Michelle's Place Cancer Resource Center

What Michelle's Place Cancer Resource Center does

Michelle's Place Cancer Resource Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID# 330951216) founded in 2001 in Temecula, California, by the family and friends of Michelle Watson following her death from Stage IV breast cancer at age 23. Its mission is to ensure no individual or family in the Southern California region faces a cancer diagnosis alone. The center delivers a portfolio of no-cost services — behavioral health counseling, peer support groups, health and wellness classes, creative arts programs, comfort and care items such as wig fittings and prosthetics, certified Community Health Worker patient navigation, and educational seminars and scholarships — to people affected by all types of cancer across Riverside, San Bernardino, and North San Diego Counties.

Service delivery is in-person at a 10,000 sq. ft. owned facility at 41669 Winchester Rd #101, Temecula, supplemented by Zoom-based virtual groups and offsite support groups (notably in Fallbrook). The technology stack is deliberately lightweight and non-proprietary: a third-party Apricot client-intake portal from Social Solutions, Zoom for virtual programming, and standard content/social/web channels. All services are provided at no cost to clients, eliminating any per-unit pricing dynamic.

Financially, the organization is sustained by charitable donations, recurring monthly giving, paver purchases, signature fundraising events (Walk of Hope, Celebration of Life Golf Tournament, Car Show, Anniversary Gala), and partner/event sponsorships. It carries no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed external ownership; an executive board of family members, local business leaders, and survivors governs it. The organization operates with 1–10 employees, served more than 6,000 individuals in the most recent fiscal year, and onboards 70+ new clients per month. A planned leadership transition (retirement of long-tenured Executive Director Kim Gerrish on May 28, 2026) coincides with broader professionalization signals, including the 2026 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency and expanded clinical and corporate partnerships.

Name

Michelle's Place Cancer Resource Center

Legal name

Michelle's Place Cancer Resource Center

Website

https://michellesplace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Michelle's Place is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cancer resource center in Temecula, California, delivering free counseling, support groups, wellness classes, patient navigation, and comfort items to cancer patients and families across Riverside, San Bernardino, and North San Diego Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Health Care and Social Assistance (62)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Behavioral health counseling
• Patient navigation services
• Community wellness programs
• Nonprofit health resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Temecula

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Michelle's Place is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID# 330951216) that funds all operations through charitable donations, monthly giving programs, paver purchases, and fundraising events including a Walk of Hope, golf tournament, and car show. The Ways to Give page lists options for one-time donations, monthly recurring donations, and purchasing pavers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Michelle's Place Cancer Resource Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers no-cost cancer support services to individuals and families affected by all types of cancer across Riverside, San Bernardino, and North San Diego Counties. Its integrated service portfolio includes behavioral health counseling, diagnosis- and demographic-specific support groups, wellness and creative arts classes, comfort items (wigs, prosthetics, mastectomy care packages), patient navigation by Certified Community Health Workers, and educational seminars and scholarships.

