Breast Cancer Network Australia

What Breast Cancer Network Australia does

Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) is a national, non-profit consumer organisation headquartered in Camberwell, Melbourne, that supports, informs, represents, and connects Australians affected by breast cancer. Founded in 1998 by Lyn Swinburne and incorporated as a Public Company Limited by Guarantee on 22 July 1999, BCNA operates from a staff of 11-50 and has built a network of over 200,000 individuals; it is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profit Commission and endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (ABN 16 087 937 531). Its principal services include the personalised digital tool My Journey (which tailors information and tracking to a user's diagnosis, treatment, and stage of care), the moderated Online Network peer community (logging over 220,250 peer visits), a free national Helpline (1800 500 258, handling 13,500 calls/emails per year), a free physical My Care Kit, monthly newsletter The Beacon, two podcast series, webcasts, and a Service Finder directory, all provided free of charge to people affected by breast cancer.

BCNA's technology backbone is a digital information and peer-support platform built around self-serve content navigation, account-based personalisation (My Journey), moderated peer community forums, and teleservice operations; cloud infrastructure is provided via Google Cloud (ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 1/2/3, GDPR aligned). The organisation is also a clinical-content producer, having developed 3,000 articles, podcasts, webcasts, and resources in collaboration with clinicians and people with lived experience, and operates consumer-representative advocacy nationally and selectively internationally.

Revenue is generated entirely from non-commercial sources and is not publicly disclosed: individual donations (tax-deductible above $2), fundraising events (including Carman's Fun Run and raffles), corporate partnerships (Bakers Delight as Foundation Partner, Red Energy as Principal Partner, Berlei and Sussan as Major Partners, plus Dry July Foundation as a supporter), online merchandise sales, and philanthropic giving including gifts in wills. Distribution is nationwide through a combination of self-serve digital channels, the helpline, healthcare-professional referrals (breast care nurses, oncologists, and allied clinicians), and offline events such as Field of Women; current CEO Kirsten Pilatti has led the organisation since November 2011 following founder Lyn Swinburne's retirement.

Name

Breast Cancer Network Australia

Legal name

Breast Cancer Network Australia

Website

https://bcna.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Breast Cancer Network Australia is a national non-profit founded in 1998 that supports, informs, represents, and connects over 200,000 Australians affected by breast cancer through its My Journey digital tool, moderated Online Network peer community, national Helpline, free My Care Kit, and advocacy programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals. BCNA is a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) organisation. Donations of $2 and over are tax deductible.
2. Fundraising Events: Activities including Fun Run participation, raffle tickets, and hosted fundraising events.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses including workplace giving programs and major corporate donations.
4. Goods Sales: Online shop selling merchandise and resources related to breast cancer support.
5. Philanthropic Giving: Major gifts and bequests including gifts in wills.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BCNA is a nonprofit consumer organisation that delivers free breast cancer information, personalised digital tools, peer support and advocacy services to Australians affected by breast cancer. Its core offerings include My Journey (a personalised digital support tool), the Online Network peer community, a Helpline, and physical My Care Kits, all provided at no cost to individuals.

Product overview

Breast Cancer Network Australia operates as a consumer organisation offering a suite of digital and physical support products. The core offering is My Journey, a personalised digital support tool that provides tailored breast cancer information based on diagnosis and treatment. This is supported by the Online Network peer community, the Helpline (1800 500 258), and free physical My Care Kits. Additional offerings include The Beacon monthly newsletter, educational webcasts, the Upfront About Breast Cancer podcast series, personal stories, and a Service Finder directory. The products work together to provide information, peer connection, and practical support throughout the breast cancer journey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• My Journey: Personalised breast cancer support tool - a digital space providing reliable information, lived experience insights, tools to track side effects, and ways to connect with others

