Everything you need to know about crowdfunding for children with cancer

Receiving the news that a child has been diagnosed with cancer is absolutely heartbreaking for any parent, family member or friend. Whether you have a child with cancer or just want to help raise money for a cause you believe in, we're here to teach you everything you need to know about setting up fundraisers(crowdfunding) for children with cancer.

Important facts you need to know about childhood cancer

• According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization , 25% of all childhood cancers are leukemias - the two most common types are acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myelogenous leukemia.
• The Leukemia and Lymphoma Organization reports that leukemia is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among children, which is why childhood cancer awareness programs are so important.
• According to the American Cancer Society, more than 85% of children with cancer now survive more than five years. This is a huge increase from the 5-year survival rate of 58% in the mid-1970s, which is largely due to advances in medical development.

The future of paediatric cancer research funding

According to Ruth Hoffman, executive director of the American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO), statistics show that childhood cancer is on the rise.The number of brain tumors occurring in children continues to increase and there has been very little pharmaceutical development for childhood cancers over the past 25 years. However, there has been significant progress in survival rates for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first remission, which are now approaching 80%.

In order to have an impact and try to slow the rise of childhood cancers or mitigate their effects, we need to help fund treatment. According to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation , only 4% of the funding spent on cancer treatments annually is used to treat childhood cancers. This is important because fewer than 10 drugs have been developed to fight childhood cancers since the 1980s. Because childhood cancer treatments receive little funding, in-person fundraising is critical.

Fundraising for childhood cancer: the true cost of treatment

Not only does a cancer diagnosis upend a child's entire world, but the enormous medical costs can add tremendous financial stress for families. Cancer treatment can be very expensive - the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation notes that the average hospital stay costs $40,000 for a child with cancer. In addition to treatment, there are other costs, such as food, lodging and transportation. The Paul Andreev Foundation, because of its vast experience with campaigns, sees childhood cancer treatments costing anywhere from $150,000 to $2 million, depending on the type of cancer and the state in which it is treated.

These are some of the reasons more families are turning to crowdfunding. There are organizations through which the necessary funds can be raised, such as the Pavel Andreev Foundation, which is the legal entity behind the largest platform for organizing charity campaigns, PavelAndreev.ORG.

Take a look at our Fund for the treatment of children abroad.

Thanks to the fund we were able to support children and their families. Here are some examples:

• Together for Nikola against osteosarcoma
• Life for baby Christine
• To save Marty from the insidious disease!
• Life for Michaud
• Unite for Joy

Start a campaign now on PavelAndreev.ORG.

And in our help center you can see What are the conditions for starting a campaign?

Tips to make your cancer fundraiser as successful as possible

• Don't forget to include photos of the cute child you are fundraising for to encourage more donations.
• Be as transparent as possible about how the funds will be used. Donors are more likely to give if they know exactly how their donations help.
• Post frequent updates about your fundraising campaign. Not only does this help tell your ongoing story, but it's also a great donor retention strategy - remind people that your cause still needs funding.

Two examples of successful fundraising for children with cancer

If you want to start a personal fundraising campaign for your child or family friend with cancer, check out these fundraising campaigns for inspiration on how to tell your story in your fundraising campaign description.

Donate Life to Mitko

At just 2 years and 10 months old, Mitko was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia. His mother Katya has launched an online fundraising campaign on the PavelAndreev.ORG platform. Successful treatment followed, but doctors discovered a second disease- acute myeloid leukemia. A stem cell transfusion was done once, but unsuccessfully, and the campaign is open for a second time. In a short period of time, nearly 700 000 leva were raised, thanks to you!

Let's keep Simonka smiling

Simonka is only 9 years old and is battling for the second time with a scary diagnosis- acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Her mother Maria has launched an online fundraising campaign on the PavelAndreev.ORG platform. Funds are being raised and Simonka is cured, again thanks to you!