Product overview

Michelle's Place Cancer Resource Center is a non-profit service organization offering a unified portfolio of no-cost support services for individuals and families affected by cancer. The core offerings include Behavioral Health counseling, Support Groups, Health & Wellness Classes (Yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki, Meditation), Creative Arts Classes, Comfort & Care Items (wigs, prosthetics, mastectomy supplies), Patient Navigation by certified Community Health Workers, and Educational Programs including seminars and scholarships. All services are provided at no cost to clients in Riverside, San Bernardino, and North San Diego Counties, with the organization's mission centered on ensuring no one faces cancer alone.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Behavioral Health Counseling Services No-cost professional behavioral health counseling services provided by advanced graduate students under the clinical supervision of a Licensed Psychotherapist, offering individual, couples, and family therapy for individuals and families affected by cancer.
• Support Groups No-cost support groups for cancer patients, caregivers, and loved ones, available in-person and virtually, covering multiple stages of diagnosis and cancer types including Metastatic, Survivorship, All Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, AYA, and Spanish-language groups.
• Health & Wellness Classes No-cost wellness offerings including Yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki, Sound Bath, Meditation, Transformational Breath, Life Coaching, Massage, and Walking Groups designed to support physical and mental well-being during cancer treatment.
• Creative Arts Classes No-cost artistic activities including Sewing, Yarnworks, Card Making, Expressive Art, Mosaics, Book Club, and Craft Night designed to reduce stress, boost mood, and enhance well-being through creative expression.
• Comfort & Care Items No-cost items including wigs with personalized fittings, headwear, chemo kits, mastectomy care packages, lap blankets, rice heat packs, breast prosthesis, and books to ease the treatment journey.
• Care Team / Patient Navigation Certified Community Health Workers (CHWs) provide compassionate guidance, help create care plans, connect clients with resources (financial assistance, transportation, community resources via Family Reach partnership), and offer emotional support throughout the cancer journey.
• Educational Seminars & Scholarships No-cost educational workshops covering cancer diagnosis understanding, stress relief, caregiver support, and survivorship, plus multiple scholarships (Barbara Bryan Matzkin, Bill Cathey, Michelle's Place, Patricia Deroeux and others) for individuals impacted by cancer who are pursuing education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,000+ individuals served last year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Family ReachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily Reach partnership provides Michelle's Place clients with access to a searchable widget for resources covering food, housing, transportation, utilities, and other everyday costs during cancer treatment. Services are provided in partnership with Family Reach and are available to qualifying clients actively in treatment for cancer.
• The Elizabeth HospicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaregivers Support groups are professionally facilitated by counselors from The Elizabeth Hospice. This partnership ensures professional facilitation of caregiver support groups, allowing caregivers to share their experiences, learn coping skills, and access resources.
• Healing Odyssey Women's RetreatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealing Odyssey is a women's retreat program for cancer survivors. Michelle's Place connects interested clients to Healing Odyssey, which offers tools to create the best life after cancer, interactive experiences for hope and empowerment, and connections with other survivors. The program is designed and led by oncology professionals.
• Madd About Skin with LisaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSpa facials are provided by Lisa from Madd About Skin at her location (31537 Rancho Pueblo Rd, Suite 105, Temecula, CA). Michelle's Place clients can sign up through the programs available by special request page.
• 7d Esthetics and Healing Arts with ChristiminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOncology facials with sound bath and Reiki with sound therapy are provided by Christi from 7d Esthetics and Healing Arts (42291 6th Street, Temecula, CA 92590) for Michelle's Place clients. Services are available by special request.
• San Diego Blood BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Diego Blood Bank hosts blood drives at Michelle's Place facility, enabling community members to give back and support local patients. Blood drives are listed on the event calendar.
• Old Town Barbers (Casper)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional barbers from Old Town Barbers, led by Casper, provide first shave services and wig shaping for Michelle's Place clients. Casper has been honored with a Butterfly Award for his compassionate service during one of the most vulnerable moments for cancer patients. He creates a space where courage is honored and every individual feels truly seen.
• Scouts of Troop 309 (Tom Villanueva)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScout Troop 309 led by Tom Villanueva regularly supports Michelle's Place events including the Walk of Hope. At the 2025 Walk of Hope, scouts surrounded and supported a client who was struggling to finish the course, demonstrating the organization's community impact. Tom Villanueva received a Butterfly Award.
• Bank of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBank of America partnered with Michelle's Place through the 'Intern with Impact' program, hosting an intern at the organization. This internship program supports nonprofit capacity building.
• Temecula Valley Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Patricia Deroeux Scholarship is offered through the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce and is available to Temecula residents in need of educational financial assistance who are children of a parent who has passed away from cancer. Award amount is $2,000.
• Santa Barbara Breast Cancer Resource CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe inspiration for Michelle's Place originated at the Santa Barbara Breast Cancer Resource Center, where Michelle Watson first found compassionate support during her own cancer journey. This was the first place she said someone cared about her as a person and not just the cancer.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gilda's Club (Cancer Support Community): Community-based cancer support organization operating clubhouses with free counseling, support groups, and wellness programming for cancer patients and families. Most directly comparable peer given its free services, in-person + virtual model, and mission alignment.
• Wellness House (Hinsdale, IL): Nonprofit offering free wellness classes, support groups, and counseling to individuals and families impacted by cancer at a dedicated physical facility. Operates the same horizontal, all-cancer, free-of-charge service model as Michelle's Place but in the Chicago region.
• Smith Center for Healing and the Arts: Community-focused nonprofit providing integrative cancer support including counseling, support groups, expressive arts, and wellness classes at a dedicated facility. Closely mirrors Michelle's Place's blend of behavioral health, arts/wellness, and patient navigation services.
• Sharsheret: Community-based nonprofit offering free, customized support to women and families facing breast and ovarian cancer, including counseling, support groups, and resource navigation. Highly comparable niche peer with similar patient-navigation and psychosocial support model.
• Pink Ribbon Good: Provides free direct services including peer support, healthy meals, and housekeeping to breast and gynecological cancer patients. Comparable free-services, community-led support model with a slightly different service mix.

Broad incumbents

• Cancer Support Community (National HQ): National umbrella organization supporting a network of 175+ locations delivering free cancer support services. Comparable offering at much larger scale and with broader geographic reach, including the merged Gilda's Club network.
• American Cancer Society: Largest U.S. nonprofit dedicated to cancer, providing patient support services, lodging, rides to treatment, and a 24/7 helpline. Competes with Michelle's Place in the donor dollar space while offering complementary patient services at national scale.
• Susan G. Komen: Nationally recognized breast-cancer-focused nonprofit providing education, screening, and patient navigation support. Comparable support service components though narrower (breast only) and at far greater national scale.
• Livestrong Foundation: National cancer survivor support nonprofit offering counseling, navigation, and fertility/financial resources to cancer survivors. Comparable survivor-focused service orientation at national scale.

Regional players

• The Elizabeth Hospice: San Diego-area hospice and palliative care organization that partners with Michelle's Place to co-facilitate the Caregivers Support Groups. Shares the same Southern California footprint and overlapping end-of-life and caregiver support mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PinkRibbonMP
• Facebookfacebook.com/PinkRibbonMP

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Michelle's Place Cancer Resource Center