Rolfe Foundation

What Rolfe Foundation does

Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation (DBA Rolfe Foundation) is a Chicago-headquartered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 1999 in Highland Park, Illinois, to honor Michael Rolfe, who died of pancreatic cancer. The foundation operates with a small staff of approximately 8 personnel led by Executive Director Stacia Hart, supported by a Board of Directors (President Michael Sheinkop) and an 8-institution Medical Advisory Board spanning Johns Hopkins, University of Chicago, Northwestern Medicine, Northshore, Cedars-Sinai, UC San Diego, Northwell Health, and Memorial Sloan Kettering. Its purpose is to fund pancreatic cancer early detection research and deliver hands-on patient, family, and caregiver support — a functional remit shaped by the disease's exceptionally poor prognosis (fewer than 13% five-year survival; 67,000+ new U.S. diagnoses annually per American Cancer Society figures cited by the foundation).

The foundation's 'product surface' is a portfolio of programs rather than a technology platform. Programs include the Grants Program (research funding to premier medical institutions), Patient Support Services (personalized one-on-one navigation delivered by named Patient & Community Navigator and Lead Patient & Donor Advocate roles), Wellness Wednesday (a free recurring virtual webinar series), Voices of Rolfe (community storytelling), and Harriet's Helping Hands support groups. The foundation runs five recurring signature events — DASH for Detection (5K), Progress Forward Gala, Drive Fore Research (golf), Carnival for a Cause, and a Wrigley Rooftop Cubs Night — plus the corporate-driven Evelyn's Walk with Marquette Bank, and maintains the Young Professionals Board (YPB) for grassroots engagement. Underlying technology is minimal: a public website, online donation portal (Blackbaud-powered recurring gift form), email newsletter (The Rolfe Review, formerly The Catalyst), and a YouTube channel for webinar hosting; no proprietary software, mobile app, or AI capabilities are disclosed.

The business model is donation-funded across five streams: individual giving (one-time and recurring), special events, corporate giving (sponsorships, matching gifts, cause marketing), legacy/planned giving (bequests, estate gifts), and merchandise via the Rolfe Shop. All patient services are provided free of charge. Distribution is a hybrid of direct community engagement, event-driven fundraising, digital self-serve (website/donation portal), and grants disbursement to medical institutions. Earned-media reach is amplified by a high-visibility Chicago Bears / Staley Da Bear relationship through the NFL's My Cause My Cleats initiative and a 15-year Marquette Bank partnership for Evelyn's Walk.

Name

Rolfe Foundation

Legal name

Rolfe Foundation

Website

https://rolfefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rolfe Foundation is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1999, that funds pancreatic cancer early detection research at premier medical institutions and provides personalized patient, family, and caregiver support through educational programs, support groups, and signature fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pancreatic Cancer Nonprofit Foundation

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Pancreatic cancer research
• Patient support services
• Nonprofit foundation
• Charitable giving
• Cancer awareness

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, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through one-time and recurring donations, with options to donate online via the foundation's website
2. Special Events: Revenue generated from signature events including DASH for Detection, Progress Forward Gala, Drive Fore Research, Carnival for a Cause, and Wrigley Rooftop Cubs Night
3. Corporate Giving: Corporate partners support through sponsorships, matching gifts, and cause marketing initiatives
4. Legacy Giving: Planned giving options including bequests and estate gifts for long-term donor support
5. Merchandise Sales: The Rolfe Shop sells branded merchandise to supporters

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Rolfe Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds pancreatic cancer early detection research at premier medical institutions and delivers personalized patient and family support services, including connections to medical experts, support groups, and educational resources. The organization sustains its mission through individual donations, corporate giving, legacy planned giving, merchandise sales (the Rolfe Shop), and signature fundraising events such as DASH for Detection, Progress Forward Gala, Drive Fore Research, and Carnival for a Cause. All programs and patient services are provided free of charge to patients, families, and caregivers.

