Dear Friends, Several months ago, the Board of Directors of Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research embarked on a strategic planning process to create a three- to five-year plan. We engaged a professional consulting team, who conducted an “environmental scan” by holding interviews and focus groups, and surveyed some of our key constituent groups, including Love Research Army® members and advocates. If you are one of the several hundred people who completed the survey, thank you! If this is the first time you’re hearing about this, please don’t feel left out. The survey list was randomly generated so we could capture a fair balance of opinions. Last week, we met with the consultants to review the data gathered from this process. What we learned was very positive and validating. We learned that the community sees true value in the Love Research Army and the Health of Women [HOW] Study™ and that you turn to us to be the reliable voice that will explain complex research and give you an honest opinion about it. We also learned that we need to do a better job of sharing the research we conduct with you. These and several other areas of priority will influence the strategic plan we now intend to build. It will still take us many months to do the work of creating the plan but, when we’re done with it, we know we will be even stronger than we are today. And, most importantly, this exercise reinforced and reaffirmed our commitment to a future without breast cancer. Our work is not close to being done but we are dedicated to finding the cause of breast cancer and ending it. We will continue to do this by facilitating research through the Love Research Army and by conducting our own or collaborating on innovative research that has the potential to lead us closer to our goal of ultimately preventing breast cancer. We will not stop until we can say that a future without breast cancer has been achieved. With gratitude, Heather
