Fight Cancer Foundation

What Fight Cancer Foundation does

Fight Cancer Foundation is an Australian registered charity (ABN: 93 097 333 018) founded in 1989 and headquartered in South Melbourne, Victoria, that supports people living with cancer and their families through accommodation services, bone marrow donor registry operations, cord blood banking, education support, and cancer research funding. Its core service portfolio comprises three accommodation centres (Hilltop House in Albury Wodonga, BMDI House in Melbourne, and a Hobart location) providing affordable housing near major cancer treatment hospitals for families who must travel for treatment; the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, established in 1990 with over 200,000 registered donors and access to 28 million+ internationally-linked donors; the BMDI Cord Blood Bank (established September 1996 as Australia's second public cord blood bank); and an Education Support Program delivered in partnership with The Royal Children's Hospital. The organisation is supported by celebrity patrons including Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness and runs flagship recurring events Red Ball Melbourne (annual gala since 1992) and Footy Colours Day (a national school/workplace campaign of 30+ years standing).

The foundation operates with approximately 30 paid staff supported by an extensive volunteer network and runs a community-led go-to-market model combining signature fundraising events (Red Ball Melbourne, Footy Colours Day Kick-Off, Love Red Lunch Geelong, The Little Red Luncheon Tasmania), corporate sponsorship packages, an online donation portal, regular giving, bequests (via a Safewill partnership), two volunteer-staffed recycle shops in Geelong West and Drysdale, Victoria, and workplace/school community fundraising via the Raisely platform. Ticketed event and sponsorship pricing is structured by tier (e.g., Footy Colours Day Launch individual $215, table of 10 $1,950, sponsorship tiers $5,000–$16,000). Operational focus is Australia-wide across Victoria, Tasmania and southern New South Wales, with no disclosed AI, software, or proprietary technology products. The foundation is governed by a board of directors; in March 2023, long-serving Managing Director Eric Wright retired after 25 years and Cara Davey became Acting CEO.

Name

Fight Cancer Foundation

Legal name

Fight Cancer Foundation Limited

Website

https://fightcancer.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fight Cancer Foundation is an Australian charity, founded 1989, that provides accommodation, bone marrow donor registry services, cord blood banking, and education support to cancer patients and their families across Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales, funded through donations, events and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Patient Support Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Blood and Organ Banks (621991)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Cancer patient accommodation
• Bone marrow donor registry
• Charity fundraising events
• Cord blood banking services
• Community cancer support

Headquarters

HQ city

South Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: Individual donations from the public supporting cancer patients and families. Tax-deductible donations above $2 (ABN: 93 097 333 018). Options include one-time donations, regular giving programs, and designated fund appeals (Stella's Story, Maxx's Story, Research, Accommodation, Education Support, Footy Colours Day, Hilltop Appeal, BMDI Rotary House Appeal, Future Giving, In Memoriam).
2. Event Fundraising: Revenue from signature charity events including Red Ball Melbourne (annual gala), Footy Colours Day, Love Red Lunch Geelong, and The Little Red Luncheon Tasmania. Events include ticket sales, auction items, raffles, and corporate sponsorship packages.
3. Retail Operations: Two Victorian recycle shops in Geelong West and Drysdale selling preloved designer and vintage fashion, homewares, books, bric-a-brac, haberdashery, CDs, vinyls. Revenue from sale of donated goods.
4. Bequests and Wills: Legacy giving program allowing supporters to include Fight Cancer Foundation in their Will. Partnership with Safewill to facilitate Will writing. Gifts help ensure continued accommodation and cancer research support.
5. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship packages for events and programs. Footy Colours Day Launch offers tiers: Table Sponsor ($5,000), Associate Sponsor ($8,000), Major Sponsor ($16,000). Red Ball Melbourne has Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze sponsorship levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fight Cancer Foundation is a registered Australian charity that supports families affected by cancer through patient and family accommodation centres (Hilltop House in Albury Wodonga and BMDI House in Melbourne), the BMDI Cord Blood Bank providing stem cells for transplant patients, and an Education Support Program delivered with The Royal Children's Hospital. It funds cancer research in partnership with Melbourne Health and The Royal Melbourne Hospital and sustains these programs through individual donations, bequests, corporate sponsorships, signature fundraising events such as Red Ball Melbourne and Footy Colours Day, and revenue from two volunteer-staffed recycle shops in regional Victoria.

