Choosing a cancer foundation is often one of the first steps taken after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Or perhaps you are looking for a reliable non-governmental organization to donate to? In either case, read this text. You will learn how to check if a foundation is honest and what to look for when choosing one.

How to choose a foundation before making a donation?

Nowadays, it is easy to fall victim to fraudsters. How can you check a foundation before supporting it? First of all, find out if the foundation actually exists. In order to obtain legal personality, every foundation must be entered in the National Court Register (KRS). There you will find a range of valuable information, including the date of commencement of operations, the scope of activities, and information about which authority supervises the foundation.

How to check a foundation in the National Court Register?

To check a foundation in the National Court Register (KRS), use the KRS search engine available on the government website. Enter the KRS number, NIP, REGON, or name of the foundation in the appropriate fields. Find the organization you are interested in on the search list and check the information about it.

How to choose a foundation for the 1.5% tax?

Check whether the foundation has public benefit organization (OPP) status. Without it, no non-governmental organization can accept 1.5% of personal income tax. You can find a list of OPPs in the public benefit organization register on the government website.

When choosing a foundation to donate 1.5% of your tax to, follow your personal preferences—you can support a specific cause that is important to you, such as the treatment of a particular person. Another option is to donate your tax to the foundation's general activities without specifying a specific cause. Also, indicate whether you want to share your data with the foundation.

A credible foundation—what does that mean?

Public trust is an extremely important element of a foundation's activities. This, in turn, is built through, among other things, transparency of operations. How can a foundation be assessed in this regard?

• Check its financial statements. You will see whether its activities are consistent with its stated purpose.
• Check whether the foundation's details appear in the National Debt Register – your donations should go towards the cause you specified, not towards paying off the foundation's debts.

A credible foundation will certainly be able to boast about the opinions of its beneficiaries—whether on its social media channels, website, or in an internet search engine. It is worth reviewing them and checking what other people have to say about the organization.

The transparency and credibility of the foundation can be seen in its daily activities—accounting for collections, secure methods of transferring donations, and providing up-to-date information on the progress of treatment for those under its care.

Check out: how to raise money for cancer treatment.

How to choose a foundation that helps cancer patients

Are you looking for a cancer foundation for yourself or a loved one battling cancer? Pay attention to the foundation's goals and scope of activities, as well as the forms of support it provides. The rules of cooperation with beneficiaries are also important. They should be clearly defined in the agreement. Some organizations charge a commission on donations collected. Others, such as Cancer Fighters, can help promote fundraising for treatment free of charge and provide beneficiaries with access to a fundraising portal.

How do cancer foundations differ from one another?

Cancer foundations may differ in terms of the forms of support they offer, their objectives, and the scope of their activities.

Some of these organizations operate locally, while others are active nationwide. Depending on your needs, you will find foundations supporting cancer treatment in Poland for children and adults or only for a specific age group. The type of cancer is also important – in addition to foundations offering support to all cancer patients, there are also those focusing on helping patients with a specific type of cancer, such as breast cancer.

Some foundations apply for public benefit organization status in order to receive 1.5% of donors' taxes. Others decide to conduct business activities in order to raise funds for their goals.

Check it out: fundraising for charity at work.

What kind of support do foundations offer to cancer patients?

The goal of cancer foundations is to provide comprehensive support to those under their care.

• Cancer patients can count on substantive and organizational assistance, which is particularly important immediately after receiving a diagnosis and during the initial stage of treatment.
• Choosing a cancer foundation means providing financial support to those in need. This support can take various forms. The foundation can help organize fundraisers for cancer patients, provide social assistance, and subsidize the purchase of medicines, equipment, diagnostics, or transportation to the hospital.
• Psychological support for patients and their families is a valuable form of support for cancer patients—consultations with a psychologist, psychological workshops, and support groups.

Cancer foundations can also, among other things, rent medical equipment, organize aid campaigns for patients, and organize workshops/games for patients with the participation of volunteers.

Find out how to organize a fundraiser for medical treatment.

How to find a foundation that suits your needs?

Determine what kind of support you need. Also, consider whether you want support from a foundation that specializes in helping people with a specific type of cancer or not. The answer to this question can significantly narrow down the list of available organizations.

What should you look for when choosing a foundation? Contact with the people who represent it is important. If you cannot count on a response to your message, no one answers the phone, or the foundation does not provide its address, keep looking.

What else should you pay attention to when choosing a cancer foundation?

• If there are no mentions of the foundation online and it does not appear in the National Court Register, there is a high risk of fraud.
• If the foundation does not want to review your diagnostic and treatment history before starting cooperation, this is suspicious.
• If a foundation does not want to sign a cooperation agreement with you and asks you to make a transfer for verification purposes, be careful—it is most likely a scam!

Which foundation helps people with cancer?

There are many foundations in Poland that support cancer patients. One of them is the Cancer Fighters Foundation. Our goal is to support both children and adults in their fight against cancer. We provide substantive, organizational, financial, and psychological assistance, as well as the support of an oncology assistant. We work with specialists and volunteers, accompanying our patients at every stage of treatment.

Contact us and become a beneficiary of the foundation today, or tell a loved one who is suffering from cancer about us.