Kay Yow Cancer Fund

What Kay Yow Cancer Fund does

Kay Yow Cancer Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded December 3, 2007, in Durham, North Carolina, by former NC State University head women's basketball coach Kay Yow (who died January 24, 2009 after a 22-year battle with cancer). The Fund's mission is to raise money for cancer research and for programs that provide access to quality cancer healthcare for underserved women, while uniting people in the fight against all cancers affecting women. Since founding, the Fund has awarded over $11 million in grants, with allocations spanning ovarian ($2.55M), breast ($1.65M), uterine/endometrial ($1.1M), cancer-in-aging-women ($1.1M), mammograms ($1.23M), assisting the underserved ($1.28M), women's cancer ($200K), and lung cancer ($100K).

The Fund operates a portfolio of interconnected community programs rather than technology products. Core programs include Play4Kay, the flagship grassroots fundraising initiative running events in all 50 states across NCAA Divisions I-III, NAIA, junior colleges, and K-12 schools; the EmPOWERment Tour, a youth education initiative on cancer awareness and healthcare access barriers; the Servant Leader Award, recognizing student-athletes for leadership and service; and recurring signature events such as the annual Golf Classic (Grandover Resort, Greensboro, NC), Celebration Run/Walk, and Wine Walks. Additional assets include the Kickin' It Forward podcast, the Cancer Warrior Network peer-support community, and the Research Grants Program.

Revenue is generated through individual donations (one-time and recurring via the support.kayyow.com portal, including the POWER of ONE...MILLION campaign), corporate sponsorships structured in tiers (Global Partners: Nike, ESPN, NCAA, WBCA, V Foundation; National, Mission, Local Partners; Special Contributors), Play4Kay team and school fundraising, and signature events. The Fund is led by CEO Jenny Palmateer with 11-50 employees and has no parent company, equity ownership, or institutional investor backing — operating as an independent public charity.

Name

Kay Yow Cancer Fund

Legal name

Kay Yow Cancer Fund

Website

https://kayyow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kay Yow Cancer Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 that raises money for cancer research and access-to-care programs for underserved women, channeling donations through the nationwide Play4Kay women's basketball movement and corporate partnerships with Nike, ESPN, NCAA, and the V Foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Research and Patient Access Nonprofit

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Health Program Grants Management & Administration (HLAJALAC), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Cancer research grants
• Women's cancer nonprofit
• Community fundraising programs
• Play4Kay movement
• Patient assistance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham, North Carolina

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: General donations and monthly giving through website donation portal. Donors can contribute to POWER of ONE...MILLION campaign and general fund.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Partnership tiers including Global Partners (Nike, ESPN, NCAA, WBCA, V Foundation), National Partners, Mission Partners (Deep River Sporting Clays, UNC Health, Fishin' For A Cure), Local Partners, and Special Contributors. Three-year Mission Partner commitment from Deep River Sporting Clays and PowerSecure.
3. Play4Kay Fundraising: Participating teams and schools raise funds through Play4Kay games and events. National award winners recognized at Women's Final Four. Grassroots events include K-12 school programs.
4. Signature Events: Golf Classic tournament (August 16-17, 2026 at Grandover Resort, Greensboro, NC), Celebration Run/Walk, Wine Walks, and grassroots events generate revenue and awareness.
5. EmPOWERment Tour: Educational tour reaching communities to empower younger generation in cancer awareness and break down barriers to quality healthcare access.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kay Yow Cancer Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that awards grants for life-saving cancer research and supports programs providing access to quality cancer healthcare for underserved women. Its mission is operationalized through the Play4Kay grassroots fundraising movement, an EmPOWERment Tour for community education, research grants (with over $11 million awarded to date), and signature fundraising events such as the annual Golf Classic and Celebration Run/Walk.

