Firefly Sisterhood

What Firefly Sisterhood does

Firefly Sisterhood is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota, founded in 2014 following research by the Yoplait Division of General Mills that identified an unmet need among breast cancer survivors for peer connections. The organization provides free, personalized one-to-one mentoring that matches individuals impacted by breast cancer — at any stage from diagnosis through survivorship — with trained volunteer Peer Mentor Guides who share similar diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle experiences. Matching is conducted manually by staff match specialists who contact support seekers after an online intake form, then pair them with compatible guides; services are delivered via phone, video, text, email, and in-person meetings across the United States.

The supporting program infrastructure includes a Peer Mentor Guide Training Program that onboards and certifies survivor volunteers, volunteer Ambassador and Healthcare Liaison roles for community outreach and clinician engagement, and a portfolio of fundraising vehicles — most notably the annual IllumiNight Gala (12th annual in 2026) and the Pink & Teal Golf Classic co-hosted with the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance. Revenue is generated entirely through donations, including the "Friends of Firefly" recurring monthly giving program, individual and planned/legacy gifts, corporate matching, in-kind contributions, and event proceeds; no fees are charged to participants. The technology stack is intentionally light, relying on Salsa Labs for donor and participant CRM, Google Analytics, Zoom for remote training, and standard web/social media channels for awareness.

Growth and reach are driven by a layered ecosystem of healthcare system referral partners (Allina Health Cancer Institute, M Health Fairview, Minnesota Oncology, Hennepin Healthcare), corporate and foundation sponsors (Hoveida Foundation, Genentech, AstraZeneca, Gilead Oncology), and complementary nonprofits (United Breast Cancer Foundation). Operationally, the organization runs with 1-10 employees under a Board of Directors chaired by Linda Garrett-Johnson, with Shanna Swanson serving as Executive Director and active recruitment ongoing for additional leadership capacity.

Name

Firefly Sisterhood

Legal name

Firefly Sisterhood

Website

https://fireflysisterhood.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Firefly Sisterhood is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free, personalized one-to-one peer mentoring, connecting breast cancer patients and survivors nationwide with trained volunteer Peer Mentor Guides who share similar experiences, headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Breast Cancer Peer Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL)

Keywords

• Peer mentoring services
• Breast cancer support
• Nonprofit health services
• Survivor mentorship programs
• Patient support networks

Headquarters

HQ city

Plymouth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization accepts one-time and recurring donations from individual donors. Monthly giving program called 'Friends of Firefly' allows donors to set up recurring monthly contributions.
2. Fundraising Events: Revenue generated from signature events including the annual IllumiNight Gala and Pink & Teal Golf Classic, which include ticket sales, sponsorships, and auction proceeds.
3. Corporate Matching Gifts: Many companies match employee contributions to non-profits, providing an additional revenue stream through employer matching programs.
4. Planned Gifts: Legacy giving options including wills, living trusts, retirement plan assets, charitable remainder trusts, life insurance policies, and donor advised funds.
5. In-Kind Donations: Gifts of stock and in-kind donations of goods and services for events and operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Firefly Sisterhood provides free, personalized one-to-one peer mentoring by connecting individuals impacted by breast cancer with trained volunteer Peer Mentor Guides who share similar diagnoses, treatment experiences, and lifestyles. Services are delivered to support seekers nationwide at any stage of the breast cancer journey, from diagnosis through treatment and into survivorship, with matching facilitated personally by staff match specialists rather than through automated systems.

Product overview

Firefly Sisterhood is a nonprofit organization providing free, personalized one-to-one peer mentoring support for individuals impacted by breast cancer. The core offering is the Firefly Sisterhood One-to-One Peer Mentor Program, which connects Support Seekers with trained Peer Mentor Guide volunteers who have had similar breast cancer experiences. Supporting programs include the Peer Mentor Guide Training Program (which trains survivors to become guides), the Get Support Form (intake process), volunteer programs (Ambassador and Healthcare Liaison), fundraising events (IllumiNight Gala and Pink & Teal Golf Classic), and donation programs (Friends of Firefly monthly giving and Planned Giving). The organization also facilitates community events and social gatherings. All services are free and available coast-to-coast, with the organization founded and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Firefly Sisterhood One-to-One Peer Mentor Program Free personalized one-to-one mentoring program that connects individuals impacted by breast cancer with Peer Mentor Guides who share similar experiences and lifestyles, providing emotional support and guidance at any stage of the breast cancer journey from diagnosis through treatment and into survivorship.
• Peer Mentor Guide Training Program Training program that prepares breast cancer survivors and thrivers to serve as volunteer Peer Mentor Guides, walking them through a three-step process of profile creation, remote training session via Zoom, and matching with support seekers.
• IllumiNight Gala Annual fundraising gala featuring keynote speakers, live music, silent and live auctions, and interactive fundraising games to support Firefly Sisterhood's peer mentoring program.
• Pink & Teal Golf Classic Annual golf fundraiser benefiting Firefly Sisterhood and MOCA (Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance) to raise funds for breast and ovarian cancer support needs, featuring two-women teams in a scramble format.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered community partner.

• Allina Health Cancer Institutecommunity partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare organization partner providing support and referrals for breast cancer patients.
• M Health Fairviewcommunity partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner collaborating to connect patients with peer support services.
• Minnesota Oncologycommunity partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerOncology healthcare provider partner referring patients to Firefly Sisterhood support services.
• Hennepin Healthcarecommunity partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system partner supporting breast cancer patients through referrals to peer mentoring program.
• Oak Marsh Golf Coursecommunity partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvent venue partner hosting the annual Pink & Teal Golf Classic fundraiser.
• United Breast Cancer Foundation (UBCF)community partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for Pink Bag Events, providing curated care packages for breast cancer patients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubesoundcloud.com/user-298534622
• Facebookfacebook.com/FireflySisterhood
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/firefly-sisterhood
• Instagraminstagram.com/FIREFLYSISTERHOOD
• Xx.com/FireflySisters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Firefly Sisterhood