World Cancer Day 2025: Embracing Transformation to Create Greater Impact

As we mark World Cancer Day 2025, I find myself reflecting on transformation – both the messy middle and the promising future. Sometimes, like in the Marie Kondo method of organizing, you must be willing to make a mess to create something better. You need to empty all the drawers and closets, spread everything out on the floor, examine what you have, and honestly ask: does this still serve us and our community? Does it reflect who we are now and who we need to be? 

That's precisely where ZERO Prostate Cancer has been this past year, as reflected in our newly released Annual Report for the fiscal year 2023-24, which ended 9 months ago. That pivotal year represented our first steps into a necessary transformation – a time of questioning, evaluation, and honest assessment. We began by examining everything, including how we report our finances. You’ll notice that our reported percentage of program spending appears lower than in previous years, as we adopted industry standards for allocation of fundraising and program expenses. This change better reflects our resource allocation. This was not a change in how we spend funds or operate our programs. In fact, we are now better equipped to reinvest in mission over the next several years as we rapidly expand our impact.

In the months since that fiscal year ended, we've been carefully and intentionally rebuilding. Some traditions and processes we've lovingly kept, others we've appreciated yet gracefully let go in order to move forward. We've created space for new initiatives that better serve our future. We've asked ourselves hard questions: What does our community need most from us? Especially during this moment in time, when our commitment to the work matters now more than ever. How can we have the greatest impact? What should we preserve, and what needs to evolve?

This process led us to develop new mission, vision, and values statements that we'll unveil at our annual Summit later this month. These aren't just words on paper – they're the result of deep reflection and bold ambition, blending the empathy and inclusion ZERO is known for with greater accountability and courage. They represent not just who we are but what we're growing into, which is exemplified through our work.

And speaking of growth – mark your calendars for February 18th. We'll be making a monumental announcement that represents an exciting new chapter in ZERO's story. While I can't share details yet, I can tell you it represents everything we've been working toward: bigger impact, stronger partnerships, and a broader vision of how we will serve our community.

The beauty of transformation is that while the midway point can feel uncertain, it creates space for something extraordinary to emerge. We’re moving from the phase of having "everything on the floor" to building something stronger, more impactful, and better aligned with the needs of our community. We’re moving from evaluation to action, questions to answers, planning to execution. 

As we observe World Cancer Day, we're reminded of the reason transformation matters so much. Every volunteer we engage, every mission expansion, every new partnership we forge – it all comes down to serving people affected by prostate cancer more effectively and deeply. That's the "why" behind every change we make. We're building toward a future where early detection is the norm, quality care is accessible to all, and everyone has the absolute best chance of survival. 

We’re here to change lives, to save lives, and to help people live longer and better lives.

I invite you to read our Annual Report and join us on this journey. The story it tells is just the beginning – the foundation from which we're building our future. Stay tuned for our upcoming announcements, and thank you for being part of this transformation. Together, we're committed to improving outcomes for generations to come. 

—Courtney