ALSAC

What ALSAC does

ALSAC (American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities) is the sole fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1957 by entertainer Danny Thomas and headquartered at 262 Danny Thomas Place in Memphis, Tennessee. Operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, ALSAC employs 1,001–5,000 staff and supports St. Jude's mission of providing pediatric cancer and life-threatening disease treatment at no cost to families — covering treatment, travel, housing, and food. The organization also backs St. Jude Global, which extends the hospital's research, training, and treatment partnerships internationally. ALSAC does not sell products or services; it generates revenue entirely through donations, fundraising events, and partnerships, and its work is currently organized around a $12.9 billion strategic plan.

ALSAC's revenue is built on four principal streams: planned giving and bequests (more than $800 million raised in 2025, with $4.5 billion over the past decade), event-based fundraising (Tri Delta's $185 million cumulative since 1999, Rich Eisen's Run Rich Run at $7 million+ over 21 years, and Legends for Charity at nearly $16 million cumulative), corporate partnerships (Red Roof's Room In Your Heart raising nearly $250,000 since 2021, Assurance Financial raising over $100,000), and direct donations through monthly giving, one-time gifts, and the This Shirt Saves Lives merchandise program. The organization is supported by an executive team that includes a Chief Data & Analytics Officer, a Chief Marketing & Brand Officer, and a Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, with Frederick M. Azar as ALSAC Chair and Sharon McCollam as ALSAC Vice Chair.

The core technology stack is built on Salesforce and Blackbaud CRM systems that manage donor relationships and planned-giving operations, augmented by Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT for donor research, personalization, and communication support. ALSAC's go-to-market motion is primarily community-led — leveraging sorority networks, corporate partners, celebrity/sports platforms, legacy societies, and donor-experience advisers — while also deploying AI-assisted sales-style engagement for high-touch planned giving. The brand carries the strength of St. Jude's 65+ year operating history and four consecutive years as Morning Consult's Most Trusted Nonprofit, supporting donor trust and sustained fundraising growth.

Name

ALSAC

Legal name

ALSAC

Website

https://stjude.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

ALSAC is the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, raising donations through planned giving, corporate partnerships, community events, and celebrity/sports engagements to fund pediatric cancer research and treatment at no cost to families globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Healthcare Fundraising

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL), Athletics Fundraising, Sponsorships & NIL Support (EDALAIAN), Maternal, Child & Family Health Program Funding (HLAJALAG)

Keywords

• Nonprofit fundraising services
• Charitable donation management
• Planned giving programs
• Corporate partnership fundraising
• Pediatric cancer research support

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Planned Giving and Bequests: Major source of revenue through legacy donations and bequests. St. Jude raised $4.5 billion in bequests over the past decade, including more than $800 million in 2025 alone. Success attributed to donor trust, technology investment, and high-touch relationships through legacy societies.
2. Event-Based Fundraising: Revenue generated through organized events including Tri Delta sorority fundraising ($185M total raised since 1999), Run Rich Run 40-yard dash ($7M+ raised), Legends for Charity dinner ($1.7M raised in 2026), and corporate partner events.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Revenue through partnership programs where corporate partners (Red Roof, Assurance Financial) donate a portion of proceeds or organize fundraising events. Red Roof's Room In Your Heart program raised nearly $250,000 since 2021.
4. Direct Donations: Individual donations from the public through various giving programs including monthly giving, one-time gifts, and the This Shirt Saves Lives merchandise program.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ALSAC is the exclusive fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, raising money through individual donations, planned giving and bequests, corporate partnerships, community organization campaigns, and special events. All funds raised support St. Jude's mission of providing free pediatric cancer treatment and advancing childhood cancer research, with families never billed for treatment, travel, housing, or food.

Product overview

ALSAC (American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities) is the fundraising organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded by entertainer Danny Thomas in 1957. ALSAC is not a technology product company; it operates as a nonprofit fundraising organization. Its primary functions include donor engagement, fundraising operations, and supporting St. Jude's mission to provide cancer treatment to children without billing families. The organization utilizes donor management systems (Salesforce, Blackbaud CRM) and AI tools (Copilot, ChatGPT) to support its fundraising operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Planned Giving and Bequests Program
• Direct Donations Program
• Corporate Partnership Program
• Community Fundraising Program
• St. Jude Gift Shop
• Legends for Charity Dinner
• Run Rich Run 40-Yard Dash

