2017 ANNUAL REPORT MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT There are very few words that can strike as much fear into our lives as those words of “you have cancer.” None of us have more than one degree of separation from this plague upon humanity, and tragically, someone we deeply care for will receive a diagnosis of cancer this year. Concern Foundation strongly believes that by supporting the young pioneers of immunology research, huge changes will continue to be made in understanding how we fight cancer. Our sole purpose is to provide salary support to researchers in order to better understand cancer and to help our immune system beat this insidious disease. Over the last 49 years, our extraordinary organization, supported by you, some of the most caring and dedicated people that I know, has raised millions and millions of dollars to fund cancer research. Proudly, with our driven board and tremendous volunteer supporters, practically every single cent of the dollars raised by Concern goes directly to cancer research, and I love this fact! In 1968, Concern Foundation believed that investing in the growing careers of young innovative researchers within the field of cancer immunology was the future and that the immune system and once understood, would someday be used to treat and control cancer. Today, we have the proof that “someday” is today! If you ask any oncologist, they’ll tell you that they, too, believe that the immune system can have a role in the progression of treatment, and possibly a role in treating cancer. Even the general public today more clearly understands what immunotherapy is, and that there is hope for defeating this disease by using immunotherapies. In a very short period of time the idea of immunotherapy has become very empowering because patients are using their own immune system to recognize and destroy the cancer in their bodies. I am so proud to lead this extraordinary organization for the past 14 years and honored by your commitment to continue to support the cutting edge projects and the next generation of top-of-the-line scientists who are investigating this area of cancer research. Together we are making huge progress and together we will conquer cancer. Sincerely, Derek Alpert President ABOUT CONCERN FOUNDATION CONCERN is an appropriate acronym (CONquer canCER Now) for one of Los Angeles’s best-known and most beloved charities. Since its inception in 1968, CONCERN Foundation, which is dedicated to raising and granting funds to support cancer research worldwide, has broken local ground in many ways: pioneering support of cancer research (specifically in funding young scientists); using the force of celebrity to raise funds; encouraging restaurants and then caterers to share center stage with celebrities to raise money; and pioneering the “block party” fundraiser concept, using the cachet of glamorous Rodeo Drive as a setting. This non-profit organization’s fundraising milestones also chronicle a rich era in the entertainment-oriented social history of Los Angeles. 2017 marks Concern’s 49th year and since inception Concern has awarded over $61 million dollars in salary support to well over 750 cancer researchers. While cancer is still one of the leading causes of death in the world, major strides have been made. Today there are over 15 million people that have survived their cancer diagnoses. This is more than ever before thanks to cancer research- so yes we are beginning to conquer cancer but there is yet there is still so much more that needs to be done. Introducing Concern Now: Concern Foundation’s next generation of leaders We are excited to introduce the newest addition to Concern Foundation—Concern Now. Concern Now is comprised of Concern’s young professional supporters and volunteers who are eager to be a part of Concern’s future. In 2017, Concern Now organized two events for the fall season that doubled as toy drives for the holiday party. The BeatBuds Friendraiser event was held on November 11th for families at Kidz Korner in Encino where guests enjoyed the musical stylings of the popular children’s music group, The BeatBuds. The second event was “A Mix and a Mingle” at STK at the W Hotel in Westwood, also on November 11th. Guests were invited to drink, eat, and play games as a kick-off to our partnership with STK and the new “A Cocktail of Concern” that was featured on the STK menu. Proceeds from the sale of this drink at STK benefited Concern Foundation. 