Project helps identify communities with the greatest need and guides future investments in programs supporting women facing cancer
CARY, N.C., Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SAS and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund have joined forces to help ensure more women receive the education, support and access to care they need in the fight against cancer. Through a Data for Good collaboration, the organizations analyzed data to measure the impact of the Fund’s programs and identify opportunities to direct future resources where they can make the greatest difference.
The project combines the Kay Yow Cancer Fund’s program and grant data with demographic, health care access and cancer incidence data to create a more complete picture of community needs across the United States. Using SAS® Viya, the organizations developed insights that can help guide future EmPOWERment Tours, grant funding, educational initiatives and outreach efforts.
The Kay Yow Cancer Fund works to serve underserved women facing cancer through research, education and access to care. Understanding where programs create the strongest outcomes, and where needs remain greatest, can help the organization maximize every dollar invested and expand its impact.
Initial analysis of the Fund’s EmPOWERment Tour program found that $475,000 in grant funding supported 12 cancer centers, engaged more than 20,000 women, provided patient navigation services to 1,200 women and facilitated 4,100 screenings. The analysis also found that approximately 42 women were reached through education, support and access-to-care initiatives for every $1,000 invested.
“Data has the power to reveal where needs exist, what is working and how organizations can create even greater impact,” said Selena Mua, Program Manager on the AI + Society team at SAS. “By combining the Kay Yow Cancer Fund’s deep expertise in supporting women facing cancer with data and AI, we can help turn information into action and ensure resources reach the communities that need them most.”
“When women are facing cancer, every decision matters,” said Jenny Palmateer, CEO of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. “These insights will help us better understand where we can make the greatest difference and allow us to expand our mission of providing education, support and access to care for women who need it most.”
To support future planning, the project incorporated data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute and Food and Drug Administration, creating a broader view of community needs and access-to-care challenges. Using SAS Viya, the organizations can explore trends by geography and cancer type to better understand where interventions may have the greatest impact.
The resulting insights will help guide future EmPOWERment Tours, community outreach efforts, educational programming and grant investments, strengthening the Fund’s ability to connect women with lifesaving information and services.
Learn more about how SAS and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund are turning insights into action.
About the Kay Yow Cancer Fund
The Kay Yow Cancer Fund was officially founded on December 3, 2007, from the vision of the organization’s namesake, Kay Yow, former NC State University head women’s basketball coach. Coach Yow was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 before succumbing to the disease on January 24, 2009.
The Kay Yow Cancer Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to raising money for life-saving cancer research, supporting programs that provide access to quality cancer healthcare to the underserved and uniting people in the fight against all cancers affecting women. To date, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund has awarded $11.1 million in the fight against all cancers affecting women. For more information on the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, please visit KayYow.com.
About SAS
SAS is a global leader in data and AI, helping organizations make confident decisions with AI they can trust. For decades, SAS has set the standard for delivering software that drives meaningful impact, incorporating deep industry expertise, transparency and governance. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®.
SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2026 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.
Kris Balic; kris.balic@sas.com; 919-531-0624
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