Reflections of Grace

What Reflections of Grace does

Reflections of Grace Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Irwin, Pennsylvania, that supports families affected by pediatric brain cancer — particularly Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a rare and almost uniformly fatal disease with fewer than 200 new U.S. cases annually. Founded in late 2008 by Tamara and Brian Ekis following the death of their five-year-old daughter Grace from DIPG on Valentine's Day 2008, the foundation received IRS 501(c)(3) approval in March 2009 and is led by a volunteer board of six members with no disclosed paid staff. Its primary beneficiary is families of children diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer, served nationwide through direct financial assistance; the foundation reports awarding over $831,000 in Family Grants across the United States and $625,000 in Research Grants through its founding membership in the DIPG Collaborative.

The foundation's core "products" are a portfolio of annual community fundraising events: the Race For Grace 5K run/walk at Norwin High School (its flagship), Golf For Grace at The Madison Club during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the Cookies With Claus winter event, and the 18-and-older Rockin' For Grace music event at Hard Rock Cafe Station Square. Supporting infrastructure includes a website (reflectionsofgrace.org) for donations and information, a PayPal-enabled donation flow, an Ecwid-powered online gift store, and Red Podium/Giving Fuel integrations for race registration and peer-to-peer fundraising. The organization runs no proprietary technology platform and has no patents, proprietary software, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed.

The revenue model is event-driven and donor-dependent. Income is generated through event registration fees ($25–$35 for the 5K, $125 per golfer or $500 per foursome, $15 for Cookies With Claus, $20–$25 for Rockin' For Grace), individual donations via the website and mail, corporate sponsorships with tiered acknowledgement, employer matching-gift programs, and merchandise sales. Customer segments comprise (1) beneficiary families of children with brain cancer, (2) community members and volunteers in western Pennsylvania who participate in events, and (3) corporate sponsors and matching-gift partners. The organization maintains no parent company, has no subsidiaries, has raised no outside funding rounds, and publishes annual Form 990 filings dating back to 2009.

Name

Reflections of Grace

Legal name

Reflections Of Grace Foundation

Website

https://reflectionsofgrace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Reflections of Grace Foundation is an Irwin, Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides direct financial grants and emotional support to families of children with pediatric brain cancer, particularly DIPG, while funding research through the DIPG Collaborative. It operates primarily through annual community fundraising events such as Race For Grace, Golf For Grace, Cookies With Claus, and Rockin' For Grace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Cancer Nonprofit Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Pediatric cancer support
• Charitable fundraising events
• Brain cancer research
• Nonprofit foundation services
• Family financial assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Irwin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals made via the organization's website (PayPal), by mail (check), or through one-time and monthly giving options.
2. Event Revenue: Registration fees and participation fees from fundraising events including Race For Grace (5K run/walk), Golf For Grace (golf outing), Cookies With Claus, and Rockin' For Grace.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship tiers at various dollar amounts for events, with corresponding acknowledgements and promotional opportunities.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sales of foundation merchandise through their Ecwid-powered gift store.
5. Matching Gifts: Corporate matching gift programs where employers match employee donations to amplify impact.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Reflections Of Grace Foundation is an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports children and families affected by pediatric brain cancer, with a particular focus on Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). It provides direct financial assistance through Family Grants (over $831,000 awarded) and funds research through Research Grants via the DIPG Collaborative ($625,000 granted), sustaining these programs via annual community fundraising events, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

Reflections Of Grace Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides support for children and families affected by pediatric brain cancer, with a particular focus on Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). The organization operates primarily through fundraising events including Race For Grace (annual 5K run/walk), Golf For Grace (annual golf outing), Cookies With Claus (winter holiday event), and Rockin' For Grace (music event). The foundation provides direct financial assistance to families through Family Grants and funds DIPG research through Research Grants in partnership with the DIPG Collaborative. The organization also operates a merchandise gift store through Ecwid e-commerce platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Race For Grace Annual 5K run/walk fundraising event held each spring at Norwin High School. Features 5K run, 5K walk, and 1-mile walk categories, plus children's activities, auctions, and live entertainment. Open to community participants and teams.
• Golf For Grace

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $831,000 awarded to families of children with brain cancer
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cincinnati Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2015Dr. Maryam Fouladi, Medical Director of the Neuro-Oncology Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, is featured in foundation materials and has participated in DIPG Symposium events alongside foundation founders. The foundation funds research initiatives at this institution through the DIPG Collaborative.
• Lurie Children's Hospital (Chicago)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2015Foundation founders Tamara and Brian Ekis attended the DIPG Symposium at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago in April 2015. The foundation supports research initiatives through its DIPG Collaborative membership that may involve this institution.
• DIPG CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReflections of Grace is a founding member of the DIPG Collaborative, a coalition of organizations working together to fund research and raise awareness about DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma). Through this partnership, the foundation has granted $625,000 to DIPG research initiatives with the goal of finding a cure.
• Norwin School DistrictminorOthersRace For Grace events are held at Norwin High School facilities. According to school district policy, animals are not permitted on campus grounds during events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• American Childhood Cancer Organization: Advocacy and support organization for children with cancer and their families; relevant peer given shared family-services focus in the pediatric oncology category.
• Children's Brain Tumor Foundation: Nonprofit focused on brain tumor research, awareness, and family support for children affected by brain tumors; highly comparable mission, beneficiary base, and community-driven fundraising approach.
• DIPG Collaborative: Coalition of organizations co-founded by Reflections of Grace to coordinate DIPG research funding; directly aligned mission and overlapping research grantmaking relationships.
• CureSearch for Children's Cancer: National nonprofit funding childhood cancer research and supporting affected families; comparable scale, mission, and reliance on community fundraising events.
• Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research: Childhood cancer nonprofit that combines community fundraising events with research grants and family support; closely comparable operating model and event-centric GTM.
• National Pediatric Cancer Foundation: Nonprofit dedicated to pediatric cancer research funding and family support; directly comparable mission category, although it operates at a larger scale.
• Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation: Largest U.S. nonprofit dedicated to pediatric brain tumors, funding research and family support; closest direct peer given overlapping DIPG-adjacent pediatric brain cancer mission and family grant programs.

Emerging players

• Musella Foundation / Brain Tumor Network: Brain tumor-focused nonprofit funding research and providing patient/family support services; partial overlap given the adult/pediatric breadth versus Reflections of Grace's pediatric DIPG focus.

Broad incumbents

• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: Larger, more established childhood cancer nonprofit with a similarly event-driven grassroots model (lemonade stands) and significant research grantmaking; relevant as a benchmark for scaling volunteer-led pediatric cancer charities.
• Livestrong Foundation: Established cancer-focused nonprofit with broad family and survivor support services; relevant as an incumbent benchmark for programming, brand-building, and corporate partnership models in cancer philanthropy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/reflectionsofgrace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reflections-of-grace

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Reflections of Grace