What Does MACC Fund Fund?

MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer, Inc.) funds research into childhood cancers and related blood disorders. According to its website, the organization provides "critical funding for research of cures and treatments," with the stated goal of turning today's discoveries into tomorrow's cures. Its funding is not limited to a single lab or project type — it supports the research infrastructure and people behind childhood cancer and blood disorder treatment.

What the funding covers

Based on how MACC Fund and the researchers it supports describe the funding, it goes toward:

• Research labs and science — direct support for laboratory research into childhood cancers and related blood disorders.
• Research infrastructure — the facilities and foundational resources that make research possible.
• Investigator initiatives — programs that let researchers launch and develop their own studies.
• Novel treatment development — work aimed at creating new treatments.
• Human capital — investing in the researchers and staff who carry the work forward.

How the funding is meant to work

A key part of MACC Fund's model, as described by researchers it supports, is speed and leverage. Dr. David Margolis notes that the organization has enabled his team to "treat, create investigator initiatives, develop novel treatment and invest in human capital." Bryon D. Johnson, PhD, describes the funding as letting his staff "move forward at a much faster rate than others" because they "don't have to jump through hoops," allowing them to turn preliminary data into major grants and cancer treatment protocols.

In other words, MACC Fund's money often functions as early-stage support: it helps researchers generate the preliminary results that can then attract larger grants and lead to formal treatment protocols.

Who it supports

The funding flows to researchers and institutions working on childhood cancer and related blood disorders. The website highlights work connected to the Medical College of Wisconsin, where Johnson says MACC Fund was the "#1 reason" he came to work. The organization frames its role as a "cornerstone" of the research — not just funding individual labs, but helping the broader medical community "write the playbook vs. following it."

What is not specified

The website does not list specific grant amounts, individual project names, or application details for researchers seeking funding. It also does not state eligibility criteria for funding recipients. If you need those specifics — for example, to apply for a grant or evaluate the organization's grantmaking — you would need to contact MACC Fund directly or look for its published grant guidelines.

How to learn more or get involved

• Donate — the site's primary call to action is "Donate Now," framed around a 50-year milestone of funding research.
• Newsletter — The MACC Monthly is a free monthly email covering research advances, events, and programs.
• Social — the organization uses the hashtag #maccfund to share updates and encourage conversation.
• 50 in 50 — a recognition program for community partners who invest $50,000 or more in a year, honoring MACC Fund's 50 years.

For anyone trying to confirm whether MACC Fund aligns with a cause they care about, the short answer is: it funds childhood cancer and related blood disorder research, with an emphasis on supporting researchers, labs, and the infrastructure that turns early findings into larger grants and new treatments.