Mission

Founded in 1990, The Mautner Project is the only national organization dedicated to lesbians with cancer, their partners and caregivers.  Our mission is to provide: 

• Direct services to lesbians with cancer, their partners and caregivers;
• Education and information to the lesbian community about cancer;
• Education to the health care community about the special concerns of lesbians with cancer and their families;
• Advocacy on lesbian health issues in national and local arenas.

History

The Mautner Project is named for Mary-Helen Mautner, a lesbian who died of breast cancer in 1989.  During her illness Mary-Helen was fortunate to have a support network of friends and family - including her partner Susan Hester.  She realized that other lesbians were not so fortunate.  Many don't have the kind of support she had, and many need help in meeting the challenges of everyday life while they focus all their energy in battling cancer. Mary-Helen left behind a page of notes outlining the foundation for the organization that would later bear her name.  We celebrate her legacy everyday when a meal is delivered to a client, a lesbian finds comfort at a support group, a dog gets washed, lesbians with similar cancers are connected through the peer support network, and when a health care provider begins to understand the unique needs of the lesbians in their practice.    

The Mary-Helen Mautner Project for Lesbians with Cancer is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization 
(ID# 52-1703915).