What HEADstrong Foundation does

HEADstrong Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2007 by the late Nicholas Colleluori, a Hofstra University lacrosse player diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and now led by his mother Cheryl Colleluori as President. The foundation provides financial, residential, and emotional support to families affected by cancer, with its flagship offering being Nick's House—a network of free lodging facilities in Philadelphia (opened 2017) and Boston (opened 2023), with a third location in development near Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, NC. Supporting programs include direct financial grants to qualifying families, comfort kits for newly hospitalized patients, the HEADtoHEAD peer-support advocacy program, and an annual Thanksgiving meal program (Donate a Turkey) for inpatients at Abramson Cancer Center, now in its 18th year.

The foundation funds its operations through a diversified donation model spanning individual one-time and recurring gifts via headstrong.org (preset tiers of $25, $50, $150, and $1,000), corporate sponsorships and cause-marketing campaigns, planned/legacy giving, and a broad athletic event portfolio. Signature fundraising channels include the Attack Cancer student-athlete pledge campaign, Mustache Madness, Team HEADstrong endurance events, the Running aHEAD of Cancer 5K in Swarthmore, PA, the Fall Event Series and Nick Colleluori Classics at Hofstra University, golf outings, and the NFL My Cause My Cleats cleat-auction partnership. Since inception the organization reports raising over $39M cumulatively, supporting 37,000+ patients, providing 25,000+ free lodging nights, and saving families $2.1M annually in travel and lodging costs, with current headcount of 11–50 employees operating from Woodlyn, PA (headquarters, EIN 26-0283021).

The operating model is community-led and event-driven, anchored on lacrosse and student-athlete networks, supplemented by board advisors drawn from Penn Medicine (Dr. Daniel Landsburg), the Philadelphia Union (President Tim McDermott), and SeventySix Capital (Managing Partner Chad Stender). Strategic and operational partnerships include Hofstra University, Widener University, Good Day For A Run, the Amateur Golf Society Tour, Rastelli Catering, The Players NIL, and Duke Cancer Institute. The foundation has earned a GuideStar Platinum transparency rating and a Phillies Charities Community Hero grant, and its services are provided at 100% no cost to beneficiary families.

Name

HEADstrong Foundation

Legal name

HEADstrong Foundation

Website

https://headstrong.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HEADstrong Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free residential lodging (Nick's House in Philadelphia and Boston), financial grants, and emotional support to families affected by cancer, funded primarily through lacrosse-community-driven donations and athletic fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Cancer Patient Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Free patient housing
• Family financial assistance
• Community fundraising events
• Peer support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Woodlyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct monetary contributions from individuals via the website, mail, or in-person at events. Includes one-time and recurring donation options with preset amounts ($25, $50, $150, $1000) and custom amounts.
2. Fundraising Events: Revenue from hosted events including Fall Event Series, Nick Colleluori Classics, golf outings, 5K runs, galas, and alumni challenges. Entry fees and participant fundraising generate funds.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners sponsor rooms, events, or provide in-kind donations of products and services. Includes cause-based retail partnerships where brands create campaigns raising funds.
4. Legacy Giving: Planned giving programs allowing donors to leave lasting legacies through bequests and estate planning.
5. Third-Party Fundraising Campaigns: Mustache Madness, Attack Cancer, Team HEADstrong endurance events generate funds through participant pledges and campaign fundraising pages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

HEADstrong Foundation provides free residential lodging, direct financial grants, comfort kits, and peer support programs to families affected by cancer. Its flagship offering is Nick's House — fully cost-free housing near major cancer treatment centers in Philadelphia and Boston — supplemented by financial assistance, comfort kit deliveries, and the HEADtoHEAD peer advocacy program connecting patients with survivors.

Product overview

HEADstrong Foundation is a non-profit organization offering a suite of cancer support services rather than a technology product. The core offerings center on Nick's House, providing free lodging for families traveling for cancer treatment in Philadelphia and Boston (with expansion planned for Durham, NC). Supporting programs include direct financial assistance grants, comfort kits for hospitalized patients, and the HEADtoHEAD peer support program. The organization raises funds through multiple athletic fundraising campaigns including Attack Cancer (student-athlete pledge program), Mustache Madness, and Team HEADstrong (endurance events). Annual events include the Running aHEAD of Cancer 5k, Fall Event Series, Nick Colleluori Classics at Hofstra University, and the Donate a Turkey Dinner program providing Thanksgiving meals to patients. The portfolio is unified in its mission to improve quality of life for cancer-affected families through residential, financial, and emotional support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nick's House: Free lodging facilities for families traveling for cancer treatment, currently operating in Philadelphia and Boston with expansion planned for Durham, NC.
• Attack Cancer