Product overview

Fight Cancer Foundation is a national Australian charity supporting families fighting cancer since 1989, operating as a unified service portfolio rather than a software platform. Its core offerings include patient accommodation centres in Albury and Melbourne (Hilltop House and BMDI House) providing a home away from home for families traveling to treatment; the BMDI Cord Blood Bank (established 1996) supporting stem cell transplant patients; and an Education Support Program in partnership with The Royal Children's Hospital. Fundraising is driven through flagship campaigns including Red Ball Melbourne (an annual gala since 1992) and Footy Colours Day (a national school/workplace colour-themed fundraising campaign with an annual MCG kick-off event), alongside an online donations platform, online fundraising tools via Raisely, and two volunteer-staffed Recycle Shops in Geelong West and Drysdale, Victoria. Additional engagement includes a bi-monthly e-newsletter 'Inside the Fight', bequest/will planning resources via a Safewill partnership, and volunteer programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patient Accommodation Centres Accommodation centres in Albury and Melbourne providing comfortable and affordable housing for seriously ill patients and their families who must travel long distances to access medical treatment at partner hospitals.
• BMDI Cord Blood Bank A public cord blood bank sourcing and providing cord blood for patients needing stem cell transplants for blood cancers and other life-threatening illnesses.
• Education Support Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% of blood and immune disorder patients unable to find suitable bone marrow donor match from a relative - registry provides second chance at life
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, gold and minor.

• Melbourne Health and The Royal Melbourne HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partnership with Melbourne Health and The Royal Melbourne Hospital to fund research into blood disorders and cancer treatments. Fight Cancer Foundation is proud of this partnership supporting vital research into cancer treatment and cures.
• The Royal Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with The Royal Children's Hospital for education support program supporting children and young people living with cancer from across Victoria, including Geelong and surrounding regions.
• HublotmajorOthersPlatinum sponsor of Red Ball Melbourne 2022. Provided luxury watch prizes including a $51,200 Hublot Unico King Gold Ceramic Watch raffle prize.
• The Hour GlassmajorOthersPlatinum sponsor of Red Ball Melbourne 2022. Provided luxury watch prizes and timepiece donations for raffles and auctions.
• CrowngoldOthersGold sponsor of Red Ball Melbourne 2022. Major supporter of the annual gala event.
• Trumpet EventsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEvent production partner for Red Ball Melbourne, responsible for overall event production and coordination.
• SafewillminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to make Will writing simple and secure for supporters wanting to leave a bequest to Fight Cancer Foundation. Provides convenient Will writing services.
• Frogmore Creek WineryminorOthersEvent partner for The Little Red Luncheon in Tasmania. Host venue for the premium event supporting seriously ill Tasmanians.
• GullminorOthersProud sponsor of Love Red Lunch Geelong 2022 event.
• Higher MarkminorOthersProud sponsor of Love Red Lunch Geelong 2022 event.
• PKFminorOthersSilver sponsor of Red Ball Melbourne 2022.
• GB GalvanizingminorOthersSilver sponsor of Red Ball Melbourne 2022.
• Dynamic Leadership Programs AustraliaminorOthersSilver sponsor of Red Ball Melbourne 2022.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cure Cancer Australia: Australian cancer research charity funding early-career cancer researchers. Comparable grantmaking model for cancer research and competes for the same donor pool interested in research funding outcomes.
• McGrath Foundation: High-profile Australian cancer charity funding breast cancer nurses and patient support. Competes for corporate sponsorships and gala event participation, sharing the signature-event-driven fundraising model.
• Leukaemia Foundation: Australian charity specifically focused on blood cancers including leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Provides accommodation for regional patients and is a direct competitor given Fight Cancer Foundation's bone marrow registry origins and blood cancer focus.
• Cancer Council Australia: Australia's largest nonprofit cancer charity providing research funding, prevention programs, and patient support services. Directly competes with Fight Cancer Foundation for cancer-related donations, corporate sponsorships, and volunteer support across Australia.
• Children's Cancer Institute: Australia's only independent medical research institute dedicated to childhood cancer. Partners with Fight Cancer Foundation on pediatric research and competes for childhood-cancer-specific donor dollars.
• Redkite: Australian charity supporting children and young people with cancer, including financial assistance, education support, and accommodation. Highly comparable given Fight Cancer Foundation's Education Support Program in partnership with The Royal Children's Hospital.
• Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation: Fundraising arm of Australia's largest dedicated cancer hospital. Comparable mission funding cancer research, patient support, and treatment infrastructure at major treatment centres.

Emerging players

• Snowdome Foundation: Australian charity funding research into blood cancer treatments including lymphoma, leukaemia, and myeloma. Highly relevant given Fight Cancer Foundation's BMDI Cord Blood Bank and bone marrow registry focus.
• Tour de Cure: Australian charity raising funds for cancer research, treatment, and prevention through signature cycling events. Comparable event-led fundraising model with signature tours, though smaller scale and more niche sport-specific.

Broad incumbents

• Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre (Austin Health): Major Melbourne-based cancer treatment and research centre where Fight Cancer Foundation's Acting CEO Cara Davey previously held leadership. Operates cancer wellness programs and research funding at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FightCancerFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fightcancerfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/fightcancerau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Fight Cancer Foundation