Products and services

• My Journey A personalised digital support tool that provides tailored breast cancer information, resources, and tracking tools based on a user's specific diagnosis, treatment, and stage of care; includes a Side Effects Tracker, Notes feature, and connection to the Online Network community.
• Online Network A peer-to-peer moderated online community forum where Australians affected by breast cancer share experiences, ask questions, and offer mutual support.
• Helpline (1800 500 258) A free telephone (1800 500 258) and email support line providing information, assistance, and connection to services for those affected by breast cancer.
• My Care Kit A free physical kit provided to individuals diagnosed with breast cancer, containing resources and practical support materials to assist through their treatment journey.
• The Beacon newsletter BCNA's monthly newsletter providing breast cancer news, updates, and evidence-based information to subscribers.
• Service Finder Online directory tool enabling users to find breast cancer-related services and support groups located in their area across Australia.
• Upfront About Breast Cancer podcast BCNA's official podcast series featuring expert discussions on breast cancer topics, treatments, and patient experiences.
• What You Don't Know Until You Do podcast Podcast series featuring conversations with breast cancer survivors sharing personal experiences and insights.
• Webcasts Video-based educational presentations featuring health professionals and experts discussing breast cancer topics and management strategies.
• Physical Preparation & Recovery After Breast Reconstruction program Support program developed by BCNA with Breast Research Australia at the University of Wollongong (with support from the Dry July Foundation) to help individuals physically prepare for and recover from breast reconstruction.

Quantifiable outcome

• 220,250 peer visits on Online Network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Bakers DelightcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation Partner of BCNA. Bakers Delight supports BCNA's mission to support Australians affected by breast cancer.
• Red EnergycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrincipal Partner of BCNA. Red Energy provides support for BCNA's programs and services.
• BerleimajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Partner of BCNA. Berlei provides support as part of corporate partnership program.
• SussanmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Partner of BCNA. Sussan supports BCNA through corporate partnership.
• Breast Research Australia, University of WollongongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in developing the Physical Preparation & Recovery After Breast Reconstruction program, working with clinicians and people who have undergone breast reconstruction.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Susan G. Komen: The world's largest breast cancer nonprofit, headquartered in the US. Comparable to BCNA in mission, race-based fundraising events, corporate partnerships and advocacy focus; useful as a benchmark for brand and network scale BCNA could aspire to.
• Macmillan Cancer Support: UK cancer support charity providing information, financial support, and a large online community. Comparable to BCNA's blend of digital content, peer support, helpline and practical care-kit-style services, though serving all cancer types and operating at significantly greater scale.
• Cancer Council Australia: Australia's peak national cancer control nonprofit. Comparable to BCNA in providing information, support (13 11 20 helpline), advocacy and research funding, but broader in scope (all cancers) and larger in scale, making it both a peer and a partial substitute donor destination.

Regional players

• Canteen Australia: Australian nonprofit supporting young people (12-25) impacted by cancer. Comparable to BCNA in mission-driven support of cancer-affected populations, multi-channel engagement (online community, helpline, events) and donation-based Australian charity model, though serving a different demographic segment.
• LUNGevity Foundation: US-based nonprofit focused on a single cancer type (lung cancer) with research funding, patient education, and online community. Comparable to BCNA in single-disease focus, community-driven model, and digital support resources, though operating in a different disease vertical and geography.
• Look Good Feel Better (Australia): Australian-affiliated cancer-support charity providing practical well-being programs for people undergoing cancer treatment. Comparable to BCNA in donation-funded, free-to-patient service delivery and corporate partnership model, though narrower in scope and largely program-based rather than platform-based.

Direct peers

• Breast Cancer Now: UK-based breast cancer research and support charity combining patient services, helpline, and online community. Closely comparable to BCNA in product mix (personalised digital tools, peer community, helpline, advocacy) and donation-funded model, differing primarily by geography.
• McGrath Foundation: Australian charity focused on breast care nursing and patient support. Comparable to BCNA in serving breast cancer patients nationally, leveraging corporate partnerships (e.g., Cricket Australia), and operating a high-visibility consumer brand in the same disease vertical.
• National Breast Cancer Foundation: Australia's other leading breast cancer-focused nonprofit, focused on research funding. Directly comparable to BCNA in mission constituency (Australians affected by breast cancer) and donation-based revenue model, though weighted toward research grants rather than consumer support services.

Emerging players

• Young Survival Coalition: US nonprofit specifically supporting young women diagnosed with breast cancer. Comparable to BCNA in delivering tailored information, peer connection, and advocacy for a defined breast-cancer sub-population, but smaller in scale and narrower in demographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BCNetworkAustralia
• Facebookfacebook.com/breastcancernetworkaustralia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/breast-cancer-network-australia
• Instagraminstagram.com/bcnapinklady/?hl=en
• Xx.com/bcnapinklady

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Breast Cancer Network Australia