Canadian Breast Cancer Network

What Canadian Breast Cancer Network does

The Canadian Breast Cancer Network (CBCN), founded in 1994 and headquartered at 185 Somerset St. West in Ottawa, is a federally registered Canadian charity (Registration No. 889802971RR0001) operating as the country's only patient-directed national breast cancer health charity. Its mission centers on voicing the concerns of breast cancer patients through education, advocacy, and information sharing across all stages of the disease, including metastatic breast cancer, male breast cancer, and survivorship. The organization runs a portfolio of digital navigation and content tools — PatientPath (an interactive breast cancer journey mapper), SurgeryGuide (surgical decision support), MedSearch (clinical trial and treatment database for metastatic patients), FinancialNavigator (financial resource database covering legal, insurance, tax, and travel topics), Our Voices Blog, the Breast Cancer Connection podcast, educational webinars, newly diagnosed guides, and advocacy toolkits — supported by an Ottawa-based staff and delivered nationally via website, social channels (Facebook support group, Instagram, LinkedIn), and email outreach.

CBCN is funded entirely through a donation-based model with no products or services sold. Revenue streams include one-time individual donations (with automatic receipts for gifts of $10+), recurring monthly giving through the Champions of Care program (suggested $25/month tied to the cost of one patient educational package), corporate program sponsorship, legacy and memorial giving, and fundraising event participation such as the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. The organization maintains a Code of Conduct Governing Corporate Funding to manage conflicts of interest with pharmaceutical and healthcare partners. Customer segments are exclusively end beneficiaries — breast cancer patients at all stages, metastatic patients, survivors, families and caregivers, and male breast cancer patients — reached through a hybrid segmentation approach combining use-case content tracks (information, education, action, navigation) and community-led engagement. Marketing and distribution rely on content marketing, organic social, email newsletters, webinars, and the podcast; key strategic partnerships span healthcare and patient advocacy organizations (including the Canadian Cancer Society), the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon for event fundraising, and the MyGivingCircle.org platform for donor-driven grant allocation.

Name

Canadian Breast Cancer Network

Legal name

Canadian Breast Cancer Network

Website

https://cbcn.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Canadian Breast Cancer Network is a federally registered Canadian charity founded in 1994 that serves as the country's only patient-directed national breast cancer health charity, providing breast cancer patients, survivors, families, and caregivers with education, advocacy, and digital navigation tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Breast Cancer Patient Support and Advocacy Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Patient Education, Content & Personalized Journey Orchestration (HLACAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Oncology Remote Symptom Monitoring & Care Navigation (HLALAFAD)

Keywords

• Breast cancer support
• Patient advocacy services
• Patient navigation tools
• Health education resources
• Nonprofit health charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: CBCN relies on donations from individuals to fund its programs and services. Revenue is generated through single or monthly donations, event fundraising (marathons), legacy giving, memorial donations, and corporate sponsorship. The organization is a registered charity with charitable registration number 889802971 RR0001.
2. Champions of Care Monthly Giving: Monthly giving program where supporters contribute regularly. Suggested amount is $25 monthly, which covers the cost of sending one educational package to a breast cancer patient. This provides stable, recurring revenue for long-term projects.
3. Program Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors can sponsor specific CBCN programs through the Champions of Care initiative or Program Sponsor option.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CBCN provides free patient-directed breast cancer education, advocacy, and navigation support to Canadians affected by breast cancer. Its core deliverables are interactive digital navigation tools (PatientPath, MedSearch, FinancialNavigator, SurgeryGuide), educational publications (newly diagnosed guides, factsheets, reports), a patient stories blog (Our Voices), a podcast (Breast Cancer Connection), and webinars/educational events, all delivered at no charge and funded through charitable donations and sponsorships.

Product overview

CBCN operates as a patient-directed national breast cancer charity offering a unified platform of educational and support resources. The core offerings include interactive navigation tools (SurgeryGuide for surgical decisions, PatientPath for personalized journey mapping, MedSearch for clinical trials, and FinancialNavigator for financial resources), combined with content platforms (Our Voices Blog, Breast Cancer Connection Podcast) and educational programs (Webinars, Newly Diagnosed Guides, Factsheets, Advocacy Toolkits). The organization primarily serves as an information and advocacy organization rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Champions of Care: Monthly giving program for regular donors providing steady funding to support CBCN's programs and services.
• Financial Navigator
• PatientPath
• Our Voices Blog
• SurgeryGuide
• MedSearch

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered moderate and minor.

• Our PartnersmoderateOthersCBCN maintains partnerships with various organizations including pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organizations, and patient advocacy groups. The organization has a Code of Conduct Governing Corporate Funding that commits to specific policies regarding financial relationships with commercial entities to minimize conflicts of interest.
• TCS Toronto Waterfront MarathonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCBCN partners with the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon (part of the Canada Running Series) as a charity beneficiary, allowing supporters to fundraise for CBCN through the event.
• Canadian Cancer SocietymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as a partner organization operating prosthesis banks in some regions, providing breast forms to those who cannot afford them.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rethink Breast Cancer: Canadian breast cancer charity focused on younger women with breast cancer. Directly comparable as a national Canadian breast cancer nonprofit delivering patient education, community programs, and advocacy — competing for the same donor and patient audiences as CBCN.
• Young Survival Coalition: U.S.-based nonprofit focused on young adults diagnosed with breast cancer, providing education, resources, and community. Directly comparable to CBCN's breast cancer patient education and survivorship programming, with similar community-led GTM and content channels.
• Patient Advocate Foundation: U.S.-based nonprofit providing case management and financial aid navigation for patients with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Directly comparable to CBCN's FinancialNavigator and patient navigation services, with a similar nonprofit model focused on removing access barriers.
• Willow Breast & Hereditary Cancer Support: Canadian charity providing support and information for those affected by breast and hereditary cancer. Closely comparable mission and patient education model to CBCN, serving overlapping Canadian patient segments with similar navigation and support services.
• Metastatic Breast Cancer Network: U.S.-based patient-driven advocacy organization specifically serving the metastatic breast cancer community. Directly comparable to CBCN's MedSearch and MBC programming, with a similar patient-directed, education-and-advocacy model — though operating in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• American Cancer Society: The largest U.S. cancer nonprofit, offering patient support, education, research funding, and advocacy. Comparable to CBCN as a national-scale cancer patient advocacy and education charity, though serving a different geography and broader cancer portfolio.
• LIVESTRONG Foundation: Well-known U.S. cancer support nonprofit providing navigation and survivorship resources to cancer patients. Comparable to CBCN in offering patient navigation and community support, though at much larger scale and serving all cancer types.
• Canadian Cancer Society: Canada's largest national cancer charity, already a documented partner of CBCN for prosthesis bank programs. Directly comparable as a national Canadian cancer nonprofit serving patients across multiple cancer types, but with substantially larger scale and broader scope than CBCN's breast cancer focus.
• Susan G. Komen: The largest breast cancer nonprofit in the United States, with patient support, education, and advocacy programs. Directly comparable to CBCN's core mission and program mix, though at much greater scale and with a U.S. geographic focus.

Emerging players

• Breastcancer.org: U.S.-based nonprofit providing medically reviewed breast cancer education and peer support community. Comparable to CBCN's educational content and Our Voices Blog model, with similar free, online patient-directed delivery — though operating primarily in the U.S. market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theCBCN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadian-breast-cancer-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/cbcnetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Canadian Breast Cancer Network