Products and services

• Nick's House Free lodging and housing accommodations for families traveling for cancer treatment. Operates residential homes in Philadelphia, PA and Boston, MA, with a third location planned near Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, NC. Families receive 100% no-cost stays near treatment centers.
• Financial Assistance Program Direct financial grants awarded to families affected by cancer to help cover treatment-related expenses and reduce the financial burden of cancer care.
• Comfort Kits Deliveries of comfort items to newly hospitalized cancer patients preparing for treatment or transplant to provide emotional support during cancer care.
• HEADtoHEAD Patient Program Peer-to-peer advocacy program connecting cancer patients with survivors and others who have faced similar diagnoses for mutual support and guidance.
• Attack Cancer Campaign Student-athlete led fundraising and awareness campaign enabling athletes to pledge performances, host dedication competitions, or design campaigns to support families affected by cancer. Includes the HEADLINER Ambassadorship Program for high school and college athletes.
• Mustache Madness Interactive online fundraiser encouraging student-athletes to grow mustaches and compete HEAD to HEAD against teams to raise money for families affected by cancer.
• Team HEADstrong Endurance event fundraising program allowing athletes to pledge any endurance event (running, cycling, swimming, rowing) to help raise funds for families affected by cancer.
• Running aHEAD of Cancer 5K Annual 5K run event held in Swarthmore, PA serving as the foundation's flagship running event to raise awareness and funds.
• Fall Event Series Annual series of lacrosse games and events hosted at colleges and universities across the country to raise awareness and funds for HEADstrong, honoring founder Nick Colleluori's legacy.
• Nick Colleluori Classic Lacrosse tournament held at Hofstra University where men's and women's lacrosse teams host multiple schools to raise funds and awareness for HEADstrong, honoring founder Nick Colleluori's legacy.
• Donate a Turkey Dinner Program Annual Thanksgiving meal program providing traditional holiday feasts to cancer patients receiving inpatient care at the Abramson Cancer Center, run in collaboration with Rastelli Catering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37,000+ patients supported
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Penn MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2026Dr. Daniel Landsburg, Medical Director of Infusion Services at Hospital of University of Pennsylvania and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine (Hematology-Oncology) at Perelman School of Medicine, joined the board. Many HEADstrong patients receive treatment at Penn Medicine facilities including CAR T-cell therapy.
• The Players NILminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 April 2024Partnership for NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) coaching and guidance for high school members of Team Attack Cancer. Provides online and in-person coaching on influencer marketing strategies and opportunities in the NIL space for student-athletes participating in Lake Placid Summit Classic.
• Amateur Golf Society (AGS) TourcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 June 2023Charitable partnership with AGS Tour. Swing Into Action Invitational held at Golf Course at Glen Mills. For every golfer joining AGS Tour using code HEADstrong, $15 of membership fee goes to HEADstrong. Tour members can pledge performance in support of cancer patients.
• Good Day For A RuncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 January 2023Official charity partner for many GDFAR events; official timing partner for all HEADstrong running events including flagship Running aHEAD of Cancer 5K. HEADstrong has representation at 40+ GDFAR events including Run The Vineyards Winery Race Series. Executive Race Director Ken Culbertson leads the partnership.
• Philadelphia UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTim McDermott, President of Philadelphia Union (MLS), joined the board as advisor. Union has achieved record partnership revenue and fan engagement under his leadership.
• Hofstra UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Nick Colleluori Classics held at Hofstra University where founder Nicholas Colleluori was a student-athlete before his diagnosis. Hofstra men's and women's lacrosse host dedication games for HEADstrong.
• Widener UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of annual HEADstrong Rivalry Games featuring high school lacrosse competitions. Event has raised $32,000+ and draws approximately 2,800 attendees.
• NFL Players (My Cause My Cleats)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual partnership through NFL My Cause My Cleats initiative. 10 NFL stars plus broadcaster Evan Washburn represented HEADstrong in 2022. Custom cleats designed by artists including Dan 'Mache' Gamache and Marcus Rivero. Cleats auctioned post-game with proceeds to HEADstrong.
• Duke Cancer InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCI Comprehensive Cancer Center and nationally recognized destination for cancer care. HEADstrong is seeking to establish next Nick's House near this facility to serve families traveling from across the US and internationally for treatment.
• Rastelli CateringminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides Thanksgiving meals for HEADstrong's annual Donate A Turkey program serving patients at Abramson Cancer Center. 18th consecutive year in 2024.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Samfund: Provides direct financial assistance and online support to young adult cancer survivors. Comparable on the grant-based financial-support model serving a cancer-affected population.
• Joe Andruzzi Foundation: Cancer-focused nonprofit providing financial assistance and support to patients and families, often tied to New England sports networks. Overlaps with HEADstrong on mission, cancer-specific financial grants, and sports-driven fundraising.
• Compass to Care: Nonprofit funding transportation, lodging, and meals for children traveling to receive cancer treatment. Directly comparable to Nick's House on travel/lodging relief for cancer families.
• Cancer Support Community: Provides psychosocial and emotional support to cancer patients and families through community-based programs. Overlaps with HEADstrong's HEADtoHEAD peer support and emotional-support services.
• American Cancer Society Hope Lodge: American Cancer Society program offering free, temporary lodging for cancer patients traveling for treatment. Closest direct competitor to Nick's House within the cancer-specific housing category.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Provides free lodging near hospitals for families of seriously ill children. Directly comparable to Nick's House on the core service (free residential housing proximate to treatment centers), though its primary focus is pediatric.
• Family Reach Foundation: National nonprofit delivering financial assistance and resource navigation to families facing cancer. Directly comparable on the financial-grant and treatment-related-expense relief side of HEADstrong's service mix.
• Lazarex Cancer Foundation: Helps cancer patients access advanced treatment by covering travel, lodging, and clinical-trial enrollment costs. Directly comparable to Nick's House on housing/travel-related financial support for cancer patients.

Emerging players

• Make-A-Wish Foundation: Grants wishes to children with critical illnesses including cancer. Adjacent peer: addresses a related beneficiary base (critically ill children and families) but through experience-delivery rather than housing/financial grants.
• National Children's Cancer Society: Pediatric cancer-focused nonprofit providing financial and emotional support. Partial overlap with HEADstrong's pediatric cases (e.g., Lexi Cable) and pediatric patient-family financial assistance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HEADstrongFND
• Xx.com/headstrongfnd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HEADstrong Foundation