Wings Of Hope For Pancreatic Cancer Research

What Wings Of Hope For Pancreatic Cancer Research does

Wings Of Hope For Pancreatic Cancer Research is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in February 2012 and based in Castle Pines, Colorado. Its stated mission is to build awareness and raise funds for pancreatic cancer research; it holds an exclusive fundraising partnership with the University of Colorado Cancer Center and established the first endowment dedicated to pancreatic cancer research at that NCI-designated institution in 2015. The organization has cumulatively raised more than $1.6 million since inception, including a record $350,000 in research grants disbursed in 2022 (with a $175,000 match from the Harold Cohan Trust).

The operating model is event-centric and community-driven, with no paid staff. Annual recurring programs include the Kingsbury Open golf tournament, the Evening of Hope gala, the Art of Hope benefit, 5K and 10K runs, and pickleball tournaments such as the Bob Lob event. Complementary revenue channels include tiered corporate sponsorships ranging from $1,000 to $20,000, branded merchandise priced at approximately $20 for t-shirts and $40 for necklaces, the King Soopers Community Rewards program, Colorado Gives Day, and direct individual donations. Governance is provided by a volunteer board of directors with medical and scientific advisors, and the organization earned a Seal of Transparency (Platinum via Candid) in 2023.

Recent activity indicates a broadening footprint: the 5K/10K drew more than 1,000 participants in 2025, the September 2025 Art of Hope benefit raised $85,000, and in July 2025 Wings Of Hope co-hosted the inaugural International Rocky Mountain Pancreas Symposium with UCHealth and the CU Cancer Center, marking a move beyond pure fundraising into scientific convening within the Colorado pancreatic cancer research ecosystem.

Name

Wings Of Hope For Pancreatic Cancer Research

Legal name

Wings of Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Research

Website

https://wingsofhopepcr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wings Of Hope For Pancreatic Cancer Research is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds pancreatic cancer research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center through community events, sponsorships, and donations, having raised more than $1.6 million since 2012.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disease-focused nonprofit fundraising

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Pancreatic cancer research
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Cancer research grants
• Charitable foundation
• Community fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

New Castle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals made via PayPal, check, or online. Donors can specify donations in honor or memory of loved ones.
2. Annual Events: Revenue from signature events including Evening of Hope gala, Kingsbury Open golf tournament, pickleball tournaments, 5k/10k runs. Events feature sponsorship tiers and ticket sales.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including Hope necklaces ($40), t-shirts ($20), and previously sweatshirts. Proceeds go to pancreatic cancer research.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Event sponsorships at multiple levels (Purple $1,000, Bronze $2,000, Silver $5,000, Gold $10,000, Presenting $20,000).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wings of Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Research is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that raises funds and awareness to support pancreatic cancer research, clinical trials, and patient care at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. It does this through an online donation platform (PayPal-enabled), recurring fundraising events (Evening of Hope gala, Kingsbury Open golf tournament, 5K/10K runs, pickleball tournaments, Art of Hope benefit), and branded merchandise sales. 100% of donations are directed to research and seed-grant funding at the partner cancer center.

Product overview

Wings of Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Research is a nonprofit foundation (not a technology product company) that operates as a single unified offering focused on raising awareness and funding for pancreatic cancer research. The organization's primary activities include hosting fundraising events (Evening of Hope benefits, Kingsbury Open golf tournament, 5K/10K runs/walks), selling merchandise (Hope necklaces, t-shirts, sweatshirts), and distributing research grants to the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Donations are accepted through an online platform integrated with PayPal. The organization does not offer a software product, platform, or technology service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Evening of Hope Benefit Event Annual gala-style fundraising event for individual supporters and corporate sponsors that generates donations for pancreatic cancer research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Features tiered corporate sponsorship packages and individual ticket sales.
• Kingsbury Open Golf Tournament Annual golf tournament held at Bear Dance Golf Club in Larkspur, Colorado, that raises funds exclusively for pancreatic cancer research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Sponsorship packages and foursome registrations are sold directly through the event website.
• 5K/10K Run/Walk for Pancreatic Cancer Research Annual run/walk event held at Denver's City Park that raises awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.
• Hope Necklace Sterling silver 18-inch HOPE necklace sold for $40 with free shipping/handling, with all proceeds going to pancreatic cancer research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.
• Wings of Hope T-Shirt T-shirt available for a $20 donation with free shipping/handling, in sizes S, M, L, and XL, allowing supporters to publicly show their support for pancreatic cancer research.

Quantifiable outcome

• Seed funding enables researchers to secure larger grants (e.g., $50,000 turning into $2 million from NCI)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

One partnership is on record.

• University of Colorado Cancer CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2013Formal partnership established February 2013 combining efforts to make CU Cancer Center the regional hub and national destination for pancreatic cancer research. Donations and fundraising efforts of Wings of Hope advance ongoing pancreatic cancer research at the center's Pancreatic Cancer Research Program. In February 2013, the University entered into formal partnership with Wings of Hope.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lustgarten Foundation: Pancreatic cancer research-focused foundation that funds translational and clinical research. Closely comparable operating model (disease-specific grantmaking to academic centers) but at significantly larger scale.
• Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN): The largest U.S. nonprofit dedicated to pancreatic cancer, funding research and providing patient services. Most direct functional peer to Wings of Hope given the shared disease-specific grantmaking and patient-support mission.
• National Pancreas Foundation: Nonprofit supporting patients with pancreatic diseases (including cancer) through education, research funding, and care centers. Comparable patient-services and research-funding overlap.
• Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research: Family-founded nonprofit funding pancreatic cancer research and patient support, with established seed-grant and symposium programs. Direct peer with a similar academic-center partnership model.
• Colorectal Cancer Alliance: Disease-specific GI cancer nonprofit funding research and supporting patients. Comparable scale, structure, and disease-specific grantmaking approach, useful as a regional/segment comparator.

Broad incumbents

• Stand Up To Cancer: High-profile cancer research funding collaborative supporting translational 'Dream Teams' at academic centers. Operates a similar academic-center grantmaking model but at significantly larger scale and across cancer types.
• V Foundation for Cancer Research: Major cancer research grantmaking nonprofit using a seed-funding model through academic centers. Comparable grantmaking mechanism but covers all cancer types rather than focusing on a single disease.
• Cancer Research Institute: Nonprofit funding immunology and cancer immunology research at academic centers. Comparable disease-focused grantmaking to research institutions with a similar donor-advised funding approach.
• American Cancer Society: The largest U.S. cancer nonprofit, funding broad cancer research including pancreatic. Operates at vastly larger scale across all cancer types, making it the dominant incumbent whose pancreatic program competes for the same donor dollars.

Others

• University of Colorado Cancer Center: Wings of Hope's exclusive research partner and grant recipient. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than competitor, but understanding CU's research priorities is essential context for assessing Wings of Hope's mission delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WingsOfHopePCR?fref=ts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wings-of-hope-for-pancreatic-cancer-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wings Of Hope For Pancreatic Cancer Research