Canadian Cancer Society 2022-23 Impact Report

It takes all of us

In this report, you will read about how your unwavering commitment has helped us save and improve the lives of people affected by cancer in 2022/23. Whether you are a donor, a volunteer, a partner organization, a researcher or a person touched by cancer – thank you for helping us change the future of cancer.

This year, guided by our bold strategic plan, we pursued innovative strategies to maximize impact for those we serve. Through initiatives such as CDL Cancer and the MaRS innovation challenge, we supported new solutions to cancer’s most difficult problems. We invested more than $50M in cancer research and innovation, supporting nearly 400 research projects and 131 new clinical trials.

We gave voice to people touched by cancer in our Get Better campaign and successfully advocated for policy changes including the extension of the Employment Insurance sickness benefit, which will provide 160,000+ people per year with more time to recover. We provided practical support including transportation and lodging to more than 80,000 people to ensure they could access their cancer care. We gave emotional support and reliable cancer information to over 16.5M people who needed us. Together, we raised $168.5M. We were thrilled to be back in person with so many community fundraising events for the first time in 2 years, galvanizing hundreds of thousands of supporters across Canada.

Our supporters showed up for the cancer cause in a big way in 2022/23 and we’re immensely thankful to our committed, generous and growing network of donors, researchers, patients, volunteers and partners. Together, we are transforming the future of cancer through investing in world class research, empowered advocacy and compassionate support services.

Andrea Seale, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Cancer Society

Words on screen: A look back at last year

[Various images of people uniting for the cancer cause appear on screen]

Words on screen: In 2022/23, the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) united hundreds of thousands of donors, partners, volunteers and event participants to transform the future of cancer.

[Various images of fundraising events, researchers and support program users appear on screen]

Words on screen: Thanks to your generosity, we invested nearly $110 million in our mission.

Words on screen: Because of you, we’re improving the lives of all those affected by cancer through world-class research, transformative advocacy and compassionate support.

[Various images of fundraising events, researchers and support program users appear on screen.]

Words on screen: Thank you for your full-hearted support and unstoppable commitment. We couldn’t do what we do without you!

[Various images of different people saying thank you/merci appear on screen. Andrea Seale, CEO of CCS, appears on screen holding a sign that says, “Thank you.”]

[The Canadian Cancer Society logo appears on screen.]

A snapshot of our impact

At CCS, we aim to unite and inspire Canadians to take control of cancer. In 2022/23, nearly 560,000 donors, over 21,000 organizations and over 170,000 event participants and volunteers helped us invest $109.7M in our mission. Because of you, we’re making an impact for people living with or beyond cancer.

Invested $50.1M in high-impact research and innovation

Empowered 16.2M visitors to cancer.ca by providing reliable information

Led 29 policy changes to shape a healthier society

Helped 30,000+ people with cancer-related inquiries

Research – Driving life-changing outcomes together

Our approach to funding scientifically excellent, high-performance research is improving cancer outcomes and addressing the greatest opportunities for progress. In 2022/23, we formed powerful new partnerships that enabled us to expand our research impact. In addition, we continued to put people at the core of cancer research by engaging an even broader network of people with lived cancer experience in every stage of the research funding process.

Photo: CCS-funded researcher Dr Morag Park (top) and Dr Constanza Martinez, radiation oncology resident at McGill University (bottom)

$35.8M to enhance treatment and quality of life

$3M to advance cancer prevention research

$1.6M to advance equitable and timely access to cancer prevention and care

Plus, additional investments to drive world-leading cancer research

Your donations are helping save and improve lives by funding world-leading research across the cancer continuum and across all cancer types. With your support we:

continued investing in 394 ongoing research projects to bring about more effective treatments, earlier diagnoses and better cancer care
funded 65 new grants and awards to support life-changing research and strengthen Canada’s research ecosystem
formed 5 new partnerships to maximize collective impact internationally, such as the TRANSCAN-3 project. Together, we invested $5.8M in new projects to drive progress.
engaged 61 patient and caregiver partners to shape our research funding decisions and ensure they are equitable, relevant and impactful for people affected by cancer
recognized 6 CCS-funded researchers who have made a tremendous impact on cancer research, including awarding the Lifetime Contribution Prize to Dr Tak W Mak whose discoveries paved the way for many of the life-saving immunotherapies available today. Learn more about the winners.

