October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month—a time set aside to bring attention to a disease that is by far the most common type of cancer among women in the United States and around the world. About 1 in 8 women in the United States will have breast cancer during her lifetime. Almost everyone knows someone whose life has been affected by breast cancer. Each year in the United States more than 300,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States, after lung cancer. In 2023, it is estimated that 43,170 women and 530 men will die from breast cancer.
There is not sufficient knowledge on the causes of breast cancer. When the disease is detected early enough, positive outcomes are more likely. Early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control for this reason. Scheduling routine breast cancer screenings with a healthcare professional is essential for anyone concerned about detecting or preventing this disease.
Dozens of breast cancer charities exist, but only some will use your donation efficiently to fund the programs most important to you. CharityWatch recommends using our list of Top-Rated breast cancer charities to identify efficient organizations. Interested donors can then navigate to the websites of those organizations to determine which charities conduct programs that are most in line with their goals. Some charities may primarily conduct activities to raise breast cancer awareness, while others might provide direct grants and other support to patients suffering from this disease.
The charities listed below are Top-Rated by CharityWatch for spending at least 75% of their cash budgets on programs; for maintaining fundraising efficiency of $25 or less to raise each $100 in cash donations; and for meeting CharityWatch's governance & transparency benchmarks. 
Breast Cancer Research Foundation works to prevent and cure breast cancer by advancing the world's most promising research. 
National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund works to end breast cancer through the power of action and advocacy.
Donors Beware
Scammers will exploit your feelings of empathy and compassion during times of crisis as a means of siphoning donations away from legitimate charities and into their own pockets. Read CharityWatch's advice for avoiding charity frauds and scams:
5 Tips For Avoiding Charity Frauds & Scams
10 Tips For Giving In a Crisis
How "Psychic Numbing" Stops Us From Giving
Crowdfunding: The Wild West of Charitable Giving
ATTENTION: The charities listed in this alert were Top-Rated by CharityWatch at the time of its publication. CharityWatch updates our ratings throughout the year. To see if a particular charity is currently Top-Rated, please click on its name, below.