Global breast cancer organization recognizes Northeast Ohio Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure

The Northeast Ohio Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure was honored Saturday night as the “Affiliate of the Year” by the global breast cancer organization. The award was presented in front of hundreds of staff, board members and volunteers from the 122 affiliates nationwide at Komen’s Annual Affiliate Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas.

“We are humbled to be recognized among such an amazing group of talented professionals. From the dedicated office volunteers to the incredible Race committee, board members, committee chairs, staff and corporate partners - we are blessed to work among some of the most passionate promise keepers in this global movement”

Komen Northeast Ohio Executive Director, Sophie Sureau, acknowledged that the award reflected the hard work and dedication of hundreds of volunteers, thousands of supporters, and a small staff of seven. “We are humbled to be recognized among such an amazing group of talented professionals. From the dedicated office volunteers to the incredible Race committee, board members, committee chairs, staff and corporate partners - we are blessed to work among some of the most passionate promise keepers in this global movement,” said Sureau.

The affiliate was nominated for applying many proven business strategies in a non-profit environment, as well as developing best practices that are now being implemented by other affiliates. They began by focusing on building organizational capacity and recruiting board members who possessed strong professional skills and vision of the community. With an investment in crucial infrastructure, they were able to create sustainability and improve the impact of their efforts.

Once capacity was expanded, the affiliate created an aggressive strategic plan which provided focus for all ongoing work. A key component was developing a strong talent pipeline for all positions; staff, board, and committee leadership. Investing in recruitment, training, engagement and recognition processes helped to ensure succession plans for solid leadership.

Diversifying revenue streams became a priority while still growing their signature event, the Race for the Cure®. More emphasis was placed on developing an annual fund campaign and a major gift program. They invested in building relationships and providing recognition for top community fundraisers who also provide substantial financial support.

As the affiliate expanded from 15 counties to 22 in 2009, they sought to increase the visibility and understanding of the Komen mission throughout their service area. They ramped up communication efforts using social networking and email to connect with supporters more frequently which resulted in higher engagement in areas of advocacy and volunteerism. Also in 2009, Komen Northeast Ohio launched two initiatives creating additional ambassadors for their mission in the community. Both the Pink Tie Guys and Community Champions program helped expand outreach efforts.

With the goal of ensuring that all affiliate funded programs reach the highest possible impact, they established a highly competitive grants process. Their enhanced RFA process and in-depth grants writing workshops attracted higher quality applicants. The committee also created an engagement plan intended to broaden the grantees involvement in the mission.

Komen Northeast Ohio was also recognized for their ability to collaborate with other organizations and partners to make a greater impact. Working with the other Ohio Komen affiliates, they were able to secure a $5 million commitment in the state budget for the critical Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. In 2009, they worked to save $1.5 million dollars in screening dollars in Ohio. They also work with University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center and The Gathering Place in the annual Beyond Breast Cancer Survivor Symposium,

“It is gratifying to list all of the accomplishments over the past few years. Although there is still much work to be done, we are grateful for this brief moment of recognition,” said Sureau who was also honored this year as Northeast Ohio Executive Director of the Year by Smart Business.

All of these accolades come on heels of the recent announcement that Susan G. Komen for the Cure ranked 1^st for brand value and the charity people are most likely to donate to in a Harris Interactive poll. The organization also ranked #2 for most trusted charity, just behind St. Judes.