The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation

What The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation does

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation is a registered Canadian charity (Charitable Registration #88900 7597 RR0001) that serves as the primary fundraising arm for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, part of University Health Network (UHN). It is positioned as Canada's largest cancer charity, raising philanthropic capital to support cancer research, diagnostics, and patient care at a centre that treats over 200 cancer types, serves more than 21,000 new patients annually, and conducts research involving over 10,900 clinical trial participants and 2,146 researchers across 307,100 square feet of dedicated research space. The Foundation benefits from the Centre's heritage of foundational scientific discoveries — stem cells in 1961 (basis for bone marrow transplants), T-cell receptors in 1984 (foundation of CAR-T therapy), and liquid biopsy / cell-free DNA blood tests for early cancer relapse detection.

The Foundation's revenue model spans five streams: individual donations (one-time, monthly, tribute), major gifts and planned giving (estates, stocks, life insurance), corporate partnerships, signature fundraising events (The Ride, Road Hockey, The Walk, Cricket, Journey), and lottery programs (Home Lottery, Cottage Lottery, Payday For Life, Sweepstakes). Distribution is omnichannel — online portals (PMCF Connect, supportthepmcf.ca), phone, mail, e-transfer, and in-person at the Toronto headquarters (700 University Ave, 4th Floor), with lottery sales via dedicated e-commerce platforms. Marketing operates under the "Carry The Fire" brand campaign, complemented by the Carry The Fire Podcast (hosted in Season 2 by Lisa LaFlamme), social media, email, and PR. Recent transformational gifts include $50M from the Peter Gilgan Foundation (2025) to establish the Peter Gilgan Centre for Early Cancer Detection Research, $50M from the Gattuso Slaight family (2022), $5M from BMO, and $4M from Yamana Gold.

Underlying technologies funded include cell-free DNA liquid biopsy (with cell-free DNA technology licensed to Adela Inc. for commercialization), the OurGenes population-based genetic screening program partnered with Helix (targeting 100,000+ participants over five years), and digital pathology infrastructure expanding across Ontario. The Foundation's strategic posture includes recent physical expansion via UHN's purchase of 522 University Avenue (a 15-storey, $79.25M building in Toronto's Discovery District, partially Foundation-supported), the launch of new event and lottery products, and the diversification of its major-gift pipeline with multi-million-dollar corporate and HNW commitments.

Name

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation

Legal name

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation

Website

https://thepmcf.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation is Canada's largest cancer charity, raising philanthropic funds through individual donations, corporate partnerships, signature events, and lotteries to support cancer research, diagnostics, and patient care at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, part of University Health Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Research Charitable Fundraising

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF)

Keywords

• Cancer research fundraising
• Charitable foundation services
• Cancer lottery programs
• Peer-to-peer fundraising events
• Major gift philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual donors supporting cancer research and patient care. Includes monthly giving programs, major gifts, and tribute donations (in memory/honour of individuals).
2. Lottery Programs: Home Lottery, Cottage Lottery, Sweepstakes, Payday For Life, and Cash Calendar programs offering chances to win luxury homes, cash prizes, vehicles, and vacations. These are the Foundation's flagship lottery programs with significant prize offerings ($8.5-9 million grand prizes).
3. Special Events: The Ride, Road Hockey, Walk, Cricket Event, Journey, and other fundraising events with participant fundraising and corporate sponsorships.
4. Major Gifts and Planned Giving: Significant donations from high-net-worth individuals including estate gifts, wills, stocks/securities, life insurance, and registered funds.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorships from corporations for events and programs, including BMO ($5M), Savvas Chamberlain Family Foundation ($1M), and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation raises philanthropic funds to advance cancer research, treatment, and patient care at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, part of the University Health Network. Its offerings span individual and monthly giving, major gift and planned giving programs, signature fundraising events (The Ride, Road Hockey, The Walk, Journey, Cricket), home/charity lottery programs, and corporate sponsorships, with donations directed to research initiatives such as the Peter Gilgan Centre for Early Cancer Detection Research and the OurGenes Study.

Product overview

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation operates as a charitable organization rather than a traditional product company, offering a portfolio of fundraising programs and events. The core offering centers on the 'Carry The Fire' brand campaign that unifies all initiatives. The primary revenue-generating products include multiple lottery programs (Home Lottery, Cottage Lottery, Payday For Life, Sweepstakes), each offering various prizes to supporters. The Foundation provides donor engagement through PMCF Connect portal, hosts major fundraising events (The Ride, The Walk, Road Hockey, Journey, Cricket), and conducts research programs including the OurGenes genetic screening study and Peter Gilgan Centre for Early Cancer Detection. Additional programs include the Carry The Fire Podcast, Doves of Hope campaign, Honour Your Cancer Hero recognition, and Gerald Kirsh Humanitarian Awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Carry The Fire: Brand campaign and podcast series featuring cancer survivors and Princess Margaret experts sharing extraordinary stories of hope, innovation, and cancer research. Also includes CTF-branded merchandise.
• Princess Margaret Home Lottery
• Princess Margaret Cottage Lottery
• Payday For Life
• Doves of Hope

