Vera Bradley Foundation
The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 that raises and grants funds exclusively to Indiana University School of Medicine for breast cancer research, generating over $42.7 million cumulatively through events, retail partnerships, and direct donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersRoanoke, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Vera Bradley Foundation does
The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer, Inc. is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation established in 1993 by Vera Bradley co-founders Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller following the loss of their friend Mary Sloan to breast cancer. Headquartered in Roanoke, Indiana, the foundation operates with a small staff (1-10 employees) and a single mission: raising funds to support breast cancer research exclusively at the Indiana University School of Medicine, channeled through the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research inside the NCI-designated IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The foundation's revenue model is donation-driven, with no product sales of its own. Fundraising flows through annual signature events (the multi-day Vera Bradley Foundation Classic featuring women's golf and pickleball tournaments, Turn the Town Pink, Quilt with a Cause, Pink Patio Party, Ribbons for Research), direct online donations (give.verabradley.org), and a retail-affiliate channel with Vera Bradley stores that release limited-edition products with 100% of proceeds directed to the foundation. The foundation holds a Charity Navigator Four-Star rating (2025) and a BBB Charity Seal.
Funded research concentrates on difficult-to-treat breast cancers, especially triple negative breast cancer, with capabilities spanning genomics, precision medicine ("Monogrammed Medicine"), antibody-drug conjugates (T-Ama), nanotechnology (the patented Nano-bomb targeting POLR2A), clinical trial design (EAZ171, designed for Black women), exercise-oncology (MOVE Program), and ancestry-diverse single-cell atlases (88,000 cell nuclei from 92 women, published in Nature Medicine with Chan Zuckerberg Initiative support). The foundation has cumulatively contributed over $42.7 million to IU since 1993.
Vera Bradley Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vera Bradley Foundation
- Legal name
- Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer, Inc.
- Website
- https://verabradley.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 that raises and grants funds exclusively to Indiana University School of Medicine for breast cancer research, generating over $42.7 million cumulatively through events, retail partnerships, and direct donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vera Bradley Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Health Research Funding
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)
Keywords
Where Vera Bradley Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Roanoke
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Vera Bradley Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: The foundation raises funds exclusively for breast cancer research at Indiana University School of Medicine through donations, special events, partner events, and individual contributions.
- Retail Partnership Proceeds: Vera Bradley releases limited-edition products with proceeds donated to the foundation. Examples include face masks ($25 two-pack with 100% proceeds donated) and specialty patterns.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Donation-based fundraising |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Vera Bradley Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that raises funds exclusively for breast cancer research at the Indiana University School of Medicine. It operates through signature fundraising events (the Classic, Turn the Town Pink, Quilt with a Cause, Pink Patio Party), donor-driven campaigns, and limited-edition retail product partnerships, with all proceeds directed to the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research.
Product overview
The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer is a charitable foundation that raises funds for breast cancer research. The Foundation operates primarily through fundraising campaigns and events, including the annual Quilt with a Cause, Vera Bradley Foundation Classic sporting events, Turn the Town Pink campaign, Pink Patio Party, and Ribbons for Research. It also offers product offerings including Gifts of Hope (pre-packaged Vera Bradley gift sets) and Mastectomy Pillows. The Foundation does not offer a technology product; all funds raised support the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research at Indiana University School of Medicine.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Quilt with a Cause Annual quilt raffle campaign with donations of $5 or more entering participants for a chance to win a one-of-a-kind quilt, raising funds for breast cancer research.
- Vera Bradley Foundation Classic Annual signature fundraising event held in Fort Wayne, Indiana, featuring women's golf tournaments, pickleball tournaments, and celebration events.
- Turn the Town Pink Annual fundraising campaign during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, featuring volunteers creating pink ribbon pathways throughout Fort Wayne.
- Gifts of Hope Pre-packaged Vera Bradley gift sets offered as donor incentives, including items like face masks in exclusive Foundation prints.
- Mastectomy Pillow Specialty pillow designed for post-mastectomy recovery comfort, offered as part of the foundation's patient support offerings.
- Pink Patio Party Social fundraising event hosted by the Vera Bradley Foundation to engage supporters and raise funds for breast cancer research.
- Ribbons for Research Fundraising campaign supporting breast cancer research initiatives at the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research.
