Helping Families Handle Cancer

What Helping Families Handle Cancer does

Helping Families Handle Cancer Foundation is a Calgary-based non-profit charitable organization founded in 2008 by childhood cancer survivor Carie Stock. The foundation provides direct financial assistance to families in Alberta and Saskatchewan who have a child undergoing cancer treatment, covering practical expenses such as groceries, gas, bill payments, rent, utilities, and hospital parking passes. Families are identified exclusively through a referral network of Social Workers at three institutional partners: Alberta Children's Hospital (Calgary), Jim Pattison Children's Hospital (Saskatoon), and Rotary Flames House Hospice, with 100% of referred families receiving assistance.

The foundation's product portfolio is anchored by the Caring for Families financial-assistance program and extended by two complementary offerings: Bereavement Boxes for families who have lost a child to cancer, and the Helen Stock Legacy Bursary, a $5,000 post-secondary scholarship now in its fifth year for oncology parents and family members. The underlying technology is a standard nonprofit website (helpingfamilies.ca) with donation-processing capabilities, built and maintained by Truemarket; there are no proprietary technology platforms, AI/ML capabilities, or integrations disclosed.

The business model is a four-stream charitable revenue structure: individual donations (with a distinctive donor-transparency model that reports back exactly how each gift was deployed), corporate sponsorships (including a long-term Costen Insurance Customer Referral Program relationship established in 2020), fundraising events (anchored by the annual A Golden Evening gala in September at The Commons Calgary and the Honouring Evelyn memorial fundraiser, which raised a record $50,000 in 2024), and grants from foundations and government programs. The organization is led by Founder/Executive Director Carie Stock with a 7-person team and a Board of Directors chaired by Sarah Parkin, currently a Philanthropy Officer at the Alberta Cancer Foundation. Since founding, the organization has helped 4,100+ families and disbursed $2M+ in support.

Name

Helping Families Handle Cancer

Legal name

Helping Families Handle Cancer Foundation

Website

https://helpingfamilies.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Helping Families Handle Cancer is a Calgary-based non-profit foundation that provides direct financial assistance — groceries, gas, bills, and parking passes — to families in Alberta and Saskatchewan with children battling cancer, identified exclusively through hospital Social Worker referrals; it has served 4,100+ families since 2008.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Family Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO)

Keywords

• Childhood cancer support
• Family financial assistance
• Pediatric oncology charity
• Bereavement support services
• Community fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals who want to support families with children battling cancer. Donors receive transparency on exactly how their donation helped a family.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners sponsor events and programs. Includes designated 'Charity of the Year' programs with businesses.
3. Fundraising Events: Revenue from events like A Golden Evening and Honouring Evelyn. Record-breaking $50,000 raised at Honouring Evelyn 2024 event.
4. Grants: Operating funding through grants from foundations and government programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Helping Families Handle Cancer is a charitable foundation that provides direct financial assistance and practical support to families in Alberta and Saskatchewan who have a child battling cancer. Its core offering, the Caring for Families program, pays for practical expenses such as groceries, gas, bills, rent, utilities, and hospital parking passes. Supporting programs include Bereavement Boxes for families who have lost a child and the Helen Stock Legacy Bursary, a $5,000 post-secondary scholarship for individuals impacted by childhood cancer. Families are identified exclusively through referrals from Social Workers at partner hospitals and hospices, and 100% of referred families receive assistance.

