Irish Cancer Society

What Irish Cancer Society does

The Irish Cancer Society is Ireland's national cancer charity, founded in 1963 and headquartered at 43/45 Northumberland Road, Dublin. It is a registered charity (CHY5863, CRA 20009502) employing on average 233 staff in 2023 and operating exclusively within the Republic of Ireland. Its mission is to prevent cancer and improve outcomes and quality of life for those affected by it, delivered through a portfolio of free patient-facing services, cancer research funding, public education and advocacy.

The organisation's service platform comprises the Freephone Support Line (1800 200 700) staffed by cancer nurses, 13 hospital-based Daffodil Centres, a volunteer-driven Transport Service for chemotherapy patients, Night Nursing (€455 per night) for end-of-life home care, free Counselling (€60 per session), a Children's Fund for families, a Peer Support Programme matching patients with trained survivor volunteers, and an Online Community. It funds a Cancer Research Programme offering fellowships and grants and runs public awareness campaigns including Your Health Matters roadshows. Fundraising is delivered through annual events (Daffodil Day, Relay for Life, Hurling for Cancer Research, Shave or Dye), 23 charity shops, online donation platforms, and corporate partnership programmes. Technology infrastructure consists of standard web properties and Stripe/PayPal/Global Payments payment processing; no proprietary software products, mobile applications, APIs or AI systems are disclosed.

The Society is led by CEO Nikki Gallagher and funded almost entirely (~95% of income) from public donations, fundraising events, charity shop sales and corporate partnerships, with only approximately 5% from government sources. In 2025 it delivered 29,800 free transport lifts to approximately 2,800 patients, 5,900+ nights of Night Nursing, 26,700+ Support Line and Daffodil Centre conversations, and 14,300+ counselling sessions. Governance is supported by Charites Institute Ireland Triple Lock membership covering 2025-2026 and GDPR compliance, with no parent company, subsidiaries of operational substance, or external equity ownership.

Name

Irish Cancer Society

Legal name

Irish Cancer Society

Website

https://cancer.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Irish Cancer Society is Ireland's national cancer charity, providing free patient services including a cancer nurse support line, 13 hospital Daffodil Centres, volunteer transport, night nursing, counselling, and research grants, funded almost entirely through public donations, fundraising events and 23 charity shops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer support and patient services (nonprofit healthcare charity)

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC), Public Health Financing, Budgeting & Grants Management (HLAJAMAC)

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Patient transport services
• End-of-life night nursing
• Cancer counselling programs
• Cancer research funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Donations: The primary revenue stream comes from public donations. The organization states it receives only approximately 5% of income from government sources, making public donations critical to operations.
2. Fundraising Events: Revenue generated from events including Daffodil Day, Relay for Life, Hurling for Cancer Research, Shave or Dye, marathons, and community fundraising activities.
3. Charity Shop Sales: 23 charity shops nationwide sell donated items including clothes, shoes, books, bric-a-brac, giftware, collectables and household items.
4. Government Funding: Only approximately 5% of total income comes from government sources, according to their own disclosures.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partnerships including strategic partnerships, campaign sponsorships, cause related marketing, employee fundraising, payroll giving, and matched giving programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels15 records

Core offering

The Irish Cancer Society provides free cancer support services to patients, survivors, and families across Ireland, including a nurse-staffed Support Line, 13 hospital-based Daffodil Centres, transport to chemotherapy, end-of-life Night Nursing, counselling, a Children's Fund, and a Peer Support Programme. It also funds cancer research, runs cancer information and prevention programmes, operates 23 charity shops, and conducts fundraising campaigns such as Daffodil Day and Relay for Life. All services are delivered free of charge and funded primarily through public donations, with approximately 5% of income from government sources.

Product overview

The Irish Cancer Society operates a comprehensive cancer support ecosystem consisting of patient-facing services and fundraising operations. Core patient services include the Freephone Support Line (1800 200 700, staffed by cancer nurses), 13 Daffodil Centres in hospitals nationwide, Transport Service for chemotherapy patients, Night Nursing (€455/night for end-of-life home care), Counselling (€60/session), the Children's Fund for families, and Peer Support Programme. Digital services include an Online Fundraising Platform (fundraise.cancer.ie), Cancer Information Resources (booklets, videos), and an Online Community. Fundraising initiatives include annual campaigns like Daffodil Day, Relay for Life, Hurling for Cancer Research, and Shave or Dye events. The organisation also operates 23 charity shops and a Cancer Research Programme funding scientific research. These services are interconnected through the organisation's advocacy, awareness, and fundraising operations, all unified under the mission of reducing cancer diagnoses and improving outcomes for those affected.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Daffodil Day: Annual flagship fundraising campaign held in March each year to raise funds for cancer services and research
• Relay for Life
• Irish Cancer Society Charity Shops

Products and services

• Freephone Support Line
• Daffodil Centres
• Transport Service
• Night Nursing
• Counselling
• Children's Fund
• Free Support Packs
• Peer Support Programme
• Cancer Information Resources
• Children and Young Adult Cancer Support
• Advocacy Services
• Cancer Research Programme
• Online Fundraising Platform
• Daffodil Day
• Relay for Life
• Hurling for Cancer Research
• Charity Shops

Quantifiable outcome

• Almost 200,000 nights of Night Nursing provided to cancer patients over 40 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• OncoDaily OncoGrantsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 March 2026The Irish Cancer Society is one of several oncology foundations and professional societies listed as funding opportunity providers in OncoDaily's OncoGrants weekly roundup, offering fellowships and grants ranging from $50,000 to $800,000 for cancer research.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@irishcancersociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/IrishCancerSociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/117524
• Instagraminstagram.com/irishcancersociety
• Pinterestie.pinterest.com/irishcancersoc
• TikToktiktok.com/@irishcancersociety
• Xx.com/IrishCancerSoc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Irish Cancer Society