The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
"Someday is Today"
Mission Statement
Mission Statement: “The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.”
--Taken from the website Charity Navigator
Cancer: It’s just a disease where cells multiply incorrectly. Cancer is that simple, and yet it’s not. there are many types of cancer, and blood cancer is one of the most dangerous ones out there. In a flash of an eye, this malignant malady has devastated families from the moment of the diagnosis to the final goodbye. It is currently incurable, but there are many organizations that endeavor to thwart this disease. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is one of the many participants, in the race for the cure.
What is the issue that your charity supports?
The main issue that the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is trying to address, is Blood Cancer, such as Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Multiple Myeloma. According to the World Book encyclopedia, “Cancer is a disease in which cells multiply wildly, and destroy tissue.” Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Multiple Myeloma, are all blood cancers. Blood is composed of a liquid called plasma. Plasma is made up of three cells- White Blood Cells, Red Blood Cells, and Platelets. The cancer starts when a Red Blood Cell mutates, and then duplicates over and over again. These cells start to damage tissue, and eventually kills its host.
The way leukemia kills its host is interesting. It first starts to duplicate red blood cells. The copies of the cells, however, are abnormal. They cannot relay oxygen, like red blood cells are supposed to do. Then, it metastases, or spreads throughout the body. At this point, the normal red blood cells, are scarce. The abnormal cells start to spread. However, they cannot relay oxygen, so the host experiences respiratory problems, and has trouble breathing. Their skin often turns pale, as there is less oxygen in their blood. This alone can be lethal. However, Leukemia causes more problems. Blood Cells are produced inside bones, and the abnormal cells clot to the sides of bones, causing severe pain. This can also be lethal, as it starts to destroy the areas which produce blood cells. Everyone can contract leukemia, and it continues to make a difference in the world, because it kills many people every year. Many people still contract it. In 1992, 28,000 people contracted leukemia. 2,500 of those cases were children. (Link, 1) The problem, is that although there is medication to kill off the leukemia abnormal cells, the medicine also kills regular cells. Those regular cells are replaced by more leukemia cells. In other words, chemotherapy slows the advance of cancer, but it doesn't stop it forever. If leukemia is not addressed, then more people will die, and people may have people close to them die.How did the organization begin and grow into what it is now?
Rudolph and Antoinette Roesler de Villiers started the “Robert Roesler de Villiers Foundation in 1944. Their son, Robert, had recently lost his fight against leukemia. Out of grief, the two parents started the Foundation to raise money to find a cure for Leukemia. This Foundation wasn’t much. It was just a small office on Wall Street. However, over a few years, the small nonprofit organization started to grow. It soon had chapters all over the United States of America.
The foundation also started changing its name repeatedly. After being called the foundation, it was called the Leukemia Society, and then the Leukemia Society Of America. Finally, the name, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, was settled upon. The original object of the Society was simple. It was to raise money to find a cure for leukemia. Now, the goal is to Find a cure for Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Hodgkin’s disease.
What does your chosen charity do for the community?
Many top rated charities do a lot for the community, and one among them that funds research and support for leukemic patients is The Leukemia and Lymphoma society. According to their mission statement on Charity Navigator, their goal is to cure Leukemia and other blood cancers. Charity Navigator also mentions that they “...improve the quality of life for patients and their families”. The LLS main office is located at 1131 Mamaroneck avenue, Suite 310, White Plains, NY. This charity also provides fundraisers and other events for the public.
The LLS offers a wide range of fundraisers, walks, and other activities to raise money. It’s “Someday is today” fundraiser, found on the “About us” page, focuses on finding cures and helping people afford treatments for blood cancers. Other programs include “Team in training”, “Light the night walk”, and various “school and youth programs”. All of them focus on either finding a cure for these blood cancers, or helping patients’ families cope with the stress. Some volunteering opportunities they offer are “fundraising events, office support, donor development, patient services, education programs, advocacy to local legislators, corporate sponsorships, expos and health fairs”. They also offer internships, which guide you through how to develop and manage a charity.
How effective is this charity in accomplishing its goals?
On Charity Navigator, it shows the financial statistics for the LLS. It gets 41.3% of it’s $290,358,467 revenue from gifts and contributions, 0.8% from “federated campaigns”, and 57.6% from fundraisers. On the other hand, they spend 73.3% of their earnings on the program and giving to the cause, and 18.7% of it goes back to fundraising. As for the final 8%, it goes to giving salaries to the administrative authorities in the company. Their total expenses add up to $306,978,605, which is just a little greater than their revenue. As for the effect they have on the community, “jlm_zee”, a member of Greatnonprofits says: “I think Team in Training is a terrific concept and it has been cloned...to the good of millions of participants, patients, families…”.
This foundation, after being reviewed by the community on Greatnonprofits, has received a 3-star rating. “Thomas W.” says: “I found their printed material easy to read and understand for a non-medical person...I also found their staff to be very professional, caring, informed, patient, and understanding”. On the same webpage, “katie.Marie.griffith” says : “ LLS is just an amazing charity for a great cause and i’ll continue to support them until cancer is cured.” The number of 5 and 4 star ratings outweighed the number of 1 and 2 star ratings. The society’s financial condition is also managed well.
Works Cited
"Cancer." World Book Encyclopedia. 2011. Print.
"Cancer." World Book Encyclopedia. 2011. Print.
"Contact Us." The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society®. N.p., 25 Feb. 15. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.
"Leukemia." Cancer Sourcebook. 4th ed. Detroit: Omnigraphics, 2003. 445-54. Print.
Link, Mitchell G. "Living With Leukemia." Current Health 1993: 13-14. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 15 Apr. 15.
"Our History." The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society®. N.p., 11 July 2014. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.
"About LLS." The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
"The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society." Charity Navigator. Charity Navigator, 2015. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
"Ways To Help." Volunteer | The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.