The Dallas-based Mary Kay Ash Foundation has announced 2024 cancer research and domestic shelter grants totaling $2.4 million.

The figure brings to more than $96 million the amount the foundation has awarded since 1996 to support its two-fold mission: eliminating women-related cancers and ending domestic violence.

“Creating a safer, healthier world for women means ensuring those on the front lines of groundbreaking cancer research and essential domestic violence services have the life-saving resources they need,” Michael Lunceford, president of the Mary Kay Ash Foundation board of directors, said in a statement.

“Nearly 30 years later, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation continues to invest in initiatives truly making a difference in the lives of women at a critical time in their lives.”

Support for domestic violence facilities

The foundation said that 50 national domestic violence shelters received $20,000 grants, totaling $1 million, as unrestricted funds to support life-saving services such as facility improvements, transportation, legal aid, counseling, childcare, and more.

Four North Texas domestic violence shelters—Denton County Friends of the Family, Hope’s Door New Beginning Center, Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support, and The Family Place—received $25,000 grants each, totaling $100,000 to address specific community needs and further their outreach programs.

A full list of the 2024 Mary Kay Ash Foundation Domestic Violence Shelter Grant recipients can be found here.

Backing innovative cancer research, clinical trials

Twelve researchers from the country’s top accredited universities received $100,000 translational cancer research grants, totaling $1.2 million, in support of innovative research efforts for cancers primarily affecting women. This seed funding ultimately leads to better detection, prognosis, and treatment types, the foundation said.

A special clinical trial grant of $100,000 has been awarded to Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation in support of the first-of-its-kind clinical trial conducted by Dr. Joyce O’Shaughnessy, Celebrating Women Chair in Breast Cancer Research. This trial explores weight loss inhibitors to prevent breast cancer recurrence in overweight patients.

A full list of the 2024 Mary Kay Ash Foundation Cancer Research Grant recipients can be found here.

The Mary Kay Ash Foundation, which both raises and distributes funds, said it is guided by Mary Kay founder Mary Kay Ash’s dream to enrich the lives of women everywhere. 

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