Breast Cancer Action Quebec

What Breast Cancer Action Quebec does

Breast Cancer Action Quebec (Action cancer du sein du Québec, ACSQ/BCAQ) is a feminist, independent non-profit charitable organization founded in 1991 and headquartered in Montreal. It is the only Quebec-focused organization dedicated exclusively to primary prevention of breast cancer — eliminating environmental and toxic exposures before disease occurs — rather than treatment, detection, or cure. BCAQ runs a community-led model: free in-person workshops in schools and community organizations, multilingual educational videos in five languages (French, English, Spanish, Arabic, Russian) hosted on a dedicated YouTube channel, advocacy campaigns and letter-writing actions via ActionNetwork, and policy submissions on federal and Quebec legislation including the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and the Global Plastics Treaty.

BCAQ's core offerings are organized as programs rather than commercial products. The portfolio includes: a Breast Cancer Education Program for Immigrant and Racialized Women (funded by the Saunders-Matthey Foundation and Solstice Foundation); a Youth Program and FemmeToxic campaign on toxic chemicals in cosmetics (supported by the Betty Averbach Foundation and the Secrétariat à la condition féminine); the Cost of Illness Project (Coûts de la maladie), a bilingual financial-impact toolkit built with Relais-Femmes, ACEF Rive-Sud, Proche aidance Québec, and CIAFT under Autorité des marchés financiers funding; and an Anti-Plastic Guide (Même bateau, même combat) launched in May 2026 with Dragonfly Fund support. Technology is limited to a WordPress website, downloadable PDFs, YouTube video distribution, and ActionNetwork-powered digital mobilization — there is no proprietary platform, no API, and no AI or machine-learning capabilities.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed. BCAQ is funded through individual donations and a diversified set of foundation and government grants, and explicitly refuses corporate donations from pharmaceutical, chemical, biotech, oil, and tobacco industries to preserve advocacy independence. The organization operates with 1-10 employees, is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, and is a member of coalitions including the Canadian Coalition for Environmental and Climate Justice, with recurring policy partnerships alongside Environmental Defence Canada, Ecojustice, the David Suzuki Foundation, and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. All services are offered free of charge to the public.

Name

Breast Cancer Action Quebec

Legal name

Action cancer du sein du Québec / Breast Cancer Action Quebec

Website

https://acsqc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Breast Cancer Action Quebec is a Montreal-based feminist non-profit, founded in 1991, that advocates for primary prevention of breast cancer through elimination of environmental toxins, delivering multilingual education programs and policy advocacy for immigrant and racialized women, youth, and the Quebec public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Health Advocacy

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Promotion & Public Health Education (Community Workshops) (EDAAAFAG), Non-Communicable Disease Prevention & Chronic Disease Programs (BPAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Breast cancer prevention
• Environmental health advocacy
• Health education workshops
• Nonprofit advocacy services
• Community health education

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Charitable organization funded primarily through individual donations from members and supporters. The organization has been operating for over 30 years through public support. A charity registration number (899915268RR0001) is listed.
2. Foundation and Government Grants: Project-specific funding from foundations and government bodies. Confirmed funders include: Saunders-Matthey Foundation, Solstice Foundation (immigrant women education program), Betty Averbach Foundation and Solstice Foundation (youth program), Secrétariat à la condition féminine (youth program relaunch), and Autorité des marchés financiers (Cost of Illness project).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Breast Cancer Action Quebec delivers free educational workshops, multilingual digital resources, and advocacy campaigns aimed at preventing breast cancer by eliminating environmental toxins and hazardous chemical exposures. Programs target immigrant women, youth, policymakers, and the general public, with services offered free of charge in multiple languages including English, French, and Spanish.

Product overview

Breast Cancer Action Quebec (BCAQ) is a feminist non-profit advocacy organization, not a software product company. Its 'products and services' consist of educational programs, advocacy campaigns, and resource collections focused on breast cancer prevention through environmental toxin elimination. The core portfolio includes: (1) the Breast Cancer Education Program for Immigrant and Racialized Women with multilingual workshops and videos; (2) the Youth Program and FemmeToxic campaign on toxic cosmetics; (3) the Cost of Illness Project providing financial guidance for serious illness; (4) anti-plastic advocacy with the 'Même bateau, même combat' guide and toolkit; (5) LCPE/CEPA reform advocacy with policy briefs; and (6) an extensive Educational Resource Library with PDFs on endocrine disruptors, toxic chemicals, and breast cancer. All offerings are free public education and advocacy tools, not commercial products. BCAQ has no API, no software integrations, and no AI capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FemmeToxic: A campaign focusing on toxic substances in cosmetics and personal care products, advocating for stronger cosmetic regulations in Canada. Developed by young women activists in 2009.

