Allocating Donor Advised Funds to Teen Cancer America
There are 2.1 million people between the ages of 15 and 39 living with cancer in our country and each year, another 90,000 young people face a diagnosis that disrupts their identity and independence. These patients are caught in a gap: too old for pediatric care, yet underserved by adult systems. The journey is isolating, and the emotional, physical, and psychological toll can last a lifetime. Teen Cancer America is changing that.
We are the only national nonprofit dedicated to transforming the cancer care system for this overlooked age group. Through bold healthcare innovation and the healing power of the arts, we make possible age-appropriate care and creative connection to help young people survive and thrive. A contribution through your Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) is a powerful way to advance this work and help ensure no young person faces cancer alone.
DAF Giving
A Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) is an excellent way to make an impactful contribution to Teen Cancer America through a charitable investment account.
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ABOUT OUR DAF DAY MATCH
We are grateful to Ken Freirich for providing a matching gift for the 2026 DAF Day campaign. Ken will match every dollar given through Donor Advised Funds on or before October 8, up to $25,000.
Ken, a recent recipient of Teen Cancer America’s Spirit of Hope and Excellence in Philanthropy Award, is a true philanthropic hero to Teen Cancer America. His support began 10 years ago, when he began hosting energetic shows and grassroots fundraisers with his band MedROCK. As his relationship with the organization grew, he began directing gifts through his Donor Advised Fund to support TCA’s mission and events, and to date has donated more than $700,000 to the cause. In 2019, at our backyard concert event, Ken had the honor of playing the drums with The Who to the song Pinball Wizard and received a standing ovation. Most recently, his support has focused on the Play It Back Music Program, ensuring music remains a source of comfort and creativity for teens and young adults facing cancer.
Beyond his financial support, Ken serves as a Strategic Advisor to CEO Shannon Sullivan and is the Founding Music Director and All-Star Performer for TCA’s annual golf tournament. A lifelong entrepreneur, musician, songwriter, and executive producer, Ken is also the founder of Random Acts of Kindness, a music group/collective built around the belief that music can be a catalyst for kindness, peace and positive social change.
At the center of that mission is the song Ken wrote and executive produced called “I Wish,” which has grown into a global movement built around a series of simple, but deeply meaningful wishes for a better world. Ken’s vision is to use the most powerful voices on earth – children around the world, including young people whose lives have been shaped by war, conflict and cancer – to deliver the important messages of the lyrics and music. The song speaks to hope, peace, human dignity, empathy, belonging, and compassion, giving children the opportunity to become ambassadors for those values.
Earlier this year, 13 Play It Back artists, all young people who have experienced cancer, came together to record their own special version of “I Wish” in honor of Ken. Their voices bring another deeply personal dimension to the song, reflecting the same belief that music can help people feel seen, understood and less alone, and the spirit of hope that has guided Ken’s decade-long commitment to Teen Cancer America.
We applaud Ken, his song, music, philanthropy and commitment to making the world a better place and for inspiring our young people. Ken recently shared that the video for the African Children’s Choir version of “I Wish” just surpassed 33 million views on YouTube, they won a peace and social change award in Africa, and that he has more big plans for “I Wish.” The next release with the Children in Ukraine, recorded in a bomb shelter, will be out this fall and plans are also underway to bring Palestinian and Israeli children together for a release in 2027.
