How Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Lives United

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute combines cutting edge research with excellence in patient care, and this spirit pervades its work in the community.  In addition to research and treatment within the Institute, Dana-Farber reaches out to its community through cancer outreach and research in underserved neighborhoods, workforce development, and educational partnerships.  In 1999 the Institute founded the Initiative to Eliminate Cancer Disparities, a multi-organization collaboration to eliminate racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in cancer care and prevention.  For more information on Dana-Farber's community outreach, click here.

The Institute shares many priorities and partners with United Way.  In youth development, Dana-Farber partners with several Boston public schools to provide internships, summer employment, and opportunities to explore careers in health and science.  As a participant in the Boston Health Care and Research Training Institute, the Institute provides English as a second language and job skills training programs to improve the career prospects of low-income workers.  This project is part of SkillWorks, an initiative supported by United Way.

Dana-Farber also works directly with United Way.  Since 1994, the two organizations have jointly sponsored the United Way/Jimmy Fund Collaboration, which combines youth development with culturally appropriate cancer prevention and outreach services in low-income communities in greater Boston. The Institute has also supported United Way's Math, Science and Technology initiative since its founding in 2003.  In addition to all this, Dana-Farber and its employees made annual contributions to support United Way's work, totaling over $67,000 in the 2008-09 campaign.