What Chronic Disease Coalition does

The Chronic Disease Coalition is a 501(c)(6) non-profit patient advocacy organization registered in Oregon and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with a 9-person staff and operations dating to 2015. Its functional role is to mobilize chronic disease patients—estimated at roughly 194 million U.S. adults, including 30 million with rare diseases—into state and federal healthcare policy advocacy through an Ambassador Program, grassroots storytelling, and structured engagement with lawmakers. Core programmatic offerings include the Ambassador network, the annual Chronic Disease Day live event, Chronic University educational webinars, a Policy Map tracking state legislative activity, and recurring content covering insurance navigation, disability benefits, mental health, and self-advocacy.

The coalition does not develop technology products, software platforms, or AI systems; its outputs are programmatic (advocacy training, policy positions, educational content, community events) rather than technical. Its go-to-market is community-led, distributing free resources via chronicdiseasecoalition.org, a twice-monthly email newsletter, Instagram/Facebook/YouTube channels, and partnerships with disease-specific advocacy organizations such as the National Kidney Foundation, American Kidney Fund, NORD, Every Life Foundation for Rare Disease, Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy, and the Center for Endometriosis Care. Research-policy influence is exercised through ambassador placements on PCORI advisory panels and National Academies workshops.

The revenue model is characteristic of a 501(c)(6) membership organization: organizational dues, individual donations, and likely foundation grants, with no disclosed revenue figures, pricing, or pay-for-service offerings. The payer partner Molina Healthcare contributes educational content for Chronic University but is not described as a revenue source. The organization is led by Executive Director Mary Kay Clunies-Ross and operates with no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed institutional investors.

Name

Chronic Disease Coalition

Legal name

Chronic Disease Coalition

Website

https://chronicdiseasecoalition.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Chronic Disease Coalition is a Portland, Oregon-based 501(c)(6) non-profit that mobilizes U.S. chronic disease patients through an Ambassador Program to advocate for affordable healthcare at state and federal levels, offering educational content, policy mapping, and Chronic Disease Day events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 501(c)(6) Membership Organization: The Chronic Disease Coalition is registered as a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization in Oregon. As a membership-based advocacy coalition, it likely derives revenue from organizational memberships, individual donations, and potentially grants from foundations supporting chronic disease advocacy efforts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Chronic Disease Coalition is a patient advocacy nonprofit that mobilizes chronic disease patients through an Ambassador Program and advocates at state and federal policy levels for affordable healthcare access, insurance reform, and improved patient outcomes. It provides educational content, community-building events including an annual Chronic Disease Day, and Chronic University webinars on topics such as insurance navigation.

Product overview

The Chronic Disease Coalition is a patient advocacy organization, not a technology product company. It does not offer software products, platforms, or modules in the traditional SaaS sense. Its offerings consist entirely of advocacy programs, educational content, and community-building initiatives, including: the Ambassador Program (a network of patient advocates); policy advocacy at state and federal levels; educational news and blog content covering chronic disease topics; resources on insurance navigation, disability benefits, and healthcare access; and an annual Chronic Disease Day live event. These are programmatic services, not technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ambassador Program A structured program for chronic disease patients to become trained patient advocates, share personal stories with lawmakers, and participate in state and federal policy events. Ambassadors engage in grassroots advocacy at Chronic Disease Day events, advocacy summits such as the Lupus Foundation of America National Advocate Summit, and meetings with elected officials across multiple states.
• Policy Advocacy Program State and federal policy advocacy program focused on improving healthcare policies for chronic disease patients, including issues like insurance reform, prior authorization, drug pricing, and healthcare access. Includes a Policy Map tracking active legislation and opportunities for constituent engagement with elected leaders.
• Chronic Disease Day Live Event An annual live virtual event held during Chronic Disease Month (July) featuring results from polls of chronic disease patients, ambassador stories about accessing and paying for chronic disease care, and educational sessions on advocacy engagement.
• Chronic University Educational Webinars Educational webinar series featuring guest speakers covering topics such as insurance navigation, open enrollment, and other issues relevant to chronic disease patients. Past sessions have featured speakers from partner organizations such as Molina Healthcare.

