Italian Association for Cancer Research

What Italian Association for Cancer Research does

Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC), operating as Fondazione AIRC per la Ricerca sul Cancro ETS, is an Italian non-profit foundation established in 1965 and headquartered at Viale Isonzo 25, Milan. The foundation is dedicated to funding cancer research, disseminating scientific information, and promoting prevention and early diagnosis. It supports 500+ active research projects and 5 special programs targeting metastasis, immunotherapy, and difficult-to-treat tumors, channeling resources through its subsidiary IFOM (Istituto di Oncologia Molecolare di AIRC) and the peer-reviewed Area Ricercatori grant portal. AIRC operates with approximately 200 staff and a supporter base of more than 4.5 million individuals across Italy.

The foundation runs a multi-platform digital ecosystem encompassing the central airc.it institutional website, specialized donation platforms (Donazione, Donazione in Memoria, Un Buon Invito), a 5x1000 tax designation program, a cancer information portal, an email newsletter, and a school education platform. Community engagement is delivered through regional committees and recurring national campaigns including Le Arance della Salute, L'Azalea della Ricerca, Nastro Rosa, and I Giorni della Ricerca. Technical infrastructure is purpose-built around donation processing, content publishing, and stakeholder communication rather than software development.

AIRC's revenue model is entirely donation-based with five streams: individual donations (pre-set tiers of €50–€200+, plus recurring giving), corporate and foundation partnerships, testamentary bequests, personal fundraising events, and Italian 5 per mille tax designations. The 5x1000 program alone delivered €71.8 million in 2025 (€40.5M from the Ministry of Universities and Research, €23.9M from the Ministry of Health, €7.4M from the Ministry of Labor), channeled to roughly 1.7 million designating taxpayers. Aggregate 2025 fundraising capacity reached approximately €200 million from private sources. Payments are processed through credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Satispay. The foundation operates exclusively within Italy; there are no export markets, paying customers, or priced products.

Name

Italian Association for Cancer Research

Legal name

Fondazione AIRC per la Ricerca sul Cancro ETS

Website

https://airc.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC) is a Milan-based non-profit foundation, founded in 1965, that funds cancer research and prevention across Italy through private donations, corporate partnerships, and 5x1000 tax designations, supporting more than 4.5 million supporters and 500+ active research projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Cancer Research Foundation

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

Keywords

• Cancer research funding
• Charitable donations
• Scientific research grants
• Cancer prevention education
• Nonprofit foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individual supporters, including one-time and recurring donations, memorial donations (Donazione in Memoria), and contributions through initiatives like Le Arance della Salute and L'Azalea della Ricerca
2. 5 per Mille (Tax Designation): Italian tax mechanism allowing taxpayers to designate 0.5% of IRPEF tax to AIRC. In 2025, AIRC received €71.8 million through this mechanism from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor, and Ministry of Universities and Research.
3. Corporate and Foundation Partnerships: Large donations from companies and foundations, corporate gift programs (Regali di Natale Aziende), and institutional partnerships for research funding
4. Testamentary Bequests: Legacy gifts and bequests from supporters leaving funds to AIRC in their wills
5. Personal Fundraising Events: Individuals organize fundraising events (Un Buon Invito) for special occasions, with direct donations to AIRC and tax benefits for participants

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

AIRC (Fondazione AIRC per la Ricerca sul Cancro ETS) is Italy's leading non-profit foundation dedicated to funding cancer research. It collects donations from individuals, corporations, and through the Italian 5 per mille tax designation program, then channels the funds into research grants, fellowships, and special research programs (including metastasis and immunotherapy). The foundation also disseminates cancer information and prevention awareness to the public and operates a nationwide volunteer network.

Product overview

AIRC operates a multi-platform portfolio centered on cancer research funding and public education. The core offering consists of the main institutional website (airc.it) complemented by specialized fundraising platforms: Donazione for direct donations, Donazione in Memoria for memorial fundraising pages, and Un Buon Invito for event-based collections. The 5x1000 Program enables tax-designated giving. Supporting products include the Newsletter for supporter communications, the Area Ricercatori portal for grant management and researcher funding, and a comprehensive Cancer Information Portal for public education on prevention and treatment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IFOM: Istituto di Oncologia Molecolare di AIRC - AIRC's molecular oncology research institute.

Products and services

• AIRC Main Website (airc.it)

Quantifiable outcome

• €200 million fundraising capacity with 4.5+ million supporters
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ministry of Health (Ministero della Salute)coreOthersAIRC receives 5 per mille contributions through the Ministry of Health, which distributes funds from taxpayers designating AIRC in their tax returns. In 2025, this channel contributed €23.9 million.
• Ministry of Labor and Social Policies (Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali)coreOthersAIRC receives 5 per mille contributions through the Ministry of Labor, which distributes funds designated by taxpayers. In 2025, this channel contributed €7.4 million.
• Ministry of Universities and Research (Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca)coreOthersAIRC receives 5 per mille contributions through the Ministry of Universities and Research. This represents the largest funding channel, contributing €40.5 million in 2025.
• IFOM (Istituto di Oncologia Molecolare di Fondazione AIRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFOM is AIRC's molecular oncology institute, conducting cutting-edge cancer research as an integral part of the foundation's research ecosystem.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• German Cancer Aid (Deutsche Krebshilfe): Germany's leading non-governmental cancer organization funding research, prevention, and patient support. Closely comparable to AIRC as a national cancer research foundation with broad mission scope.
• World Cancer Research Fund International: International cancer prevention and research funding nonprofit operating across multiple countries. Comparable to AIRC's research-funding mandate and donor-supported model, though smaller and more prevention-focused.
• Susan G. Komen: One of the world's largest cancer nonprofits, focused on breast cancer research and community health. Similar donor-driven, race/event-anchored fundraising approach, though narrower in disease scope than AIRC.
• Fondazione Telethon: Another major Italian biomedical research nonprofit foundation, employing an identical community-led fundraising model (TV marathons, donor events, 5 per mille) for rare genetic diseases. Same Italian regulatory and cultural context as AIRC.
• American Cancer Society: The leading US cancer-focused nonprofit combining research funding, patient support, and advocacy. Operates the same foundation-plus-research-grantmaker model as AIRC, but at materially larger scale.
• Dutch Cancer Society (KWF Kankerbestrijding): The Netherlands' primary cancer research funding foundation; a near-direct peer to AIRC in scale, structure, mission, and reliance on private donations plus institutional funding.
• Ligue contre le cancer: France's national federation of cancer-focused departmental committees; very similar to AIRC in operating model (volunteer committees, public fundraising, national + regional structure) and donor-driven funding.
• Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC): Spain's largest cancer-focused NGO operating through provincial juntas; a structural and mission analog to AIRC with comparable reliance on volunteers, donations, and provincial fundraising campaigns.
• Cancer Research UK: The UK's largest cancer research charity, funding scientists, doctors, and nurses; a direct peer to AIRC by virtue of analogous national-scope cancer research funding mission, donor-supported model, and multi-channel fundraising approach.
• European Cancer Organisation (ECCO): Europe's umbrella cancer community organization representing clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates. Overlaps with AIRC's professional and scientific community engagement in oncology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AIRC_it
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/AIRC_ita
• Facebookfacebook.com/AIRC.associazione.ricerca.cancro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/airc-fondazione-per-la-ricerca-sul-cancro
• Instagraminstagram.com/airc.it
• TikToktiktok.com/@airc.it

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Italian Association for Cancer Research