Quantifiable outcome
- $42.7 million raised for breast cancer research since 1993
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Vera Bradley Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Vera Bradley Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Vera Bradley Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Indiana University School of MedicinecorePrimary research partner hosting the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research. The foundation has contributed over $42.7 million to fund breast cancer research including genetics, immunotherapies, vaccines, and clinical trials.
- Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer CentercoreNCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center (one of 57 in the nation, the only one in Indiana) that houses the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research.
- Susan G. Komen Tissue BankcoreWorld's only collection of healthy breast tissue, housed at IU Simon Cancer Center. Provides critical samples for research on normal breast biology and breast cancer development across different genetic ancestries.
- Vera BradleycoreConsumer goods company founded by Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller. Releases limited-edition products with proceeds donated to the foundation. Donations collected at retail locations.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Vera Bradley Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Susan G. Komen Foundation: The largest U.S. nonprofit dedicated to breast cancer research and patient support. Directly comparable in mission, donor-acquisition through retail partnerships (pink ribbon), and event-based fundraising model; serves the same donor pool as Vera Bradley Foundation.
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF): Nonprofit exclusively funding breast cancer research with a high-volume annual grants program and celebrity-driven fundraising events. Most directly comparable peer based on shared sole-mission focus on funding breast cancer research rather than patient services.
- National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund: Grassroots breast cancer advocacy and research funding organization with strong focus on patient outcomes and disparity issues. Comparable mission targeting breast cancer research and advocacy, with overlapping donor demographics.
Broad incumbents
- American Cancer Society: The largest U.S. cancer nonprofit covering research, patient support, and advocacy across all cancer types. Overlaps Vera Bradley Foundation on breast cancer research funding but operates at much greater scale and scope.
- V Foundation for Cancer Research: Major cancer research funder founded by Jim Valvano with sports-anchored fundraising events. Comparable on the sports-event-driven donor model (similar to Vera Bradley Classic) and cancer-research-funding mission, though broader than breast cancer.
- Stand Up To Cancer: High-profile collaborative cancer research funding model with celebrity-driven media campaigns. Overlaps with Vera Bradley Foundation's precision medicine / translational research portfolio and large-donor fundraising approach.
Emerging players
- Tigerlily Foundation: National nonprofit focused specifically on breast cancer in young women, with significant emphasis on Black women and communities of color. Directly overlaps Vera Bradley Foundation's EAZ171 disparity-focused initiatives and shared target demographic of understudied populations.
- Living Beyond Breast Cancer: Nonprofit providing education, support, and resources for people impacted by breast cancer. Comparable in mission focus on breast cancer outcomes but differentiated by patient-services orientation versus research funding.
- Promise Fund of Florida: Nonprofit addressing breast and cervical cancer disparities in underserved populations. Comparable niche focus on health equity in breast cancer, similar to Vera Bradley Foundation's emphasis on Black women's outcomes in EAZ171.
Others
- American Association for Cancer Research (AACR Foundation): Scientific society and adjacent philanthropic arm funding cancer research including breast cancer grants. Relevant as a research-funding counterpart that the Vera Bradley Foundation's supported researchers publish in and apply to for parallel grants.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vera Bradley Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceVera Bradley Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vera Bradley Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Vera Bradley Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vera Bradley Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vera Bradley Foundation
What does Vera Bradley Foundation do?
The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that raises funds exclusively for breast cancer research at the Indiana University School of Medicine. It operates through signature fundraising events (the Classic, Turn the Town Pink, Quilt with a Cause, Pink Patio Party), donor-driven campaigns, and limited-edition retail product partnerships, with all proceeds directed to the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research.
Is Vera Bradley Foundation a public or private company?
Vera Bradley Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Vera Bradley Foundation founded?
Vera Bradley Foundation was founded in 1993. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Vera Bradley Foundation based?
Vera Bradley Foundation is headquartered in Roanoke, United States, in the North America region.
How does Vera Bradley Foundation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are retail Partnership Proceeds.
Who are Vera Bradley Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Susan G. Komen Foundation, Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) and National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund. Broad incumbents are American Cancer Society, V Foundation for Cancer Research and Stand Up To Cancer. Emerging players are Tigerlily Foundation, Living Beyond Breast Cancer and Promise Fund of Florida. American Association for Cancer Research (AACR Foundation) is listed as an others.
Does Vera Bradley Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vera Bradley Foundation.
What industry is Vera Bradley Foundation in?
Vera Bradley Foundation's product category is Nonprofit Health Research Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAL, Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813212.