Why Give?
As a non-profit organization, the Carol Milgard Breast Center’s mission is to provide breast health services to all women in our community. To ensure that all women have better access to potentially life-saving mammography services, we look for support from individuals and community partners to help us fund outreach efforts and screening mammograms.
Approximately one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. It is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. The human toll of the disease is devastating and the impact felt by families when they lose these women is immeasurable. The encouraging news is that when breast cancer is found early, the chances of survival are much greater than if the cancer has time to grow or spread.
The Carol Milgard Breast Center is a 501(c)3 and all charitable gifts are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Programs to Fund
-
Patient Support (Medically Underserved Patients)
-
Although many women age 40 and above have health insurance that pays for an annual mammogram, women who are uninsured or underinsured often cannot afford an annual exam. They find they must choose between competing expenses such as a child’s needs for clothing or medical care. As a result, they put off getting a mammogram. Your gift will make a difference and potentially save a woman’s life.
-
First Look Voucher Program
-
When the Breast Cancer Resource Center in Tacoma closed in 2012, the Carol Milgard Breast Center took over their financial assistance program called Early Detection Voucher Program and renamed it First Look Voucher Program. This program supports men of any age and women 34 and younger, who are underinsured, low income, and symptomatic for breast disease in need of diagnostic imaging.
-
Community Outreach Initiative
-
The breast center commissioned a study in 2011 by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department that showed the highest burden of breast disease in Pierce County is borne by African American women and poor Caucasian women whose families do not qualify for Medicaid. As a result of the study, the breast center is focusing on outreach to low income women and African American women. A new initiative to reach out to these target populations includes forming a community advisory group to better understand cultural barriers and opportunities, speaking at community events, attending health fairs, and working with churches and other social groups to educate and encourage all women to receive regular, annual mammography screenings.
-
Memorial Gifts
-
A memorial gift is a thoughtful way to honor the memory of a relative or friend. To make a memorial gift, send your contribution (along with acknowledgment information so we can notify the recipient or family) to the Carol Milgard Breast Center. (See Gifts by Check to the Breast Center below). The person honored (or their next of kin) will be notified of your kindness.
-
Matching Gifts
-
Many donors to the breast center have their gifts matched through their employers. Please ask your employer if it offers a program that may double the size of your gift commitment.
Gifts by Check to the Breast Center
If you prefer to send your gift in the form of a check, please make your check payable to Carol Milgard Breast Center and mail your check to:
Carol Milgard Breast Center
ATTENTION: Philanthropy Office
4525 South 19th Street
Tacoma, WA 98405
Questions?
Would you like to learn more about the breast center before making a contribution? Please send a message to our Executive Associate Barb Fox at 253.301.6552 for more information.