Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade

What Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade does

Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC) is a Canadian federally registered charitable organization founded in 1996 in Toronto that mobilizes the Canadian insurance industry to raise funds for cancer research through the Canadian Cancer Society. The organization functions as an industry-wide coalition rather than a traditional grant-making body: 100% of donations collected are directed to the Canadian Cancer Society, with WICC's own administrative costs absorbed by volunteer labor and in-kind corporate sponsorship. Its base of activity spans five provincial chapters — Ontario (since 1996, $12.3M raised), Alberta (since 2000, $4.05M), British Columbia (since 2002, $3.4M), Quebec (since 2009, $2.2M), and Atlantic — collectively having raised over $21.95M cumulatively.

WICC's core "product" is a structured program of fundraising events and partner-engagement tiers. The event portfolio includes provincial galas, golf tournaments, Relay for Life teams, Learning Breakfasts, and seasonal initiatives such as the Holiday Auction. The revenue model combines a tiered National Sponsorship program (commitments of $15,000 per year for three years) with event-driven ticket sales, individual donations, tribute/memorial giving (WICC Tributes), and emerging-leader programming (WICC NeXt Gen). Sponsorship is concentrated in the property & casualty, life, and specialty insurance verticals, with named national partners including AIG, Beazley, CHUBB, CNA, Crawford, Liberty Mutual, Northbridge, Travelers, Trisura, Dentons, Echelon, NFP, ServiceMaster Restore, AIIM, PREMIER, Revau, Roar, CEP, Lloyd's, and Marsh.

Operationally, WICC is volunteer-run with a small staff (estimated 11–50 employees), overseen by National Co-Chairs and a committee structure spanning provincial chapters. Recognition programs (Gold Flame, Hall of Flame, Lew Dunn, Volunteer of the Year) and the WICC Tributes mechanism reinforce repeat participation. The organization is currently in a late-cycle fundraising push toward a stated $25M cumulative goal by the end of 2025, while undergoing a planned leadership transition from Marilyn Horrick (20+ years as Co-Chair) to Amanda Martin effective January 2026.

Name

Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade

Legal name

Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade

Website

https://wicc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC) is a Canadian charitable organization founded in 1996 that unites the Canadian insurance industry to fund cancer research through the Canadian Cancer Society, having raised over $21.95M cumulatively across five provincial chapters via events, sponsorships, and donor programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Cancer Fundraising Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGACAA

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

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

Keywords

• Cancer research fundraising
• Insurance industry charity
• Corporate cancer crusade
• Nonprofit fundraising events
• Charitable chapter network

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: General donations from individuals within the Canadian insurance industry and the public, supporting cancer research and education.
2. National Sponsorship Program: Corporate sponsors pay $15,000 per year for 3 years to receive national exposure at all WICC events across Canada, media recognition, and employee engagement benefits. To date, National Sponsors have contributed over $2.66 million to CCS.
3. Event Revenue: Ticket sales, sponsorships, and fundraising activities at various events including galas, golf tournaments, breakfast events, and Relay for Life.
4. Tribute and Gift Donations: Tribute donations to honor those affected by cancer, and gift donations for special occasions, with acknowledgment cards sent to honorees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC) is a Canadian charitable organization that mobilizes the property and casualty insurance industry to raise funds for cancer research, education, and patient support. It operates a network of regional chapters that host fundraising events and accept corporate sponsorships, directing proceeds to cancer-related causes.

