longer provides breast cancer screening for women age 40-49,  who will assist underserved women?
A:  Komen Central Valley will be the only source of outside funding available to provide eligible Fresno County residents with life-saving breast cancer screening.

Q:  How does a 5k Race and walk make a huge impact on the residents of Fresno County?
A:  Through the fundraising efforts of every participant.

How the Power of 10 Challenge Works

• It's simple; if each participant asks 10 people to donate at least $10 each, each Race participant will raise $100 above the $20 entry fee.

•  This year we will encourage all Race participants to rise to the challenge of raising additional funds over and above the $20 entry fee.

LEARN MORE

Steps to raise $100:

• Show your commitment and donate to yourself
• Ask spouse/parent/family members to match your donation
• Ask friends/co-workers
• Ask your boss for a company contribution

Click here for Fundraising Tips

Fundraising is easy with online fundraising tools! When you registered for the Race you automatically received your own fundraising website which can be personalized. Start now by logging in, and encouraging everyone you know to visit your site, see what you are doing in the fight against breast cancer and make a donation on your behalf. Up to 75 percent of net proceeds generated by the Affiliate stays right here in the local community! The remaining income goes to the national Susan G. Komen for the Cure Grants Program to fund research.

Every dollar makes an impact – thank you for everything you do!

 Central Valley Affiliate Awards

Founder's Award:  Lisa Bischel, Norm Jorgensen

                             
Promise of One Awards:  left, Samantha Carroll, Annie Ovalle

The Central Valley Affiliate hosts a yearly Volunteer Appreciation Dinner and Awards for the many volunteers who donate thousands of personal hours to the Central Valley Affiliate and the Komen Central Valley Race for the Cure.  Over 110 volunteers and supporters attended this year’s Volunteer Appreciation Dinner.  Awards were given this year to three well-deserving Komen Central Valley volunteers.

Founder’s Award
The Komen Central Valley Founder's Award is presented annually to the Affiliate volunteer that best demonstrates the overall purpose and promise of Susan G, Komen for the Cure®. The award is presented in honor of Carolyn Jorgensen, founder of the Komen Central Valley Race for the Cure. Norm Jorgensen, husband of the late Mrs. Jorgensen presented the award this year to Lisa Bischel. 

Lisa Bischel follows in Carolyn’s advocacy footsteps by playing an irreplaceable role in the Central Valley Affiliate. Through countless hours of work and dedication,  Lisa is an ambassador that carries the Komen vision of a world without breast cancer into our community.
Lisa originally chose to volunteer because her mother had been diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in January 2000, and her husband's boss had passed away after a long battle with breast cancer in February of 2000 at the age of 46.
In the 2009 Race for the Cure, Lisa was able to recruit 175 teams with 3955 participants.  Our total participant number for the 2009 Race was 6639.  Because of Lisa's diligence, teams accounted over one-half of total Race participants.
Lisa Bischel plays an irreplaceable role in the Central Valley Affiliate through tireless volunteer efforts and dedication. She believes that the rewards far outweigh the work.  Much of the success of Affiliate can be attributed to Lisa’s development of creative strategies to develop community involvement in raising funds to assist local women in gaining access to life-saving breast cancer screening. 
She has assisted all Race Committee Chairs and now plays an integral part as a member of the Website Committee.

Promise of One Award
The Promise of One awards are given at the local level, but applied through Komen Headquarters. The recognition gift is a sterling silver logo pin. The award is given to two Komen advocates each year in recognition of an exceptional contribution.
In tribute to their exceptional service, Annie Ovalle and Samantha Carroll received a sterling silver pin and letter of commendation from Alexine Jackson, Chair, Komen National Board of Directors headquartered in Dallas. Mrs. Jackson remarks,  “Annie and Samantha’s passion and dedication to the Central Valley Affiliate has enabled Komen to reach ever closer to our vision of a world without breast cancer.”

Both recipients have been members of the Komen Central Valley Board of directors since 2007.

Annie Ovalle has volunteered for the Central Valley Affiliate for the past five years. She is a member of the Komen Central Valley Board of Directors Education Chair.  Annie has done countless presentations in English and in Spanish on breast health and breast cancer awareness at schools, businesses, and a myriad of other organizations. Her participation in health fairs all over Fresno County throughout the year and her focus is on the educational aspect of the Race for the Cure are just part of her outreach efforts to spread greater awareness and information. Her motivation is her great hope that people will spread the word about breast health in casual conversation and through formal measures like passing out shower cards showing self-breast exam procedures. Annie is tireless in her efforts believing that education is one of the keys to early detection, treatment and survival.

Samantha Carroll has volunteered for the Central Valley Affiliate for the past three years. She is a member of the Central Valley Board of Directors as Board Treasurer and also donates her to to the Race for the Cure as Race Treasurer Co-Chair. She is responsible for monitoring and recording all the financial transactions of the Central Valley Affiliate, which takes a great deal of time and expertise. She invests more volunteers hours than one might in a full-time job.  Samantha also attends as many events as possible in order to teach people about breast cancer and the risks. She says that she has been a volunteer in one way or another for her entire life from Rainbow Girls at age 12 to fraternal service in college to the Women's Conference to now Komen.

 Banking on a Promise

Haven’t you always wanted to show the Central Valley Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® ribbon wherever you go?  Well, now is your chance. 
Learn how Bank of America is supporting our promise with uniquely designed credit cards, debit cards and checks.