2016-2018 CONQUER CANCER NOW GRANT RECIPIENTS Scott Atwood University of California, Irvine Skin Cancer FAT1 regulates basal cell carcinoma initiation and drug resistance Luis Batista Washington University in St. Louis Liver Cancer Telomerase modulation prevents end stage liver disease and cancer Milan Chheda Washington University in St. Louis Brain Cancer Chromatin remodeling in glioblastoma Saar Gill University of Pennsylvania Ovarian Cancer Chimeric Antigen Receptor-redirected Macrophages for Solid Tumors Bojana Gligorijevic Temple University Breast Cancer Real-Time Intravital Imaging of Cancer Cell Cycle and Motility States Xi Huang The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto Canada Brain Cancer Targeting EAG2 potassium channel in glioblastoma Hyungiin Kim State University of New York, Stony Brook General Cancer Mechanism Mechanisms linking proteolysis to replication stress and tumorigenesis Kian-Huat Lim Washington University in St. Louis Pancreatic Cancer Neutralizing the Innate Immune Defense Mechanism of Pancreatic Cancer Chintan Parekh Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Leukemia Role of the long noncoding RNA DANCR in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia Olga Razorenova University of California, Irvine Breast Cancer Dissecting the role of CDCP1 in pro‐metastatic signaling Bruno Sainz Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Autonoma University Of Madrid) Pancreatic Cancer Targeting mitochondrial respiration, an Achilles’ heel of cancer stem cells Masataka Suzuki Baylor College Of Medicine Head & Neck Cancer Combining Ad gene therapy with CAR Ad-specific T‐cell therapy for HNSCC Baochun Zhang Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Lymphoma Dual Specificity Phosphatase 2 in Diffuse Large B-¬Cell Lymphomagenesis A visit with Dr. Scott Atwood at the University of California, Irvine Basal Cell Carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, is the most common cancer in the world, with over 4 million individuals affected by it every year in the United States alone. While it is easily treated, if detected in early stages, there are a small percentage of advanced stage patients who don’t respond to treatment and develop drug resistance. Dr. Scott Atwood, current Conquer Cancer Now Grant Recipient at the University of California, Irvine, is investigating this phenomenon. Dr. Atwood’s lab looks at how basal cell carcinomas form, progress and become resistant to drugs. They are using a model and a new sequencing technique to observe changes in signaling pathways in cells to see if they’re able to determine what enhances or suppresses drug resistance. This new method allows Dr. Atwood to compare individual cells and group them by specific characteristics. The model looks at what characteristic changes and mutations occur in those pathways before tumors develop, when they arise, and then when they become advanced and resistant. This single cell sequencing has also led to his discovery of four new kinds of stem cells in the skin where there was previously only thought to be one. Dr. Atwood’s research has the potential to lead to new treatments in advanced resistant cases of this cancer. 2016 SPECIAL GRANTS AWARDED BY CONCERN FOUNDATION PEDIATRIC CANCER – BRAIN TUMOR Anat Epstein Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Novel Molecular Model of P1D1 Function in Pediatric Brain Tumors Funding matched by Mrs. Mimi Feldman & NSBN LLP Golf Tournament ADOLESCENT & YOUNG ADULT CANCERS Troy McEachron, PhD The Adolescent and Young Adult Program (AYA@USC) at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center AYA Sarcoma Study: Rhabdomyosarcoma This grant is co-funded with The Kevin Cordasco Something Yellow Foundation from proceeds of the 2017 LA Marathon MEYOFIBROSIS Dr. Shlomo Elias Lautenberg Center, Hebrew University, Israel Involvement of NK cells in the pathogenesis of meyofibrosis Funding provided by The Bernard and Rena Shapiro Family Foundation TUMORS Eitan Yefenof, Ph.D. Lautenberg Center, Hebrew University, Israel Killer of tumors by Natural Killer cells This grant is funded by Bernard Laterman and Frances Iger Laterman PROSTATE CANCER Dr. Yuan Yuan City of Hope, Duarte Precision Genomic Medicine in Treatment of Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer This grant is co-funded by Myrna & Stanley Zimmerman and the Marion Brucker Legacy Fund PROSTATE CANCER Dr. Owen Witte UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center Identification and Functional Characterization of Kinases Driving Prostate Cancer Metastasis to Bone This grant is funded through Concern by Myrna & Stanley