PLATINUM2024

CURE STARTS NOW INC

Family Never Fights Alone

aka DIPG Collaborative   |   Cincinnati, OH   |  www.thecurestartsnow.org

Mission

Our mission is to fund cures for pediatric brain cancers and other homerun strategies for curing cancer. We also serve to educate and aid families battling cancer with patient centered programs focusing supporting families through education, Warrior programs and other programs.

Ruling year info

2007

CEO and Executive Director

Ms Brooke Desserich

Main address

10280 Chester Rd % Brooke Desserich

Cincinnati, OH 45215 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

26-0269131

NTEE code info

Cancer (G30)

Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution (E12)

Children's and Youth Services (P30)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Curing cancer

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Pediatric Cancer Research Funding

The Cure Starts Now Cancer Research Foundation
(501c3 Federal Non-Profit) is one of the only cancer foundations dedicated to a “homerun” cure for all cancers, starting first with one of the most deadly and difficult cancers: pediatric brain cancer. Many experts believe that the lessons we learn from fighting pediatric cancer may in fact provide us the critical first step in winning the battle against all forms of cancer, both pediatric and adult.

The Cure Starts Now represents a revolutionary new strategy in cancer research; one that fights cancer not according to numbers but instead based on knowledge and research. And isn’t that the way we’ll ultimately win the battle?

The Cure Starts Now’s mission is one that knows no boundaries and stops at no borders. It is an international effort of families, friends, businesses and even strangers, united in the desire to cure cancer, one child at a time. And it all started with one child, but today the inspiration is carried with us all.
  
In our search for the cure, we are not alone.Joined by institutions, foundations and individuals, The Cure Starts Now has been involved with the funding of over $16,000,000 in pediatric cancer research since its creation occurring at the best hospitals and institutions worldwide. From state-of-the-art mouse modeling to unprecedented registry cooperation and drug screening, some of the very best in
cancer research is possible because of your support.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

In 2011, The Cure Starts Now created and produced the International DIPG Symposium. As a result, in 2012 The Cure Starts Now founded the Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma Collaborative.  Developed to work hand-in-hand with research produced from the Symposium, today the DIPG/DMG Collaborative is made up of around 25 independent foundations that agree to fund revolutionary research in a transparent, non-duplicative manner in such a way that funds can be ready as research collaboratives are built.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

Where we work

Awards

Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis Jeffersonian Award for Community Service 2016

Rotary International

Affiliations & memberships

Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis Jeffersonian Award for Community Service 2016

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Total number of grants awarded

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Children and youth

Related Program

Pediatric Cancer Research Funding

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Number of research grants awarded each year. DIPG Symposium years (2015 + 2017+2019+2021+2023) is significantly higher than non-DIPG Symposium years (2024+ 2022+2020+2018+2016 + 2014).

Total dollar amount of grants awarded

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Children and youth

Related Program

Pediatric Cancer Research Funding

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of conference attendees

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Caregivers, Families, People with diseases and illnesses

Related Program

DIPG/DMG Symposium & Collaborative

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Symposiums, collaborative and chapter meetings.

Total number of organization members

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Caregivers, Families, Parents

Related Program

DIPG/DMG Symposium & Collaborative

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

CSN Chapters + DIPG Collaborative Member Organizations + Ambassadors

Number of conferences held

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Families, Parents, People with diseases and illnesses

Related Program

DIPG/DMG Symposium & Collaborative

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Number of DIPG Symposiums hosted each year. DIPG Symposium is bi-annual and are scheduled for 2023.

Average grant amount

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Children and youth

Related Program

Pediatric Cancer Research Funding

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Average amount granted to hospitals, researchers and institutions for DIPG research for the year.

Average number of dollars received per donor

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Children and youth

Related Program

Pediatric Cancer Research Funding

Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Average donation amount.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

We seek to educate, aid and fund revolutionary cancer cure strategies that focus on those cancers that experts believe will fundamentally change how we fight cancer, thereby winning the war not by numbers but by science.

We seek to educate through awareness campaigns and our bi-annual DIPG Symposium. The Cure Starts Now aids families battling cancer with our Warrior program, one-on-one support and other programs. Lastly, each year, thanks to our extensive network of chapters and families, we are able to use money raised to fund research selected through an extensive grant process with our highly specialized Medical Advisory Council.

Through our extensive network of chapters and families, we are able to use money raised to fund research selected through an extensive grant process with our highly specialized Medical Advisory Council. With our bi-annual DIPG Symposium, we work with researchers and institutions to ensure that research data is being shared and efforts are made to collaborate on research.

Since the inception of the charity we have raised over $18 million in research funded and held five successful DIPG Symposiums.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Financials

CURE STARTS NOW INC
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

CURE STARTS NOW INC

Board of directors
as of 08/04/2024
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Mr. Keith Desserich

Keith Desserich

Doug Desserich

Tamara Ekis

Gavin Baumgardner

Terry Regan

Alyssa Hawranko

Dan Lee

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 2/3/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 10/19/2023

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.