The Cancer Support Center

What The Cancer Support Center does

The Cancer Support Center (legal entity: The Jennifer S. Fallick Cancer Support Center) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 in Homewood, Illinois, that delivers free psychosocial and wellness support to individuals and families impacted by cancer. It operates a six-point program model — Counseling & Stress Management, Fitness & Physical Wellness, Nutrition Assistance, Education & Networking, Body Image Assistance, and Child & Family Programming — delivered by licensed clinicians, oncology nutritionists, art therapists, and certified fitness instructors through two physical Illinois locations (Homewood and Mokena) and a Zoom-delivered virtual program layer. The organization serves a horizontal segment of cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, children/teens, and grieving families, with formal referral partnerships with hospitals, oncology practices, and national advocacy organizations such as Cancer Care, Gilda's Club Chicago, Imerman Angels, LIVESTRONG, the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, and Cancer and Careers.

The center is funded entirely through charitable revenue: individual donations and monthly giving, corporate sponsorships and matching gifts, signature fundraising events (including the 35th Annual Golf Outing and the Pink-a-Boo Walk of Hope), the Founders Legacy Society planned-giving program, and CSC Spirit Wear and The Village Door merchandise. All services are free to participants regardless of insurance status, geography, or visit frequency. The technology stack is standard nonprofit SaaS — Zoom for virtual programs, Vimeo and YouTube for on-demand video (including Spanish-language content), Constant Contact for email, OneCause, DonorView, and BirdEase for fundraising, and Google Calendar for program scheduling — with no proprietary platform or AI capabilities disclosed.

Leadership is split between an Executive Director (Kristen Kolwelter) and a Board of Directors led by President Jim Kvedaras. The organization was co-founded by six women — Joan Hopkins, Judy Svancarek, Judith Hanzelin, Carol VanTuyle, Jennifer Fallick, and Patricia McDonald — who personally experienced cancer and recognized the need for accessible emotional support. After more than 30 years of continuous operation, The Cancer Support Center remains an independent community nonprofit with no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed equity or debt funding.

Name

The Cancer Support Center

Legal name

The Jennifer S. Fallick Cancer Support Center

Website

https://cancersupportcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cancer Support Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Illinois that delivers free, evidence-based counseling, fitness, nutrition, education, body-image, and child-and-family support services to cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and grieving families through two physical locations and virtual programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Chronic Condition Lifestyle Coaching (Non-Clinical) (HSADAGAH)

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Oncology counseling programs
• Nonprofit wellness programs
• Cancer survivor resources
• Community health support

Headquarters

HQ city

Homewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue from individual donations, monthly giving, and tax-deductible charitable contributions from donors and community members.
2. Special Events and Fundraising: Revenue from signature events including the 35th Annual Golf Outing and Pink-a-Boo Walk of Hope.
3. Corporate Giving and Sponsorships: Partnership revenue from corporate sponsorships, matching gifts, workplace giving programs, and Founders Legacy Society planned giving.
4. Merchandise Sales: Revenue from CSC Spirit Wear merchandise and The Village Door shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Cancer Support Center provides a comprehensive six-point program model of free cancer support services—Counseling & Stress Management, Fitness & Physical Wellness, Nutrition Assistance, Education & Networking, Body Image Assistance, and Child & Family Programming—delivered by licensed professionals through in-person programs at two Illinois locations and virtual options for individuals, survivors, caregivers, and families impacted by cancer.