Product overview

Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC) is a charitable organization that operates as a unified fundraising platform with multiple interconnected programs. The core offering consists of national sponsorship and ambassador programs that engage the Canadian insurance industry, combined with signature fundraising events (Relay for Life, galas, golf tournaments, breakfast events, and chapter-specific activities). Supporting infrastructure includes donation programs (WICC Tributes, Giving Tuesday), recognition awards (Gold Flame, Hall of Flame, Lew Dunn, Volunteer of the Year), and partnership with Canadian Cancer Society for support services including transportation (Wheels of Hope) and peer support. The organization operates four provincial chapters (Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia) with Atlantic expansion, each hosting local events while maintaining national coordination. Fundraising is directed 100% administration fee-free to CCS for cancer research and support programs, with a stated goal of $25 million by 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WICC Regional Chapter Fundraising Events Local fundraising events (dinners, galas, auctions) hosted by WICC chapters across Canada, with proceeds directed to cancer research and patient support. Designed for insurance industry professionals and corporate sponsors.
• WICC Corporate Sponsorship Program Tiered corporate sponsorship packages offered to insurance companies and related industry firms to support WICC's cancer research funding mission.
• WICC Donation Program Individual and organizational donation channels enabling contributors to direct funds toward cancer research, education, and patient support initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $20 million raised for Canadian Cancer Society since inception in 1996
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Canadian Cancer SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Primary beneficiary of WICC fundraising. WICC pledged to raise $25 million for CCS by 2025 to support life-saving cancer research, immunotherapy treatments, and CCS support programs. All funds donated through WICC bypass CCS administration costs - 100% fee-free.
• AIGcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor providing financial support and industry leadership for WICC's mission to fund cancer research in the Canadian insurance community.
• BeazleycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNewest National Sponsor as of March 2026, providing sponsorship support for WICC events and programs.
• CHUBBcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor supporting WICC's mission through corporate sponsorship and industry engagement.
• CNAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor providing ongoing support for WICC fundraising initiatives.
• CrawfordcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-time National Sponsor and Hall of Flame Award recipient, supporting WICC through Crawford Cares program.
• DentonscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor supporting WICC events and fundraising campaigns.
• Liberty MutualcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor providing corporate sponsorship for WICC's cancer research fundraising.
• NorthbridgecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor supporting WICC mission and events.
• TravelerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor contributing to WICC's fundraising efforts.
• TrisuracoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor and Gold Flame Award recipient supporting WICC.
• EcheloncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor providing ongoing support for WICC events.
• NFPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor supporting WICC's mission.
• ServiceMaster RestorecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor contributing to WICC fundraising.
• AIIMcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor for WICC.
• PREMIERcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor - Premier Canada Assurance and Marine Insurance.
• RevaucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor for WICC.
• RoarcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor for WICC.
• CEPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor for WICC.
• UnderwritercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Sponsor for WICC.
• Lloyd'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond Sponsor for WICC Ontario's 28th Annual Learning Breakfast for Cancer.
• Jones DesLaurierscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Sponsor for 28th Annual Learning Breakfast.
• JDIMI Consulting (Navacord)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Sponsor for 28th Annual Learning Breakfast.
• Insurance Bureau of CanadacoreGTM or Marketing Partner2022 Hall of Flame Award recipient, recognized for supporting WICC through various events and strategic initiatives including communications and social strategy funding.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Propel Centre for Impact (formerly GIVE.org / Imagine Canada): Sector infrastructure / accreditation body for Canadian nonprofits. Not a direct charity peer, but the relevant adjacent enabler for WICC's type of insurance-sector-organized philanthropy.

Broad incumbents

• American Cancer Society: Largest U.S. cancer charity and originator of Relay for Life, which WICC licenses/uses for Canadian fundraising events. Shares the same beneficiary disease and signature event format.
• Canadian Cancer Society: National health charity and exclusive beneficiary of all WICC-raised funds. CCS is the broader incumbent that WICC funnels capital into; comparing the two reveals the difference between a delivery organization and an industry-affinity fundraising platform.
• United Way Canada: Long-standing workplace-giving charity that historically aggregated donations from employees across many Canadian industries. WICC operates as a sector-specific analog to United Way's employer-encouraged giving model inside insurance.

Emerging players

• Ovarian Cancer Canada: Disease-specific Canadian nonprofit running galas and signature events; useful as a small-budget cancer charity comparator showing what a pure-vertical cause-marketing operation looks like versus an industry-funded one.
• SickKids Foundation: Major Canadian healthcare fundraising charity with a strong gala, lottery, and corporate-sponsor driven model. Comparable event-led, sponsor-heavy fundraising playbook even though the underlying cause (pediatric hospital) is different.
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada: Vertically focused disease-specific nonprofit that also runs galas, golf events, and corporate-sponsor-driven campaigns. Comparable to WICC in single-disease framing and event mix, though not industry-segment-organized.
• CIBC Children's Foundation: Corporate charitable channel that pools giving from a single sector's professionals. Illustrates the broader pattern of industry-organized, employer-encouraged giving that WICC replicates inside insurance.

Direct peers

• Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF): U.S. nonprofit dedicated to uniting the insurance industry around community grantmaking and charitable giving. WICC's Canadian insurance-industry-wide cancer crusade mirrors IICF's industry-of-insurance philanthropic model, making it the closest international equivalent.

Regional players

• BC Cancer Foundation: Provincial cancer-research fundraising entity for British Columbia. WICC's own BC chapter has run >$3.4M since 2002; BC Cancer is the parallel regional cancer-research platform and a comparable donor-facing brand in the same disease vertical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WICCOntario
• Facebookfacebook.com/WICCOntario
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wicc-ontario-chapter
• Instagraminstouch.com/profile/WICCOntario

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade