Terry Fox Foundation

About Terry Fox Foundation:

Terry Fox Foundation (TFF) started after Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope in 1980. Terry Fox, a 20-year old cancer patient, ran 5,373 kilometers across Canada to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. He passed away in June 1981. Terry Fox Foundation’s mission is to realize Terry Fox’s vision of a world without cancer by funding innovative cancer research. TFF primarily funds cancer research at the Terry Fox Research Institute, the research arm of the foundation and a related party. TFF funds discovery research, translational research, and training new researchers. Translational research involves applying research findings to treatment directly.

In F2017, Terry Fox Foundation distributed $22.3m to Terry Fox Research Institute and $1.2m to international cancer research organizations. Approximately 98% of the Research Institute's research funding comes from Terry Fox Foundation.  Since founding, the Research Institute has provided grants to over 400 investigators.  In F2017, TFF funded 405 researchers across 80 Canadian institutions.

The under-funded cancers that kill the most Canadians are lung, colorectal, and pancreatic. TFF reports that the five-year survival rate of lung cancer is 18%, but if lung cancer is detected early enough in patients, the cure rate is 70%. A project funded by TFF created a successful model for early detection of individuals at high risk for lung cancer. In F2017, Terry Fox Research invested 9% ($2 million) in colorectal cancer, and another 4% on lung and pancreatic cancer. 

Results and Impact: A study published in January 2017 and funded by Terry Fox Foundation is the first to show how the prostate genome can be used to predict whether patients with localized and non-indolent cancers will have more or less aggressive cancers. The findings can help detect the form of prostate cancer early on to increase survival rates and reduce side effects from treatments. The findings also help researchers determine how to use current treatments more precisely. 

Financial Review:

Terry Fox Foundation is one of the Major 100 charities of Canada. In F2017, it received donations of $21.9m. Administrative costs are 8% of revenues and fundraising costs are 16% of donations. For every dollar donated, 76 cents go to the cause, falling within Ci’s reasonable range. TFF has funding reserves of $86.3m that can cover 3.7 years of program costs.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Terry Fox Foundation for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on July 11, 2018 by Joeyanne Cheung.