Products and services

• The Ride An annual fundraising cycling event spanning over 200 km between Toronto and Niagara Falls, supporting cancer research and patient care at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; has raised over $344 million since 2008.
• Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer The world's largest road hockey fundraiser held in Vaughan, Ontario, engaging teams and sponsors to support cancer research at The Princess Margaret.
• The Walk A flagship half-marathon fundraising walk held through Toronto's iconic neighbourhoods, described as Canada's largest single fundraising walk event.
• Journey to Conquer Cancer A family-friendly walk or run event offering 1 km, 3 km, or 5 km routes in downtown Toronto, supporting cancer research; over 2,400 participants raised $1.63 million at the 11th annual edition.
• Cricket to Conquer Cancer Canada's largest street cricket fundraiser held at Celebration Square in Mississauga; the second annual event raised over $1.3 million in 2026.
• Princess Margaret Home Lottery A flagship home lottery program offering grand prizes such as show homes and luxury cottages, with ticket sales supporting cancer research at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; the Spring 2025 edition featured a $9 million grand prize and over 17,000 prizes totalling more than $18 million.
• Princess Margaret Cottage Lottery A cottage-themed lottery offering lakeside properties as prizes, complementing the Home Lottery program and supporting cancer research.
• Payday For Life A lottery game where participants can win $3,000 per month for life and other bonus cash prizes, with proceeds supporting life-saving cancer research and care at The Princess Margaret.
• PMCF Sweepstakes A sweepstakes lottery offering exclusive experience prizes, with proceeds supporting cancer breakthroughs at The Princess Margaret.
• PMCF Connect A personalized donor portal enabling donors to update information, modify monthly donation amounts, track event participation, and download tax receipts.
• Carry The Fire Podcast A podcast series featuring cancer survivors and Princess Margaret experts sharing stories of hope, innovation, and research breakthroughs; Season 2 hosted by Lisa LaFlamme.
• OurGenes Study Canada's first population-based genetic screening program partnered with Helix, screening for hereditary cancer risk factors including BRCA1/2 and Lynch Syndrome, with a target to recruit over 100,000 participants over five years.
• Peter Gilgan Centre for Early Cancer Detection Research A world-leading early cancer detection research program established at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre through a $50 million donation from the Peter Gilgan Foundation; focuses on understanding cancer, developing detection technologies (including Molecular Residual Disease detection), and creating clinical pathways for discovery.
• Doves of Hope A donor campaign where paper doves symbolize hope; donors return doves bearing messages of encouragement for cancer patients and healthcare providers.
• Honour Your Cancer Hero A recognition program allowing donors to make donations in honour of exceptional Princess Margaret staff or volunteers who went above and beyond during their cancer journey.
• Gerald Kirsh Humanitarian Awards An annual awards program recognizing Princess Margaret staff and volunteers who demonstrate exceptional compassionate care, based on five core values: compassion, integrity, safety, stewardship, and teamwork.

Quantifiable outcome

• Early detection through liquid biopsy improves cure rates by five- to tenfold for some cancers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and major.

• HelixstrategicTechnology or IntegrationUS-based genetic testing company partnering with OurGenes Study to screen for hereditary cancer risk factors including BRCA1/2, Lynch Syndrome, and familial hypercholesterolemia.
• Brain Cancer CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarded $50,000 research grant to Dr. Kevin Wang and colleagues at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre for glioblastoma and immunotherapy research targeting young patients.
• Alectra Inc.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner with employees who have surpassed $1 million in cumulative fundraising over 10 years for The Ride event. 66 riders raised over $193,500 in 2026.
• Pass It Along FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation powering The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Ride North event, a boutique cycling event in Muskoka with 40km, 100km and 160km routes.
• Longo'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate fuel sponsor for The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Road Hockey event, world's largest road hockey fundraiser.
• Starlight InvestmentscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for The Journey event, a family-friendly 1km, 3km, or 5km walk/run fundraiser.
• Johnson & JohnsonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for The Ride, a two-day cycling adventure spanning over 200km between Toronto and Niagara Falls.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Cancer Society: The largest US cancer charity, funding research, patient support, and advocacy at national scale. Comparable mission and diversified revenue (events, individual giving, planned giving) but operates in a different market.
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Top-5 US cancer research and treatment centre affiliated with Harvard, with a large associated fundraising operation. Comparable as a globally-ranked research hospital with strong philanthropic capacity.
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: One of the world's top cancer research and treatment centres in the US, with an associated fundraising operation. Comparable as a globally-ranked cancer research hospital with a strong philanthropic program, though much larger scale.

Direct peers

• V Foundation for Cancer Research: US cancer research charity founded by Jim Valvano that funds translational research at major academic centres. Direct peer in funding cancer research at university hospitals, with comparable major gift and event-driven model.
• Stand Up To Cancer: US-based cancer research fundraising collaborative funding translational research through entertainment-industry telethons. Comparable as a cancer-specific charitable funding vehicle focused on research breakthroughs.
• Canadian Cancer Society: Canada's largest national cancer charity, raising funds for research, prevention, and support services. Direct peer as a Canadian cancer-focused fundraising organization with overlapping donor segments and mission.
• Susan G. Komen: Major US disease-specific charity (breast cancer) with signature fundraising events (Race for the Cure) and large individual donor base. Direct peer in event-driven mass-market fundraising for a single disease category.

Regional players

• Alberta Cancer Foundation: Charitable foundation funding cancer research and care across Alberta through the Alberta Cancer Centre network. Comparable hospital-affiliated fundraising model in a different Canadian geography.
• BC Cancer Foundation: Fundraising foundation supporting BC Cancer, one of Canada's other major provincial cancer research and care centres. Direct peer in model and mission, but operates in a different Canadian province.
• Trillium Health Partners Foundation: Toronto-area hospital foundation with large lottery programs (e.g., Muskoka lottery) and corporate partnerships. Comparable as a Canadian hospital-affiliated charity leveraging lotteries and events for fundraising.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thePMCF
• YouTubeyoutube.com/thepmcf
• Facebookfacebook.com/thePMCF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-princess-margaret-cancer-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/thePMCF

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation