Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC) is proud to announce four new grantees for its Catalyst State-by-State Advocacy Program. We are excited to welcome Minnesota, New Jersey, Washington, and West Virginia to the Catalyst Program.
In each of these states, we have seen progress in recent years built on the efforts of grassroots advocacy engaging with the State legislatures, elected officials, and health care systems to increase access to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. In 2026, our grantees and dedicated advocates will amplify and deliver Fight CRC’s ongoing commitment to support state-level advocacy efforts to increase access to life-saving colorectal cancer screening.
The Catalyst Program, a cornerstone of Fight CRC’s advocacy initiatives, supports state-level policy change through coalition building and grassroots advocacy. Molly McDonnell, Fight CRC’s Vice President of Advocacy, expressed her excitement for these new grantees, saying, “State-level advocacy is more important now that ever. We are thrilled to support the great work happening in Minnesota, New Jersey, Washington and West Virginia to continue to build on the success of the Catalyst Program to increase access to colorectal cancer screening across the country.”
Fight CRC provides funding and technical assistance supporting state coalitions working to advance policy to increase access to CRC screening. We are looking forward to building on existing success of the program with these new efforts:
- Minnesota: Advocates with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Minnesota will work to achieve two goals building on prior legislative success. They will work to advance legislation that will preserve no-cost coverage of colorectal cancer screening in statute in accordance with USPSTF recommendations. They will also work to secure dedicated state funding for Minnesota’s colorectal cancer screening program.
- New Jersey: The New Jersey Department of Health will establish and convene the New Jersey Colorectal Cancer Screening Advisory Council, a group of stakeholders, experts, and patient advocates to identify gaps for colorectal cancer screenings. They will create a roadmap for increasing colorectal cancer screening in the state and identify polices that can be incorporated in New Jersey’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan.
- Washington: Advocates with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Washington will crisscross the state to educate Washington State Legislators about the Breast, Cervical, and Colon Health Program (“BCCHP”) and its importance to all Washingtonians. Through education and advocacy, grantees will work to secure much needed state funding for CRC screening.
- West Virginia: Following a success successful one-year Catalyst Planning Grant, advocates with the West Virginia University Cancer Institute, Cancer Prevention and Control will engage the West Virginia Legislature to introduce legislation creating a pilot program to expand access to screening, diagnosis, and treatment for uninsured West Virginians aged 45–64, focusing on regions with the highest CRC mortality rates.
This marks the sixth class and seventh year of state-level grants through the Catalyst Program. Since launching the program in 2019, Fight CRC has supported advocacy efforts in 19 states and has had bills signed into law in eight states that will help ensure more people have access to colorectal cancer screening.
Colorectal cancer can often be prevented when detected early, yet one in three eligible adults are not up to date with screening. Through the Catalyst Program, Fight CRC is committed to providing every eligible patient with comprehensive access to the full range of colorectal cancer screening options and opportunities. The Catalyst Program allows our community of advocates to engage with state-wide public policy where advocacy can often make the most immediate impact. At a time of great federal policy change, state-level advocacy is more important now than ever, and the Catalyst Program has a strong record of success in advancing policy to increase access to CRC screening.
Funding for the program has been made possible through an unrestricted grant from Exact Sciences.