Zimmerman GRANT RECIPIENT TESTIMONIALS MULLER FABBRI, MD, PHD Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Concern Grant Recipient Receives $1.9 Million from NIH Muller Fabbri, MD, PhD, at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles was recently awarded $1.9 million by the NIH to further develop his neuroblastoma research. In 2014, Concern Foundation funded his project, Tumor Associated Macrophages exosomic miRNAs in Neuroblastoma biology, with the Conquer Cancer Now grant. We’re happy to see that his early research yielded results that were worth exploring further, and that the initial seed money from Concern has allowed Dr. Fabbri to continue his potentially life-saving research on the third most common type of childhood cancer. Read on for more details of his research, as reported by a press release from Children’s Hospital. This research will focus on a completely new strategy targeting immune cells that contribute to disease progression with a goal toward the development of more potent immunotherapies to improve the outcomes for children with this disease. Neuroblastoma (NB) is a type of solid tumor that starts in immature nerve cells of the sympathetic nervous system. While NB is one of the most common types of pediatric cancer, it is still very rare. Out of the 13,000 children who are diagnosed with cancer each year, only about 650-700 are diagnosed with NB. The disease primarily occurs in children younger than age 10 and is most common in infants and very young children. “My research project is based on the fact that sometimes cancer cells are able to hijack the immune system and use it to their advantage,” said Fabbri. “The cancer cells release a signal that can be captured by the immune cell and consequently the immune cells stop fighting the cancer and actually help the cancer grow. “We are really 180° apart from what researchers previously believed – that the immune cells are always defending us– it turns out that they can receive signals from cancer cells and become the best allies of cancer. Now that we know that this happens, the goal is to interrupt communication between the cancer cells and the immune cells, so that the immune cells do not forget what they’re supposed to do -- which is to fight against cancer and not help it.” Other members of the research team include Shahab Asgharzadeh, MD, and Richard Sposto, PhD, of the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Sposto is also Director of the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core. TROY MCEACHRON, PHD Keck School of Medicine of USC Focusing on adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer We were recently invited to visit a research lab at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and met Troy McEachron, PhD, who is an assistant professor of research in the Department of Translational Genomics at Keck Medicine of USC. With help from a Concern grant, Dr. McEachron’s research focuses on two areas within adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer: 1) the utilization of cutting-edge approaches to better define the molecular characteristics of sarcomas to enable more precise treatment strategies, and 2) the use of DNA and RNA sequencing technologies to identify and investigate the developmental and therapeutic aspects of sarcomas that predominantly arise in the pediatric and AYA populations. We learned so much in a short amount of time and are very excited to see where Dr. McEachron’s important research will lead in the treatment of adolescent and young adult sarcoma patients! ONGOING RESEARCH ENDOWMENT: LAUTENBERG CENTER The Concern Foundation Laboratories at the Lautenberg Center for Cancer and Tumor Immunology In 2018, representatives of Concern Foundation will be attending the annual Lautenberg Center Research Symposium at Hebrew University in Israel. This will be the first chance to see the new laboratories at the center which have been funded by an endowment given by Concern over the years. Concern Foundation has provided the lead gift for the relocation of the Lautenberg Center at Hebrew University. The new Concern Foundation Laboratories at the Lautenberg Center will be occupied by the researchers no later than February/March 2018. Hebrew University and the American Friends of Hebrew University has scheduled a ceremonial opening on Wednesday, June 13th during the AFHU Board of Governors meeting. There will be a second “official” opening on Thursday September 6, 2018 during the annual Lautenberg Center Research Symposium. Dr. Eitan Yefenof, Ph.D. has suggested the Concern members attend this opening since they will be able to interact with our researchers and see and hear firsthand the important work being done at the Center with our support. ANNUAL BLOCK PARTY CONCERN FOUNDATION’S 43rd ANNUAL BLOCK PARTY RAISES $1.7 MILLION FOR CANCER RESEARCH On Saturday, July 8, 2017, Concern Foundation for cancer research produced its 43rd Annual Block Party on the backlot of Paramount Studios in Hollywood. Themed Kingdom of Concern, the highly anticipated event hosted approximately 4,000 guests and raised $1.7 million for cancer research through ticket sales, sponsorships and live and silent auctions. Guests had a chance to experience 70 food and beverage vendors including 1212, Button Mash, Lawry’s The Prime Rib, Morton’s Beverly Hills, STK Los Angeles, Trejo’s Tacos, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and more. The streets were filled with entertainment such as casino- style games, photo booths, renaissance characters, and bands such as The Merry Wives of Windsor, Sportive Tricks and the Tom Nolan Band. The Best of LA® on Los Angeles magazine’s street presented an Equinox recharge station and the Infiniti Lounge featuring live cooking demonstrations from celebrity chef Scott Conant. During the evening program, the main stage played a video that shared a powerful message of Concern Foundation’s accomplishments and a call to join their efforts. The live auction, led by lifestyle expert and entertainment reporter, Mar Yvette, followed, during which guests bid on exclusive opportunities such as Dodger dugout Seats, a luxury vacation in Costa Rica, and VIP tickets to NBC’s The Voice with guitars signed by Blake Shelton and Maroon 5, just to name a few. The Spirit of Concern Humanitarians awards were presented to Eden Alpert, Kelly Stone and Bruce Singer. All three honorees were recognized for their local philanthropic efforts. Eden Alpert is a community activist who has worked with several prominent non-profit organizations in the LA area. As a partner at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Jazz Grill, she has not only been part of the Block Party, but is a longstanding supporter of Concern Foundation. Actress Sharon Stone then took the stage to introduce her sister, Kelly Stone, and brother-in-law, Bruce Singer. Kelly and Bruce have been committed to Planet Hope whose programs provide summer camps, food and warmth resources, medical and dental care and more to terminally ill and homeless children. Their seasonal charitable program, “Hope for the Holidays,” gives over 12,000 gifts to children living in homeless/abuse shelters and in hospitals with terminal diseases. “Concern’s Block Party is the best event in Los Angeles. We may have it every year but it’s never the same party. With 20 top food and beverage companies joining us for the first time this year, the Block Party just gets better and better,” said Derek Alpert, Concern’s President. “The positive comments on social media and from our donors are testaments to our success. One of our sponsors said it best: “we make raising money for cancer research fun.” RAISING FUNDS & AWARENESS FOR CANCER RESEARCH Team Concern LA Marathon and Big 5K Raises $195,000 Concern Foundation joined the Los Angeles Marathon as an official charity for the eighth consecutive year, and is thrilled to announce a record-breaking $195,000 was raised by its dedicated team! Nearly 100 runners and walkers participated as members of TEAM CONCERN for the Big 5K around Dodger Stadium and the full LA Marathon. This year Concern Foundation joined forces with members of the Adolescent and Young Adult Program at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (AYA@USC) and added a new partner, the Kevin Cordasco Something Yellow Foundation. By joining forces with Concern in recruiting runners and raising funds toward the marathon campaign, AYA will be awarded a $50,000 grant to support its program which focuses on providing treatment, emotional needs and social support for teens and young adults with cancer. We’re so proud of Team Concern, our partnerships and all of the athletes who tirelessly trained and fundraised on our behalf. It’s an honor to be chosen as their charity of choice, and we promise that all of the money raised will be committed to innovative and life-saving cancer research. Cycle With Soul The fourth annual Cycle With Soul on October 1 was a huge success. With every single bike sold at the Beverly Hills studio, and nearly $32,000 raised, it was truly a spectacular event. Spencer Ludwig returned for the second year in a row to perform two of his hit songs. His performance elevated the spirit of the room and encouraged riders to keep going. After the ride, all 50 participants enjoyed refreshments provided by Juice Crafters and Pinkberry to cool off and restore their energy. We have board member Courtney Teller to thank for creating and leading this event. In four years, Cycle With Soul has raised more than $100,000 for cancer research. We’d like to acknowledge Jamie and Dustin Branch for raising more than $4,000 in their Concern fundraising debut. We’re grateful for your support and hope you’ll be back again! Also, a special thanks to Personal Dental, Anxiety Therapy LA, and Juice Crafters for sponsoring this event, so that 100 percent of the proceeds go directly to cancer research! NSBN Golf Tournament Raises over $130,000 for Concern October 30th was a beautiful day in Los Angeles and the sold-out NSBN Golf Tournament to benefit Concern Foundation was another huge success. This year’s tournament raised a record breaking $130,000 for cancer research. This was Concern Foundation’s fourth year partnering with NSBN, and to date, the tournaments have raised over $250,000. The money raised by the golf tournament will be granted by Concern to several different research projects in Los Angeles including a brain tumor research project at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, led by Dr. Anat Epstein, The Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program (AYA@USC) at USC’s Keck Medical Center, and the Stem Cell Research Center at UCLA. Thank you to partners Steve Asher & Ken Miles and all of the generous golfers and friends of NSBN for supporting Concern and some very important cancer research projects in Los Angeles. An Evening of Fall Classics, Fashion and Baseball at Carroll and Co. On October 3, Carroll and Co. in Beverly Hills hosted a special event featuring Dodgers legend Steve Garvey. The evening began with mingling, wine and food provided by Wally’s, followed by an interview with Garvey conducted by board member John Carroll. The night also included a silent auction that raised $2,400 for Concern. This event was an intriguing night for Dodger fans and a great way to raise money for Concern Foundation CONCERN IN THE COMMUNITY Annual Day for the Kids at Universal Studios October 8 was the annual Day for the Kids at Universal Studios, Hollywood. As always, it was one of the most special days of the year and we love that we can bring this amazing day to all of these deserving kids. A very special thanks to Universal Studios Discover a Star Foundation for generously donating this remarkable day to us for the 29th year. We enjoyed a delicious lunch catered by Universal Studios Hollywood. After lunch, groups explored the park together almost until closing, ending the day right before Halloween Horror Nights begins. One parent said her child could not sleep the night before because this is one of her favorite days of the year. It is comments like these that remind us of why we do what we do. As one of the first events from our new young professionals group, Concern Now, many of our amazing volunteers were new to Concern, and are excited to get involved in our future events. With over 300 patients and guests, we couldn’t do it without our wonderful volunteers. They really do make this day special. 2017 COMMUNITY EVENTS The Polar Express Arrived at Concern’s Holiday Event Concern Foundation welcomed nearly 600 pediatric cancer patients and their families to the 30th annual Holiday Party at Paramount Studios theatre on December 17th. Designed by John Ferdenzi of Town & Country Event Rentals & Chris Siddens, and chaired by Kathlene Stakely, our Polar Express themed event started with a screening of this classic film followed by a party filled with candy and treats, good food, great activities, real falling snow and, of course, bags of gifts for every guest. This year we were joined by our new friends, Fresh Brothers Pizza. They were a smash hit and made sure everyone left with tummies filled with their amazing pizza! The Beauty Bus Foundation tent was overflowing with guests to get a new hairstyle, a makeover, their faces painted and glitter tattoos. Hot dogs from Factor’s Famous Deli had a line around the whole party and Krispy Kreme donuts were once again a huge crowd favorite. The day wouldn’t be the same without the amazing DJ Dwayne Brown who had the entire crowd dancing and playing games, the addition of FoxTails Photos, bounce houses, Brian Kramer Photography and of course our beloved Santa Claus. Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers and to our donors throughout our community for an incredibly generous outpouring of toys and gifts. You all made this a very special day for these families! FINANCIALS: YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2017 CONCERN FOUNDATION AND SUBSIDIARY CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION DECEMBER 31, 2017 ASSETS Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 668,512 Pledges receivable, net 835,389 Investments, at fair value 1,987,742 Beneficial interest in charitable remainder trusts 270,954 Endowment investments 1,916,760 Other assets 43,246 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 5,722,603 Property and equipment, net 5,338 TOTAL ASSETS $ 5,727,941 LIABILITIES Current Liabilities Accounts payable $ 18,914 Accrued expenses 44,002 Grants payable 415,000 Deferred revenue 1,259,273 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 1,737,189 NET ASSETS Unrestricted Undesignated 511,685 Board-designated 1,140,000 TOTAL UNRESTRICTED 1,651,685 Temporarily restricted 418,695 Permanently restricted 1,920,372 TOTAL NET ASSETS 3,990,752 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS $ 5,727,941 CONCERN FOUNDATION AND SUBSIDIARY CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION DECEMBER 31, 2017 Temporarily Permanently Unrestricted Restricted Restricted Total REVENUE AND PUBLIC SUPPORT Public support Special events, net $ 1,442,907 $ 30,000 $ - $ 1,472,907 Contributions 22,351 247,500 - 269,851 Campaign 18,697 - - 18,697 Investment gain (loss) 120,531 - - 120,531 Interest and dividend income 68,255 28,568 - 96,823 Change in value of charitable remainder trusts - 39,086 - 39,086 Net assets released from restrictions: Satisfaction of purpose 249,289 (249,289) - - TOTAL REVENUE AND PUBLIC SUPPORT 1,922,030 95,865 - 2,017,895 EXPENSES Program services 1,230,413 - - 1,230,413 General and administrative 160,191 - - 160,191 Fundraising 401,946 - - 401,946 TOTAL EXPENSES 1,792,550 - - 1,792,550 CHANGE IN NET ASSETS 129,480 95,865 - 225,345 NET ASSETS AT BEGINNING OF YEAR 1,522,205 322,830 1,920,372 3,765,407 NET ASSETS AT END OF YEAR $ 1,651,685 $ 418,695 $ 1,920,372 $ 3,990,752 CONCERN FOUNDATION AND SUBSIDIARY CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2017 2017 CONCERN FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE BOARD Ilyse Teller, Chair Derek Alpert, President Nancy Eisenstadt, Vice Chair Michael Firestein, Secretary/Legal Counsel Marc Lauter, Chief Financial Officer Anne Barnett Bill Barnett Harvey Beesen Shelby Blecker Nancy Blecker Barry Brucker Sue Brucker John Carroll Lexy Carroll Carla Daly David Entin Steve Fortner Lynne Fox Steve Freed Jim Freedman Alan Gittelson Nancy Gittelson Robert Goldman Lorene Goldman Aliza Goldsmith Noah Goldsmith Stanley Gottlieb Jackie Gottlieb Allie Lehrman Max Liszt Marc Luber Eric Massi Michelle Massi Ian Metrose Lauri Metrose Frank Mottek Jessica Nicastro Tom Nogradi Wendy Nogradi Larry Powell Joyce Powell Rick Powell Debbie Powell Laurie Resch Dana Schwartz Steve Teller Courtney Teller Steve Ullman Briana Vickers Scott Vickers Myrna Zimmerman Stanley Zimmerman GET INVOLVED WITH CONCERN FOUNDATION Concern Foundation has raised over $60 Million to fund cancer research through donations from individuals like yourself! Help us CONquer canCER Now. • Make a monetary donation today. • Become an Annual Sponsor and enjoy sponsorship benefits • Send a tribute in honor or in memory of someone special • Be a part of our signature Block Party fund raising event • Start your own fundraiser • Be a part of Team Concern by participating in the LA marathon or another athletic event or activity of your choice • Take steps to create a planned gift • Donate your time and expertise by volunteering • Get your place of business involved and become a community partner or corporate sponsor • Help spread the word about Concern Foundation Each year, 14 million men, women, and children worldwide are diagnosed with some type of cancer. Continued research to find better, smarter, more effective treatments is urgently needed. Only with your help can we continue to fund innovative research and bring breakthrough treatments and “cures” to more cancer patients. CONCERN FOUNDATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH 11111 West Olympic Blvd. Suite 214 Los Angeles, CA 90064 tel: 310.360.6100 fax: 310.473.8300 info@concernfoundation.org www.concernfoundation.org Please consider Concern Foundation in your estate plan.