Ears To You, Inc.

What Ears To You, Inc. does

Ears To You, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation headquartered in Hinckley, Ohio, in the Cleveland metro area, founded in 2008 by cancer survivor Ruth Crane. The organization provides comfort items — earrings, baseball hats, headscarves, and inspirational books — free of charge to cancer patients of all ages and cancer types, distributed through hospital partners and cancer support centers such as Yellow Brick Place in Youngstown, Ohio. It also awards college and trade-school scholarships to students whose lives have been affected by cancer, with a record $36,000 disbursed to 14 students in 2026.

The product portfolio consists of standalone items (Cubic Zirconia and Heart Ribbon Signature Earrings at a $15 minimum donation, baseball hats at $25, headscarves at varying prices, and an Ethnic Recipes From My Friends Cookbook at $30) and bundled Wellness Wishes Boxes for men and women at $40, each comprising a book, hat, bracelet, lip balm, lotion, essential oil roll-on, socks, and foot butter. There is no proprietary technology or platform — the operation runs on a WordPress website, Stripe-powered checkout, PayPal and Venmo donation links, and an Amazon Smile affiliate (0.5% back) channel. Vendor partnerships (Bullseye Activewear for embroidered hats) and event partnerships (The Encore in Strongsville for the Green & Gold Gala) supply the merchandise and the annual fundraising event.

The revenue model is donor-driven with no federal or state funding. Streams include individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, planned giving (wills, retirement accounts, insurance policies), Amazon Smile contributions, and merchandise sales structured as minimum donations. Distribution is regional — Ohio and surrounding states — and the organization is staffed by approximately 5 employees with no funding rounds, parent company, or M&A activity. Brand credibility is supported by a 2019 GuideStar Gold Seal of Transparency and a 2022 GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Nonprofit designation.

Name

Ears To You, Inc.

Legal name

Ears To You, Inc.

Website

https://earstoyou.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ears To You, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Cleveland-area nonprofit that provides free earrings, hats, headscarves, and inspirational books to cancer patients via hospital partners and awards scholarships to students impacted by cancer, funded by individual donations, corporate sponsors, foundation grants, and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit cancer support services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

Keywords

• Cancer comfort donations
• Nonprofit cancer charity
• Cancer patient support
• Cancer survivor scholarships
• Community fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Hinckley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Ears To You relies on the generosity of individual donors who contribute funds to purchase comfort items for cancer patients including earrings, hats, headscarves, and books.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate support through business partners who sponsor fundraising events or provide ongoing support to the organization.
3. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundation grants to support the organization's mission of providing moments of joy to cancer patients.
4. Product Sales (Gifts): Sale of signature merchandise including earrings, baseball hats, headscarves, t-shirts, and cookbooks. All items are available for a minimum donation and proceeds support cancer patient donations and the organization's programs.
5. Planned Giving: Long-term support options through will bequests, retirement accounts, or insurance policies for donors wishing to provide sustained support.
6. Amazon Smile: Through Amazon Smile program, shoppers can designate Ears To You as their charity and receive 0.5% donation back on eligible purchases.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ears To You is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that distributes comfort items—earrings, hats, headscarves, and inspirational books—to cancer patients of all ages free of charge through hospital and cancer support center partners. It funds this mission through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants, supplemented by a small merchandise line (Wellness Wishes Boxes, signature jewelry, hats, headscarves, and a cookbook) sold for minimum donations. The organization additionally provides college and trade-school scholarships to students whose lives have been touched by cancer.

Product overview

Ears To You is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that sells merchandise to support cancer patients. The product portfolio consists of wellness wish boxes (Men's and Women's versions), signature jewelry (earrings with inspirational themes), apparel (baseball hats and head scarves), and a cookbook. All products are sold as minimum donations and proceeds support the organization's mission of providing moments of joy and hope to cancer patients through donated earrings, hats, headscarves, inspirational books, and college scholarships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wellness Wishes Box: Care packages for individuals facing difficult health or personal journeys, including books, hats, bracelets, lip balm, body lotion, essential oil roll-ons, socks, and foot butter.

