Cancer Action Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
480650257
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Overland Park, KS, USA
Phone
9136428885
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Health

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$558,892
Expenses
$531,720
Assets
$2,923,945
Liabilities
$157,549

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Karla Nichols (Executive Director)
  • Brian Levinson (President)
  • Elaine McIntosh (Vice President)
  • Melanie Simpson (Former President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Karla Nichols (Executive Director): $109,669 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Cancer Action is dedicated to reducing distress and promoting the well-being of those living with, through and beyond cancer in the Kansas City area. Cancer Action meets the physical, emotional, social and financial needs of those with cancer and their families, making a difference one person at a time, offering support through every step of the cancer journey.

What it reported doing in 2024

Patient Services Program: A diagnosis of cancer can bring many challenges to a person's life and those who care for them. They need a place to turn for support and to help meet the many needs that cancer brings to their lives. For over 65 years, Cancer Action has been that place of hope and help in Kansas City. Cancer Action's Patient Services Program provides direct services, financial assistance, education, emotional support and guidance to individuals facing the many challenges cancer brings to those who live in the greater Kansas City area. Cancer Action offers programs and services that address the physical, emotional, social and financial needs of those with cancer and their families, making a difference one person at a time. Programs and services are offered to any person through every step of their cancer journey. Some of these services include prescription assistance, nutritional supplements, wigs and headwear, medical equipment and supplies, education and emotional support. In 2023, Cancer Action stepped up to meet some of the burdens of families by adding a gas card program for those incurring the additional expenses during cancer treatment. This program had tremendous growth in 2024! 1,200 cancer patients received much needed support to relieve distress and improve their well-being. Many of Cancer Action services are not only life-improving, but life-saving to those who are most in need in our community.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 89% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 83% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 56
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81.1%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 74.7%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $15.41 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 4.9%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.5; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 20.6%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -5.4% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.1% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81.1% of revenue deployed · 74.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $397K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $110K · 20 people listed
  • Consistency: 48 of 48 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 51/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 50/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 14/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.