Global Colon Cancer Association

What Global Colon Cancer Association does

The Global Colon Cancer Association (GCCA) is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that advocates for equitable global access to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, testing, treatment, and care. It operates as a federation of more than 139 member organizations — patient advocacy groups, cancer treatment centers, research institutions, healthcare professional societies, and hospital associations — across approximately 60 countries, collectively reaching an estimated 6 million patients. Its mission-driven programs include Know Your Biomarker (biomarker testing awareness), Transforming Policy (with Pfizer and Policy Wisdom), the annual Global CRC Congress, CRC Health Equity Grants (US$1,000–US$5,000 awards to members in low- and middle-income countries), Patient Advocacy Mentorship, Clinical Trial Awareness, and the HealthUnlocked Colon Cancer Connected online community, alongside a GCCA Membership Hub collaboration platform.

GCCA does not develop proprietary technology and runs on a traditional nonprofit revenue model. Funding comes from corporate memberships and sponsorships — drawn from a roster of more than a dozen pharmaceutical companies and trade associations including PhRMA, Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Pfizer, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, EMD Serono, Exelixis, Summit Therapeutics, and Takeda — plus individual donations and charitable contributions. Patient advocacy organizations join at no cost, while corporate memberships provide partnership benefits; program grants to members are capped at US$5,000. The organization is lean (1–10 employees), led by CEO Andrew Spiegel, Esq. (in his eleventh year) and President Nicole Sheahan, with a recently added Regional Director for Southern Africa, and has no disclosed revenue, funding rounds, or equity structure.

Name

Global Colon Cancer Association

Legal name

Global Colon Cancer Association

Website

https://globalcca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Global Colon Cancer Association (GCCA) is a US-based 501(c)(3) patient advocacy nonprofit that coordinates 139+ member organizations across 60 countries to advance equitable access to colorectal cancer screening, treatment, and care through education, policy, and health equity programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Patient Advocacy Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

Keywords

• Colorectal cancer advocacy
• Patient advocacy nonprofit
• Cancer health equity
• Biomarker testing education
• Cancer policy change

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Corporate Membership and Sponsorship: Corporate members provide financial contributions, in-kind donations, and partnership initiatives to support GCCA's mission. Corporate partners include pharmaceutical companies such as PhRMA, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, EMD Serono, Exelixis, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Summit Therapeutics, and Takeda oncology.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: GCCA is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization (Tax ID No: 46-0657002) that relies on donations from individuals and organizations to fund its programs and mission-driven activities.
3. Membership Dues: Patient advocacy organizations can become members at no cost, while corporate membership provides partnership benefits for companies aligned with GCCA's mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

GCCA operates a portfolio of patient advocacy programs for the global colorectal cancer community, including the Know Your Biomarker awareness campaign, Transforming Policy initiative, annual Global CRC Congress, CRC Health Equity Grants, Patient Advocacy Mentorship, Clinical Trial Awareness, and the HealthUnlocked Colon Cancer Connected online community. The organization coordinates a network of 139+ member organizations across 60 countries and is supported through corporate memberships, individual donations, and grants to advance equitable access to colorectal cancer screening, testing, treatment, and care.

