ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis announced it has met the 2018 fundraising and service growth targets set out by Hal Leonard Corp. chairman and chief executive officer Keith Mardak’s $2 million challenge grant to the Glendale-based nonprofit organization.
Since the launch of his four-year challenge in January 2018, Mardak has donated $750,000 to ABCD, which has been used to raise awareness and utilization and diversify its donor base.
ABCD provides free, non-clinical support for people who are affected by a breast cancer diagnosis, patients as well as their loved ones.
Mardak agreed to donate $250,000 to ABCD in both 2018 and 2019 to jump-start ABCD’s outreach and fundraising efforts. Mardak also challenged the organization to double the amount of people it served and raise an additional $250,000 on its own, year after year, to qualify for an annual matching donation.
ABCD must meet specific performance metrics by the end of year two to be considered for another $1 million contribution in years three and four.
Mardak and his wife Mary Vandenberg’s connection to ABCD traces back to their decades-long friendship with its founder, the late Melodie Wilson Oldenburg, and her husband, Wayne Oldenburg.
“We believe in the mission and purpose of this organization and are committed to ABCD’s long-term growth and sustainability,” Mardak said. “We are very pleased that the organization is serving more people.”
The Mardak 2020 Breast Cancer Initiative is spurring the organization to expand its relationships with health care facilities, invest in marketing and outreach initiatives, increase services to under-served populations and recruit and train more volunteer survivor mentors.
ABCD’s signature service is matching breast cancer patients, families and friends who need non-clinical support with professionally trained volunteer breast cancer survivors and caregivers.
“Without question, 2018 was a transformational year for our organization, thanks to the generosity of Keith and Mary,” said Wayne Oldenburg, board president. “Our vision is that every woman or man who is diagnosed or living with breast cancer knows about ABCD and has access to our critical services. No one else – not a helpline, a website, or even a medical professional – provides the personalized connection that we do at ABCD. Now in our 20th year of service, we are well-positioned to continue increasing the number of people we reach, ensuring more hope and help for those affected by breast cancer.”
The organization reached more than 5,000 people in 2018, nearly doubling its reach from the previous year. It also saw a 29 percent increase in matches in 2018 compared to 2017, and exceeded the $250,000 match funding goal.
“Thanks to the generosity of many ongoing and new individual donors, corporate sponsors, and community partners, ABCD raised more funds in 2018 than ever before,” said Ellen Friebert Schupper, executive director of ABCD. “We are grateful for the outpouring of support from so many people, companies, and foundations right here in our hometown. They significantly stepped up to ensure we met this fundraising challenge so that we could contact and help even more people affected by this disease.”
