Cancer Coalition Basics: Funding, Resource Management and Sustainability

This section of the Cancer Coalition Basics provides Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) coalitions with guidance and resources on funding, managing resources and sustaining the coalition. Tips for funding, resource management and sustainability include:

Previously existing coalition relationships, built over time, can enable a swift shift in resource allocation.
Keep coalition work groups connected, as they can be instrumental in quickly pivoting to address an emerging need.
Do not overlook the ability of partners to obtain grant funding on behalf of your coalition.
Look for universities in your state with large, funded programs that could be a good fit for your coalition.
Remember that members have relationships with entities outside of the coalition.
Do not forget to leverage in-kind services.

Snapshot Examples

The Iowa Cancer Consortium (the Consortium) is the state’s comprehensive cancer control partnership. It supports health professionals and advocates working in all areas of cancer control to help them find funding, build capacity and connect with partners – all with the goal of enhancing their ability to reduce the burden of cancer in Iowa.

The Consortium, which has 501(c)3 status, is part of a triad of entities that support the coalition and keep its partners connected. Due to this structure, the Consortium receives funds from sources other than the CDC.

Mountains of Hope (MOH) is West Virginia’s cancer coalition, serving all 55 counties in the state. Through a subcontract with the Bureau for Public Health’s Comprehensive Cancer Program, West Virginia University Cancer Institute staff facilitate MOH, dedicating 1.2 full-time employees. Funding for these positions and coalition activities comes primarily from a line item in the Governor’s budget that is appropriated each year through the West Virginia legislature. In addition, some CDC funds flow to the coalition to implement activities. A portion of the funds appropriated by the legislature is dispersed through a mini-grant structure to local communities, to ensure that cancer control also occurs on the community level. During Fiscal Year 2020, $40,000 in mini-grants were awarded to local entities to facilitate work on the state cancer plan.

In addition to these funding sources, MOH leverages support for coalition activities through partnerships involving non-traditional partners and within its coalition to leverage an organizational partnership, moving beyond membership to the funding of coalition activities.