Mother's Day Classic Foundation

What Mother's Day Classic Foundation does

The Mother's Day Classic Foundation is an Australian nonprofit organization founded in 1998 that operates the annual Mother's Day Classic — a national walk/run event held on or around Mother's Day across more than 90 locations Australia-wide. Its core product is a recurring community fundraising event in which individual participants and teams register, fundraise via the Funraisin peer-to-peer fundraising platform, and either walk or run on event day. Since inception the foundation has directed $50.8 million in donations to cancer research, with the National Breast Cancer Foundation as the long-standing principal beneficiary and, from 2024, the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation as a second beneficiary following a mission expansion.

The foundation's business model is event-based peer-to-peer fundraising underpinned by corporate sponsorship. Gross receipts are generated through participant registration fees, individual fundraising pages, and a diversified sponsorship roster that includes ME Bank as a major partner, AIA Australia as principal partner since 2018, and David Jones as a newer co-marketing partner, alongside aligned-cause supporters such as Women in Super. In 2024 it extended its product offering with a new Half Marathon distance and introduced new prize/competition structures aimed at lifting per-participant fundraising yield. The organization employs 48 people to operate the event nationally, coordinate sponsors and beneficiaries, and steward the Funraisin platform integration.

Name

Mother's Day Classic Foundation

Legal name

MDC Foundation Ltd as trustee for Mother's Day Classic Foundation

Website

https://mothersdayclassic.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Mother's Day Classic Foundation, founded in 1998, is an Australian nonprofit that runs the annual national Mother's Day Classic walk/run across 90+ locations, raising funds for breast and ovarian cancer research via peer-to-peer fundraising and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Event Fundraising

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Fundraisers & Charity Events (Gala/Walks excluded) (MPAGAEAK)

Keywords

• Charitable fundraising events
• Cancer research fundraising
• Community walk run events
• Nonprofit foundation
• Peer-to-peer fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne/Cremorne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Registration Fees: Participants pay entry fees to register for the Mother's Day Classic walk/run events. Entry fees vary by event category (Short Event up to 5km, Medium Event 5-10km, Long Event 10-12km, Half Marathon 21km). The Half Marathon requires a minimum $500 fundraising commitment in addition to the entry fee.
2. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Donations: Individual participants and teams raise funds through personal fundraising pages. Donors contribute directly to participants' campaigns. The foundation receives the net proceeds after platform fees. Fundraising is encouraged for standard events and mandatory for Half Marathon participants.
3. Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships: Major partners (ME Bank), principal partners (AIA Australia), and other corporate sponsors provide financial support, in-kind prizes, and promotional support. Sponsors receive brand visibility at events and in marketing materials.
4. Competition Incentive Prizes: Various fundraising competitions with prizes including gift cards (TCN, Card.Gift, Witchery), fitness products (Brooks Running shoes, Merry People Bobbi Boots), spa treatments (endota Spa), and gym memberships (Fernwood). These drive fundraising engagement but represent a cost center.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mother's Day Classic Foundation organizes and operates the annual Mother's Day Classic walk/run fundraising event held across multiple Australian cities on Mother's Day. The foundation sells event registrations, facilitates peer-to-peer fundraising by participants, and distributes proceeds as donations to breast and ovarian cancer research organizations. It also delivers associated community engagement and awareness programs tied to the event.

Product overview

Mother's Day Classic Foundation operates a single, unified charitable event brand centered around an annual walk and run event held on Mother's Day across Australia. The core product is the Mother's Day Classic event, which offers multiple distance categories (Short, Medium, Long, and Half Marathon). The organization provides an integrated online fundraising platform for peer-to-peer fundraising, team participation features, and corporate team programs. Additional offerings include training resources, fundraising incentive competitions with branded rewards, and a volunteer program. The event supports breast and ovarian cancer research, with funds donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation and Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. The organization utilizes third-party platforms including Funraisin for registration and fundraising, Salesforce for CRM, and Rosterfy for volunteer management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mother's Day Classic walk/run event An annual participatory walk/run event held on Mother's Day across multiple Australian cities, where individual consumers and community groups register, fundraise, and participate to raise money for breast and ovarian cancer research.
• Peer-to-peer fundraising platform (Funraisin-powered)

Quantifiable outcome

• $50.8 million donated to breast and ovarian cancer research since 1998
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, principal, core and minor.

