March 23, 2020

To Our Beneficiary Partners,

This is an uncertain and stressful time for the medical community. We—your Swim Across America family—want you to know how much we appreciate the sacrifices you are making. We are always on your side and continue to proudly support you.

It’s too early to know what impact COVID-19 and the economic downturn will have on giving. What is certain, the donations received from the Swim Across America charity swim for which you are a beneficiary will be granted this December to continue supporting research and clinical trials.

In December of 2019, Swim Across America granted a record $6M that funded more than 60 investigator projects. It is a policy of Swim Across America that funds granted be used within the calendar year. We are writing to modify this policy given current circumstances and Swim Across America’s desire to support and preserve the human capital, and the research performed.

Given that investigators, post-docs, graduate students, and research personnel may be reassigned or otherwise unable to perform work on specific funded projects:

• Swim Across America permits continue expenditure of funds that had been designated to salary/fringe to be used, even if those personnel are not able to carry out the Swim Across America funded research, and there is no alternative source of funds.
• Swim Across America grants no-cost extensions for unused funds to a date yet determined, not to exceed 6 months from the end of the current funding period, unless further extended in future communications.
• Swim Across America will delay the requirement of progress reports until the no-cost extension period concludes.

We acknowledge that you and your research staff (your intellectual base) may be on quarantine or not able to perform their work. We acknowledge some patients necessary to your research or clinical trials, may be on quarantine and not able to participate. Swim Across America supports all at your institution during these challenging times.

When the Swim Across America board of directors, working with experts, advisors, and our wide community of cancer researchers and clinicians feels some degree of normalcy has returned to the research community, we will reach out to assess the impact and make whatever adjustments in specific aims, timelines and budgets can be made to assist that valuable research goes forward.

Our messaging for the foreseeable future will be themed around grants to our beneficiaries. You are giving hope to so many, and we want to showcase your impact as a gentle way to encourage supporters. Please share with Swim Across America those stories of how the important mission of conquering cancer will move forward in the face of these events.

Thank you for Making Waves to Fight Cancer with us.

Rob Butcher                                     Dr. Evan Vosburgh
Swim Across America | CEO        Swim Across America | Beneficiary Chair