Braden’s Hope For Childhood Cancer

What Braden’s Hope For Childhood Cancer does

Braden's Hope For Childhood Cancer is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2010 in Olathe, Kansas, with a mission to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research to advance cures for children. The organization is named after Braden Hofen, a Stage IV neuroblastoma survivor who was given a 30% chance of survival and has since remained in remission. Since founding, Braden's Hope has committed more than $8 million in research grants to pediatric oncology investigators at leading institutions, including Children's Mercy Research Institute, the University of Kansas Cancer Center, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, funding work in CAR-T cell therapies, multi-antigen specific T cell (MAS T cell) therapy, Ewing sarcoma, neuroblastoma, and leukemia.

Grants are reviewed and monitored by a Research Review Board of physicians and scientists. The current research portfolio supports one pilot clinical trial recruiting pediatric patients at Children's Mercy Research Institute, three groundbreaking research projects, thirteen participating institutions, forty-two researchers, and has produced thirty-nine major findings and sixty-plus presentations and publications.

Revenue is generated through six primary streams: individual one-time and recurring monthly donations (with a $25/month tier that includes a branded gift), event fundraising (Hope Gala, Callyn's Course for Hope Golf Tournament, Fountain of Hope & Hero Parade, Go Gold KC, Putt for a Purpose, Shop for Hope), corporate sponsorships (Kiewit, Garmin, GEHA, KBP, Boulevard Brewing, Wells Fargo among others), a Kansas specialty license plate program ($50 of the $95.50 annual fee), a retail partnership with Queen's Price Chopper, and a 'Become A Branch' community fundraising program. The organization operates with 1–10 employees, a board of directors staffed by senior executives from Kiewit, KPMG, Garmin, GEHA, Boulevard Brewing, Wellsky, and other major Kansas City employers, and a separate Young Professionals Advisory Board. Distribution and awareness are driven by partnerships with the Kansas City Royals (Awareness Day at the K), Baron BMW (Fountain of Hope parade), and the Kansas DMV network.

Name

Braden’s Hope For Childhood Cancer

Legal name

Braden’s Hope For Childhood Cancer

Website

https://bradenshope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Braden’s Hope For Childhood Cancer is an organization that raises awareness and funds for childhood cancer research to advance cures.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Cancer Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Rare Disease & Special Needs Support Organizations (BPAGACAM)

Keywords

• Childhood cancer research
• Cancer research funding
• Pediatric oncology grants
• Nonprofit fundraising events
• Community cancer awareness

Headquarters

HQ city

Olathe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization accepts one-time and recurring donations from individuals. Monthly recurring donations of $10 or more are promoted, and donors contributing $25 or more monthly receive a branded gift.
2. Event Fundraising: Signature events including the Hope Gala, Callyn's Course for Hope Golf Tournament, Fountain of Hope & Hero Parade, Go Gold KC, and Putt for a Purpose generate revenue through ticket sales, sponsorships, live auctions, and raffles.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners sponsor individual events or the organization broadly. Sponsorship tiers and benefits are offered for events such as the Hope Gala and golf tournament.
4. License Plate Program: Kansas residents can purchase a Braden's Hope specialty license plate for $95.50 annually, of which $50 is a donation to the organization.
5. Retail Partnership (Shop for Hope): Through partnership with Queen's Price Chopper grocery stores, a portion of participating item sales during the Shop for Hope event period is donated to Braden's Hope.
6. Community Branch Fundraising: Individuals and families can become a 'Branch' of Braden's Hope, organizing their own fundraising activities with toolkit support from the organization. Funds raised flow back to the organization for research grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Braden's Hope For Childhood Cancer is a nonprofit charitable organization that raises funds through individual donations, signature community events, corporate sponsorships, a Kansas specialty license plate, and retail partnerships, then awards those funds as research grants to leading pediatric oncology institutions including Children's Mercy Hospital, KU Cancer Center, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The organization has committed more than $8 million to childhood cancer research studies supporting CAR-T therapies, multi-antigen specific T cell therapy, and novel treatments for neuroblastoma, Ewing sarcoma, leukemia, and DIPG. It also operates awareness events, volunteer branch programs, and digital fundraising tools to support its mission of advancing cures for children with cancer.

Product overview

Braden's Hope For Childhood Cancer operates as a nonprofit charitable organization focused on funding childhood cancer research. The organization does not offer a traditional software product but rather provides a portfolio of fundraising programs and awareness events. The core offering is its research funding program, which has committed over $8 million to childhood cancer studies. Supporting programs include signature events (Hope Gala, Callyn's Course for Hope Golf Tournament, Fountain of Hope parade, Go Gold KC, Shop for Hope), digital fundraising tools (Facebook Fundraiser, Birthday Fundraiser, Monthly Giving), community programs (Become A Branch, License Plate), and awareness events. All programs work together to advance the mission of delivering hope to children fighting cancer through funding innovative research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Childhood Cancer Research Funding Grantmaking program that funds innovative childhood cancer research studies at leading institutions including Children's Mercy Hospital, KU Cancer Center, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Grants range from $100,000 to $1,000,000 and support CAR-T therapies, MAS T cell therapy, and treatments for neuroblastoma, Ewing sarcoma, leukemia, and DIPG.
• Hope Gala Annual signature fundraising gala celebrating progress in childhood cancer research, held at the Overland Park Convention Center, featuring ticket sales, sponsorships, live auctions, and raffles. The 2026 gala marks the 15th anniversary.
• Callyn's Course for Hope Golf Tournament Annual golf tournament fundraiser held at Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate in Overland Park, KS, offering individual and foursome registration, Title/Eagle/Birdie sponsorship tiers, and a bourbon raffle.
• Bourbon Raffle Annual bourbon raffle featuring rare and allocated bourbons, conducted in partnership with Callyn's Course for Hope. Limited to 2,000 tickets at $25 each.
• Childhood Cancer Awareness Day at the K Awareness partnership event with the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium honoring Hope Heroes and their families during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
• Go Gold KC

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $8 million committed to childhood cancer research across multiple institutions including Children's Mercy, KU Cancer Center, and CHOP.
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and major.

