The Livestrong Foundation is a United States
nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
that provides support for people affected by
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
. The foundation, based in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
, was established in 1997 by
cancer survivor
A cancer survivor is a person with cancer of any type who is still living. Whether a person becomes a survivor at the time of diagnosis or after completing treatment, whether people who are actively dying are considered survivors, and whether ...
and former professional
road racing cyclist
Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common ...
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong (''né'' Gunderson; born September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist. Regarded as a sports icon for winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 Tour de ...
, as the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
The Livestrong brand was launched by the foundation in 2003. Armstrong resigned from the foundation in 2012 after his admission of
doping, leading to the rebranding of the entire organization as Livestrong Foundation.
Among its activities, the foundation lobbies governmental agencies, conducts research on cancer survivors, and funds a number of smaller non-profit organizations. The cornerstone of the foundation's work was the providing of free, direct, personalized support services for people navigating the physical, practical, emotional and financial challenges of having cancer. In this effort, the foundation aimed to make the cancer care system more patient-focused. As of 2020, the foundation has shifted its focus away from "direct services", and has positioned itself as a backer of companies involved in improving patient care.
History
The foundation states that its mission is "to improve the lives of cancer survivors and those affected by cancer."
The foundation implements its mission through direct services, community programs and systemic change. As early as 1999, the foundation began focusing on the field of cancer survivorship, specifically the practical, psycho-social needs of cancer patients and those affected by cancer. In 2000, the foundation funded cancer survivorship programs at Children's Medical Center in Ft. Worth, TX and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.
In 2001, the foundation awarded its first community program grant through a program that would ultimately become the ''Community Impact Project''. The first grant was awarded to ''Wonders and Worries'', a pilot program to help children cope when a parent has a chronic or life-threatening illness like cancer. Future recipients of the Community Impact Project include the ''LIVESTRONG at the YMCA'', ''
Camp Kesem Kesem is a national 501(c)(3) organization that supports children who are affected by a parent's cancer. It provides year-round programs and services to support these children, ages 6–18, at no cost to families. It has a presence at more than 130 ...
'', ''Pablove Shutterbugs'', and ''Cancer Transitions''.
In 2002, the foundation launched Livestrong Survivorcare, the predecessor to Livestrong Navigation, a free one-on-one service offering cancer navigation services to patients, caregivers, friends and family members through phone, email and online services. The foundationwould ultimately open the Livestrong Cancer Navigation Center at its headquarters in Austin by 2010. Since its inception, Livestrong has served over 100,000 people through free programs and services such as emotional counseling, insurance management, clinical trial matching and guidance on treatment options.
In 2008,
Demand Media
Leaf Group, formerly Demand Media Inc, is an American content company that operates online brands including eHow, livestrong.com, and marketplace brands Saatchi Art and Society6. The company also provides social media platforms to existing l ...
reached an agreement with the foundation to license the use of the Livestrong name and mark to create a spin-off website, Livestrong.com (unconnected to Livestrong.org), a commercial health and wellness site. Demand Media hired Armstrong as a spokesman.
Armstrong doping scandal and rebranding
![LIVESTRONG logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/LIVESTRONG_logo.png)
In 2012, Armstrong was banned from professional cycling and stripped of his Tour de France titles after it was found that he had
engaged in the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The foundation initially reacted by questioning the integrity of the
United States Anti-Doping Agency
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, ) is a non-profit, non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization and the national anti- doping organization (NADO) for the United States. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport and prevent ...
(USADA) in a statement by president and chief executive Doug Ulman released in October 2012:
Our long-standing concerns about the impartiality and fairness of Usada's proceedings are compounded today. ... Usada appears motivated more by publicity rather than fulfilling its mission. ... Because of rmstrong'sleadership and vision, the Lance Armstrong Foundation has served more than 2.5 million people affected by cancer over the last 15 years. ... We are deeply grateful for his leadership and incredibly proud of his achievements, both on and off the bike.
However, just a week later, Armstrong resigned as the chairman of the foundation, and from the foundation's board of directors in November.
In January 2013, prior to Armstrong's televised interview with
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
in which he admitted to doping, the foundation released a statement that said:
We expect Lance to be completely truthful and forthcoming in his interview and with all of us in the cancer community ... Regardless, we are charting a strong, independent course forward that is focused on helping people overcome financial, emotional and physical challenges related to cancer ... Inspired by the people with cancer whom we serve, we feel confident and optimistic about the Foundation's future and welcome an end to speculation.
Following the departure of Armstrong, the foundation considered whether its highly visible brand image was a liability, linking the foundation and its activities too tightly with its founder. The conclusion was that a radical change would go against the foundation's key message: "It has never been about one person." The foundation changed its name from the Lance Armstrong Foundation to the Livestrong Foundation in November 2012.
This decision and the strategy it adopted was primarily driven by the foundation's own "strong sense of itself" and the "importance of its story."
In the end, in a process some critics called "subtle but substantive," the foundation's story was told through a variety of ongoing initiatives explaining the foundation's key promise, which was designed to help distinguish the organization from other organizations in the oncology community.
