Breast Cancer Research Foundation

What Breast Cancer Research Foundation does

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1993 and headquartered in New York City. It is the largest private funder of breast cancer research—and metastatic breast cancer research—worldwide, providing grants to more than 260 scientists across 17 countries and awarding a record $74.75 million in research funding in its most recent fiscal year (FY2026). BCRF does not develop proprietary research outputs itself; rather, its core function is grant-making to investigators at universities, hospitals, and research institutions pursuing breast cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and cures. The foundation is led by founder and Scientific Director Larry Norton, holds a Charity Navigator 4-star rating, and carries the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency.

BCRF's business model is community- and donor-led, with no commercial revenue streams. Funding is generated through individual donations (one-time, monthly, planned/legacy gifts, often amplified by 2X matching campaigns), corporate partnerships across multiple verticals (CertaPro Painters' Paint it Pink, AutoNation DRV PNK, Kindred Bravely, Atomic Wings, Scott's Protein Balls, Granite Telecommunications, Churchill Downs Incorporated), and flagship event fundraising—notably the annual Hot Pink Party gala, which raised $9 million in 2026. Distribution channels include the bcrf.org donation platform, the Shop Pink cause-marketing marketplace, an original podcast (Investigating Breast Cancer) and blog (The Progress Report), social media presence across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, and earned media coverage. BCRF also operates a strategic investment program, evidenced by its participation in Clairity's $43M Series B (November 2025) for an FDA-authorized AI breast cancer risk-prediction platform.

BCRF serves three primary stakeholder groups: individual donors and corporate partners who fund the mission; 260+ research investigators who receive grants and access a cross-border collaborative network; and breast cancer patients, survivors, and broader audiences who benefit from research outcomes, educational resources, and awareness campaigns. The customer base is diversified across many enterprise donors (no single customer dominates), with cause-marketing activations across consumer retail, automotive, food and beverage, telecommunications, and sports/entertainment verticals.

Name

Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Legal name

Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Website

https://bcrfcure.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

BCRF is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the largest private global funder of breast cancer research, awarding record research grants to 260+ scientists across 17 countries and funded by individual donations, corporate partnerships, and flagship event fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Research Nonprofit Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA), Health Research Funding Agencies (Public/Quasi-Public) (HLAJALAB)

Keywords

• Breast cancer research funding
• Cancer research grants
• Nonprofit medical research
• Cancer awareness fundraising
• Metastatic breast cancer

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: BCRF receives donations from individual supporters through its website, monthly giving programs, and one-time gifts. The foundation offers a 2X matching campaign to amplify donor impact.
2. Corporate Partnerships: BCRF partners with corporations that contribute funds through campaigns such as Paint it Pink, Shop Pink, and event sponsorships. Corporate partners include companies like CertaPro Painters, Scott's Protein Balls, Kindred Bravely, and Granite Telecommunications.
3. Legacy/Planned Giving: BCRF accepts planned gifts and bequests through its legacy giving program, allowing donors to include the foundation in their estate planning.
4. Event Fundraising: BCRF hosts and participates in events including the annual Hot Pink Party gala and the Kentucky Derby Oaks partnership, raising substantial funds through ticket sales, sponsorships, and donations.
5. Strategic Investments: BCRF makes strategic investments in healthcare companies aligned with its mission, such as participating in Series B funding rounds for companies developing breast cancer detection and prediction technologies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BCRF is a nonprofit research foundation that funds breast cancer research by awarding grants to investigators worldwide. Its core activity is grant-making—distributing donations and event proceeds as research funding to more than 260 scientists across 17 countries—supplemented by cause-marketing campaigns, signature fundraising events, and breast cancer education resources.

