Jean Sachs, MSS, MLSP
Chief Executive Officer
Highlights
- Joined LBBC in 1996 when she became the organization’s first executive director; she was named CEO in 2008
- Increased LBBC’s annual budget from $100,000 to over $8,000,000
- Founding member of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance
- Secured 4-star rating, the highest available rating, from Charity Navigator for 20 consecutive years in recognition of LBBC exceeding industry standards
- Spearheaded the effort for LBBC to be the Breast Cancer Lead Organization for No One Missed, a national campaign to raise awareness of biomarker testing
- Inspired by her mother’s courage and outrage after being diagnosed with breast, uterine, and ultimately passing away from lung cancer in 2010
Jean has devoted much of her professional career to educating and supporting those impacted by breast cancer. A social worker by training and at heart, she values making time to connect one-on-one with people when they are struggling with their breast cancer diagnosis. This keeps her grounded and deeply connected to the mission.
As CEO of Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Jean guides the daily and long-term success of one of America’s most trusted breast cancer charities. Jean began her work with LBBC in 1996 when she became the organization’s first executive director; she was named CEO in 2008.
Living Beyond Breast Cancer assists nearly 2 million people affected by breast cancer every year by providing free, nationally recognized programs and services, including conferences, webinars, publications, peer support, financial assistance, and more. The organization has been awarded a four-star rating by Charity Navigator for 20 years and has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid. Both honors recognize nonprofit institutions that exemplify superior fiscal management and transparency.
Jean's compassion as a social worker is matched by her strong strategic and fundraising skills. She has led the organization’s focus on awareness and understanding of ways to improve quality of life for patients with breast cancer, including side effect management, patient-centered care, and accessible information to support shared decision-making. She has grown LBBC’s annual budget from $100,000 to $8,000,000, diversified the organization’s revenue sources, increased staff capacity, and grown LBBC programming. She has seen the organization through the financial crisis of 2008, a global pandemic, and is now navigating the organization through uncertain times. Her skillful commitment to LBBC’s vision — a world where no one impacted by breast cancer feels uninformed or alone — has cultivated LBBC from a small, regional nonprofit to a financially stable, vibrant, nationally prominent organization. Today, LBBC has a staff of nearly 40 professionals.
Under Jean’s leadership, LBBC’s excellence has been recognized through receipt of a three-year, $2.25 million grant from the National Philanthropic Trust; receipt of four multi-year grants from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, totaling more than $5 million; and being named Best Breast Cancer Blog by Healthline for seven consecutive years. Jean was named Breast Cancer National Leader of the Year by Breast Cancer Wellness magazine in 2014. She represented LBBC on the American Cancer Society National Breast Cancer Roundtable in its inaugural year. She worked with other national breast cancer organizations to retain the CMS S code for DIEP flap breast reconstruction procedures, ensuring this option continues to be reimbursed at a rate that ensures this option is available and accessible. She also serves on the Cancer Precision Medicine Commons and the Hereditary Cancer Advocacy Coalition.
Jean brings a lifetime of women’s advocacy experience to her role as CEO as a past legislative aide for Pennsylvania State Senator Allyson Schwartz, the first director of development at the National Breast Cancer Coalition, and staff member at WOMENS WAY.
Jean lives with her husband and cattle dog mix, Freya, in Philadelphia, Pa., where she served on the board of directors for Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW) for seven years, is a current member of FOW’s Budget and Finance Committee, and actively volunteers with the SHARE Food Program.
The most inspiring part of my job is helping people through a challenging, life-altering time, and helping them get to the next step and become more empowered to advocate for themselves.
