We know that it is important to you that the funds are spent wisely. At the Foundation, we are scrupulous with every euro you entrust to us to spend on our cancer mission. We ensure that we do our very best to keep any costs and overheads to an absolute minimum.

 

• The average extra spend per month for a cancer patient is €862 due to additional costs for medical fees, travel costs, childcare and household bills
• In 2018, we have so far awarded Comfort Fund grants to 564 families from 22 different counties
• Due to closure of similar funds for cancer patients, the number of applications we recieve annually have skyrocketed

Through the Comfort Fund, the Marie Keating Foundation provides financial assistance to people who are currently receiving treatment for any kind of cancer and who find themselves in financial difficulty as a result.

Recent research shows cancer patients and their families face a financial crisis while they are going through their treatment. A diagnosis of cancer can lead to increased medical costs such as consultant fees and expensive medications, additional expenses arising from increased travel to medical appointments that may be some distance from home; higher utility bills due to extra time at home while recovering from treatment. The financial burden can worsen significantly in cases where the cancer patient is the income earner in the family and has to take time off work.

The average extra spend per month for a cancer patient is €862. Those who cannot work, work fewer hours or lose income as a result of having cancer face an income drop averaging €1,400 a month, or €16,750 per year.

Many people can find themselves overwhelmed by these costs and this adds to the stress associated with their cancer diagnosis. The Marie Keating Foundation works very hard to lessen that burden.

Each year, the Marie Keating Foundation allocates a specific budget for people who are undergoing treatment for cancer but who are financially struggling. This fund has been in existence since 2004 and accepts applications on behalf of men, women and children from all around the country.

Behind every Comfort Fund application is a story of need and worry.  In 2018, the Foundation gave out 564 grants but applications have increased so much, if we do not raise further funds, we will have to turn down requests from families who desperately need our help.

Patients facing cancer can’t wait. They need our support now. Please make a donation and help us give comfort to cancer patients as they face the toughest fight of their lives.

 

 

 

The Marie Keating Foundation is small, but makes a big difference in communities around Ireland.  Our annual income is relatively small (€1.3 million) but we make sure that every penny goes a long way. In 2018, our nurses gave out health information and advice to over 29,000 people; our Comfort Fund will help 564 families in their darkest hour; our Cancer Awareness Programme reached over 400 location nationwide. Our Cancer Awareness Campaigns engaged hundreds of thousands of people on skin cancer, men’s health and breast cancer to name but some.

 

At the Marie Keating Foundation, we value your trust and support. We are entirely committed to the highest standards of corporate governance. We are a fully registered charity and were one of the first charities in Ireland to meet the ‘triple lock’ standard, the recommended best practice by Charities Institute Ireland for transparent reporting, good fundraising and governance.

We have an exceptionally committed, totally independent and completely voluntary Board of Directors. Our annual accounts are independently audited by Mazars in accordance with the SORP best practice accounting standard and are available as part of our annual report.

As we do not receive government funding, the Marie Keating Foundation could not survive without the generous support of the public and our corporate partners and so your trust in us is crucial.

 

The Keating family lost their mother, Marie, to cancer in 1998. Soon after her death, they learnt that she had one of the most curable forms of breast cancer and would likely still be alive today if only she had gone to the doctor sooner. They established the Marie Keating Foundation to provide free cancer information and services, especially for people in disadvantaged communities where people are more likely to get cancer and die from cancer.