For more information about the research we fund, including stories about the latest discoveries, visit cancer.ca/research.

CCS-funded researcher Dr Paul Oh

A few minutes with CCS-funded researcher, Dr Paul Oh, medical director of the cardiovascular disease prevention and rehabilitation program at the University Health Network.

Words on the screen:

A few minutes with CCS-funded researcher Dr Paul Oh

Dr Oh appears on screen.

Dr Oh: There is so much exciting and innovative research going on in Canada from what happens in hospitals, to programs in the communities. And the Canadian Cancer Society is pivotal in supporting this critical work at all levels.

Dr Oh: My name is Paul Oh. I'm the medical director in the cardiovascular disease prevention and rehab program at the University Health Network in Toronto.

Words on screen:

Tell us about your research

Dr Oh: Our research project is called Himalayas. It's a project for adolescents and young adults who've been through a cancer experience. The idea is that if we can help people get more active and stay active through a structured high intensity interval training exercise program, their cardiovascular health and overall quality of life will improve. And then ultimately they'll live longer and live healthier.

Words on screen:

Do you have a message for our donors?

Dr Oh: To our donors – a huge thank you. We can find solutions in Canada, but we can't do it without your support. We all have great ideas that we want to bring to fruition, but often lack the resources to be able to do these critical explorations. We could not do this work without the tremendous support from folks like you.

Canadian Cancer Society logo on screen.

I want to thank everyone who donates to cancer research. Your donations help create more tomorrows with the people we care about.

Dr Paul Schaffer, CCS-funded prostate cancer researcher at Unversity of British Columbia

I support CCS-funded research because of their rigorous approach to research and their vital role in finding a cure and improving outcomes for people affected by cancer on a global scale.

Bill Barley, CCS donor, past research peer reviewer and 3-time cancer survivor

Research stories

Read about Dr Andrea Covelli and her team’s work to advance equity when it comes to breast cancer care and about Cathy, a cancer caregiver who is helping inform important research decisions.

Innovating to accelerate solutions – CDL Cancer and MaRS

It can take decades for research discoveries to move from the lab into real-world applications that help people. To expedite this, we launched CDL Cancer, in partnership with the Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Business. This intensive program connects scientists who have game-changing ideas with experienced business mentors who can help bring those ideas to life.

We also partnered with North America’s largest innovation hub, MaRS, to launch Innovating for everyone: The colorectal cancer early detection challenge. This challenge aims to mobilize Canada’s innovation community to find ways to reduce barriers to early detection of colorectal cancer for underserved populations.

[Various images of the Centre for Cancer Prevention and Support building in Vancouver, BC appear on screen. The scene changes to a conference room full of people.]

Words on screen: Creative Destruction Lab + Canadian Cancer Society logo.

[A conference room full of people appears on screen.]

[Andrea Seale appears on screen - CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society.]

Andrea Seale: CDL is a really important new initiative for us. It's an opportunity to support the scientists who are on the cutting edge of solving cancer's biggest problems and help them get their discoveries out to the world faster.

[Images of people speaking appear on screen.]

Words on screen: CDL Cancer pairs medical startups with business mentors to accelerate cancer research breakthroughs.

[Darrell Kopke appears on screen – Site Lead, CDL-Vancouver, Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia.]

Darrell Kopke: We’re incredibly privileged to be partnering with the Canadian Cancer Society in the development of CDL cancer. This partnership can really lead to some incredible breakthroughs.

Words on screen: On average, it takes 14 years for cancer research breakthroughs to be implemented into practice. CDL Cancer seeks to dramatically reduce that time.

[Annemarie Edwards appears on screen – Vice President, Cancer Strategy and Innovation.]

Annemarie Edwards: In order to drive real change, we need to work with innovators and adopters.

[An image of researchers working appears on screen.]

[Sam Chen appears on screen – Integrated Nanotherapeutics, CDL Venture, CDL Cancer.]

