Cancer Research Foundation

What Cancer Research Foundation does

The Cancer Research Foundation (CRF) is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1954 by Maurice Goldblatt that operates as a venture-style grant-making organization for cancer science. CRF funds early-career cancer scientists primarily through its flagship Young Investigator Award program (approximately $100,000 per recipient, awarded in two installments), the Fletcher Scholars Program for mid-career and senior researchers (also $100,000), the Bernice Goldblatt Fund graduate fellowship, and Special Programs including team-science initiatives in small cell lung cancer and leukemia. The Foundation has funded more than 180 researchers across its history, with grantees including Nobel laureate Dr. Charles Huggins (1966) and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Dr. Janet Rowley (2009). Its stated model is to make "early investments in bold ideas" that are difficult to fund through traditional sources, addressing the chicken-and-egg problem where early-career scientists need preliminary data to win major grants but need funding to generate that data.

The Foundation's operations are intentionally lean: 1–10 staff, approximately 8% overhead (92% of funds directed to research), and a donor base sourced from individual donations (website portal with preset tiers $30–$500 and recurring options), workplace giving programs including the Combined Federal Campaign, planned giving through the Maurice Goldblatt Society, peer-to-peer crowdfunding via Crowdrise, vehicle donations through Charitable Adult Rides and Services (CARS), and special events. Distribution of grants occurs through institutional partnerships concentrated at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and Washington University in St. Louis, with the Breakthrough Board (merged into CRF in 2021 from the former UChicago Cancer Research Foundation Women's Board) serving as the primary UChicago-aligned fundraising auxiliary, having raised over $21 million lifetime. CRF does not develop technology products; its "platform" is its brand, grant-making infrastructure, scientific advisory network (led by Dr. Everett Vokes), and seven decades of grantee outcomes that function as social proof to donors.

Name

Cancer Research Foundation

Legal name

Cancer Research Foundation

Website

https://cancerresearchfdn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Cancer Research Foundation is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1954 that funds early-career and mid-career cancer scientists through its Young Investigator Awards, Fletcher Scholars Program, and the Breakthrough Board, having supported over 180 researchers with low-overhead venture-style grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Research Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Cancer research grants
• Young investigator awards
• Nonprofit research funding
• Cancer science philanthropy
• Venture philanthropy cancer

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals who support cancer research, including one-time and recurring contributions through the website donation form.
2. Workplace Giving Programs: Corporate workplace giving programs including Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) and employer-sponsored giving campaigns.
3. Planned Giving: Legacy gifts through wills, living trusts, and estate plans, recognized through the Maurice Goldblatt Society.
4. Crowdfunding Campaigns: Individual fundraising campaigns through Crowdrise platform, including running events, birthday pledges, and parties to raise funds.
5. Vehicle Donations: Car, truck, and RV donations through partnership with Charitable Adult Rides and Services (CARS).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Cancer Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit grant-making organization that funds early-career cancer scientists through formal award programs, primarily the Young Investigator Awards ($100,000 grants) and the Fletcher Scholars Program. Founded in 1954, the foundation solicits charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and through workplace giving programs, then channels approximately 92% of funds directly into cancer research grants at leading U.S. research universities.

Product overview

The Cancer Research Foundation operates as a grant-making organization offering multiple funding programs for cancer researchers. Its core offerings include the Young Investigator Awards (for early-career scientists), the Fletcher Scholars Program (for mid-career/senior researchers), the Bernice Goldblatt Fund (graduate student fellowships), and Special Programs (ad hoc grants for specific projects). The Breakthrough Board serves as the foundation's primary fundraising auxiliary, focused on strategic investment in cancer research initiatives at UChicago Medicine. All programs collectively support the foundation's mission to fund early-career cancer scientists and new directions in cancer science research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Young Investigator Awards Research grants of $100,000 awarded over two installments to men and women during the first two years of their initial faculty appointment who have not yet received significant external support. Designed to enable early-career cancer scientists to pursue independent hypotheses and develop preliminary data needed to compete for major nationally funded research grants.
• Fletcher Scholars Program A $100,000 grant program for mid-career and more senior cancer researchers to pursue novel ideas and innovative hypotheses. Established in 1988 with a gift from the estate of Eugene and Dorothy S. Fletcher.
• Bernice Goldblatt Fund A $1 million permanent endowment that provides annual income to support a first-year graduate student in the Biological Sciences Division who is a Ph.D. candidate. The student is designated as the Bernice Goldblatt Scholar or Fellow.
• Special Programs Ad hoc grants supporting ground-breaking research projects in cancer science, including the Small Cell Lung Cancer Project (a team science initiative) and the Interdisciplinary Leukemia Project.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 180 researchers funded since inception
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Breakthrough Board (formerly University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation Women's Board)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Formerly the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation Women's Board, The Breakthrough Board joined forces with CRF in 2021. They raised over $1 million in 2026 and have a total of over $21 million raised since inception, investing in breakthroughs at UChicago Medicine.
• CRF Chicago ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016The Cancer Research Foundation launched the Chicago Chapter in 2016 to allow CRF to grow the Young Investigator Award, their most important grant-making vehicle. The chapter maintains relationships with individual cancer centers and focuses fundraising in its particular market.
• Charitable Adult Rides and Services (CARS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCARS handles vehicle donations (cars, trucks, RVs) for the Cancer Research Foundation, processing tax-deductible donations efficiently and legally.
• CrowdriseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party crowdfunding platform enabling supporters to create personal fundraising campaigns for cancer research, including running events, birthday pledges, and parties.
• Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFederal employee workplace giving program through which CRF receives charitable contributions from federal employees.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lustgarten Foundation: Pancreatic cancer research foundation funding early-stage and translational research. Comparable to CRF as a disease-specific cancer research grantmaking organization, though focused on a narrower disease area.
• Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation: Funds early-career cancer researchers through multi-year awards (Damon Runyon Fellows). Directly comparable to CRF's Young Investigator Awards in mission, structure, and target beneficiary (early-career scientists needing seed funding).
• The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research: Funds high-impact cancer research across the academic and industry pipeline, with growing emphasis on AI-driven oncology. Directly comparable to CRF's recent AI-oncology portfolio and venture-philanthropy approach to early-stage cancer science.
• Prevent Cancer Foundation: Funds cancer prevention and early-detection research through grants and fellowships. Comparable to CRF as a smaller, focused cancer research grantmaker with similar award structures and donor-driven funding model.
• Susan G. Komen: Disease-specific cancer nonprofit combining research grants with public outreach. Comparable to CRF as another large disease-focused cancer research funder, though Komen has significantly broader scope including community education and patient support.
• V Foundation for Cancer Research: A major cancer research grantmaking foundation funding bold, early-stage research and young investigators. Directly comparable to CRF as both operate a venture philanthropy model focused on high-risk, high-reward cancer science with similar grant programs.

Broad incumbents

• American Association for Cancer Research (AACR): Professional scientific organization that funds cancer research broadly through multiple grant mechanisms. Comparable to CRF as a major cancer research funder but operates at vastly larger scale with a broader portfolio including scientific conferences and journals.
• American Cancer Society: The largest US cancer nonprofit, funding billions in research grants alongside patient support, advocacy, and education. Comparable to CRF in mission but vastly larger in scale, geographic reach, and revenue diversification.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2587783
• Facebookfacebook.com/cancerrf

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cancer Research Foundation