Ashley Cecil

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7″ x 9″ watercolor
SOLD
Sell all paintings available for sale.

Non-profits are often beholden to donors and outside sources of income, which can limit their ability to execute their mission. I’ve talked to many non-profit staff members frustrated to no end because they can’t afford the employees they need and many other financial short comings. This unfortunate state of affairs leaves them running on fumes and passion. But the last organization I’m highlighting from my recent visit to Houston has found a way to shift that dynamic.

The Rose is a full service breast cancer facility offering screening and comprehensive treatment to those who cannot afford it, but they also offer it to those who can. Services offered by The Rose are so advanced, thorough, and sensitive to the patient that paying customers are storming their doors. Although the organization does run in part on donations, it offers services highly in demand by an audience with means to pay, positioning The Rose to run its own show. And since breast cancer has such a high profile, soliciting outside contributions does not seem to be a problem.

Revenue is split approximately 58:42 between program service revenue (direct pay for services, insurance reimbursements, and contracts for services) and contributions (from corporations, foundations, organizations, individuals, and special events) with an annual operation budget of $5.033 million.

It’s no surprise there is never an appointment slot left unscheduled with such a unique array of breast cancer fighting tools like:

• Breast Specific Gamma Imaging
• a Mobile Mammography Outreach Program
• the Young Women’s Clinic
• the Personal Boutique (illustrated above) where wigs and prosthesis are made available to patients at no cost.
• a network of 500 health care providers each donated their services, free of charge, to one patient of The Rose per year

My favorite of these services is the Patient Navigation Program, in which a sponsored patient receives “one-on-one advocacy and mentoring support to overcome barriers such as language, transportation, and childcare. This program guides patients through the entire process of diagnosis, to physician referral, to treatment.”

It was wonderful to step into the waiting room where patients from all walks of life were receiving equal excellent care, and not knowing which was paying, and which was not.

7″ x 9″ watercolor SOLD Sell all paintings available for sale. Non-profits are often beholden to donors and outside sources of income, which can limit their ability to execute their...