Celebrating Our 2025 Grantees
To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation is regarded as a prime funder in the breast cancer space in the Bay Area. In April 2025, we were proud to award $240,000 in grants to 14 Bay Area nonprofit organizations which support women and men with breast health issues.
These organizations provide emergency, direct and diagnostic services, patient navigation, financial assistance, holistic complementary therapies and emotional support programs to underserved breast cancer patients. Grant recipients are located throughout the nine-county Bay Area. Grant recipients were chosen from a pool of applicants by the Foundation’s Grants Review Committee, which consists of community health and medical leaders, supporters, past and present Foundation Board Directors, many who have personally experienced breast cancer.
We were honored to acknowledge our 2025 grantees at our annual Grants Reception on April 9th for the critical services and support they provide for breast cancer patients in our communities. Follow us on our social media as we feature our 2025 grantees with information about the incredible work they are doing to assist breast cancer patients in the Bay Area. For more information, read the overview of grants
Our 2025 Grantees
2025 Grantees at the Grants Reception on April 9, 2025 — Photo Credit: Glen Graves Photo
Front Row (Left to Right):
Cecilia Thomas, San Francisco Women’s Cancer Network; Dr. Crystal Terry, Charlotte Maxwell Clinic; Leanne Gallup, Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation; Kelly Tyler, Marin Center for Independent Living; Fern Orenstein, Breastoration Ink; Dolores Moorehead, Women’s Cancer Resource Center; Kim Burnham, Pink Ribbon Good; Pam Klaus, Cancer CAREpoint; Juvy Barbonio, Pilipino Senior Resource Center; Lizeth Castillo, Bay Area Cancer Connections
Back Row (Left to Right):
Alison Gause, MarinHealth Foundation; Jeannie Hamann, Tim and Jeannie Hamann Foundation
Not pictured:
Haley Pollak, Bright Spot Network; Kimberly Scrafano, Shanti Project
Grant Recipients 2025:
Bay Area Cancer Connections – San Mateo
Breast and Ovarian Cancer Emergency Fund
This fund provides critical financial assistance for low-income Bay Area breast cancer patients, allowing them to focus on their health, well-being and life-extending medical care. The fund helps cover essential living expenses such as rent, utilities, health insurance premiums, prescriptions, medical equipment and supplies.
Breastoration Ink – San Rafael
3D Nipple and Areola Tattooing
This program provides 3D nipple tattooing, a non-surgical alternative to nipple reconstruction for low-income individuals who have lost a nipple after breast cancer reconstruction or are not candidates for nipple-sparing mastectomies. This highly specialized procedure restores the nipple and areola to a natural looking color and shape.
Bright Spot Network – Alameda
Bright Grants for Short Term Family Relief
This program provides short-term relief for families, caregivers and parents grappling with the financial challenges presented by cancer while raising young children. Grants help the family during diagnosis and treatment to cover basic necessities, child-related expenses, health/wellness costs or other direct support and emergency services.
Cancer CAREpoint – San Jose
Emergency and Support Services for Breast Cancer Patients
Emergency funding for rent, utilities and groceries ease the financial and emotional burdens of a breast cancer diagnosis. Direct services such as wigs and head coverings and complementary holistic services such as guided imagery, recovery fitness and nutrition consultations support healing and wellness.
Charlotte Maxwell Clinic – Oakland
Integrative Care for Low-Income Women with Breast Cancer
Free complementary therapies support low-income women diagnosed with breast cancer. These include a variety of holistic therapies including acupuncture, massage, guided imagery, nutritional and lymphedema support to help reduce pain and improve quality of life. These therapies reduce side effects of cancer treatment and foster healing.
Marin Center for Independent Living – San Rafael
Mary Mathews Breast Cancer Benefits and Advocacy Program
This program provides navigation services and care coordination for uninsured and underinsured breast cancer patients to ensure continuity of care in their diagnosis and throughout treatment and recovery. The program also provides emergency assistance with rent or medical premiums.
MarinHealth Foundation – Greenbrae
Screening, Diagnostic and Genetic Testing Fund for Uninsured and Underinsured Individuals
Breast screening, diagnostic and genetic testing, mammograms, ultrasounds, MRI screenings and biopsies are provided for low income, uninsured or underinsured individuals facing disparities in breast cancer detection.
Pilipino Senior Resource Center – San Francisco
Kapwa Kalinga – “Care for Each Other”
Underserved Filipinas with breast cancer receive navigational assistance, transportation, group support therapy and emergency support services during their breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Pink Ribbon Good Inc. – Los Altos
Rides to Treatment for Breast Cancer Patients in the Bay Area
In collaboration with Uber Health, this program will provide patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer with free round-trip rides to their treatment appointments, ensuring they arrive at appointments on time and return home safely.
San Francisco Women’s Cancer Network – San Francisco
African American Women Breast Health Project
This program provides navigation for African American women living in the Bayview/Hunter’s Point communities of San Francisco to access breast cancer screening services, follow-up diagnostic, treatment and breast cancer support services.
Shanti Project – San Francisco
Women’s Cancer Program
Navigation is provided to underserved, low-income clients with breast cancer to ensure they access, understand, and complete treatment. Services include individualized case management, advocacy, interpretation/translation, appointment accompaniment, taxi vouchers and gift cards for groceries and other critically needed household items.
Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation – Santa Rosa
Sonoma County Breast Cancer Services (Cancer Support Services and Institute for Health and Healing)
This program provides integrated services and direct support to breast cancer patients from their initial diagnosis to a treatment plan, recovery and survivorship. Services include holistic therapies, nutrition consultations, exercise groups and individual and group support counseling.
Tim and Jeannie Hamann Foundation – Benicia
Making a Difference to Fight Breast Cancer
Direct and emergency services assist Solano County breast cancer patients who do not have the resources to meet basic needs. Emergency financial assistance includes rent/ mortgage payments, transportation to treatments, utilities, food and medical deductibles.
Women’s Cancer Resource Center – Berkeley
Emergency Financial Assistance for Breast Cancer Patients
Through the Faith Fancher Emergency Breast Cancer Fund, emergency financial assistance for rent, healthy food and personalized navigation services are available to low-income women and men diagnosed with breast cancer who are actively in treatment in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.