Product overview

Kay Yow Cancer Fund operates as a unified charitable platform offering multiple interconnected programs to unite people in the fight against all cancers affecting women. The core programs include Play4Kay (national fundraising initiative spanning all 50 states), EmPOWERment Tour (youth education program), Servant Leader Award (student-athlete recognition), Celebration Run/Walk (annual survivor event), Golf Classic (signature fundraising event), Cancer Warrior Network (peer support community), Kickin' It Forward Podcast (storytelling platform), Research Grants Program (funding cancer research), Grassroots Events, and Wine Walks. The organization was founded in 2007 by Coach Kay Yow and has awarded over $11 million to support cancer research and access to care programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Play4Kay National grassroots fundraising movement and event series hosted in all 50 states across NCAA Division I (BCS and Non-BCS), Division II, Division III, NAIA, Junior College/Community College, and K-12 schools. Teams host Play4Kay games raising funds, with national award winners recognized at the Women's Final Four.
• EmPOWERment Tour Community education program that equips and empowers the next generation to help their families, friends, and communities break down barriers to quality cancer healthcare, delivered as a tour across multiple U.S. communities in partnership with healthcare providers such as UNC Health.
• Servant Leader Award Annual recognition program honoring women's basketball student-athletes for servant leadership in the fight against cancer. Honorees wear a special patch on their uniform jerseys and are recognized at the Women's Final Four Wow4Yow celebration. The 2025-26 cohort had 66 honorees representing 23 conferences.
• Celebration Run/Walk Annual survivor-honoring run/walk event with honorary co-chairs and community participation, designed to celebrate survivors and raise funds.
• Golf Classic Annual golf tournament fundraiser held at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC, serving as a signature revenue and stewardship event for the Fund.
• Cancer Warrior Network Private online community (hosted on Facebook) connecting cancer warriors, survivors, thrivers, and supporters for peer support and shared experience.
• Kickin' It Forward Podcast Original podcast sharing inspirational stories of people overcoming life's obstacles, distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and other major platforms.
• Research Grants Program Competitive grants awarded to academic medical centers and cancer research institutions for innovative research (e.g., a $1 million NK-cell immunotherapy grant to Washington University) and to community providers for access-to-care programs (e.g., mobile mammography, patient financial assistance, cooling caps).
• Grassroots Events Community-based fundraising events anyone can host or join to participate in the fight against cancer, including school and team-led initiatives nationwide.
• Wine Walks Grassroots fundraising events combining wine tasting with community engagement to raise funds and awareness for the Fund's mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• $11.1 million awarded to support cancer research and programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

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

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• NikecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLongstanding partnership since before the Fund raised its first dollar. Coach Yow asked Nike to be a champion for the cause. Nike produces Kay Yow Cancer Fund merchandise including the KD11 Aunt Pearl featuring names of cancer warriors. Major supporter of women's basketball community.
• ESPNcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured on ESPN 30 for 30 documentary coverage. ESPN logo displayed prominently as Global Partner. Provides platform visibility for women's basketball and Fund mission.
• NCAAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNCAA logo displayed as Global Partner. Women's Final Four platform provides annual opportunity to award grants in host city and recognize Play4Kay award winners at Wow4Yow celebration.
• Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Partner organization. WBCA coaches spearhead Play4Kay initiatives and Servant Leader Award program for student-athletes.
• V Foundation for Cancer ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerV Foundation reviewed and recommended Dr. Todd A. Fehniger's $1 million grant project through their Scientific Advisory Committee. Projects awarded through the V Foundation's selective review process.
• Deep River Sporting ClayscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission Partner with three-year commitment. Grew from grassroots Clays4Kay event launched in 2014 by Ed and Frances Strickland following Frances' cancer diagnosis. Deep River Sporting Clays located in Sanford, NC on 65 acres.
• PowerSecurecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMission Partner supporting Deep River Sporting Clays partnership. Three-year commitment to drive meaningful change for women facing cancer. PowerSecure is a subsidiary of Southern Company, leading distributed energy infrastructure in the US.
• UNC HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission Partner since 2011. Funded two mobile mammography units with digital imaging equipment for central North Carolina. 2019 upgrade to 3D imaging. Supported Angel Fund for direct patient assistance. Active in Empowerment Tour across North Carolina.
• Fishin' For A CurestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission Partner. Week-long event in Emerald Isle, NC with 150+ participants. Grew from $21,000 poker fishing tournament to multi-faceted celebration including golf, cornhole, Pink Pint Night. Operators also own The Trading Post restaurant for year-round donations.
• Chicago SkystrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerWNBA team partnership for annual Women's Cancer Awareness Game at Wintrust Arena. First official Play4Kay game for WNBA team. Proceeds matched through Kay Yow Cancer Fund grant benefiting Equal Hope. 2021 WNBA Champion franchise.
• Equal HopestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago-based nonprofit committed to eliminating health disparities. Provides free breast and gynecologic cancer screenings, education, and patient navigation. Grant recipient from Kay Yow Cancer Fund/Chicago Sky partnership.
• Georgia Alliance for Breast CancerstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in $60,000 joint grant to Atrium Health Navicent on Tasha Butts Day. Georgia Alliance contributed $10,000 alongside $50,000 from Kay Yow Cancer Fund for mobile mammography in Milledgeville, GA.
• Atrium Health NavicentstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner$50,000 grant for mobile mammography program. One of Georgia's largest nonprofit health systems serving 5 million people. Part of Advocate Health, third-largest nonprofit health system in US.
• St. Joseph's/CandlerstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner$50,000 grant to Telfair Mammography Fund for mobile mammograms in Savannah, GA. Provided over 430 screening mammograms to women in need in prior year. Grant expands reach for uninsured/underinsured women.
• Blood ConnectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for blood drives organized by cancer survivor Ava Grivalski. Blood Connection includes Kay Yow Cancer Fund as charity beneficiary for donations.
• National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year national partnership announced October 2025, marking NJCAA's first-ever official charity designation. 500+ member institutions, 65,000 student-athletes, 514 schools, 3,400 teams in 28 sports. Partnership launches with women's basketball, volleyball, and softball.
• LSU Women's BasketballstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerFlau'jae Johnson, LSU standout, named inaugural Kay Yow Servant Leader of the Year. Team participates in Play4Kay initiatives. Johnson's More To 4 nonprofit contributed $15,000 to Fund.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Bright Pink: Focused on prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women. Smaller and more narrowly targeted than Kay Yow but mission-aligned on women's cancer awareness, education, and access - particularly relevant overlap for the EmPOWERment Tour.
• Team Gleason: ALS-focused nonprofit founded around former NFL player Steve Gleason with sports-community-driven fundraising model. Smaller mission scope but comparable strategy of converting athlete/team community into grassroots fundraising engine.