As a result of Armstrong's confessed guilt, on May 28, 2013,
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
announced that it would cut ties with the foundation after a nine-year relationship. After the 2013 holiday season, Nike ceased production of its Livestrong line of products, honoring its contract with the organization which expired in 2014.
The foundation was a title sponsor of
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
club
Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City, often shortened to Sporting KC, is an American men's professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and t ...
's
home stadium
In sports, home is the place and venue identified with a team sport. Most professional teams are named for, and marketed to, particular metropolitan areas; amateur teams may be drawn from a particular region, or from institutions such as sch ...
from March 2011 to January 2013, when the naming agreement was terminated. The deal was severed after both sides blamed the other for failing to live up to their agreement; Armstrong's doping scandal was not a factor in the decision.
Subsequent developments
In 2015, Livestrong hired
Chandini Portteus as their new president and CEO. She formerly worked at the
Susan G. Komen Foundation
Susan G. Komen (formerly known as Susan G. Komen for the Cure; originally as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; often simply as Komen) is a breast cancer organization in the United States.
Komen focuses on patient navigation and advo ...
.
In 2016, Portteus resigned and Greg Lee was appointed as President. Greg Lee had served as CFO of the Foundation for over ten years.
In February 2020, the foundation announced that it would change its focus to being an "impact funder" rather than a provider of direct services, backing
startups
A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. While entrepreneurship refers to all new businesses, including self-employment and businesses t ...
involved in improving patient care. The foundation also unveiled a new logo, moving away from its previous yellow-and-black imagery (which was strongly associated with Armstrong and its wristbands). Lee stated that the new brand was intended to reflect that Livestrong was "more than a wristband".
Livestrong wristband
The Livestrong wristband is a yellow silicone
gel bracelet
Gel bracelets (or jelly bracelets) are a type of wristband often made from silicone.
Gel bracelets
Gel bracelets usually have a rectangular or circular cross-section. They are stretchy and come in a variety of colors. They have been popular i ...
program launched in May 2004 as a fund-raising item.
[''Where the Money Goes''](_blank)
Livestrong.org; retrieved January 14, 2013. The bracelet was developed by
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
and its advertising agency,
Wieden+Kennedy
Wieden+Kennedy (W+K; earlier styled ''Wieden & Kennedy'') is an American independent global advertising agency best known for its work for Nike. Founded by Dan Wieden and David Kennedy, and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, it is one of the l ...
. The band's yellow color references the
yellow jersey
The general classification is the most important classification, the one by which the winner of the Tour de France is determined. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification wears the yellow jersey (french: maillot jaune ).
History
Th ...
traditionally worn by the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
's overall leader. The band became a popular fashion item in the US by the end of the summer of 2004 and appeared on a majority of the contenders at the
2004 Tour de France
The 2004 Tour de France was a multiple stage bicycle race held from 3 to 25 July, and the 91st edition of the Tour de France. It has no overall winner—although American cyclist Lance Armstrong originally won the event, the United States Anti ...
.
By 2013, 80 million Livestrong bracelets had been sold, according to Oprah.
The success of the Livestrong bracelets led to many other charities selling similar wristbands as part of their fundraising efforts.
Following Armstrong's lifetime ban for doping by
USADA
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, ) is a non-profit, non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization and the national anti- doping organization (NADO) for the United States. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport and prevent ...
, a CNN article claimed that critics had struck out the "V" or wrote a "W" over the "ST" to make the wristband read "LIE STRONG" or "LIVEWRONG". Satirical news site ''
The Onion
''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is based in Chicago but originated as a weekly print publication on August 2 ...
'' marketed a lookalike parody bracelet which replaced the "LIVESTRONG" text with "CHEAT TO WIN."
Finances
Figures provided by the foundation to
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
in October 2012 revealed that, despite Armstrong's acknowledgement that he doped, revenues were up 2.1 percent, to US$33.8 million, through September 30, 2012—according to ESPN, this total represented a 5.4 percent increase from 2011, with a 5.7 percent increase in the average dollar amount of those donations (from US$74.88 in 2011 to US$79.15 in 2012).
Over the duration of its existence, the foundation has generated more than US$500 million worth of funds.
Since Armstrong's departure, the foundation's income has continued to drop. The foundation revealed that its 2013 budget was 10.9 percent less than its 2012 budget,
and annual reports from the foundation show a continuous drop in revenue with annual contributions falling from $15.8 million in 2011 to $10.7 million in 2012, $7.9 million in 2013, $3.8 million in 2014, $6.7 million in 2015, $4.2 million in 2016, $3.5 million in 2017, and $3.2 million in 2018, Income from licensing and royalties also declined dramatically, from a high of $7.2 million in 2007 to a low of $13,875 in 2017.
References
External links
Official websiteCharity Navigator's rating of Lance Armstrong Foundation
{{Authority control
Cancer charities in the United States
Charities based in Texas
Organizations based in Austin, Texas
Foundation
Foundation may refer to:
* Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization
** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S.
** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...
Organizations established in 1997
1997 establishments in Texas
Medical and health organizations based in Texas