Donations
The Oral Cancer Foundation General Fund
Donate to the General Fund which is the OCF's source of unrestricted support that impacts every aspect of the foundation's mission. These gifts enable us to respond more rapidly to new ideas in the battle against oral cancer. Your unrestricted gifts are directed to areas of greatest need and greatest promise as determined by the OCF leadership. They range from funding research, to raising awareness and early detection.
The Bruce Paltrow Oral Cancer Fund
Donate to the OCF fund co-directed by the Paltrow family. The proceeds are used primarily in helping minorities and under served populations.
OCF Memorial Funds
Families and organizations who wish to raise money for the oral cancer cause in memory of a friend or loved one, have set up special funds within the non profit structure of The Oral Cancer Foundation. As an ongoing effort, and for years into the future, they, their friends, and coworkers, are able to work to do good in the world through research, raising public awareness, and other missions that the help the foundation accomplish, while they memorialize the life of that individual. This link will take you to a list of those individual funds. If you would like to establish a memorial fund for someone, please contact Brian Hill at the foundation's main number.
Academy of Comprehensive Esthetics Oral Cancer Drive
Dentistry is evolving beyond the treatment of caries and the glamour of smile makeovers, in fact, it is looking at these more traditional dental practices in a whole new light. While the preservation and beauty of teeth is what the public expects from dentistry, we know that dentists are now, more than ever, an important part of the medical team.
The increasingly important link between oral and systemic health is being strengthened every day by new and ongoing research. Today, dentists are in a better position than ever before to have a significant impact on the prevention of heart disease, premature birth and a quality of life that extends beyond a beautiful smile. No other medical professional is in the position that dentists are in today with regard to the prevention and early diagnosis of life threatening disease, particularly Oral Cancer. The academy is asking all of its members to take a proactive stance against oral cancer by donating to this dedicated fund inside OCF, and by becoming members of OCF. Members connect here to donate to the ACE OC drive, and select ACE from the drop down menu on the next page. Through the combined efforts of ACE members, there is the opportunity to fund needed programs executed by OCF, and positively impact the morbidity and death rate of this disease. It's not just about beautiful smiles, it's about healthy people.
We would like you to think for a moment about non-profit foundations in general. Why do foundations like ours exist? There are many reasons, but primarily they come into being because a particular need is not being met adequately through any other means. They exist to increase awareness of that need or problem, drawing public, professional, and governmental attention to its unique situation. Foundations then apply that public awareness to effect change. Worthy endeavors in the form of non-profit foundations abound. Those that seek to protect our environment, that help shed light and elucidate diseases and chronic conditions that burden lives, others that champion social causes, or lift the human spirit. All worthy in their own right. Our government cannot allocate the resources to every worthy cause which exists. Professional associations in the arts, sciences, medicine, education, etc. also cannot meet the demands of every need, even within the more finely tuned scope of their efforts. Foundations attempt to fill these voids, and their efforts and contributions have been profound. They have protected endangered species, preserved habitats and wilderness, championed the rebirth of inner cities and provided opportunities for the underserved and the less privileged of the worlds populations. They have fed the hungry and moved governments to change. Cures for disease and important medical research are furthered by their involvement, and they have enriched lives with exposure to the arts.
Of course many more positives could be added to this list, but their most important contribution is more subtle; they give voice to those who alone may not be heard. When an idea or cause is acted on by a chorus of voices speaking in unison, it will be heard. The individual voice, amplified through a foundation becomes the catalyst for change and empowerment, the creator of hope, and the general improvement of the quality of our existence.
People become involved in foundations for a simple reason. They share a common value with the goals and visions of the foundation. Through their association, they add their voice, their time, and their money to a cause which speaks to their own individual value system. In a world where the focus frequently seems to be on the selfish enrichment of individuals and personal consumerism, those who join with a cause set themselves apart. When you hear of a foundation's success in a particular endeavor, it is in reality, the thousands of private individual voices of their members whose synergistic contributions have effected that change.
While foundations and their causes often are able to accomplish a particular goal through the benevolence of a major corporate partner, or private individual with the financial independence to altruistically further that effort, most financial support arrives in thousands of small increments. The individual memberships and small donations of concerned and more importantly, involved, private individuals allow a foundation to carry out both its mission and vision. Please be a part of that chorus for change by adding your voice and financial assistance to help OCF. While other cancers are seeing a decline in their incidence and death rates, in 2007 alone oral cancer rates rose by 11%. We need your help... today.
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a little bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Philanthropic giving - Gifts that benefit generations
Endowments are permanent legacies that provide significant donor recognition as well as vital support for oral cancer programs in perpetuity. The principal of your endowment gift is invested by the foundation. Funds distributed from the investment are used to support programs at the Oral Cancer Foundation. Your gift can establish an endowment fund that supports a mission area, program, or project for years to come. Life-income gifts enable you to contribute to The Oral Cancer Foundation while retaining all or a portion of the annual income generated by your gift. These gifts include charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities and pooled income funds, among many others. You may choose your own trustee for such plans.