Products and services

• Immigrant Women Education Program
• Youth Education Program
• FemmeToxic Video Series
• Anti-Plastic Guide
• Cost of Illness Program
• Advocacy Campaigns

Quantifiable outcome

• Breast cancer affects 1 in 9 women in Canada; research shows immigrant women from East and Southeast Asia see their incidence rates converge with Canadian averages within 10 years of arrival.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• Relais-FemmesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in the Coûts de la maladie project, contributing to the development of bilingual resources and tools on the financial impacts of serious illness.
• ACEF Rive-SudminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in the Coûts de la maladie project, providing expertise on consumer rights and financial impacts of serious illness.
• Proche aidance QuébecminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in the Coûts de la maladie project, focusing on caregiver support and the financial challenges faced by caregivers of seriously ill individuals.
• CIAFT (Coalition des interpénétrantes et interpénétrants de la Fédération des femmes du Québec / Canadian Cancer Advocacy Training)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in the Coûts de la maladie project, contributing to cancer advocacy training and support resources.
• Environmental Defence CanadamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored policy briefs and joint statements on chemical regulation and toxics policy, including submissions on Bill S-5 (LCPE reform) and PFAS enforcement. Collaborates on the Canadian Manifesto: Tackling Toxics and Plastics. BCAQ staff co-authored articles with Environmental Defence staff on breast cancer and plastics.
• Canadian Coalition for Environmental and Climate Justice (CCCEJ)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCAQ is a member of this coalition led by Dr. Ingrid Waldron at Dalhousie University. Over 60 organizations across Canada are members. The coalition advocates for environmental justice and against environmental racism, and BCAQ has submitted briefs in support of Bill C-230 and Bill C-226.
• EcojusticemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental law organization that collaborated with BCAQ on joint briefs to the ENVI Committee on Bill S-5, strengthening environmental protection legislation.
• David Suzuki FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental foundation that partnered with BCAQ on joint briefs to parliamentary committees regarding Bill S-5 (LCPE reform) and chemical regulation.
• Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth organization that partnered with BCAQ on joint briefs to parliamentary committees on Bill S-5, chemical regulation, and breast cancer as an occupational health issue.
• Women's Healthy Environments Network (WHEN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's health organization that collaborated with BCAQ on a brief to the ENVI Committee on enforcement of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
• 31 Quebec Organizations (Coalition)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of 31 Quebec organizations that signed a collective letter to Minister Steven Guilbeault in October 2024 calling for a strong Canadian position at the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Prevent Cancer Foundation: U.S. nonprofit focused on cancer prevention through research, education, and advocacy. Mission overlap with BCAQ's prevention focus, with much larger scale and reach.
• Rethink Breast Cancer: Canadian breast cancer nonprofit serving young women; broader scope than BCAQ, including awareness and support rather than primary prevention, but competes for the same breast cancer donor pool.
• Canadian Cancer Society: Largest Canadian cancer charity. Operates across research, prevention, and support, dwarfing BCAQ's primary-prevention focus; competes for donor attention and policy influence.

Direct peers

• David Suzuki Foundation: Canadian environmental foundation that co-authored parliamentary submissions with BCAQ on Bill S-5. Operates similar policy advocacy on toxics, plastics, and environmental health.
• Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE): Canadian health-professional organization partnering with BCAQ on chemical regulation briefs. Comparable health-environment intersection focus and federal policy advocacy.
• Ecojustice: Canadian environmental law organization that partnered with BCAQ on joint briefs to the ENVI Committee on LCPE reform. Shares coalition-based advocacy and policy submission approach.
• Breast Cancer Action: U.S.-based sister organization and the originator of the Breast Cancer Action movement. Also focuses on primary prevention and refuses funding from cancer-industry corporations, making it the closest philosophical and operational peer.
• Environmental Defence Canada: Major Canadian environmental advocacy organization that co-authors briefs with BCAQ on Bill S-5, PFAS, and toxics policy. Operates similar coalition-based advocacy and parliamentary submission models.
• Women's Healthy Environments Network (WHEN): Canadian women's health and environment organization that collaborated with BCAQ on ENVI Committee submissions. Strong overlap in mission on environmental links to women's health.

Emerging players

• Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA): Canadian environmental law clinic that engages on chemical regulation and CEPA enforcement, intersecting with BCAQ's LCPE advocacy. Specializes in legal tools for environmental health.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FemmeToxic1/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/ACSQBCAQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/actioncancer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Breast Cancer Action Quebec