Relay For Life funds support ACS; in 2023 about 23% of total spending went to discovery (research) across grants and studies.
Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) flagship fundraiser. Donors often ask where each dollar lands and how much reaches research. Here’s a clear walk-through using ACS’s audited 2023 financials and plain math, plus what that means for your local event.
How Much Money From Relay For Life Goes To Research?
Relay dollars flow into ACS’s mission work. In the 2023 audited statements, ACS reported $817.8 million in total expenses. Of that, $184.7 million went to “discovery,” ACS’s label for research. That’s about 22.6% of total spend. In simple terms, picture roughly 23 cents of every organization-wide dollar powering research, with the rest backing patient services, screening guidelines, advocacy, fundraising, and core administration.
Relay For Life is a major source of “special events” revenue for ACS. Those proceeds are combined with other donations and grants, then allocated across mission areas and support costs. Unless a donor restricts a gift, Relay revenue isn’t siloed to a single bucket. It fuels the whole mission, including grants to scientists and ACS’s own research programs.
Where The Other Dollars Go
Beyond research, ACS funds rides to treatment, free lodging at Hope Lodge, the 24/7 helpline, screening guideline work, and policy change through ACS CAN. These pieces keep people in care and move new ideas from labs toward real-world gains.
ACS Spending Snapshot (2023)
This table distills ACS’s audited 2023 expense lines into dollars and shares of the whole. “Discovery” below is research.
| Category (2023) | Spend (USD) | Share Of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Patient Support (Program) | $424,502,000 | ~52.0% |
| Discovery / Research (Program) | $184,670,000 | ~22.6% |
| Advocacy (Program) | $54,625,000 | ~6.7% |
| Program Services Subtotal | $663,797,000 | ~81.3% |
| Management & General (Support) | $32,035,000 | ~3.9% |
| Fundraising (Support) | $121,921,000 | ~14.9% |
| Total Expenses | $817,753,000 | 100% |
Relay Dollars In Plain Terms
Think about your gift as part of that 2023 mix. If ACS spent dollars the same way the year you donate, the research slice would be near the ~23% mark. The exact share can drift year to year as grant cycles and mission needs shift, but audited statements keep the math grounded.
What Counts As “Research” At ACS
ACS funds external grants to labs and clinicians nationwide and runs in-house studies in prevention, screening, survivorship, and equity. That breadth is why the audited line is labeled “discovery.” It covers investigator-initiated grants, career development awards, and ACS’s own scientific work.
Why Relay For Life Still Matters For Research
Relay isn’t just a ceremony around a track. It’s a funding engine with reach into both local patient help and national science. Communities raise dollars; ACS stewards those dollars into grants, studies, lodging, and rides that keep people in treatment long enough to benefit from the science your gift advances.
How Much Money From Relay For Life Goes To Research—By Year
ACS’s fact set shows a consistent pattern: most funds land in program work, with research as a major slice. In 2022, ACS reported $165.8 million to discovery out of $699.5 million in total expenses, or roughly 23.7%. In 2023, research rose to $184.7 million while total expenses climbed to $817.8 million, pegging the share near 22.6%.
Can A Relay Gift Be Restricted Just To Research?
Yes, donors can make restricted gifts through ACS channels. Most Relay donations are general mission support unless a donor uses a designated route. Either way, your Relay check still helps fund grants because research is a standing budget line inside ACS’s mission spend.
How Special Events Feed The Pie
ACS lists “special events” revenue separately in the audited statements. Relay For Life is a major part of that line. Events spark giving, connect local sponsors, and recruit teams that come back each spring. The event dollars then pool with bequests, monthly gifts, and corporate matches before ACS divides resources across the mission and support categories shown above.
Practical Takeaways For Teams And Donors
Set A Team Goal With The Ratios In Mind
Use the ~23% research share as a rule of thumb when you explain the impact to your supporters. A $1,000 team goal means about $230 of ACS’s overall spend—based on 2023 ratios—goes to discovery, with the balance fueling patient help, screening work, and advocacy.
Show Both Sides Of Impact
Pair the research story (grants and breakthroughs) with the access story (rides, rooms, helpline). Donors like to see that their gift pushes science forward and keeps neighbors in care right now. That full view reflects how ACS actually budgets.
How To Cite A Source In Your Team Page
When supporters ask for proof, link the “2023 financial statements” and the Relay program page. Both are public and easy to skim. Your message stays transparent without drowning people in accounting speak.
Relay Gift Impact: $100 Walkthrough
Here’s a simple way to show what $100 supports when ACS spends like 2023. These are rounded figures based on the audited expense mix.
| Area | Approx. Dollars Per $100 | What That Enables |
|---|---|---|
| Patient Support | $52 | Rides, lodging, helpline, treatment navigation |
| Discovery / Research | $23 | Grants to labs and clinicians; ACS studies |
| Advocacy | $7 | Policy change for screening and care access |
| Program Services Total | $81 | All mission work combined |
| Fundraising | $15 | Event costs and donor outreach |
| Management & General | $4 | Accounting, HR, systems, governance |
| Grand Total | $100 | Every dollar accounted for |
How We Calculated The Research Share
We used ACS’s audited 2023 expense lines: $424.5M patient support, $184.7M discovery (research), $54.6M advocacy, $32.0M management and general, and $121.9M fundraising. Add those to get $817.8M total expenses. Divide $184.7M by $817.8M to get ~22.6%. Round to the nearest whole number for quick conversation. That’s your “about 23%” figure.
Two Handy Source Links
Skim the ACS 2023 financial statements and the Relay For Life page to see the same labels and mission summary ACS uses.
Using The Exact Keyword In Your Talking Points
When teammates ask, you can quote the line plainly: “how much money from relay for life goes to research” is answered by ACS’s audited mix—about 23% in 2023—while the rest pays for patient help, screening guidance, and advocacy. When donors ask the same “how much money from relay for life goes to research” question on event day, give the $100 example above and share the source links on your team page or QR handouts.
What This Means For Your Next Event
Set Up Your Pitch
Lead with the person you’re honoring, your team goal, and the crisp breakdown: about $23 to research per $100, $52 to direct patient help, and $25 to the advocacy and stewardship needed to keep dollars flowing.
Show Proof Of Work
Point donors to recent grants and ACS’s research news hub. Tie that back to local impact by naming the nearest Hope Lodge or ride program. People love a gift that helps today and moves the field tomorrow.
Keep It Simple On Event Day
Post a one-page graphic: “Where $100 Goes.” Use the same numbers you see in the second table. Add a short caption and a QR code to the financial statements page.
Bottom Line For Relay Teams
ACS’s 2023 audited books show about 23% of spending in discovery. Relay dollars help make that possible by feeding the overall mission budget that pays labs, funds studies, and keeps patients on track through treatment. Your laps and your asks push both sides of the fight—science and support—at the same time.