Quantifiable outcome

• Childhood cancer survival rates significantly increased in the U.S.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Tri DeltacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2026Tri Delta, a women's sorority organization, has been a dedicated partner of St. Jude since 1999. The partnership has raised $185 million to date, including a $25 million milestone toward their $100 million commitment by 2038. Tri Delta mobilizes members from over 130 chapters across the U.S. and Canada for annual fundraising celebrations.
• Rich EisenflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 April 2026Rich Eisen, NFL Network broadcaster, brings his annual 'Run Rich Run' 40-yard dash event to St. Jude campus. The partnership has raised more than $7 million over 21 years. The 2026 event drew nearly 1,000 patients, families, researchers, and staff, filmed during NFL Network's 2026 NFL Draft coverage.
• Shaw Sports TurfminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2026Shaw Sports Turf provided custom turf to transform a campus thoroughfare into the setting for Rich Eisen's Run Rich Run 40-yard dash event at St. Jude.
• Legends for CharitycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 February 2026Annual Legends for Charity dinner featuring sports industry leaders, raising nearly $16 million for St. Jude since inception. The 2026 event raised $1.7 million with Kirk Herbstreit accepting the Pat Summerall Award.
• Red RoofminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 November 2025Red Roof partnered with St. Jude during the holiday season through its Room In Your Heart program. Guests' stays at Red Roof properties provide donations to St. Jude. The initiative has raised nearly $250,000 since 2021.
• Assurance FinancialminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 October 2025Assurance Financial raised over $100,000 for St. Jude through various initiatives including its 'Apps for Kids' program and community events like the Serve for St. Jude Pickleball Social, exceeding its fundraising goal.
• St. Jude GlobalcoreOthersSt. Jude Global extends the hospital's reach worldwide, transforming outcomes for children globally through research, training, and treatment partnerships in international markets.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Cancer Society: The American Cancer Society is the closest direct peer: a national health-focused nonprofit that raises substantial donations through planned giving, community events (Relay For Life, Making Strides), corporate partnerships, and celebrity support to fund cancer research and patient services. Comparable in mission scope, donor base, and channel mix.
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (Philanthropy): The fundraising arm of one of the world's leading cancer centers, with high-dollar major-gift and planned-giving programs targeting HNW donors. Directly comparable to ALSAC in its single-institution fundraising model and reliance on trust and treatment outcomes to drive giving.
• Susan G. Komen: A leading disease-specific research and patient-support nonprofit that relies on community-driven fundraising (Race for the Cure), corporate sponsorships, and major-gift donor programs. Highly comparable to ALSAC in mission structure, fundraising channels, and donor trust dynamics.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation: A national nonprofit supporting children with critical illnesses through community-driven fundraising, corporate sponsorships, celebrity engagement, and signature events. Highly comparable mission (children with life-threatening diseases), donor engagement model, and storytelling-based marketing approach.
• March of Dimes: A long-established health nonprofit focused on maternal and infant health, using similar fundraising mechanisms (planned giving, corporate partnerships, community walks/runs, celebrity ambassadors). Comparable in operating model, donor engagement approach, and reliance on mission-driven storytelling.
• Muscular Dystrophy Association: A disease-specific nonprofit funding research and patient services, well known for celebrity/sports-driven fundraising events (e.g., the MDA telethon and fire fighter partnerships). Comparable in donor engagement tactics, signature events, and disease-specific research mandate.
• Shriners Hospitals for Children (Fundraising): A fraternal-affiliated children's hospital network funded through community-based fundraising, corporate partnerships, and legacy giving. Comparable in mission (pediatric specialty care provided at no cost to families), donor-base composition, and reliance on volunteer-driven community fundraising.
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation: The dedicated fundraising arm of a leading pediatric hospital, focused on raising major gifts, planned giving, and corporate partnerships to fund pediatric research and care. Direct structural parallel to ALSAC as a hospital-affiliated fundraising organization.
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Fundraising): A major cancer research institution with a sophisticated development office running planned giving, major gifts, corporate partnerships, and signature fundraising events (e.g., the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge). Closely parallels ALSAC's structure of raising funds for a single research/clinical beneficiary.

Broad incumbents

• American Heart Association: A larger, established health nonprofit with a broader disease mandate (cardiovascular health) but a deeply similar fundraising operation: corporate partnerships, community events, planned giving, AI-enabled CRM-driven donor engagement, and a trusted national brand. Operates at a comparable scale and complexity to ALSAC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stjude
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MyStJude
• Facebookfacebook.com/stjude
• Instagraminstagram.com/stjude

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 ALSAC