The Israel Cancer Research Fund Earns 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator

NEW YORK, July 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) received a 4-Star rating on July 1, 2015 from Charity Navigator, the premier charity evaluator. In its congratulatory letter, the company cited  ICRF's good governance and other best practices and its consistency in executing its mission in a fiscally responsible and transparent way.

According to Eric Heffler, national executive director of the Israel Cancer Research Fund, "We are very happy to have achieved this recognition as it demonstrates to our present and future donors that we are worthy of their trust. We are confident that this coveted rating will further enhance our credibility and our philanthropic outreach. But the bottom line is, it will enhance the efforts of Israel's brilliant scientists to work toward the goal of eradicating cancer."

The Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) was founded in 1975 by a group of American and Canadian physicians, scientists and lay leaders who sought to support cancer research in Israel, a world center for cutting edge research and innovation.      

Since its founding, the organization has awarded more than $55 million to fund more than 2,100 grants to Israeli cancer researchers at all of the major institutions in Israel via fellowships, project grants, career development awards and professorships. Each grant application undergoes a rigorous review process by a Scientific Review Panel that is modeled after the National Institutes of Health and is composed of prominent American and Canadian scientists. The work of Israeli cancer researchers has resulted in some of the most significant cancer breakthroughs in recent years. According to Kenneth Goodman, Chairman of ICRF : "We are extremely proud of our  ICRF- funded scientists, including Dr. Avram Hersko and Dr. Aaron Ciechanover, who   received the 2004 Nobel Prize  in chemistry for their groundbreaking discovery of the Ubiquitin System , the body's method of removing damaged proteins. Their research led to the development of Velcade ®, the first FDA-approved drug specifically targeted against the Ubiquitin System, now being used to treat multiple myeloma. The intellectual and innovative capacities of our scientists have helped to elucidate the role of the p53 tumor-suppressor gene (present in 50 percent of all human cancer and now the most studied gene in the human genome).  ICRF scientists were also involved in the research that led to the development of Doxil ®, a drug used in the treatment of breast and ovarian cancer, and Gleevec ®, a life-saving drug for treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia."

Other ICRF achievements include the development of a novel bone marrow transplant technique for leukemia patients, pioneering work in DNA Methylation, a molecular process that turns genes on and off, and a new semi-automated method of measuring brain-tumor growth and classifying tumors.

"Through expanded funding," said Brad Goldhar, President of ICRF, we will continue to produce more medical breakthroughs, which will make a direct, life-saving difference for patients and families struggling with cancer."

SOURCE The Israel Cancer Research Fund