FUNDACION ELLEN RIEGNER DE CASAS

Fundación Ellen Riegner de Casas is a Colombian nonprofit with over 20 years of proven impact, ensuring that low-income cancer patients can complete their treatment journeys.

In Colombia, cancer is not only a medical challenge—it is a profound economic one. Thousands of patients abandon cancer treatment every year not because cures are unavailable, but because essential out‑of‑pocket costs—such as transportation to treatment centers, medications not covered by insurance, diagnostic tests, nutritional support, temporary lodging, and palliative care—exceed their financial capacity. These economic barriers are often life‑threatening.

Our organization exists to close this gap. By covering critical expenses and providing emotional and practical support, we prevent treatment abandonment, improve treatment adherence, and significantly increase patients’ chances of survival and quality of life. We understand that continuity of care is essential—and that poverty should never determine who lives, how they are treated, or how they are accompanied.

We work with transparency, accountability, and a strong commitment to health equity, partnering with companies and donors who believe that access to quality cancer care should never depend on income or social condition.

Your contribution helps turn corporate purpose into tangible impact—ensuring that no person with cancer in Colombia is left behind.

* Impact Snapshot – What Your Monthly Gift Makes Possible:
Your recurring contribution helps remove the most common financial barriers that force low-income cancer patients to interrupt or abandon treatment—while ensuring dignity, safety, and support throughout every stage of the cancer journey.

- $25/month provides food vouchers so patients can have a dignified meal before and after chemotherapy, includes bottles of drinking water, supplies basic clothing and personal items, and helps cover essential transportation costs so patients can attend chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or follow‑up appointments without missing critical care.

- $50/month supplies basic essentials for hospitalized patients, including pajamas, towels, soap, creams, and personal hygiene items—helping ensure comfort, cleanliness, and dignified conditions during hospital stays. It also contributes to medications, diagnostic tests, and medical supplies not covered by the health system, which are essential for maintaining treatment continuity.

- $100/month provides access to temporary lodging (shelters) for patients and caregivers who must travel long distances to receive treatment, while also supporting comprehensive assistance, including transportation, nutritional support, and emotional accompaniment for those navigating cancer under extreme financial stress. This level additionally contributes to medicalized ambulance services for critical transfers, programs that support patients who are abandoned or left alone in hospital settings, and special assistance for patients who cannot stop working despite illness because they are the primary economic providers for their families, helping them sustain treatment without losing their livelihoods.

- $250 provides dignified funeral support for families who lose a loved one to cancer, helping cover essential expenses during a moment of profound emotional and economic vulnerability. It also supports special assistance for patients who must continue working despite illness because they carry the primary economic responsibility of their households, helping protect treatment continuity and family stability.

- $500 supports infrastructure, equipment, and essential supplies for hospitals and patient shelters, strengthening safe, humane, and dignified care environments for people living with cancer and their caregivers. This level of support contributes to improvements in basic facilities, furnishings, safety conditions, medical and non‑medical equipment, sanitation items, and functional spaces, ensuring care is delivered in environments that protect health, respect dignity, and provide compassionate accompaniment throughout the treatment journey.

Recurring donations create sustained impact—ensuring that poverty neither interrupts treatment nor defines how a life is cared for or remembered.

* How Companies Can Get Involved: Corporate partners can support our mission through:
- Workplace giving programs
- Payroll deductions
- Corporate matching gifts
- Recurring monthly donations
- Strategic partnerships and skills-based volunteering

Together, we can advance health equity and transform corporate purpose into meaningful, measurable impact for people affected by cancer in Colombia.