Have you heard of The Pink Fund application? This organization can provide up to $3,000 to help you cover living expenses while undergoing active treatment for breast cancer.
After all, they know that breast cancer turns your whole life upside down — not just your health, but your money, too. When treatment forces you to cut back at work (or stop altogether), even “regular” bills like rent, car payments, and utilities can start to feel impossible.
If that’s where you are right now, you are not alone — and you’re not asking for too much by needing help.
In this article, we’ll review what The Pink Fund is, how their Financial Bridge program works, and how you can get help from this incredible organization.
Quick Overview
Here’s the quick version before we dive deeper.
- What it is: The Pink Fund’s Financial Bridge Program is a short-term grant that helps cover essential, non-medical living expenses during breast cancer treatment.
- How much you can get: Up to $3,000 total over roughly 90 days of supportt. This is usually framed as up to $1,000 per month for three months, but it’s one pool of money with a $3,000 cap.
- What it can pay for:
- Housing: Rent, mortgage, HOA fees.
- Transportation: Car payments and car insurance.
- Utilities: Electric, gas, water/sewer, phone, internet/cable.
- Insurance: Health insurance premiums.
The Pink Fund does not send money to you. They pay your creditors directly, using the bills you submit.
What is The Pink Fund?
The Pink Fund is a registered nonprofit that provides financial assistance to breast cancer patients so that they can focus on healing. The Pink Fund recognizes that breast cancer is scary and treatment is expensive, so they do what they can to reduce your stress so that you can focus on your family and yourself during this difficult time.
The Pink Fund is registered in Southfield, Michigan. It was founded by Molly MacDonald, a breast cancer survivor. In her words, “While fighting for their lives, women and men in active treatment for breast cancer often lose their livelihoods.”
When Molly discussed this issue with her medical providers, she found that many people were aware of the problem but didn’t know how to solve it. She wanted to fix that, so she established The Pink Fund’s financial assistance programs to help.
Who Qualifies for The Pink Fund?
You may qualify for help from The Pink Fund if all of the following are true:
- You have a breast cancer diagnosis.
- You are in active treatment (such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation). Long-term hormone therapy by itself usually does not count as “active treatment” for this program.
- You were diagnosed within the last two years at the time The Pink Fund receives your application.
- You (or your spouse/domestic partner) must have been working at the time of diagnosis, and have had a documented loss or reduction of income due to the diagnosis and treatment.
- Your total household income is at or below about 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), based on your previous year’s federal tax return.
If you’re close to the edge on any of these rules — especially the two-year diagnosis window, income level, or treatment type — it’s worth reading Pink Fund’s FAQs and, if you can, asking a social worker to help you interpret the latest guidelines.
What The Pink Fund Will (& Won’t) Pay For
Think of The Pink Fund as a short-term life raft for your basic household bills, not a medical billing program.
The Pink Fund’s current materials focus on these categories:
- Housing:
- Rent
- Mortgage
- HOA / condo fees
- Transportation:
- Auto loan or lease payments
- Car insurance
- Utilities:
- Electric and gas
- Water and sewer
- Phone
- Internet/cable (when tied to essential communication)
- Insurance:
- Health insurance premiums
Payments are made directly to these creditors. You’ll submit copies of the bills you want The Pink Fund to consider.
They do not pay for hospital or clinic bills, co-pays, prescriptions, medical equipment or prosthetics, or debts in collection.
How Much Help Can You Receive
nder the Financial Bridge Program, the maximum award is about $3,000 total. That usually breaks down like this:
- Up to $1,000 per month for three months, or
- Another combination of payments that adds up to no more than $3,000 over a 90-day window.
If you have applied and are waiting for a decision from Social Security Disability Insurance, then you may be able to receive up to $6,000 in help over a six month period through their Mary Herzog Fund for Metastatic Breast Cancer.
Approval is not guaranteed, even if you meet the eligibility checklist. Funding depends on how many people apply, the severity of your need, and how much money is currently available.
It’s best to think of The Pink Fund as one important piece of the puzzle, not your entire plan. You’ll probably still need to look at other grants and local support programs as well.
How to Apply for The Pink Fund
Pink Fund has moved toward an online application portal instead of everything being done by paper packet. Exact steps can change as they update their site, but the general flow looks like this:
Step 1: Review the Rules
Before you spend your energy gathering paperwork, go to The Pink Fund’s website and:
- Read the Financial Bridge Program overview.
