Eastern Sierra Cancer Alliance

What Eastern Sierra Cancer Alliance does

Eastern Sierra Cancer Alliance (ESCA) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, all-volunteer charitable nonprofit headquartered at 2957 Birch Street in Bishop, California, serving residents of Inyo and Mono Counties in California's remote Eastern Sierra region. Founded approximately 25 years ago (with a 25th Anniversary celebrated in September 2025), ESCA provides financial aid, cancer-resource information, peer mentorship, and emotional support to community members dealing with any type of cancer, with services provided free of charge and applications available in both English and Spanish.

ESCA's service portfolio is delivered through four core programs: the Cancer Resource Center (walk-in support, wigs, head scarves, mastectomy bras, and educational materials); the Angel Mentor Program (a peer-matching service launched in 2019 that pairs former cancer patients with newly diagnosed patients); the Cancer Conversations Support Group (monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of each month); and a Financial Aid Program covering travel, medical expenses, rent, utilities, medication, groceries, and childcare for cancer patients in its service area. The organization also publishes a seasonal email newsletter and maintains a blog with educational content reposts from trusted health sources. ESCA has no proprietary technology platform, software product, or app; it operates as a service-based community organization.

ESCA is funded entirely through donations, local business and organizational sponsorships, AmazonSmile referrals, and annual community fundraising events including the 25th Annual Fun Walk & Run and the Ninth Annual Colorectal Cancer Awareness 5K Walk & Run. A $40,000 fundraising total was reported from the 25th Anniversary Celebration on September 27, 2025. The organization partners with Northern Inyo Healthcare District for patient coordination and referral, and has established relationships with City of Hope, St. James Inn, and Cancer Support Community/Airbnb for housing assistance during off-region treatment. Governance is provided by a volunteer board of directors led by President Cheryl Underhill, with no paid staff and no venture capital or private equity involvement.

Name

Eastern Sierra Cancer Alliance

Legal name

Eastern Sierra Cancer Alliance

Website

https://escanceralliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Eastern Sierra Cancer Alliance is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free financial aid, peer mentorship, and cancer support services to cancer patients in California's Inyo and Mono Counties, funded through donations and annual community fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Cancer patient support
• Financial assistance services
• Community health resources
• Peer mentorship programs
• Nonprofit cancer care

Headquarters

HQ city

Bishop

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: ESCA operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization funded entirely through generous donations from local businesses, organizations, and community members. Donations are tax deductible. The organization raises funds through annual events including the Fun Walk & Run (25th Annual in 2025), Colorectal Cancer Awareness 5K, and Blue Ribbon events. The 25th Anniversary Celebration in September 2025 raised $40,000.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Eastern Sierra Cancer Alliance (ESCA) is a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer charitable nonprofit that provides free financial aid, peer mentorship, cancer resource information, and physical support supplies (wigs, head scarves, mastectomy bras) to residents of Inyo and Mono Counties in California who are dealing with cancer. Services are funded entirely by donations and fundraising events, and delivered through a physical Cancer Resource Center in Bishop, monthly support group meetings, and the Angel Mentor peer-matching program.

Product overview

Eastern Sierra Cancer Alliance is a charitable nonprofit organization providing cancer support services to residents of Inyo and Mono Counties in California. The organization operates as a service-focused entity rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings include: the Cancer Resource Center providing educational materials and supplies (wigs, scarves, mastectomy bras); the Angel Mentor Program for peer-to-peer cancer patient support; the Cancer Conversations Support Group for monthly meetings; and a Financial Aid Program covering travel, medical, and living expenses for cancer patients. Additionally, ESCA operates an email newsletter and hosts annual fundraising events including Fun Walk & Run events. All services are free to eligible community members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Financial assistance helps cover treatment-related expenses for remote patients who must travel hundreds of miles for specialized care

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northern Inyo Healthcare DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2025Major sponsor and healthcare partner at the 25th Anniversary Celebration. ESCA partners with Northern Inyo Healthcare District to reach those in need, providing coordinated cancer support services.
• City of HopeminorOthers · 27 September 2025Sponsor at the 25th Anniversary Celebration. City of Hope is a comprehensive cancer treatment and research institution.
• Northern Inyo Healthcare DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESCA partners with Northern Inyo Healthcare District to reach those in need, providing all manner of assistance to cancer patients in the community.
• St. James InnminorOthersSt. James Inn offers no-cost housing and related services to hospital outpatients and/or family members who have loved ones undergoing critical medical care at UCLA or nearby hospitals. Contact: Dept of Social Work 310-267-9700
• Cancer Support Community with AirbnbminorOthersCancer Support Community, in partnership with Airbnb, offers free housing for patients traveling for cancer treatment. Contact: 877-793-0498
• AmazonSmileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazonSmile donates a portion of eligible purchases to ESCA when customers select Eastern Sierra Cancer Alliance as their charitable organization of choice.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Susan G. Komen: Major breast cancer nonprofit funding patient navigation, financial assistance, and community-based support programs. Comparable to ESCA's disease-specific community support, but operating nationally with paid staff and substantial fundraising infrastructure.
• Livestrong Foundation: National cancer nonprofit historically known for patient navigation, financial assistance, and survivorship programs. Addresses the same financial and emotional needs of cancer patients that ESCA serves at the community level.
• American Cancer Society: The largest U.S. cancer-focused nonprofit, providing patient support, lodging programs (Hope Lodge), and transportation assistance to cancer patients nationwide. Operates the same disease-specific support mission as ESCA but at vastly greater scale and with a paid professional staff.
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Disease-specific nonprofit offering co-pay assistance, travel aid, and peer support for blood cancer patients—mirroring ESCA's combination of financial assistance and the Angel Mentor peer-mentorship program, though at national scale.

Others

• Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition (CFAC): Coalition of organizations helping cancer patients manage financial challenges. Comparable to ESCA's financial-aid mission as a coordinating/awareness entity in the same patient-financial-support space.
• St. James Inn: A direct referral partner of ESCA providing no-cost housing to hospital outpatients and families near UCLA. Comparable as a complementary cancer/medical-patient lodging resource within ESCA's referral ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Cancer Support Community: National nonprofit operating a network of cancer support centers offering free support groups, educational workshops, and community resources—directly parallel to ESCA's Cancer Resource Center and Cancer Conversations support group model. Also partners with Airbnb on free housing for treatment travel, mirroring ESCA's referral partnerships.
• Lazarex Cancer Foundation: Nonprofit providing financial assistance for travel, lodging, and treatment costs to cancer patients, particularly those pursuing clinical trials. Closely comparable to ESCA's financial aid program for travel-related expenses.
• Cleaning for a Reason: Nonprofit providing free cleaning services to cancer patients undergoing treatment. Comparable to ESCA as a small, community-driven, volunteer-staffed cancer support nonprofit providing in-kind services to patients.

Emerging players

• Joe's House: Nonprofit lodging directory and assistance program for cancer patients traveling for treatment. Comparable to ESCA's referral partnerships with St. James Inn and Cancer Support Community/Airbnb for free patient housing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Eastern-Sierra-Cancer-Alliance/ESCA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Eastern Sierra Cancer Alliance