ICAN
ICAN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates 100+ volunteer-led chapters worldwide to support pregnant people, cesarean-recovery mothers, and VBAC families through peer support, education, and advocacy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersGuntersville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ICAN does
International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1982 as the Cesarean Prevention Movement and renamed in 1992. Its mission is to improve maternal-child health by reducing preventable cesarean deliveries through education, peer support, and advocacy. The organization serves pregnant people, mothers recovering from cesarean births, families pursuing vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), and birth professionals who engage with the community for patient referrals and continuing education.
ICAN operates a global network of more than 100 volunteer-led chapters supported by over 160 chapter leaders, with more than 27,000 peers in support networks and 12,000+ volunteer hours logged in 2020. Programmatic assets include a Professional Directory, webinars, white papers, the Comparative Analytics Module (CAM) conference, a VBAC Ban Database that tracks hospital-level VBAC restrictions, and a Leadership Center for chapter leaders. The organization is 100% volunteer-led with no paid staff, and its mailing address is in Camillus, NY with operational ties to Guntersville.
ICAN generates revenue through tiered membership fees (individual membership at $24-30/year, professional membership at $48-60/year), chapter leadership fees of $30-60, individual donations, and fundraising activities. It has cultivated mission-aligned partnerships with Breech Without Borders, Birthing Instincts, and the documentary films Trial of Labor and Freedom for Birth, extending its reach into adjacent advocacy communities.
ICAN firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ICAN
- Legal name
- International Cesarean Awareness Network, Inc.
- Website
- https://ican-online.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ICAN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates 100+ volunteer-led chapters worldwide to support pregnant people, cesarean-recovery mothers, and VBAC families through peer support, education, and advocacy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where ICAN is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Guntersville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ICAN business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Membership Fees: Individual supporting membership at $30/year (discounted to $24 during promotions). Members receive benefits including access to webinars and white papers. A portion of membership fees goes to local chapters (30%) with the remainder (70%) supporting national operations.
- Professional Membership Fees: Professional membership at $60/year (discounted to $48 during promotions) allows listing in ICAN's Professional Member Directory and includes a professional member badge for their websites.
- Chapter Leadership Fees: One-time fees for chapter leadership: $60 for U.S. Chapter Leaders, $30 for Secretary/Treasurer. Covers administrative costs for opening new chapters, on-boarding, and maintaining infrastructure.
- Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting ICAN's mission. In 2020, over $20,000 was raised through chapter and executive fundraisers. ICAN is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Supporting Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Professional Membership Directory |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | U.S. Chapter Leader Fee |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | U.S. Secretary/Treasurer Fee |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
ICAN product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ICAN is a nonprofit organization that provides education, peer support, and advocacy to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans, supporting cesarean recovery, and advocating for vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Its core offerings include individual and professional memberships, a network of 100+ local chapters delivering peer-to-peer support meetings, and a searchable Professional Member Directory of birth professionals aligned with its mission.
Product overview
ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of peer-to-peer support services, educational resources, and advocacy programs. The core offerings include local ICAN Chapters providing free support meetings, an ICAN Professional Member Directory connecting consumers with birth professionals, and ICAN Membership (individual and professional tiers) offering webinar access and member benefits. Additional services encompass educational Webinars, the annual Cesarean Awareness Month campaign, a VBAC Ban Database for research, the ICAN Leadership Center for chapter leader training, White Papers on birth-related topics, and advocacy campaigns including Accreta Awareness Blood Drives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ICAN Chapters Local peer-to-peer support groups led by trained volunteer chapter leaders that provide free support meetings, education about cesarean prevention and VBAC, and community resources for birthing people.
- ICAN Individual Supporting Membership Annual paid membership for individuals at $30/year (discounted to $24) that grants access to webinars, educational resources, and a portion of the membership fee (30%) is routed to a local chapter of the member's choice.
- ICAN Professional Membership Annual paid professional membership at $60/year (discounted to $48) that includes a listing in ICAN's Professional Member Directory and a professional member badge usable on the member's own website, plus access to continuing education webinars.
- ICAN Professional Member Directory Searchable online directory of birth professionals (doulas, midwives, childbirth educators, chiropractors, massage therapists, lactation consultants, attorneys, and more) who support ICAN's mission and are listed via paid professional membership.