Sam Chen: The Canadian Cancer Society is bringing in patient advocacy research and really the passion for finding therapeutics for cancer and connecting that with CDL, which is really at the forefront of mentoring.

[Various scenes of people speaking in a conference room appears on screen.]

[Chen Fong appears on screen – CDL Program Mentor, CDL Cancer.]

Chen Fong: As a mentor, it’s really exciting to see all these new things developing. In one session I was totally sold. It’s just such a level of energy in the room.

Words on screen: 9 ventures successfully graduated from CDL Cancer in its first year. They are one step closer to bringing their breakthroughs from the lab to real life. Over 3 years, our goal is to enable 30+ new cancer-related ventures.

[Kevin Voss appears on screen - Voxcell BioInnovation, CDL Venture, CDL Cancer.]

Kevin Voss: To have such a world-renowned cancer society be able to focus its time and resources to helping oncology startup companies in conjunction with CDL is everything to us.

[Various images of objects related to scientific research appear on screen. Andrea Seale appears on screen.]

Andrea Seale: This program has the opportunity to completely disrupt the field of cancer science. We're hoping that the ventures who join this program and who successfully make it through will be finding the new ways to save lives, improve lives, and transform the cancer experience for all those who are touched by it.

[Images of a group of people smiling outside and a group of people clapping at an event appear on screen. Kevin Voss appears on screen holding a sign that says science. Chen Fong appears on screen holding a sign that says collaboration. Andrea Seale appears on screen holding a sign that says hope.]

[The Canadian Cancer Society logo appears on screen.]

Information and Support – Helping people manage life with cancer with your support

Our nationwide support system offers high-quality in-person and online support as well as accurate, evidence-based cancer information to millions of people with cancer across Canada and their family, friends and caregivers. In 2022/23, our services gradually returned to pre-COVID levels with some even expanding their scope to help more people in Canada. Additionally, we engaged millions of people in cancer prevention initiatives so fewer people hear the words “you have cancer,” and we advanced projects that help improve access to cancer information for communities that are underserved.

273,000+ people found support on cancerconnection.ca and parlonscancer.ca

65,000+ people discovered local cancer-related services using our Community Services Locator

6,800+ people received transportation support through Wheels of Hope programs

10,400+ people sought support to quit smoking or stay smoke-free

387 children and their families attended Camp Goodtimes

3,300+ people received free breast accessories and wigs

Your generosity enabled us to connect with people across the country to help reduce their cancer risk, better understand the needs of people with cancer and support their cancer journey. Thanks to you, we:

directed 30,000+ people to the Smoke Free Curious campaign website, which offers smoking cessation tools and resources, a free trial of nicotine replacement therapy and a quit-to-win contest
engaged more than 720 people with cancer and their caregivers in surveys and panel discussions to help us understand their cancer care needs and help guide and improve our programs and services
celebrated the 20th anniversary of Smokers’ Helpline. Since its inception the helpline has helped 170,000+ callers who are looking to quit smoking or stay smoke-free.
reached 8M people with important information about early detection of colorectal cancer through the Together, Let’s Dethrone Colon Cancer awareness campaign
partnered with Women’s College Hospital, the Olive Branch of Hope and ReThink Breast Cancer to plan Best Health for Black Women, a virtual event that empowered Black women with awareness, education and resources regarding breast health, including breast cancer. Over 450 women attended the event.
launched a 3-year virtual cancer care project funded by Merck to improve virtual cancer care and support health equity. In partnership with Women’s College Hospital, we conducted focus groups with 40 patients and caregivers representing seniors from the Black community across Canada to gather feedback about their unique experiences.

I felt so relieved that the wig was free, and that it wasn’t another expense I had to worry about. It was very close to my actual hair colour, length and style, which gave me confidence during a stressful time.

Danielle Smith, who used the CCS wig bank during her cancer journey

I support CCS, not only because cancer affects people of all ages, but also because CCS provides countless support services to all people affected by cancer, across the whole country!