Product overview

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) is a nonprofit organization functioning as the largest private funder of breast cancer research and metastatic breast cancer research worldwide. BCRF operates as a platform of interconnected programs including research funding programs that support over 260 scientists across 17 countries, educational resources (podcast, blog, breast cancer information hub), and fundraising tools enabling public participation. The core offering is research grant funding, supplemented by awareness initiatives like Shop Pink partnerships and the Postcard Project, with the organization rated as the highest-rated breast cancer research organization in the country by Charity Navigator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Grant Funding Program Competitive research grants awarded to investigators at universities, hospitals, and research institutions conducting breast cancer prevention, treatment, tumor biology, and metastatic disease research. Open to researchers globally; 260+ scientists currently funded.
• Individual Donation Program Charitable donation program for individual supporters, offering one-time gifts, monthly recurring giving, tribute/memorial donations, and occasional matching campaigns (e.g., 2X match).
• Planned Giving / Legacy Program Legacy and planned giving program allowing donors to include BCRF in estate planning through bequests, charitable trusts, and other planned gift instruments.
• Corporate Partnership Program Corporate cause-marketing and CSR partnership program enabling companies to run branded fundraising campaigns (Paint it Pink, Shop Pink, Kentucky Derby Oaks, DRV PNK) with proceeds benefiting BCRF research.
• Signature Fundraising Events Fundraising events including the annual Hot Pink Party gala in Manhattan and partner events such as the Kentucky Derby Oaks Pink Out, with tickets, sponsorships, and donations supporting breast cancer research.
• Shop Pink Marketplace E-commerce marketplace aggregating partner brands and products (e.g., CertaPro Painters, Scott's Protein Balls, Kindred Bravely) that donate a portion of proceeds to BCRF breast cancer research funding.
• Personal Fundraising Platform Online fundraising platform enabling individual supporters to create personalized fundraising pages and campaigns, sign up for monthly giving, and participate in events to support breast cancer research.
• Board of Directors Governance Program Governance program overseen by BCRF's Board of Directors, providing strategic direction, fiduciary oversight, and accountability for the foundation's research funding mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• $74.75M invested in breast cancer research in fiscal year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Churchill Downs IncorporatedcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2026Churchill Downs Incorporated formed a new national partnership with BCRF as the National Philanthropy Partner for the 152nd Longines Kentucky Oaks race. The event featured BCRF's 'Pink Out' theme for breast and ovarian cancer awareness, an 18th annual Survivors Parade, and expanded to primetime broadcast on NBC and Peacock for the first time.
• Scott's Protein BallsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Scott's Protein Balls, a refrigerated protein snack brand founded by breast cancer survivor Lori Levine, donates a portion of proceeds to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The brand expanded from 86 to 350 Target store locations within four months of its January 2026 launch.
• Granite TelecommunicationscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 October 2025Granite Telecommunications raised $500,000 for BCRF through its inaugural 'Granite Gives Pink' event, with over 800 employees participating by wearing pink in Quincy. The event included raffles, awareness activities, and a town hall.
• Kindred BravelycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 October 2025Kindred Bravely formed a partnership with BCRF including a $25,000 donation to fund breast cancer research. The partnership aims to raise awareness about postpartum breast cancer and support maternal health.
• Atomic WingsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025Atomic Wings participated in Breast Cancer Awareness Month by donating proceeds from select orders to BCRF. The campaign included pink-themed promotions across its nationwide restaurants in October.
• CertaPro PainterscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019CertaPro Painters has partnered with BCRF for its annual Paint it Pink campaign, raising $130,000 in 2025 alone and over $830,000 since 2019. The campaign supports clinical trial enrollments for patients and involves franchisees and community activities.
• AutoNation (DRV PNK)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAutoNation's DRV PNK charitable initiative has raised over $45 million for cancer-related causes since inception, including $4 million last year. The initiative began with a focus on breast cancer and has expanded to fight all cancers. It is powered by customer donations at checkout across 300 dealership locations.
• Estée Lauder CompaniescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeonard A. Lauder, late chairman of Estée Lauder Companies, was honored at the 2026 BCRF Hot Pink Party gala. The concert featuring Elton John served as a tribute to Lauder and the company's longstanding support of BCRF.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Cancer Society: The largest U.S. voluntary health organization funding cancer research broadly. Overlaps with BCRF in research grantmaking and donor base, but covers all cancer types, making it a broader incumbent.

Direct peers

• Susan G. Komen: Another large U.S. nonprofit dedicated specifically to breast cancer, funding research, community health programs, and advocacy. Direct peer in mission, donor base, and grantmaking model.
• Prevent Cancer Foundation: A nonprofit that funds cancer prevention and early detection research. Comparable in grantmaking scope and donor-driven model, with some thematic overlap on early detection (relevant to BCRF's Clairity investment).
• V Foundation for Cancer Research: A nonprofit that funds cancer research through grants to scientists, with a similar gala- and donor-driven fundraising model. Comparable in scale and grantmaking focus, though all-cancer in scope.
• Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation: A nonprofit that funds early-career cancer researchers via competitive grants. Operates a similar model to BCRF in grantmaking to individual scientists, with comparable scale and donor-driven revenue.
• National Breast Cancer Coalition: A breast cancer-focused advocacy and research funding nonprofit. Comparable in mission focus, though more advocacy-driven, providing a narrower peer comparison to BCRF.
• Stand Up To Cancer: A charitable program funding collaborative cancer research with a high-profile media-driven fundraising model. Overlaps with BCRF in translational research funding and celebrity-driven events.

Emerging players

• Lustgarten Foundation: A large private funder dedicated specifically to pancreatic cancer research, with a research-grant model analogous to BCRF. Useful as a comparison for single-disease foundation scale.

Others

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: A major cancer research institution and one of BCRF's likely grant recipients. Not a direct peer, but a key partner in the funded research network that BCRF's value proposition rests on.
• Estée Lauder Companies (Breast Cancer Campaign): Long-standing corporate partner and co-funder of the breast cancer awareness movement through its Breast Cancer Campaign. Adjacent rather than competitive, but a key ecosystem participant in BCRF's funding flywheel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BCRF4acure
• Facebookfacebook.com/thebreastcancerresearchfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-breast-cancer-research-foundation
• TikToktiktok.com/@bcrfcure
• Xx.com/bcrfcure

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Breast Cancer Research Foundation