# CRUK fundraising income tops half a billion pounds - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/07/22/cruk-fundraising-income-tops-half-a-billion-pounds/ - Published: 2019-07-22T08:00:59+01:00 - Author: Melanie May **Cancer Research UK raised £540m in fundraising income in the last financial year, an increase of two per cent over the previous year, in one of its most successful fundraising years so far.** According to the charity, the increase was in part down to more money raised from legacy donations, [Race for Life](https://raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org/) and [Stand Up To Cancer](https://www.standuptocancer.org.uk/), which all raised more than the previous year, while an additional £2m was raised via Facebook charitable giving, launched towards the end of the year. Total income for the year was £672m, an increase of 6% on the previous year, which includes fundraising income as well as £125m income from royalties, licenses and sales of innovations developed from previous research. This is the largest amount ever received, and will be reinvested in research. ## Advertisement [⌊Posthub advert. You create the campaign. We'll handle the postal journey. Get started at post-hub.co.uk.⌉](https://fundraising.co.uk/ads/posthub-20261007-300x250/) As a result, more money was available for research than at almost any time in the charity’s history.  Over the year, £587m was spent on charitable activities, including £546m on cancer research, and £42m on information and influencing. Investment has continued in four key areas to drive progress: prevention, early detection and diagnosis, developing new treatments, and making treatments more effective. In the past year, [Cancer Research UK](https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/) has invested in its international Grand Challenge research award, funding three more teams.  Between them, they will receive up to £60 million over the next five years. Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive at Cancer Research UK said: > “I am truly humbled by our supporters’ generosity, which has enabled us to spend > more on our charitable work than almost any time in our history.  I feel privileged > that in my first year as CEO we are in a strong financial position, given the > wider challenges and uncertainties that we face in the economy.  We are well poised > to take on these challenges, but we must never be complacent, as there is so much > more to do. > “Today, as the UK population grows and ages, we know that the disease will cast > a shadow over more of us than ever before.  There’s never been more opportunity– > nor more urgency – to translate research into tangible benefits for people with > cancer.  But to do this, we must work together with other organisations, in the > UK and globally, and make sure every penny is spent wisely.  It is only by doing > this, and staying focused on our goals, that we will see 3 in 4 people surviving > cancer for 10 years or more by 2034. We’re making good progress, but we still > have so much more work to do, together, to beat cancer.” Further key achievements are outlined in Cancer Research UK’s [annual report and accounts](https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-us/how-we-are-run/annual-report-and-accounts), published on 18 July, and include three new international Grand Challenge teams awarded £20m each over the next five years, to solve long-standing mysteries in cancer research such as how the body’s microbiome is involved in cancer, and launching the Cancer Research UK City of London Centre, a £14m investment to create a world- leading cancer therapeutics research hub. Overall, for every pound of income from donations, investments and royalties, 82p was available for the charity’s work to beat cancer. * **[Stars unite in film to kick off 2019’s Stand Up to Cancer](https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/10/07/stars-unite-film-kick-off-2019s-stand-up-to-cancer/)**( 7 October 2019) * **[Boxing company Ultra Events raises £20 million for Cancer Research UK](https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/11/15/boxing-company-ultra-events-raises-20m-for-cancer-research-uk/)**( 15 November 2019) * **[£20 million appeal launches to rebuild cancer laboratories damaged by fire](https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/12/02/20m-appeal-launches-rebuild-cancer-laboratories-damaged-fire/)**( 2 December 2019) ![Loading](https://fundraising.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/page-views-count/ajax-loader- 2x.gif)