Margot Reid, longest-serving CCS volunteer (70+ years!) and long-time donor

Support stories

Hear from wig services volunteer, Denise who shares what motivates her to support CCS, and from Bailey, a former Camp Goodtimes camper and current CCS employee about what Camp means to him.

Advocacy – How your voice is inspiring action

As the voice for people in Canada who care about cancer, we take a stand on important cancer issues and champion change by working with the government at all levels to create a healthier society. In 2022/23, we remained laser-focused on advancing cancer priorities and improving cancer care by actively engaging hundreds of decision-makers and amplifying the voices of thousands of people to help change the future of cancer in new and compelling ways.

Photo: From left to right: Kathy MacNaughton, CCS advocate, Andrea Seale, CEO of CCS, the Hon. Carla Qualtrough, BC Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion

Successfully advocated for 26 weeks of EI sickness benefit, providing 169,000 people with more time to recover

United 3,200+ advocacy volunteers to strengthen our collective voice

Engaged 600+ elected officials to help enact change that prioritizes health

Championed 29 policy changes to help prevent cancer and improve live

Launched an e-advocacy tool on World Cancer Day, distributing 750+ letters to urge MPs to prioritize cancer

Received recognition as one of the top 3 federal health lobbyists and one of top 30 health influencers

With your support, our advocacy work is helping prevent cancer and making life better for people facing cancer and their caregivers. Because of you, we:

advocated for the 2022 federal budget to include $2B to address healthcare backlogs and introduce a new tax on e-cigarettes to reduce youth vaping rates, which tripled between 2015 and 2019
reached 10M people and generated 1,800+ emails to changemakers through the multi-channel About Life ad campaign that encouraged government to improve palliative and end-of-life care
collected feedback from 100+ people with cancer, caregivers and clinicians to send to pan-Canadian drug assessment agencies to improve access to new drugs and technologies in cancer care
engaged thousands of people with cancer, caregivers and healthcare providers to develop Living at the crossroads of COVID-19 and cancer, a new report that summarizes the changes they want to see. CCS is using this report in meetings with elected officials to highlight why we need to make cancer care better.
achieved tobacco control wins throughout Canada including increases to tobacco taxes in PEI, BC and SK and a ban on e-cigarette flavours in NWT to help prevent cancer

For more information about how we work with governments to take control of cancer, visit cancer.ca/advocacy.

Get Better

We launched the Get Better campaign, with a focus on building Voices for Change – our network of people passionate about improving the healthcare system and cancer care through advocacy. The campaign was successful and resulted in a 456% growth of advocacy volunteers.

A card with the words “get better” on the cover is sitting on a glass table next to a vase of daffodils. Behind it is a yellow backdrop, and next to it is a microphone. Titles appear saying:

“You send a get well card to show someone you care, but what if you want to improve their care?”

Words on screen: You send a get well card to show someone you care

But what if you want to improve their care?

A young male adult steps up to the microphone.

Titles appear saying:

“We’re asking people to send cards to governments”

Words on screen: We’re asking people to send cards to governments.

A young female adult steps up to the microphone holding a card that says “get better.”

A card with the words “get better” on the cover is sitting on a glass table next to a vase of daffodils. Behind it is a yellow backdrop, and next to it is a microphone. Titles appear saying: Get Better Cards from” the Canadian Cancer Society logo appears.

Words on screen: Get better cards

From

(CCS Logo)

VO: We need to get better at helping caregivers

The torso of young male adult is holding a card that says “get better” on the cover.

VO: At preventing delays to health care.

The torso of an adult women and her husband holding a card that says “get better” on the cover. Titles appear saying “because people living with cancer don’t want sympathy.”

Words on screen: Because people living with cancer don’t want sympathy

VO: We need to get better access to cancer drugs.

A female adult with her daughter is holding a card. Titles appear saying They want action.

Words on screen: They want action

VO: We need to get better at reducing the price of cancer.

A microphone with a yellow backdrop appears with the titles “Help cancer care get better. Be a Voice for Change. Brought to you by”

The Canadian Cancer Society logo appears with the URL cancer.ca/getbetter

Words on screen: Help cancer care get better.

Be a Voice for Change.

Brought to you by.

