Little Red Door Cancer Agency

What Little Red Door Cancer Agency does

Little Red Door Cancer Agency is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1945 in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is the state's oldest independent cancer agency. The organization provides free client services, survivor programming, and education to medically underserved Hoosiers facing cancer, with the explicit mission of reducing the physical, emotional, and financial burdens of cancer. Its core service portfolio includes Navigation & Support (client guidance and community resource referrals), Michelle's Boutique (appearance-related support such as wigs and prostheses), Rides & Transportation (leveraging zTrip, gas cards, and Uber/Lyft to deliver over 31,000 trips annually), Door to Wellness (oncology massage, yoga, LIVESTRONG fitness, sound bath, and nutritional education), Youth Services & Camp Little Red Door (the oldest pediatric oncology camp in Indiana, hosted at Bradford Woods), and additional services including medical supplies, ostomy supplies, and lymphedema garments. All services are provided at no cost to clients, with the organization operating from a headquarters in Indianapolis (1801 N. Meridian Street) and a regional office in Muncie (413 S. Tillotson Avenue, Unit 3), serving 14 counties for adult services and all 92 Indiana counties for youth services in 19 languages.

The organization's underlying technology stack is non-proprietary, relying on standard nonprofit CRM systems rather than custom platforms or AI-enabled tools, with no APIs, SDKs, or documented integrations. Business model revenues are diversified across individual and corporate donations, foundation and corporate grants (e.g., Hendricks County Community Foundation, Hoover Family Foundation, Geico), a specialty Indiana BMV license plate program ($25 per plate sold), planned giving via the BOLD Society (wills, charitable annuity trusts, IRA rollovers), and signature fundraising events including the 19th Annual Face of Hope Breakfast ($601,956 raised in 2025) and Evening of Hope hosted by the Young Professionals Council. The go-to-market motion is community-led: client acquisition flows primarily through healthcare provider referrals (notably Riley Hospital for Children and IU Health), word-of-mouth, and community outreach, while donor acquisition relies on annual events, third-party fundraisers, social media, email communications, and the BMV license plate channel. The organization employs 11-50 staff and is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Whitney Melton, with Mandy Pietrykowski serving as Director and CEO since June 3, 2023.

Name

Little Red Door Cancer Agency

Legal name

Little Red Door Cancer Agency, Inc.

Website

https://littlereddoor.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Little Red Door Cancer Agency is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1945 in Indianapolis that provides free transportation, nutrition, wellness, boutique, and pediatric camp services to medically underserved cancer patients across Indiana, funded entirely through donations, grants, fundraising events, and a BMV specialty license plate program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC)

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Patient transportation services
• Oncology wellness programs
• Pediatric cancer camp
• Community health nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Primary revenue stream from individual donors and corporate sponsors who support the organization's mission through tax-deductible contributions. Major annual fundraising achieved through Face of Hope Breakfast events.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations such as Hendricks County Community Foundation ($2,000+), Hoover Family Foundation (scholarship support), and other grant-making organizations.
3. Specialty License Plate Program: Indiana BMV specialty license plate sales generate $25 per plate sold, providing transportation assistance, nutritional supplements, youth services, wellness programming, and care packages.
4. Planned Giving (BOLD Society): Planned giving program allowing donors to include Little Red Door in wills, charitable annuity trusts, and IRA rollovers to ensure long-term financial sustainability.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Little Red Door Cancer Agency is a nonprofit organization that provides free cancer support services to medically underserved Hoosiers, including transportation to treatment, nutritional supplements, medical supplies, wellness and survivorship programming, client navigation, and pediatric oncology camp services. Established in 1945, the agency operates offices in Indianapolis and Muncie, Indiana, serving adults across 14 counties and youth statewide across all 92 Indiana counties. All services are provided at no cost to clients and funded entirely through donations, grants, fundraising events, and planned giving.