Products and services

• Men's Wellness Wishes Box Care package for men containing book, Ears To You baseball hat, leather bracelet, lip balm, body lotion, essential oil roll-on, comfy socks, foot butter, zippered bag, and personalized note; minimum donation $40.
• Women's Wellness Wishes Box Care package for women containing comfy socks, lip balm, foot butter, essential oil roll-on, zippered bag with cute print/saying, body lotion, and personalized note; minimum donation $40.
• Cubic Zirconia Signature Earrings Signature earrings featuring cubic zirconia stones with inspirational words, lead/nickel-free plated metal; minimum donation $15.
• Heart Ribbon Signature Earrings Signature earrings featuring a heart ribbon design; lead/nickel-free plated metal; offered for a minimum donation.
• Ears To You Baseball Hat Unisex adult size trucker or traditional hat featuring the Ears To You logo, available in multiple colors with sayings including Blessed, Faith, Hope, and Joy; minimum donation $25.
• Head Scarves Soft headscarves made in the USA with imported fabric, machine washable, offered in frequently changing colors and patterns.
• Ethnic Recipes From My Friends Cookbook Cookbook featuring recipes from around the world (appetizers to desserts), including a Butterscotch Pie recipe from Executive Director Ruth Crane's mom; minimum donation $30.

Quantifiable outcome

• $36,000 awarded in scholarships to 14 students in 2026 (record year)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Yellow Brick PlaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCancer support center in Youngstown, Ohio that receives donations of Ears To You products, particularly baseball hats, for distribution to cancer patients in their care.
• The Encore (Strongsville)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent venue that hosts Ears To You's annual Green & Gold Gala. Khadar Soussou and the team have been supportive, professional, accommodating, and generous in hosting the event for the past two years.
• Bullseye ActivewearminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVendor partner that provides embroidery services for baseball hats. Sent new baseball hats with beautiful embroidery for the organization's gift catalog.
• Hospital PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospitals that partner with Ears To You to receive donations of comfort items (earrings, hats, headscarves, books) for distribution to cancer patients. The organization actively seeks to expand to more hospitals.
• Business Partners (Sponsors)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsors that support Ears To You through sponsoring fundraising events or providing ongoing support. The organization offers sponsorship opportunities to add business names to their growing list of partners.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Susan G. Komen: Large-scale breast cancer nonprofit funding research, community health programs, and patient support. Broad incumbent that dwarfs Ears To You in fundraised revenue and competes for corporate sponsorships and individual donations.
• CancerCare: Established national nonprofit providing free, professional support services including counseling, education, and financial assistance to anyone affected by cancer. Broader incumbent that competes for the same donor dollars but operates at far greater scale.

Direct peers

• Cleaning for a Reason: Nonprofit providing free house cleaning services to cancer patients. Operates as a small cancer-focused charity funded through donations and corporate partners, structurally comparable in mission and funding model to Ears To You.
• Good Wishes: Nonprofit that provides complimentary headscarves and beanies to cancer patients experiencing hair loss. Highly comparable to Ears To You's model of donating headscarves, hats, and comfort items to cancer patients free of charge through partner channels.
• The Lydia Project: Nonprofit providing free head coverings, scarves, and supportive services to women (and others) facing cancer. Closely mirrors Ears To You's headscarves and comfort item donations through hospital-affiliated distribution.
• Pink Ribbon Girls: Nonprofit delivering direct services (meals, transportation, house cleaning, peer support) to those affected by breast and gynecological cancers. Comparable as a regional nonprofit cancer support organization serving patients through hospital/community partnerships.
• The Ellie Fund: Nonprofit providing direct services and comfort to breast cancer patients in Massachusetts, including transportation, housekeeping, and meals. Comparable as a small cancer patient support nonprofit funded by individual donors and events.
• Wigs for Kids: Nonprofit providing free hair replacement systems to children and teens facing medical hair loss, including cancer. Comparable as a charity providing tangible personal items (hair systems/head coverings) to cancer patients at no cost.
• Look Good Feel Better: Nonprofit dedicated to helping people with cancer manage the appearance-related side effects of treatment through beauty support, head coverings, and confidence programs. Directly comparable as a charitable cancer patient support organization providing tangible comfort items.

Regional players

• National Cancer Foundation: Nonprofit providing financial assistance and patient support programs to cancer patients. Comparable thematic peer focused on cancer patient quality-of-life support, though with a different delivery model (financial aid rather than tangible comfort items).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/earstoyou
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ears-to-you-inc-

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Ears To You, Inc.