Quantifiable outcome

• Active in state legislatures nationwide with Policy Map tracking advocacy efforts
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• The Every Life Foundation for Rare DiseasecoreOthersRare disease advocacy organization partner recommended to patients for support, resources, and community connections.
• National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)coreOthersLeading rare disease advocacy organization partnered to provide resources and support for the 30 million Americans with rare diseases.
• Rare Access Action ProjectcoreOthersAdvocacy organization focused on rare disease access issues, recommended as a resource for patients seeking support.
• Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy (AHDA)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for headache and migraine advocacy, including events like Headache on the Hill and training for patient advocates.
• Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition ambassadors serve as Merit Reviewers and advisors in PCORI advisory panels, bringing patient perspectives to research prioritization.
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and MedicinesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition ambassadors participate in workshops and advisory panels, including planning committee for chronic pain treatment workshops.
• Center for Endometriosis CaresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Program Director who is a CDC ambassador, advancing endometriosis care, research, and policy reform.
• Molina HealthcaresecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner providing educational content for Chronic University sessions on insurance navigation and open enrollment for chronic disease patients.
• National Kidney FoundationcoreOthersMajor kidney advocacy organization where ambassadors serve in peer mentoring, advocacy committees, and policy roles.
• American Kidney FundcoreOthersKidney disease advocacy and support organization where ambassadors serve as kidney health coaches and advocates.
• United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)secondaryOthersOrgan transplantation network where ambassadors serve on pediatric kidney advisory councils.
• Lupus Foundation of AmericasecondaryOthersPartner organization supporting lupus patients; coalition ambassadors participate in advocacy summits.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Health Council: Coalition of patient advocacy organizations focused on chronic disease and disability policy. Comparable as an umbrella advocacy organization that mobilizes member patient groups around shared legislative priorities.
• National Patient Advocate Foundation: Patient advocacy nonprofit focused on improving access to affordable, quality healthcare through policy and case management. Closely comparable to the Chronic Disease Coalition in cross-disease advocacy, policy engagement, and patient navigation services.
• Patient Advocate Foundation: National nonprofit providing case management, insurance navigation, and financial aid to chronic disease patients. Comparable in target population (chronic disease patients), services (advocacy, insurance navigation), and federal/state policy engagement.
• National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD): Leading rare disease patient advocacy organization with a stated partnership to the Chronic Disease Coalition. Comparable in advocacy scope (federal/state policy), patient resource provision, and coalition-building across disease communities.
• Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy: Advocacy coalition for headache and migraine disorders partnered with the Chronic Disease Coalition. Comparable in Capitol Hill advocacy days (Headache on the Hill), ambassador training, and chronic pain policy focus.
• Every Life Foundation for Rare Diseases: Rare disease advocacy organization partnered with the Chronic Disease Coalition. Comparable in policy advocacy model, ambassador-driven grassroots engagement, and focus on healthcare access barriers for chronic/rare conditions.

Broad incumbents

• American Heart Association: National voluntary health organization with major advocacy function. Operates in overlapping chronic disease policy space (insurance access, drug pricing) but with much broader scope and substantially larger budget.
• National Kidney Foundation: Major voluntary health organization with chronic kidney disease advocacy. Stated coalition partner where ambassadors serve in peer mentoring and policy roles. Comparable in policy advocacy and patient support, but disease-specific and far larger.
• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network: Lobbying and advocacy arm of the American Cancer Society focused on federal/state policy. Comparable as a major disease-focused advocacy organization operating in the same state/federal legislative venues, but with vastly larger resources and a single-disease scope.
• American Diabetes Association: Large voluntary health organization focused on diabetes prevention, management, and advocacy. Comparable as a chronic disease advocacy organization working on overlapping issues (affordable insulin, insurance access) but with single-disease focus and significantly greater resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chronic-disease-coalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Chronic Disease Coalition