Donor Resources
Your donation and commitment to our work supporting patients that need hope is truly appreciated. Below is additional information to answer frequently asked questions around our efforts. For additional information, please contact us at info@traveltohope.org, and we promptly respond to your inquiry or work with you to schedule a phone discussion.
What We Do
Travel to Hope helps cancer patients and those who love them by providing both information and direct financial assistance to help with the costs to travel to treatment. We make information on available lodging, transportation and other financial resources easily understood and accessible through the information available on our website, as well as through phone discussions.
We believe that the resources available on our website will provide many patients with the financial assistance needed to allow them to travel to receive appropriate care. However, when those resources are not sufficient and the burden of the remaining travel costs is too great to bear, Travel to Hope is here to provide direct financial assistance to help patients with significant financial need with lodging and transportation costs for them and one caregiver during their trip.
Since launching in September 2022, Travel to Hope has funded over 1,950 trips, enabling 214 patients in 25 states to afford to travel for their care. (Data as of 11/19/24)
Eligibility Criteria and Application Process
To receive an application, a patient must live in the US, currently be undergoing cancer treatment and live more than 40.0 miles (one-way) from the cancer treatment center.
Through a streamlined application process, we partner with the patient’s oncologist and oncology social worker process to verify 1) that travel is medically necessary and 2) that significant financial need, beyond the resources made available through our site, exists.
We know that these professionals are in the best position to understand the patient’s situation and make these determinations in a knowledgeable, confidential and compliant manner. We value and rely upon their expertise to help guide our process in awarding funds to a patient.
If multiple trips for treatment are needed, Travel to Hope will support patients for as long as their treatment and personal situation requires, provided funds are available. Patients who have already received financial assistance from us will not be required to completed additional applications; however, the medical provider will need to verify location and date(s) of treatment before additional funds will be approved.
Our goal is to make the application process easy and efficient for patients and their medical providers and to help patients through the duration of their treatment.
Financial Assistance Awards and Expense Documentation
Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis, based on when completed applications are received by Travel to Hope from the medical provider.
If funds are available at the time the completed application is received, we determine a specific amount to be awarded based on details provided by the patient in the application. At that time, we provide clear details on what can be covered and the process for submitting receipts.
If funds are no longer available at the time the completed application is received, we will retain the application and will offer assistance if funds become available prior to travel.
After travel is completed, we require thorough expense documentation after the trip to ensure funds have been used as intended.
Patient Follow-Up
If the patient is willing, we maintain regular contact with the patient to see how Travel to Hope can help them or their loved ones through their treatment process.