Product overview

Helping Families Handle Cancer is a charitable foundation offering a portfolio of support programs for families with children battling cancer. The core offering is the Caring for Families program, which provides direct financial assistance for practical expenses like groceries, gas, and bills. Supporting programs include Bereavement Boxes for families who have lost a child, and the Helen Stock Legacy Bursary scholarship worth $5,000 for post-secondary education. The organization operates through partnerships with Social Workers at children's hospitals to identify families in need.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Caring for Families A support program that connects families with children battling cancer to direct financial assistance and practical resources. The organization works with a network of Social Workers at children's hospitals and hospices in Alberta and Saskatchewan to identify families in greatest need; 100% of referred families receive assistance for expenses such as groceries, gas, bills, rent, utilities, and hospital parking passes.
• Bereavement Boxes A program providing support resources to families who have lost a child to cancer. Bereavement Boxes offer practical items and comfort materials to families navigating grief following the death of a child from pediatric cancer.
• Helen Stock Legacy Bursary (Scholarship) A $5,000 bursary awarded to qualified recipients pursuing post-secondary education. The program supports oncology parents and family members impacted by childhood cancer, helping them achieve educational goals as part of the foundation's broader family-support mission.
• Financial Assistance Program Provides direct financial relief to families journeying through childhood cancer diagnosis by paying for practical expenses including groceries, gas, bills, rent, utilities, and hospital parking passes. All donations go directly to local families, and donors receive transparency on how their contribution was used.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,100+ families helped to date
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Costen InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Through their Customer Referral Program, Costen Insurance designated Helping Families Handle Cancer as their long-term recipient, providing ongoing donor support and visibility.
• Alberta Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with hospital Social Workers who refer families in need. Organization works with hospital staff to identify families who would benefit from financial assistance during childhood cancer treatment.
• Jim Pattison Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Saskatoon children's hospital Social Workers to identify and refer families in Saskatchewan who need financial support during pediatric cancer treatment.
• Rotary Flames House HospicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Calgary hospice to support families during end-of-life care for children, providing financial relief during incredibly difficult times.
• Social Workers NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroad network of Social Workers across Alberta and Saskatchewan who serve as the primary referral pathway for families. 100% of referred families receive assistance.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Alberta Cancer Foundation: Provincial fundraising body supporting cancer research, prevention, and patient care across Alberta. Comparable as a larger cancer-focused charitable organization in the same geography, though its scope includes adult oncology and research rather than family financial aid.
• Starlight Children's Foundation Canada: National nonprofit supporting seriously ill children and their families through hospital programs and special experiences. Comparable broader incumbent in the pediatric serious-illness family-support category across Canada.
• Make-A-Wish Canada: Large national Canadian nonprofit granting wishes to children with critical illnesses including cancer. Comparable as a major childhood-illness family-facing charity with overlapping donor pools, though focused on wish-granting rather than financial assistance.

Emerging players

• Wigs for Kids (Canada): Charitable programs providing wigs and hair systems to children experiencing hair loss due to cancer treatment. Comparable as a niche childhood-cancer support service in adjacent category, partial overlap with family-support mission.

Others

• Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Consortium (POETIC): North American research consortium focused on pediatric oncology clinical trials and novel therapies. Thematically adjacent — a childhood-cancer ecosystem participant — but focused on research rather than family financial support.

Direct peers

• Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada: National nonprofit providing lodging and family support near children's hospitals across Canada, including Ronald McDonald Houses in Alberta. Directly comparable mission of reducing financial and logistical burden on families with seriously ill children.
• Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta: Calgary-based nonprofit supporting Alberta families affected by childhood cancer through financial assistance, camp programs, and research funding. Directly comparable as a regional pediatric oncology family-support charity with overlapping programs and donor base.
• Kids With Cancer Society: Edmonton-based nonprofit supporting Alberta families affected by childhood cancer through financial aid, counseling, and recreational programs. Directly comparable regional peer serving the same pediatric oncology family-support niche.
• Childhood Cancer Canada: National Canadian foundation funding research and providing family support programs for children with cancer. Comparable as a childhood-cancer-focused nonprofit serving Canadian families, though operating at a national rather than regional scale.
• Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support: American Childhood Cancer Organization (and Candlelighters affiliates) provide direct financial assistance, support networks, and information to families of children with cancer. Directly comparable mission of family financial and emotional support during pediatric cancer treatment.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helping-families-handle-cancer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Helping Families Handle Cancer