• Ovarian Cancer Research FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Added as second primary research funding recipient in 2024, expanding mission to stop both breast and ovarian cancer. Mother's Day Classic donated $2.57 million to OCRF since 2024 partnership began.
• ME BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor partner of Mother's Day Classic Foundation. ME Bank provides donation matching during campaign periods (up to $20,000 doubled donations). Primary financial sponsor with significant brand presence at events and in marketing materials.
• AIA AustraliaprincipalGTM or Marketing PartnerPrincipal partner supporting Mother's Day Classic since 2018. AIA Australia provides gift packs as prizes for Half Marathon participants and participant survey competition. Brand visibility at events and in promotional materials.
• David JonescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor retail partner with corporate teams participating in Mother's Day Classic events. David Jones Malvern and Kotara stores have employee teams raising funds. Provides brand support and promotional visibility.
• Women in SupercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding organization of Mother's Day Classic. Women in Super network supports and sponsors the foundation from its inception, providing organizational backing and industry connections.
• FunraisincoreTechnology or IntegrationNonprofit fundraising software platform provider used for managing the Mother’s Day Classic brand site and peer-to-peer online fundraising. Powers participant registration, fundraising pages, and donation processing.
• Merry PeopleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMerry People provides Bobbi Boots as prizes for fundraising competitions including 'Merry People Last Chance to Donate' and 'Raise $750' competitions. In-kind prize sponsor.
• Brooks Running AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides Brooks Ghost 17 shoes as prizes for 'Raise $24 in 24 Hours' competition and Brooks Running Australia vouchers ($200) for Half Marathon participants who raise $1000. In-kind prize sponsor.
• endota SpaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartners with 'Give Day' competition providing $200 gift vouchers as prizes and provides complimentary gifts (valued at $35) for participants who raise $350. Spa partner with wellness positioning.
• FernwoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWomen's fitness center partner providing 7-day free trials and six-month memberships as prizes for participants who raise $100. Wellness partner aligning with active lifestyle positioning.
• WitcheryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides $200 gift vouchers as prizes for participants who raise $200. Retail partner with fashion/lifestyle positioning.
• TCN (The Charity Network)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides $2,500 gift cards as prizes for 'Give Day' competition and 'Donate Thursday 9 April' competition. Gift card prize sponsor.
• Card.GiftminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides $500 gift cards as prizes for participants who raise $500. Gift card prize sponsor through the Card.Gift platform.
• National Breast Cancer FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary research funding recipient since 1998. Mother's Day Classic has donated $48.23 million to NBCF over 28 years of partnership. Key cause partner for breast cancer research.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Relay For Life (American Cancer Society): Cancer Society's overnight community walk fundraiser held in communities worldwide. Comparable in combining multi-location event-based fundraising, team participation, and donations to cancer research.
• Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (American Cancer Society): American Cancer Society's signature non-competitive breast cancer walk events held across hundreds of US locations. Closely matches Mother's Day Classic in event-driven, multi-location, peer-to-peer fundraising format for cancer research.
• Cancer Council Australia: Australia's peak national cancer charity, running Australia's Biggest Morning Tea and Daffodil Day fundraising campaigns. The closest geographic and mission-aligned peer, though its model leans on daytime/seasonal campaigns rather than a single flagship event day.
• Macmillan Cancer Support: One of the UK's largest cancer charities, organizing large-scale fundraising walks and events such as the World's Biggest Coffee Morning. Comparable in mission, event-driven fundraising model, and scale of community engagement.
• Walk the Walk: UK-based breast cancer grant-making charity famous for its MoonWalk walking events. Directly comparable in cause (breast cancer), model (community walking events), and beneficiary structure (funding research and support).
• Susan G. Komen: The largest breast cancer charity in the US, best known for the Race for the Cure walk/run series. Operates a near-identical model combining annual community walk/run events, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate sponsorship, and grants to breast cancer research — directly comparable to Mother's Day Classic.
• Pink Ribbon Foundation: UK grant-making breast cancer charity that funds projects and supports awareness. Comparable in cause focus, though structurally more of a grant-maker than an event organizer.
• World Cancer Research Fund: International cancer prevention and research charity with global fundraising events and walks. Comparable in cause, beneficiary model (research funding), and peer-to-peer fundraising approach.

Others

• National Breast Cancer Foundation (Australia): Primary research funding beneficiary of Mother's Day Classic since 1998 ($48.23M directed). While a peer in mission, structurally NBCF is a recipient organization and not a directly competing fundraiser of MDC's scale.
• Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation: Second research funding beneficiary of Mother's Day Classic since 2024 ($2.57M directed). Mission-aligned but functions primarily as the research recipient rather than a direct fundraising peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mother's-day-classic

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 Mother's Day Classic Foundation