SWIM ACROSS AMERICA MISSION
We make waves by hosting benefit swims for our cancer research partners who are developing new cures and treatments to defeat cancer.
WHY SWIM ACROSS AMERICA EXISTS
Swim Across America fills a void by providing vital seed funding to world-renowned hospitals that are investigating and conducting new clinical trials that lead to treatments and cures to defeat cancer. We host benefit swims as an opportunity to raise much needed money for our hospital partners conducting lifesaving research and clinical trials.
DOESN'T THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDE CANCER RESEARCH FUNDING
An estimated 40% of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime. Meanwhile, National Cancer Institute* funding for investigative research and clinical trials has decreased 25% the past 10 years. SAA-funded projects, including funding young researchers representing the next generation of cancer pioneers, are designed to bring about breakthroughs that lead to greater funding from the NCI, other foundations, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
*The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
HOW MUCH DOES SAA AWARD ITS BENEFICIARIES
For 2015, our benefit swims generated $6.3M and we awarded $4.65M in program grants. Fundamentally, we will award minimum of 70% in revenue as program grants. For 2015, we awarded 73% of revenue in program grants. Our fundraising expense was 17.6% of revenue and administration expense was 15.5% of revenue. Our tax returns and audited financials are publicly available.
2013 Tax Return 2013 Audited Financials
2014 Tax Return 2014 Audited Financials
2015 Tax Return 2015 Audited Financials
2016 Tax Return 2016 Audited Financials
WHO ARE SAA BENEFICIARIES
Our benefit swims have generated more than $65M the past decade to fund cancer research and clinical trials at world-renowned hospitals Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Johns Hopkins, Moffitt Cancer Center, Chicago Rush, Children's Hospital of Atlanta, Mass General Hospital for Children, Dana Farber, Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy, UC San Francisco Children's Hospital, UC Children's Hospital Oakland and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Success stories and breakthroughs from our beneficiaries are on our LinkedIn page.
HOW DOES SAA SELECT BENEFICIARIES
Our beneficiares are in the communities that we host an SAA open water benefit swim. We will only establish a benefit swim in a market where there is a world class research hospital that desires to partner with us. It is vital that our hospital beneficiaries are partners in our benefit swims and that are participants see our researchers at the swims so they can learn the impact of their donations.
WHERE ARE SAA BENEFIT SWIMS
Our calendar showcases our benefit swim schedule.
WE WANT TO HOST A POOL BENEFIT SWIM
Pool benefit swims are ideal for swim clubs that want to host a swim in their pool and support SAA. Learn more about hosting a pool benefit swim.
I WANT TO SUPPORT SAA BUT CAN'T ATTEND AN OPEN WATER SWIM
Swim15.org is our virtual swim that anyone can do. The idea is you swim 15 minutes and ask 15 people to support you with a $15 donation. Swim15 is an opportunity for anyone to support the SAA cause and money raised is distributed to our beneficiaries.
Annual Report
Swim Across America has earned Guidestar Platinum status, the highest level of recognition of transparency for non-profits. Our tax returns and other donor information is publicly available at GuideStar.