Product overview

The Global Colon Cancer Association (GCCA) is a non-profit patient advocacy organization that operates a portfolio of programs rather than a traditional product platform. Its core offerings include the Know Your Biomarker education campaign, Transforming Policy initiative, annual Global Colorectal Cancer Congress, CRC Health Equity Grants program, Patient Advocacy Mentorship, Clinical Trial Awareness program, and the HealthUnlocked Colon Cancer Connected online community. These programs work together to advance equitable access to colorectal cancer screening, testing, treatments, and care worldwide, supported by a network of over 139 member organizations across 60 countries serving approximately 6 million patients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Know Your Biomarker An awareness, education, and advocacy campaign promoting global access to colorectal cancer biomarker testing, including plain-language patient educational materials and an advocacy toolkit for member organizations.
• Transforming Policy A policy change program sponsored by Pfizer that advances colorectal cancer policy through supporting patient advocacy groups' efforts using the WiSE Policy Scorecard for Colorectal Cancer and the Transforming Policy Toolkit.
• Global Colorectal Cancer Congress An annual event bringing together patients, survivors, caregivers, advocates, healthcare providers, policymakers, and industry to share information about colorectal cancer advocacy and patient-centered policy.
• CRC Health Equity Grants A financial assistance program providing grants ranging from US$1,000 to US$5,000 to member organizations in low- and middle-income countries to support screening programs, educational opportunities, patient support, and policy initiatives.
• Patient Advocacy Mentorship A program providing expertise and support to individuals and groups looking to fill an unmet need through colorectal cancer patient advocacy, including needs assessment, strategic planning, and financial or in-kind support.
• Clinical Trial Awareness A program aimed at increasing patient knowledge and awareness about clinical trials, making clinical trials more accessible, and partnering with industry to improve clinical trial design, recruitment, and participant retention.
• HealthUnlocked Colon Cancer Connected GCCA's international online community for people seeking support and information about colorectal cancer screening, diagnosis, testing, and treatment, with anonymous participation and moderator support, powered by HealthUnlocked.
• GCCA Membership Hub A collaboration platform for resource-sharing and community engagement across GCCA's global colorectal cancer member network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 139 member organizations serving patients in 60 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PhRMAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate member and sponsor supporting GCCA's mission to advocate for equitable access to colorectal cancer screening, testing, treatments, and care. PhRMA (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America) supports through financial contributions and partnership initiatives.
• Boehringer IngelheimcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate member supporting GCCA's mission. Boehringer Ingelheim provides financial and in-kind support for programs that help ensure access to life-saving colorectal cancer screening, biomarker testing, and treatment.
• Bristol Myers SquibbcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate member and sponsor of the 2025 Global CRC Congress. Bristol Myers Squibb supports GCCA's patient-centered programs and health equity initiatives.
• Daiichi SankyocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate member providing support for GCCA's mission-driven programs that help ensure access to colorectal cancer screening, biomarker testing, and treatment.
• EMD SeronocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate member supporting GCCA's global colorectal cancer advocacy programs and patient engagement initiatives.
• ExelixiscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate member supporting GCCA's mission through financial contributions and partnership initiatives.
• Johnson & JohnsoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate member and sponsor of the 2025 Global CRC Congress. Johnson & Johnson supports GCCA's programs for equitable colorectal cancer care access.
• RochecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate member supporting GCCA's mission. Roche's EMPOWER program in East Africa, led by Jackie Wambua, represents a key partnership for cancer care access and inclusion in low-resource communities.
• Summit TherapeuticscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate member supporting GCCA's global patient engagement and advocacy programs.
• Takeda OncologycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate member supporting GCCA's mission to advance equitable access to colorectal cancer screening, testing, treatments, and care.
• Guardant HealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2025 Global CRC Congress, supporting GCCA's annual event focused on health equity and data in colorectal cancer care.
• BayercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2025 Global CRC Congress supporting GCCA's patient-centered programs and advocacy efforts.
• PfizercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of GCCA's Transforming Policy program, which aims to advance colorectal cancer policy change through supporting patient advocacy groups' efforts. Pfizer's support enables the WiSE Policy Scorecard and Transforming Policy toolkit.
• Policy WisdomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with GCCA to develop the WiSE Policy Scorecard for Colorectal Cancer, a tool for effecting policy change around the world.
• World Patients AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCCA's CEO Andrew Spiegel co-founded the World Patients Alliance, the largest patient organization in the world working across all diseases. GCCA leaders serve on the WPA steering committee.
• HealthUnlockedcoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform partner for GCCA's Colon Cancer Connected international online community, providing technology infrastructure for patient support and information exchange.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Cancer Society: Large US cancer nonprofit with global cancer control programs. Broader incumbent covering all cancer types (not CRC-specialized), with substantially larger budget and donor base; competes for the same pharma sponsorships and policy influence.
• Prevent Cancer Foundation: US nonprofit focused on cancer prevention and early detection across multiple cancer types. Broader incumbent addressing CRC screening and prevention, competing for the same pharma sponsorships and grants.
• Union for International Cancer Control (UICC): Global cancer control membership organization with 1,100+ member organizations across 170+ countries. Broader incumbent in international cancer advocacy; GCCA operates as a CRC-specialized member within the wider UICC ecosystem.
• LIVESTRONG Foundation: Established US cancer survivorship nonprofit. Broader incumbent in cancer patient advocacy and survivorship, with substantial brand recognition and donor base; addresses the same survivor/patient segments as GCCA but across all cancer types.

Regional players

• European Cancer Organisation: European umbrella cancer organization with member societies and patient advocacy groups. Regional peer focused on European policy, but with comparable role to GCCA in convening cancer patient organizations and engaging EU-level policymakers.

Direct peers

• Colorectal Cancer Alliance: The largest US-based colorectal cancer patient advocacy organization. Direct peer founded by the same CEO (Andrew Spiegel) and current President (Nicole Sheahan) of GCCA; both organizations serve overlapping patient and caregiver populations, and GCCA effectively serves as its international counterpart.
• Fight Colorectal Cancer: US-based colorectal cancer advocacy nonprofit listed as a GCCA member organization. Direct peer in CRC awareness, policy change, and research advocacy; competes for the same donor and pharma-sponsorship dollars domestically.

Emerging players

• Digestive Disease National Coalition (DDNC): US-based coalition advocating for digestive disease research and policy, on whose board Andrew Spiegel has served (and previously chaired). Peer in digestive-disease policy advocacy with shared leadership and overlapping US policy agenda.
• International Alliance of Patient Organizations (IAPO): Global alliance of patient organizations across all disease areas; Andrew Spiegel served a three-year term on its board. Peer at the international patient-advocacy-coordination layer, where GCCA contributes CRC-specific expertise.
• World Patients Alliance: International patient organization co-founded by GCCA's CEO Andrew Spiegel, covering all diseases rather than a single condition. Peer organization with shared leadership and overlapping policy and advocacy agendas at the global level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/GlobalCRC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@globalcrc
• Facebookfacebook.com/GlobalCRC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-colon-cancer-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/globalcrc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Global Colon Cancer Association