Direct peers

• Susan G. Komen: The largest breast-cancer-focused nonprofit, combining community-driven fundraising events (Race for the Cure) and major research grants. Directly comparable model to Kay Yow in mission scope (women's cancer), event-driven fundraising, and research grantmaking.
• St. Baldrick's Foundation: Volunteer- and event-driven childhood cancer research grantmaker with signature head-shaving fundraising events. Comparable mid-scale model combining grassroots community events with large research grants ($1M+) - structurally analogous to Kay Yow's Play4Kay events and $1M Washington University grant.
• Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance: Largest ovarian cancer-focused nonprofit funding research and advocacy; directly comparable to Kay Yow's $2.55M ovarian cancer grant line and underserved women's programs, with similar funding scale.
• National Breast Cancer Foundation: Funds mammography access and breast cancer education for underserved women - directly mirroring Kay Yow's $1.23M mammography grant line and underserved program focus. Similar mid-sized nonprofit scale and donor base composition.
• V Foundation for Cancer Research: Founded by Jim Valvano, fellow NCAA-coach-founded cancer research grantmaker. V Foundation actually reviews and recommends Kay Yow grant projects via its Scientific Advisory Committee, making it a direct operational peer and partner in cancer research grantmaking.

Broad incumbents

• Breast Cancer Research Foundation: Dedicated entirely to breast cancer research funding at scale, with established corporate partnerships. Larger and more research-focused than Kay Yow but overlapping in grantmaking approach to cancer research at academic medical centers.
• American Cancer Society: The largest US cancer nonprofit with broad cancer-type scope including women's cancers, runs Relay For Life and Making Strides events, and funds significant research. Overlaps in mission but vastly larger scale and broader cancer-type remit.

Others

• WBCA (Women's Basketball Coaches Association) Foundation: Coaches' association that operates alongside women's basketball and supports Kay Yow as a Global Partner. Sister organization within the same women's basketball ecosystem, with overlapping coaching-network reach and youth program infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/KayYowFund
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCy1oQ5vQKXaVBTT8V50RtXw
• Facebookfacebook.com/kayyowcancerfund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kay-yow-cancer-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/KayYowFund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Kay Yow Cancer Fund