• The University of Kansas (KU) Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBraden's Hope collaborates with the KU Cancer Center (ranked #2 nationally) for childhood cancer research. Funded researchers include Dr. Carolyn Bates and Dr. Kari Struemph (AYA cancer transitions), Dr. Andrew Godwin (Ewing sarcoma), and Dr. Tomoo Iwakuma (co-funded with CMRI).
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBraden's Hope funds researchers at CHOP including Dr. Kathrin Bernt (CAR-T for ALL) and Dr. Michael Hogarty and Dr. Yaël Mossé / Dr. John Maris (ALK-targeted and peptide-centric CAR-T therapies for neuroblastoma and nervous system cancers).
• Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBraden's Hope collaborates with the Stowers Institute alongside Children's Mercy and KU Cancer Center to support childhood cancer research in the Kansas City region.
• Kansas City Royals / Royals CharitiesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Childhood Cancer Awareness Day at the K, held at Kauffman Stadium. Hope Heroes and families are recognized during the game. The event raises awareness among thousands of fans during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
• Baron BMWsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerBaron BMW partners with Braden's Hope for the Fountain of Hope & Hero Parade, escorting Hope Heroes in a parade from Union Station to Mill Creek Park where the fountain is dyed gold to kick off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
• Queen's Price ChoppersupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerFive Queen\'s Price Chopper locations participate in the Shop for Hope event (April 29–May 5, 2026), donating a portion of participating item sales and matching checkout donations to Braden's Hope.
• Children's National Medical Center (Washington, D.C.)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatient and tumor samples included in Dr. Midhat Farooqi's multi-antigen specific T cell (MAS T cell) research project funded by Braden's Hope, alongside Children's Health Dallas and Cook Children's Fort Worth.
• Children's Health (Dallas, Texas)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatient and tumor samples included in Dr. Farooqi's MAS T cell research project funded by Braden's Hope.
• Cook Children's (Fort Worth, Texas)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatient and tumor samples included in Dr. Farooqi's MAS T cell research project funded by Braden's Hope.
• Instituto Nacional de Pediatria (Mexico City, Mexico)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlans to include samples from this institution in Dr. Farooqi's MAS T cell research project in the near future, expanding the geographic reach of Braden's Hope-funded research.
• KiewitmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of Callyn's Course for Hope Golf Tournament. Dave Flickinger, President of Kiewit Power in Kansas City, serves as a corporate ambassador explaining why the company and employees choose to be a Braden's Hope partner.
• GarminmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEagle sponsor of Callyn's Course for Hope Golf Tournament. Also represented on the Braden's Hope Board of Directors (Brian Hofen, Garmin; Laurie Minard, Garmin International Inc.).
• Kansas City Police DepartmentsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerEscorts Hope Heroes in the Fountain of Hope & Hero Parade from Union Station to Mill Creek Park in Kansas City.
• Crazy Good Eats BBQ (Olathe, KS)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for the Callyn's Course for Hope Bourbon Raffle drawing event on June 4th, 2026.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: National childhood cancer nonprofit funding research grants to leading pediatric oncology institutions. Directly comparable mission, fundraising model (events + recurring donations), and researcher grantee base.
• St. Baldrick's Foundation: One of the largest U.S. funders of childhood cancer research, with a signature event-driven fundraising model (head-shaving events). Highly comparable as a peer grantmaker for pediatric oncology research.
• Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation: Direct grantmaking nonprofit funding pediatric cancer research at multiple institutions. Comparable scale and mission focus on advancing cures for childhood cancers.
• CureSearch for Children's Cancer: National nonprofit that funds and accelerates childhood cancer research in partnership with the Children's Oncology Group. Comparable as a pediatric cancer research grantmaker and advocacy organization.
• Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research: Volunteer-driven nonprofit that funds childhood cancer research through grassroots events and individual donors. Comparable community-led fundraising model and research grant focus.
• National Pediatric Cancer Foundation: Nonprofit collaborating with a network of hospitals to fund novel pediatric cancer research. Comparable as a multi-institutional research grantmaker with a national footprint.
• American Childhood Cancer Organization: National nonprofit supporting children with cancer and their families through advocacy, education, and research funding. Comparable mission focus on awareness and family support.
• Children's Oncology Group: World's largest pediatric cancer research organization, comprising thousands of researchers at over 200 institutions. Comparable as a research network that Braden's Hope-funded investigators operate within.

Broad incumbents

• V Foundation for Cancer Research: Large nonprofit funding all types of cancer research, including some pediatric grants. Comparable grantmaking model but broader scope and significantly larger scale.
• Livestrong Foundation: Established cancer-focused nonprofit known for survivor support and broader cancer research funding. Comparable as a high-profile cancer charity but with a much broader mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BradensHope
• Xx.com/Bradenshope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bradenshope

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Braden’s Hope For Childhood Cancer