Product overview

The Cancer Support Center operates as a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive six-point program model of free cancer support services. The core offerings include Counseling & Stress Management, Fitness & Physical Wellness, Nutrition Assistance, Education & Networking, Body Image Assistance, and Child & Family Programming. All services are provided at no cost to participants through evidence-based programs delivered by licensed professionals. The center serves individuals and families impacted by cancer through in-person programs at Homewood and Mokena locations, as well as virtual options via Zoom.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Counseling & Stress Management Professional counseling services including individual, family, and couples counseling, support groups, meditation, guided relaxation, sound baths, and art therapy for individuals and families affected by cancer.
• Fitness & Physical Wellness Oncology-focused fitness programs including yoga, Zumba, movement workshops, breathing techniques, reiki, massage, and fitness consultations designed for cancer patients and survivors.
• Nutrition Assistance Evidence-based oncology nutrition programs featuring one-on-one consultations, cooking demonstrations, juicing basics, and workshops supporting healing and recovery.
• Education & Networking Educational workshops, support groups for specific cancers, networking groups, resource library, and family activities connecting patients and caregivers with information and community.
• Body Image Assistance Support services addressing appearance changes including wig boutique, hair accessories, breast prosthetics, cosmetic workshops, counseling, sexuality programs, and networking groups.
• Child & Family Programming Age-appropriate support including individual counseling for children and teens, family counseling, art therapy, bereavement support, kids camps, and school-based counseling services.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hospitals and Oncology PracticescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnerships with hospitals and oncology practices to extend care beyond treatment. Healthcare providers refer patients to CSC's free programs to complement medical care with emotional, physical, and social support.
• Cancer CareminorOthersTrusted partner organization offering specialized cancer support resources and services recommended to CSC participants.
• Gilda's Club ChicagominorOthersTrusted partner organization in the cancer support community offering resources recommended to CSC participants.
• Imerman AngelsminorOthersTrusted partner providing cancer support resources and connections recommended to CSC community members.
• LIVESTRONGminorOthersTrusted partner organization offering cancer advocacy and support resources recommended to CSC participants.
• Ovarian Cancer Research AllianceminorOthersTrusted partner organization providing cancer-specific resources and advocacy recommended to CSC participants.
• Cancer and CareersminorOthersTrusted partner offering practical tools and resources for cancer survivors navigating work and careers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Global nonprofit supporting families of seriously ill children with lodging and supportive services. Different mechanism but overlapping family-support nonprofit model that competes for some of the same family/caregiver grant funding pool.

Emerging players

• Stupid Cancer: National nonprofit focused on young adult cancer patients (15–39) with peer-support programs and community events. Comparable service model but addresses a younger demographic segment that complements CSC's programming.
• Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance: National nonprofit offering ovarian-cancer-specific support, education, and research programs. CSC lists it as a trusted partner; comparable in providing free support but narrower in disease focus.

Broad incumbents

• LIVESTRONG Foundation: National nonprofit providing cancer survivorship resources, navigation, and emotional support. CSC lists LIVESTRONG as a trusted partner, signaling overlapping program content and shared beneficiary base.
• American Cancer Society: Largest U.S. voluntary health organization focused on cancer, providing patient services, research funding, and 24/7 support. Dominates the national donor pool that CSC must compete for, and increasingly offers free virtual support overlapping with CSC's offerings.
• Cancer Support Community: National nonprofit operating a network of 190+ locations delivering free cancer support services including counseling, support groups, and education. CSC is the national incumbent whose service model mirrors CSC's local programming at a far larger scale.
• CancerCare: National nonprofit organization providing free counseling, support groups, education, and financial assistance to people affected by cancer. Comparable across all six of CSC's program lines and named explicitly as a CSC trusted partner organization.

Direct peers

• Wellness House: Hinsdale, Illinois-based nonprofit providing free wellness, counseling, and educational programs for people impacted by cancer. Operates in the same Chicago suburban market with a near-identical SixPoint-like model — the closest direct geographic competitor.
• Imerman Angels: Chicago-based nonprofit providing one-on-one cancer support through peer mentor matching. Named as a CSC trusted partner and operates the same support-for-cancer-impacted-individuals model with overlapping professional staff and overlapping demographic.
• Gilda's Club Chicago: Chicago-area cancer support community offering free programming for patients, survivors, and families. Closely comparable to CSC in mission, free-service model, and professionally facilitated support; named explicitly as a trusted partner of CSC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrlfGEfc2c-BoJ5RxXd3h0g
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheCancerSupportCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thecancersupportcenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/The_Cancer_Support_Center
• TikToktiktok.com/@thecancersupportcenter?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 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 The Cancer Support Center