Product overview

Little Red Door Cancer Agency is a nonprofit cancer support organization (not a technology company) that provides free client services, survivor programming, and education to medically underserved Hoosiers facing cancer. The organization operates several interconnected service programs: Navigation & Support and Michelle's Boutique for client guidance and appearance-related support; Rides & Transportation for treatment access; the Door to Wellness wellness and survivorship program featuring oncology massage, yoga, and fitness classes; Youth Services & Camp Little Red Door for pediatric cancer patients and their families; Notes of Hope for emotional support through handwritten letters; and fundraising programs including the Little Red Door License Plate and BOLD Society planned giving program. All services are provided free of charge to eligible clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Notes of Hope: A program that sends handwritten letters of encouragement to clients undergoing cancer treatment, written by volunteers and mailed by Little Red Door.
• Door to Wellness
• BOLD Society
• Little Red Door License Plate
• Camp Little Red Door

Products and services

• Navigation & Support Provides clients with basic information about cancer, the importance of timely follow-up, and community resources to help meet basic needs before, during, and after treatment. Available free of charge to medically underserved cancer patients.
• Michelle's Boutique Offers services to help people with appearance-related side effects of cancer treatments, including wigs, prosthetics, and related support for cancer patients.
• Rides & Transportation Provides free transportation assistance to cancer patients for treatment appointments using zTrip, gas cards, or Uber/Lyft. The program grew from 4,000 trips in 2009 to over 31,000 trips in 2021.
• Door to Wellness (Wellness and Survivorship Program) Helps with common side effects of cancer and its treatment through therapeutic massage, yoga, cooking classes, and other wellness offerings including oncology massage, LIVESTRONG fitness program, and journaling.
• Youth Services & Camp Little Red Door

Quantifiable outcome

• 31,000+ trips provided annually to transport cancer patients to treatment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Bradford Woods (Indiana University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBradford Woods, an Indiana University-affiliated fully accessible camp facility in Martinsville, IN, hosts Camp Little Red Door programming including overnight camping experiences for children ages 8-18 with cancer. This partnership provides the physical location for the oldest pediatric cancer camp in Indiana.
• Children's Oncology Camping Association (COCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCamp Little Red Door holds Gold Ribbon Accreditation with the Children's Oncology Camping Association, validating the quality and safety of pediatric oncology camp programming.
• Indiana Farm Bureau InsuranceflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of the Evening of Hope fundraising event hosted by Little Red Door's Young Professionals Council. 2025 event raised $29,036.
• CICOA Aging and In-Home SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Ask the Expert educational programming, with Desiree from CICOA discussing services for older adults and family caregivers supporting cancer patients.
• IU Health / Riley Hospital for ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical professionals from Riley Hospital including Dr. Jenny Belsky (Camp Medical Director) and Beth Armstrong (Camp Nurse) provide oncology expertise and staffing for Camp Little Red Door programming.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CancerCare: National nonprofit providing free counseling, support groups, financial assistance, and resource navigation to cancer patients - overlapping LRD's client navigation, transportation coordination, and supplemental support model.
• Gilda's Club: Community-based cancer support organization offering free programming, support groups, and social activities for people living with cancer and their families - directly comparable service model to LRD.
• LIVESTRONGT: Cancer survivorship-focused nonprofit that operates the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program that Little Red Door partners with; same survivorship and wellness orientation.
• Cancer Support Community: Operates a network of free cancer support centers offering wellness programming, social/emotional support, and patient navigation - functionally the same model as Little Red Door's Door to Wellness and navigation services.
• National Children's Cancer Society: Provides emotional, financial, and educational support to children with cancer and their families, including camp scholarships - a direct peer for LRD's Camp Little Red Door and pediatric offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Disease-specific cancer nonprofit funding research and providing patient support, including financial assistance and travel aid - competes for the same Indiana donor and patient base while offering an overlapping transportation/financial-aid product.
• Susan G. Komen: Large national breast cancer nonprofit operating patient navigation, treatment assistance, and direct service programs through affiliates - overlaps with LRD's service mix and competes for Indiana fundraising dollars.
• American Cancer Society: Largest US cancer nonprofit, providing patient navigation, transportation (Road To Recovery), lodging (Hope Lodges), and 24/7 support - directly overlapping LRD's core services but at national scale and through a broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Special Love / Camp Fantastic: Pediatric oncology camp organization providing summer camps and family support programs for children with cancer - directly comparable to Camp Little Red Door's pediatric oncology camp model.

Regional players

• Community Health Network Foundation: Indiana-based hospital foundation raising funds for Central Indiana cancer services and patient support - competes for the same Indiana donor base and corporate sponsorship dollars.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/littlereddoor
• Instagraminstagram.com/littlereddoor
• Facebookfacebook.com/LittleRedDoor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Little Red Door Cancer Agency