Cancer Wellness Center

What Cancer Wellness Center does

Cancer Wellness Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1989 and headquartered at the Barbara Kassel Brotman House in Northbrook, Illinois, serving the Chicago metropolitan area. Its mission is to improve the emotional and physical well-being of individuals and families affected by cancer through free, whole-person psychosocial support spanning professional counseling, facilitated support groups, oncology nutrition consultations, fitness and wellness classes, social programs, children and family services, bereavement support, and educational workshops. The Center's clinical team includes licensed clinical professional counselors (LCPCs), a Clinical Director with a PhD, board-certified oncology dietitians, and Child Life Specialists, providing oncology-specific expertise across in-person, virtual, hybrid, and on-demand delivery formats.

The Center's revenue model is entirely donation- and grant-driven: it derives support from individual donations, monthly giving, tributes and memorials, corporate and employer matching gifts, fundraising events (Better Together Benefit, Golf Outing, Stepping Up to Wellness Run/Walk), stock and IRA gifts, donor-advised fund contributions, corporate sponsorships, planned giving, DIY fundraising, and foundation grants. All services are provided free of charge to participants, removing cost as a barrier to accessing psychosocial care during and after cancer treatment. There is no proprietary technology platform; the underlying technology consists of standard nonprofit CRM/donation infrastructure, content marketing, and virtual class delivery tools.

Operational footprint is regional, with a single physical facility in Northbrook augmented by virtual and hybrid program delivery. The organization has received a Charity Navigator Four-Star rating and a Candid Gold Transparency 2026 seal, and recently secured a $5,000 grant from the SBB Research Group Foundation and a produce donation partnership with Prairie Wind Family Farm. Specialized programs such as the Weight Loss for Wellness (WL4W) initiative demonstrate clinically validated outcomes, including an average 9.3-pound weight loss among graduates within two years.

Name

Cancer Wellness Center

Legal name

Cancer Wellness Center

Website

https://cancerwellness.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cancer Wellness Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Northbrook, Illinois that provides free psychosocial support services — including counseling, support groups, oncology nutrition, and wellness programs — to individuals and families affected by cancer in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Diet and Weight Reducing Centers (812191)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Chronic Condition Lifestyle Coaching (Non-Clinical) (HSADAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mind-Body Wellness Coaching (Holistic/Integrative) (HSADAGAG), Weight Loss Coaching (Non-Clinical) (HSADAFAB), Wellness Program Design & Accountability Coaching (HSADAGAC)

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Psychosocial oncology care
• Oncology nutrition counseling
• Cancer bereavement support
• Wellness programs survivors

Headquarters

HQ city

Northbrook

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, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue source from individual donations, monthly giving programs, tributes and memorials, corporate matching gifts, employer matching gifts, fundraising events (Better Together Benefit, Golf Outing, Stepping Up to Wellness Run/Walk), stock and IRA gifts, donor-advised fund contributions, corporate sponsorships, planned giving, and DIY fundraising.
2. Grants: Foundation grants from organizations such as SBB Research Group Foundation to support specific programs including whole-person care, therapeutic activities, and peer support networks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cancer Wellness Center provides free psychosocial support services to individuals and families affected by cancer, including licensed professional counseling, facilitated support groups, oncology nutrition consultations, fitness and wellness classes, social programs, children and families services, workshops and lectures, and bereavement support. Its specialized Weight Loss for Wellness (WL4W) program combines nutrition, mindfulness, and fitness for cancer survivors. All programs are offered at no cost and are delivered in-person at its Northbrook, Illinois facility as well as virtually, in hybrid format, and on-demand.

Product overview

Cancer Wellness Center offers a suite of free psychosocial support services for individuals and families affected by cancer. The organization provides professional clinical counseling, support groups, nutrition services with a board-certified oncology dietitian, fitness and wellness programs, social programs, children and family services, educational workshops, and bereavement support. The Weight Loss for Wellness (WL4W) Program is a specialized survivorship program combining nutrition education, mindfulness, and fitness. All services are provided free of charge and include both in-person and virtual delivery options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Barbara Kassel Brotman House: The name of the facility where Cancer Wellness Center is located, as shown in the logo.

Products and services

• Professional Counseling

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ support groups available in 2026 for children, caregivers, survivors, and grieving individuals
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Prairie Wind Family FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farm partnership where Cancer Wellness Center serves as a designated drop-off point for fresh produce donations. Produce is distributed to program participants including WL4W group members for nutrition education and healthy eating support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wellness House: A nonprofit in Hinsdale, Illinois offering free psychosocial support, counseling, nutrition, and fitness programs to people affected by cancer in the Chicago suburbs. Near-identical service model, geography, and free-pricing structure to Cancer Wellness Center, making it the closest head-to-head comparable.
• Gilda's Club Chicago: Chicago-based affiliate of the Gilda's Club network providing free emotional and social support, lectures, and workshops for people with cancer and their families. Same free-pricing model, similar program mix, and overlapping Chicago metro geography.
• Imerman Angels: Chicago-based nonprofit providing free one-on-one peer mentor matching for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. Comparable mission of individualized cancer psychosocial support, though delivered via peer mentorship rather than clinical staff.
• Camp Kesem: National nonprofit supporting children affected by a parent's cancer through free summer camps and year-round programming. Directly comparable to Cancer Wellness Center's Children & Families program in mission and free-pricing structure.

Broad incumbents

• Cancer Support Community: The largest U.S. network of cancer support centers, formed through the merger of The Wellness Community and Gilda's Club. Provides psychosocial support, counseling, and education nationwide; the dominant scaled incumbent in Cancer Wellness Center's category.
• Livestrong Foundation: National nonprofit focused on supporting cancer survivors with navigation, fertility, and emotional support resources. Competes with Cancer Wellness Center for survivor-focused donor dollars and referral partnerships at a national scale.
• American Cancer Society: The largest U.S. cancer nonprofit, offering a 24/7 helpline, Road to Recovery, Hope Lodge lodging, and patient support programs. A direct competitor for donor and partner mindshare in cancer psychosocial support.

Emerging players

• Stupid Cancer: Nonprofit focused on young adult cancer patients and survivors, providing community, education, and peer support. Comparable mission for a narrower age segment, with a more digitally native delivery model.
• Lacuna Loft: Online psychosocial support community for young adult cancer patients and caregivers. Comparable in mission and free-service model, but differentiated by a fully digital delivery model versus Cancer Wellness Center's hybrid in-person/virtual approach.

Others

• Triage Cancer: National nonprofit providing education on the legal, financial, and practical issues faced by cancer patients. While more focused on education/advocacy than direct psychosocial care, it competes for the same donor and partner audience in the cancer survivorship space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCF-_bw7IWamDhGMLMC2UF2w
• Facebookfacebook.com/cancerwellnesscenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cancer-wellness-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/cancerwellnessctr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Cancer Wellness Center