How to Get $500 from Susan G. Komen Financial Assistance Grants for Patients

Susan G. Komen’s Financial Assistance Program may be able to put money directly into your bank account to help with everyday costs like housing, utilities, food, and more.

Quick Overview of Komen Financial Assistance Grants

Here’s the big picture of the Susan G. Komen Financial Assistance Program right now:

Program type: Grants to help with daily living expenses related to breast cancer.
Grant amounts: Up to $500
Who is eligible: Low income breast cancer patients in the United States who are undergoing active treatment.
How often you can get help: You may be able to receive a grant once every 12 months, measured from the date of your last Komen payment, as long as funds are available and you still qualify.
How you apply: Online only through Komen’s MyKomen Health portal. Handwritten or emailed applications are not reviewed.
Processing time: It can take up to eight weeks from the time you submit a completed application to the time payment is made.
How payment works: Komen pays you directly, usually by direct deposit, so you can put the money where your budget needs it most.

About Susan G. Komen

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is an organization named in honor of Susan Goodman Komen, who died at the age of 36 from breast cancer. The foundation was started by Susan’s sister, Nancy Brinker, who promised to do everything in her power to stop cancer from taking more lives. Two years after Susan died, Nancy battled breast cancer herself and is now a survivor.

This foundation is dedicated to fighting cancer on multiple fronts. Their foundation directly supports ongoing cancer research, early intervention and treatment protocols, cancer screenings, education and awareness, and even direct patient support through Susan G. Komen Financial Assistance Grants.

Who Can Get Komen Financial Assistance Grants?

Let’s break down the main eligibility rules in plain language. You may be eligible for help from the Susan G. Komen financial assistance program if you meet the following criteria:

You must either be in active treatment for breast cancer OR be living with metastatic breast cancer.
You must have a household income that does not exceed 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.
You must live in the United States or a US territory.
You must not have received help from the Susan G. Komen Financial Assistance Program in the last 12 months.

If you meet the eligibility requirements for this grant program, you may qualify for other help as well. You can call the Komen Breast Cancer Helpline to speak to a representative who may be able to help you find other resources that can help. You can reach the helpline by calling 1-877-GO-KOMEN (1-877-465-6636).

What This Grant Can Help You Pay For

Komen’s Financial Assistance Program is meant to help with everyday living costs that become hard to manage while you’re in treatment. The money is given directly to you so that you can spend it as needed.

According to Komen’s current materials, grant funds can help with things like:

Housing costs: Rent or mortgage payments
Utilities: Electricity, gas, water, and other essential utilities
Food and groceries
Transportation: Gas, rides, or other transportation to and from medical appointments
Child care so you can attend treatment or rest
Durable medical equipment (DME), such as walkers or other needed devices
Home health care
Lymphedema care and supplies
Oral treatment medications your insurance doesn’t fully cover
Side‑effect management medications
Palliative care and other supportive services related to your cancer treatment

You’ll want to check the current list on the official program page when you apply, but this gives you a good idea of how flexible the funds can be.

How to Apply for Komen Financial Assistance Grants

All applications now go through Komen’s MyKomen Health online portal. Paper forms and emailed applications are not accepted, and the Helpline cannot submit an application for you by phone.

Here’s how to move through the process step by step.

Step 1: Get Your Information Ready

Before you sit down to apply, it helps to gather:

Your contact information and basic personal details
Information about your breast cancer diagnosis and stage
Details about your current treatment (for example, chemo, radiation, surgery, hormonal therapy)
Your household income and household size
Information about your health insurance (if you have it)
Bank account details if you want to set up direct deposit

Having this ready will make the online form go much faster.

Step 2: Ask Your Provider for the Right Letter

Komen requires medical documentation to confirm your diagnosis, stage, and treatment. Right now, that usually means:

A letter from your medical provider on official letterhead
Signed and dated within the last 12 months
Clearly confirming your breast cancer diagnosis, stage (for example, stage 2 or metastatic), and that you are in active treatment

You’ll upload this letter through the MyKomen Health portal as part of your application.

If you don’t already have this letter, reach out to your oncologist’s office, nurse navigator, or medical records department and let them know you’re applying for the Susan G. Komen Financial Assistance Program. They may already have a template for this.

Step 3: Complete and Submit Your Application

Once you have your documentation ready:

Go to the Susan G. Komen Financial Assistance Program page and follow the instructions to sign in or create a MyKomen Health account.
Start the online application and carefully fill out every required field.
Upload your provider letter and any other requested documentation.
Review your information for accuracy.
Submit the application through the portal.

A few important things to keep in mind:

Incomplete applications are not reviewed. If you leave required sections blank or don’t upload the provider letter, your application may simply not move forward.
Komen receives many applications and does not always have capacity to chase down missing information.
Treat the online system as your one official submission—there isn’t a backup option by mail or email.

Step 4: Wait for a Response

Komen now indicates that it can take up to eight weeks from when you submit a completed application to when payment is made.

That means:

This program is not a good fit for same‑week emergencies like an immediate eviction notice or a utility shutoff scheduled in a few days.
You should apply as soon as you reasonably can, especially if you see financial trouble coming a few months down the road.

If you’re approved, Komen typically deposits the funds directly into your bank account (they may offer other payment options if direct deposit isn’t available for you). You’ll want to keep an eye on your email and your MyKomen Health account for updates.

Other Support Options

Even though the Helpline can’t accept applications by phone, it can still be an important source of support.

You can reach the Komen Breast Care Helpline at 1‑877‑GO‑KOMEN (1‑877‑465‑6636).

The Helpline team may be able to:

Answer questions about the Financial Assistance Program and other Komen resources
Help you understand the online application process
Point you toward additional local or national resources that might help with housing, utilities, transportation, or other needs

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s completely reasonable to ask a trusted friend, family member, navigator, or social worker to sit with you while you make this call or while you complete the online form.

FAQ about Komen Financial Assistance

Can you reapply for Komen Financial Assistance?

Yes—sometimes.

You may be able to apply again 12 months after your last Komen payment. You’ll still need to meet the same eligibility rules (stage, timing, income, residency, treatment status). Approval depends on both your eligibility and the availability of funds. Even if you’ve received help before, new funding is not guaranteed.

Think of this program as a powerful tool you can reach for, not something you can rely on every year like a paycheck.

Can someone help me with the paperwork?

If all of that feels like a lot, remember: you do not have to do this alone. Ask your care team, a navigator, or someone you trust to sit with you while you gather paperwork and work through the application. You deserve support—both medically and financially—while you focus on healing.

Relief Recap

The Susan G. Komen Financial Assistance Program provides up to $500 in assistance to breast cancer patients who are undergoing active treatment. These funds are paid directly to the patient and can be used to pay for daily living expenses like housing, transportation, bills or treatment. It’s easy to apply as long as you remember to fully complete the application and submit a letter from your medical provider!