Financial Assistance Checklist for Leukemia Patients & Families
Direct Financial Assistance:
- Register for “FundFinder” (fundfinder.panfoundation.org): This is a free tool that scans HealthWell, PAF, and Blood Cancer United simultaneously. It will text you the second a fund for your specific leukemia type opens.
- Call Blood Cancer United (1-877-557-2672): Ask specifically if you qualify for the “Urgent Need” program ($500) while you wait for larger grants.
- If you haven’t already, complete our grant application available at jacksoncopeland.org/get-help
- Check your geography: If you are near Chicago, apply to the Leukemia Research Foundation immediately for the $1,500 grant: leukemiarf.org/patients/grants
- Check the Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition database at https://www.cancerfac.org/
- If you are in Florida, check the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation grant application window at https://fcsf.org/financial-aid/
- If the patient is 21 or younger, apply with the Andrew McDonough Be Positive Foundation: https://www.bepositive.org/family-assistance
- If the patient is awaiting or going though a bone marrow/stem cell transplant, contact the National Marrow Donor Program for available grants: https://www.nmdp.org/patients/transplant-support/financial-support
- Explore the Patient Advocate Foundation’s grants database at https://www.patientadvocate.org/explore-our-resources/national-financial-resource-directory/
- Check the American Cancer Society’s Programs & Services Database at https://www.cancer.org/support-programs-and-services/resource-search.html
- If the patient or an immediate family member is a veteran or servicemember, apply for the Gary Sinise Foundation H.O.P.E. Grant at https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/programs/financial-hope
NOTE: Many charities and financial assistance programs are location-specific: Try searching on Google for “financial assistance for cancer/leukemia patients in [your city/state] for even more possibilities!
Lodging:
- Check for free or low-cost lodging near your treatment center (even if you don’t need it right now, you may need it in the future, and some facilities may have a wait list):
- ACS Hope Lodge: https://www.cancer.org/support-programs-and-services/patient-lodging/hope-lodge.html
- Ronald McDonald House (normally for patients under 21, but may vary with location and availability): https://ronaldmcdonaldhouse.org/find-a-chapter
- Check our list of free & low-cost lodging options near major cancer centers at https://jacksoncopeland.org/temporary-lodging/
- Google “Free lodging for cancer patients near [Name of Treatment Facility]”
Mortgage/Rent Assistance:
- Call 2-1-1: A community resource available in most areas that can connect you to rental assistance programs in your local area.
- Google “Rental Assistance Programs in [your city/state]”