(CCS logo)

Cancer.ca/getbetter

Photo of Jillian Dhawan, Voices for Change volunteers

Inspiring youth to continue learning about cancer-related issues will increase awareness and health literacy - ultimately leading to healthier outcomes in the future. Together, we can influence policies and laws that have a direct impact on our generation.

Alaina and Jillian Dhawan, Voices for Change volunteers

The future is in advocacy, and we need to support advocacy efforts as best as we can. If we want positive change in cancer care, we need to start by influencing the policies and funding provided at all levels of government.

Sheryl Bates, advocacy volunteer and CCS donor

Advocacy stories

Learn how Harjeet is raising her voice to improve cancer care and how Chantel is sharing her story to help prioritize palliative care.

Communities – Building stronger communities together

We united hundreds of thousands of supporters from across the country who generously donated their time and money to improve the lives of all those affected by cancer. And with their support, we are raising funds, growing our passionate community and inspiring more people in Canada to take control of cancer.

CIBC Run for the Cure: 45,000+ people helped raise $12.8M

Relay For Life and Relay For Life Youth: 40,000+ people helped raise $9.4M

Daffodil Campaign: 53,000+ people helped raise $8.3M

Independent fundraising events: 27,000+ people at 724 events helped raise $5.5M

Cops for Cancer: 140+ first responders helped raise over $2.3M

Prostate cancer community: 5,200+ people helped raise $2.2M

Volunteering with CCS allowed me to develop my character and gave me the opportunity to put my values into practice. I became more grateful for everything I have.

Osjavi Sharma, CCS volunteer

CIBC is proud to be part of CCS’s bold approach to funding innovative, world-leading research that is making life better today while transforming the future of cancer forever. Together as trusted partners, we’re helping to accelerate progress for all people affected by cancer in Canada, in all communities.

Stephen Forbes, EVP, Purpose, Brand and Corporate Affairs, CIBC (CIBC has been a title sponsor for CCS’s CIBC Run for the Cure for 25+ years)

Community stories

Read about Maja’s experience as a CIBC Run for the Cure participant and about why Miriam and Amanpreet were inspired to join Relay For Life.

Our donors

Our donors are integral to fuelling our mission. In 2022/23, over 550,000 people and more than 20,000 organizations generously donated over $129M. Thank you for your steadfast commitment to changing the future of cancer. We couldn’t do what we do without you!

Our donor stories

Read about what inspired Peter and Robin to include a CCS donation in their wills and the impact of their support for future generations.

Our partners

We are deeply grateful for our corporate partners who consistently champion the cancer cause. In 2022/23, thousands of corporate partners across Canada helped contribute over $9M to our mission through employee engagement, cause marketing campaigns, sponsorships and in-kind gifts. Thank you to our committed partners:

As a company committed to making a positive impact in our communities, Wheaton Precious Metals proudly supports CCS in their mission to improve the lives of those affected by cancer. Together, we can make a difference through research, support and advocacy.

Gary Brown, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Wheaton Precious Metals

Our board of directors

With the support and leadership of our national board of directors, we are uniting and inspiring all Canadians to take control of cancer.

View our board of directors

Your donations at work

Your unwavering support has made a powerful financial impact. Your donations enabled us to work toward our vision of championing world-leading outcomes in cancer prevention, treatment and support.

Download our financial statements

Our revenue

Thanks to our donors and supporters, we generated $168.5M in revenue through the following channels:

Individual and corporate donations

$129.3M

Government-sponsored projects and grants

$17.4M

Investment and other income

$11M

Lotteries

$10.3M

Government assistance related to COVID-19

$0.5M

Our expenses

Of the $165.6M we spent, we invested toward:

Our mission

$109.7M

Fundraising

$39.7M

Administration

$8.6M

Our lottery

$7.6M

Investments in our mission

Thanks to our donors, of the $109.7M we spent on our mission, we invested in:

Information, services and programs

$56M

Research

$50.1M

Advocacy

$3.6M

Thank you!

Thank you for your full-hearted support and unstoppable commitment to saving lives and making life better for people affected by cancer.

Download full report

United against cancer