THE COMMUNITY CHEST

Denver

News: Representatives from two organizations that have received grants from The Community Chest – Elissa Banker Brown, co-founder of Polite Tumor, and Dr. Jennifer Diamond – were the special guests when this nonprofit, founded in 2019 by eight breast cancer survivors, hosted a friend-raising reception at the new Olive & Finch at Union Station.

Brown described how her breast cancer diagnosis in 2015, when she was 31 years old, led her to start Polite Tumor and advance its mission of providing financial assistance to young adults with breast cancer in Colorado.

Polite Tumor has received grants totaling $180,000 from The Community, money that helps fund the $5,000 “no strings attached” grants that recipients can use in whichever way they choose, including for holistic and naturopathic treatments not covered by insurance, fertility preservation and meeting insurance deductibles.

Diamond, an oncologist specializing in breast and gynecological cancers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, has received significant amounts from The Community Chest to help fund her game-changing research on specific types of breast cancer diagnoses.

She addressed the critical need for continued financial support, and how proposed cuts in national funding could cause significant delays in research-related advances for breast cancer patients.

Since its start, Community Chest has awarded $235,000 to researchers and organizations that support breast cancer survivors.

The first was a $25,000 award to the University of Colorado Foundation for triple negative breast cancer immunotherapy treatment research at the Anschutz Medical Campus. In 2024, Community Chest made $75,000 grants to Bright Pink, Polite Tumor and the University of Colorado’s Diamond Breast Cancer Research Fund.

Community Chest’s signature fundraiser, Boobapalooza, will be held Sept. 12 at Swallow Hill and feature the Fleetwood Mac cover band, Fleetwood Macked. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.boobapalooza.com

About the organization: Community Chest, a donor-advised fund at the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, was founded by eight breast cancer survivors: Christine Benero, president/CEO of Mile High United Way; Jen Darling, president/CEO of the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation; Kathryn Harris, president/CEO of ActivateWork; Lisa Hill, president/CEO of Invest In Kids; Kasia Iwaniczko MacLeod, managing partner at 5280 Consulting Group and a member of the Colorado Mesa University board of trustees; Sarah Lehmann, founder and chief strategist at Waypoint Collective; Ruth Rohs, president of the IMA Foundation and senior vice president/corporate communications for the IMA Financial Group; and Tamra Ward, a founding principal at Taloma Partners.

While Community Chest founders are all breast cancer survivors, one does not have to be a breast cancer survivor to join. Membership is $1,000 per year and includes the opportunity to participate in grantmaking decisions.

Website: Monetary gifts of any amount are welcome and can be made by visiting the Women’s Foundation website, www.wfco.org.

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