Product overview

Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation is a nonprofit organization offering a unified set of patient support and awareness programs rather than a technology product platform. The foundation provides personalized patient support services, educational resources through Wellness Wednesday webinars, community storytelling via Voices of Rolfe, and funds early detection research through its Grants Program. The foundation also organizes community fundraising events including DASH for Detection, Progress Forward Gala, Drive Fore Research, and Carnival for a Cause, as well as volunteer engagement through the Young Professionals Board.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DASH for Detection: Annual walk/run event raising awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer
• Wellness Wednesday

Products and services

• Patient Support Services

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Chicago Bears / Staley Da BearcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerChicago Bears mascot Staley Da Bear participates in Rolfe events including DASH for Detection and raises awareness through the NFL's My Cause My Cleats initiative, wearing purple cleats bearing Rolfe's name and logo on Game Day. Custom cleats have been auctioned at Rolfe galas to raise funds.
• Marquette BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMarquette Bank employees have gathered in Orland Park for Evelyn's Walk for 15 years to support pancreatic cancer awareness and raise funds for Rolfe Foundation.
• Johns Hopkins Medical InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier medical institution receiving Rolfe grants for pancreatic cancer early detection research. Home to Dr. Ralph Hruban, a Medical Advisor to the foundation.
• University of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner receiving Rolfe grants for early detection research. Home to Dr. Alex Muir (Assistant Professor, Ben May Department of Cancer Research) and Dr. Mitchell C. Posner (Medical Advisor).
• Northwestern MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical institution with Dr. Abdul Aziz Aadam serving as Medical Advisor to Rolfe Foundation.
• Northshore University Health SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical institution with Dr. Mathew E. Adess serving as Medical Advisor to Rolfe Foundation.
• Cedars-Sinai Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical institution with Dr. Arsen Osipov serving as Medical Advisor to Rolfe Foundation.
• UC San Diego HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical institution with Dr. Diane Simone serving as Medical Advisor to Rolfe Foundation.
• Northwell HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical institution with Dr. Mathew J. Weiss serving as Medical Advisor to Rolfe Foundation.
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical institution with Dr. David S. Klimstra serving as Medical Advisor to Rolfe Foundation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Premier US cancer treatment and research institution that Rolfe currently partners with through Dr. David Klimstra (Medical Advisor). Represents an institutional ecosystem counterpart and potential funding recipient.
• Lazarex Cancer Foundation: Cancer-focused nonprofit improving patient access to clinical trials and treatment. Adjacent in cancer-support mission though focused on trial enrollment rather than research funding.

Emerging players

• Project Purple: Pancreatic cancer charity combining research funding with patient financial aid and awareness events. Comparable mission and event-driven fundraising, though younger and at smaller scale.
• Seena Magowitz Foundation: Pancreatic cancer foundation funding research and awareness, with strong corporate and founder-led backing. Comparable mission and donor-driven model though with a different geographic and operational footprint.

Broad incumbents

• American Cancer Society: Largest US cancer nonprofit funding multi-disease research and patient support. Competes for the same donor dollars but operates across all cancer types with significantly larger infrastructure and budget.
• Susan G. Komen: Disease-specific cancer nonprofit (breast cancer) at national scale, providing a template for how a single-cause organization can scale fundraising, awareness, and research funding. Comparable disease-specific nonprofit model though in a different oncology niche.

Direct peers

• Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research: Disease-specific pancreatic cancer foundation funding research grants and patient support. Comparable scope and audience, though based in Los Angeles rather than the Midwest.
• Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN): The largest US pancreatic cancer nonprofit, funding research and providing patient services nationwide. Directly comparable mission (early detection, patient support, research grants) but operates at materially greater national scale.
• Lustgarten Foundation: Pancreatic cancer research-focused nonprofit with significant funded research programs at major institutions. Comparable mission and donor base, but is research-centric rather than balancing research with patient support services.
• National Pancreas Foundation: Nonprofit focused on pancreatic diseases including cancer, providing patient support and educational resources. Comparable patient-services model but with a broader disease scope beyond cancer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLLoombzmqb2Lv2aZkIxByMhkpOXWKXHiE
• Xx.com/RolfeFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/172785479433264
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rolfe-pancreatic-cancer-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rolfe Foundation