- Check the Eligibility or Do I Qualify? section.
- Glance through the Application FAQs.
If anything isn’t clear, make a note to ask your social worker, navigator or oncology team for help.
Step 2: Complete the PreQualification Screening
Most applicants start with a prequalification questionnaire online. This quick survey checks basic details like:
- Diagnosis type and date.
- Current treatment status.
- Work history around the time of diagnosis.
- Household size and income.
If you seem likely to qualify, you’ll be invited to move on to the full application and document upload step.
Step 3: Gather Your Documents
The exact checklist can change, so instead of memorizing every form name, focus on categories of documents you’ll need. Pink Fund typically asks for:
- Proof of identity and residency
- Government-issued photo ID for you (and often your spouse/partner).
- Address information that matches what you put on the application.
- Proof of diagnosis and active treatment
- A Medical Information Form completed by your oncologist, licensed social worker, nurse navigator or patient navigator (in the version currently specified by Pink Fund).
- Details of your current and upcoming treatment plan.
- Proof you or your partner were working at diagnosis
- A signed employer letter on company letterheador a Verification of Employment form, confirming:
- That you (or your partner) were employed at the time of diagnosis, and
- How your hours or status changed due to breast cancer.
- A signed employer letter on company letterheador a Verification of Employment form, confirming:
- Proof of income and income loss
- The first two pages of last year’s federal tax return for you and your spouse/partner.
- Recent pay stubs (including the last pay stubs from when you worked and possibly current limited-income stubs).
- Any other documents that show your current income situation (disability benefits, unemployment, etc.).
- Copies of the bills you want Pink Fund to pay
- For each bill (housing, utilities, car, insurance), you’ll typically need:
- Your name (or eligible household member’s name).
- Service address.
- Account number.
- Amount due.
- Mailing address for payments.
- Authorization forms
- A signed HIPAA or privacy authorization so The Pink Fund can talk with your medical team and verify details.
- Any other permission forms included in the current application packet.
Step 4: Submit the Full Application
Once you’ve gathered your documents:
- Complete the full online application, answering every required question.
- Upload all requested documents clearly (no blurry photos if you can help it).
- Double-check that your name and address match across your application, ID, and bills as closely as possible.
If the online portal still allows it, there may also be a paper or mail-in option for applicants who can’t apply online — but Pink Fund is steering people toward the online process as the main route.
Step 5: Wait for Review
Pink Fund materials say that processing can take up to 90 days. During that time, they may:
- Ask for additional pay stubs, tax documents or bill copies.
- Request clarification about your treatment or work history.
Try to respond to any follow-up requests as quickly and clearly as you can.
What to Expect if You’re Approved
If your application is approved, here’s what usually happens next:
- The Pink Fund will confirm which bills they will pay and for what amounts (up to your $3,000 cap).
- Payments are sent directly to your creditors — for example, your mortgage company, landlord, utility company or auto lender.
- You might see credits or payments show up on your statements rather than in your bank account.
This can take some time, so Pink Fund is not an emergency same-week fix. If you’re facing shutoff notices or eviction right now, you’ll also want to:
- Call 211 to ask about local emergency rent and utility help.
- Talk to your hospital social worker about local crisis funds.
- Ask your utility company about payment plans or hardship programs.
Things to Remember
When you receive help from this fund, the money will be sent directly to the vendor on your behalf. That means that if you are getting help with rent, the payment will be sent directly to your landlord. If you are getting help with a car payment, the funds will be sent directly to your lender. No money will be sent directly to you through The Pink Fund Financial Assistance Program.
Another important thing to remember is that The Pink Fund Financial Assistance Program does not make partial payments. That means that if your rent is $1,250, you cannot use their program to pay your rent because it would not be paid in full by the fund’s payment. They also do not help with bills that are already in collections.
Finally, you need to know that it can take up to 90 days before your application will be processed. This is not an emergency fund. You need to make sure that your application is fully complete and includes all the required documentation or your application will not be processed.
Relief Recap
The Pink Fund offers a generous 90-day financial assistance program that helps breast cancer patients pay their daily living expenses. You could receive up to $3,000 to help cover your car payments, car insurance, housing, utilities, phone bill or other expenses. It can take up to 90 days for your application to be completed so be sure to apply right away.