- ICAN Educational Webinars Educational webinar series featuring birth professionals covering topics such as VBA3C, breech birth, evidence on VBAC, and the rights of birthing people; available to members and as recordings.
Companies that use ICAN
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ICAN technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ICAN partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Breech Without BordersminorBreech Without Borders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to breech training, education, and advocacy. Founder Dr. Rixa Freeze presented a webinar for ICAN's Cesarean Awareness Month 2026 on 'Breech Birth – Be Informed.'
- Birthing InstinctsminorDr. Stuart Fischbein of Birthing Instincts and Birthing Instincts podcast presented a CAM 2026 webinar on informed consent and refusal in pregnancy and birth.
- Trial of Labor (Film)minorICAN has partnered with the documentary 'Trial of Labor' which explores cesarean and VBAC experiences.
- Freedom for Birth (Film)minorICAN has partnered with the documentary 'Freedom for Birth' addressing birth rights and cesarean issues.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
ICAN competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DONA International: Largest doula-certification and member-based organization that trains and connects birth professionals. Directly comparable to ICAN's professional member directory and chapter-style community model for doulas, childbirth educators, and related providers.
- Every Mother Counts: Nonprofit advocacy and grantmaking organization focused on improving maternal health outcomes and reducing preventable maternal mortality. Comparable mission focus on maternal-health access and outcomes, though with substantially larger donor footprint.
- Healthy Birth Day (Count the Kicks): Nonprofit delivering a maternal-health awareness campaign and data-driven stillbirth-prevention program. Comparable mission, scale, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit structure focused on expectant-parent education and awareness campaigns.
- Postpartum Support International: Nonprofit supporting families affected by perinatal mood and anxiety disorders via chapters, training, and provider directory. Mirrors ICAN's chapter network, professional directory, and webinar-based support model in an adjacent maternal-health niche.
- La Leche League International: Volunteer-led nonprofit providing peer-to-peer breastfeeding support through a global chapter network. Closely mirrors ICAN's grassroots-chapter, lived-experience-leader, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit model, even referenced as an early inspiration in ICAN's founding story.
- Lamaze International: Long-standing nonprofit that educates expectant parents about childbirth options and advocates for evidence-based maternity care. Highly comparable mission of consumer-facing childbirth education and professional training, overlapping with ICAN's member and webinar offerings.
- Choices in Childbirth: Nonprofit advocating for access to evidence-based maternity care options and consumer empowerment in birth choices. Highly comparable consumer-advocacy and education mission to ICAN's informed-consent and VBAC-access focus.
- ImprovingBirth: Advocacy nonprofit mobilizing consumers around respectful maternity care and reduced unnecessary interventions. Highly comparable consumer-advocacy mission to ICAN's cesarean-awareness and informed-consent work.
Broad incumbents
- American College of Nurse-Midwives: Professional membership association for certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives, advocating for midwifery-led care and VBAC access. Comparable professional-membership and policy-advocacy angle to ICAN's professional directory and VBAC advocacy work.
- March of Dimes: Large, established nonprofit addressing maternal and infant health, including research, advocacy, and NICU support. Operates broadly across the maternal-child health space that ICAN addresses, but with paid staff, major donor base, and a much wider portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
ICAN social profiles
Digital presenceICAN compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
ICAN financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ICAN leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
ICAN funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ICAN M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ICAN
What does ICAN do?
ICAN is a nonprofit organization that provides education, peer support, and advocacy to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans, supporting cesarean recovery, and advocating for vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Its core offerings include individual and professional memberships, a network of 100+ local chapters delivering peer-to-peer support meetings, and a searchable Professional Member Directory of birth professionals aligned with its mission.
Is ICAN a public or private company?
ICAN is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ICAN founded?
ICAN was founded in 1982. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ICAN based?
ICAN is headquartered in Guntersville, United States, in the North America region.
How does ICAN make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are professional Membership Fees, chapter Leadership Fees and donations.
Who are ICAN's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DONA International, Every Mother Counts, Healthy Birth Day (Count the Kicks), Postpartum Support International, La Leche League International, Lamaze International, Choices in Childbirth and ImprovingBirth. Broad incumbents are American College of Nurse-Midwives and March of Dimes.
Does ICAN have an API?
No public API is recorded for ICAN.