The Julie Fund For Women's Cancers

What The Julie Fund For Women's Cancers does

The Julie Fund for Women's Cancers is a private, Massachusetts-based 501(c)-equivalent charitable nonprofit founded in 2004 by Peter McAvinn and friends following the death of Julie McAvinn from ovarian cancer. The organization's mission spans three pillars: education and advocacy for early detection, funding of ovarian cancer research, and direct patient support services. Its defining institutional relationship is a founding partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital, which serves as both the primary recipient of research funding and the delivery channel for patient services (transportation, meals, childcare, social work, mortgage assistance); the organization has been recognized as the single largest philanthropic contributor to ovarian cancer research at MGH. Core programmatic offerings include a Transportation Program (launched 2021, first six-figure grant in 2023), the Ovarian Cancer Survivor Course, a monthly Video Library of MGH faculty seminars, Education and Advocacy programming on early detection, and a portfolio of community awareness events (Gala, Poker Tournament, Dog Jog, Road Race, Yoga Strong).

There is no technology product in the conventional sense. The Julie Fund operates a WordPress-based website (juliefund.org) for content delivery and uses the etapestry online forms platform for donation collection and event ticketing. Video content is hosted via Google Drive links. The organization's intellectual capital rests on its Scientific Advisory Board (est. 2006), its content library of MGH faculty seminars, and the credibility conferred by its MGH affiliation rather than on proprietary technology.

The revenue model is purely philanthropic. Income is generated through individual one-time and recurring donations (monthly/quarterly), corporate employer-matching programs, corporate grants (e.g., 2023 first six-figure grant), event-based fundraising (ticket sales, sponsorships, poker table sponsorships, advertising), and Amazon Smile affiliate referrals. Leadership comprises Executive Director Cheryl LaMee and a Board of Directors chaired by founder Peter McAvinn, with CFO Steve Fischer and eight additional board members. The organization operates without disclosed headcount, parent company, or institutional investors, and is geographically focused on Massachusetts and the broader New England region.

Name

The Julie Fund For Women's Cancers

Legal name

The Julie Fund, Inc.

Website

https://juliefund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Julie Fund for Women's Cancers is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that funds ovarian cancer research at Massachusetts General Hospital and delivers direct patient support services (transportation, meals, social work) to women with cancer, supported by donations, corporate grants, and community fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Cancer Support Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gynecologic Oncology & Women’s Cancer Centers (HLAFAJAK), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF)

Keywords

• Ovarian cancer research
• Patient support services
• Cancer education advocacy
• Nonprofit fundraising events
• Women's cancer charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Newton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations received through the organization's website donation portal. Donors can make one-time or recurring donations (monthly, quarterly).
2. Amazon Smile: The organization receives a percentage of qualifying purchases when supporters shop at smile.amazon.com and designate The Julie Fund as their chosen charity.
3. Corporate Matching and Grants: The organization receives donations through employer matching programs and corporate giving departments. In 2023, received first 6-figure grant for transportation program.
4. Event Fundraising: Revenue generated from ticket sales, sponsorships, and advertising at events including Gala, Poker Tournament, Dog Jog, and Road Race.
5. Recurring Donations: Supporters can sign up for recurring monthly or quarterly donations through the online donation portal.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Julie Fund for Women's Cancers is a charitable nonprofit that funds ovarian cancer research and provides direct patient support services through its partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital. Its core activities include financing research, delivering patient support such as transportation, meals, childcare, healthcare, and mortgage assistance, and running education and advocacy programs focused on early detection of women's cancers. Funding is generated through individual donations, recurring gifts, corporate matching and grants, Amazon Smile, and fundraising events.

Product overview

The Julie Fund for Women's Cancers is a non-profit charitable organization offering a portfolio of patient support services, educational programming, and fundraising events. The core offerings include a Video Library featuring monthly seminars from Mass General Hospital faculty on ovarian and women's cancers; a Transportation Program providing safe rides to treatment; Education and Advocacy Programming focused on early detection; Patient Support Services including childcare, healthcare, and financial assistance; and various awareness events including Yoga Strong, Dog Jog, and annual Galas. The organization does not operate a technology product in the traditional sense but maintains a web platform for content delivery and donation collection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $4 million donated to fight women's cancers since 2004
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ovations for the Cure of Ovarian CancerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Partnership established in 2011 to deliver meals to patients undergoing cancer treatment, combining The Julie Fund's patient support focus with Ovations for the Cure's mission to advance ovarian cancer awareness and research.
• Massachusetts General HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Founding partnership established in 2004 when Julie's husband Peter and friends started The Julie Fund. The organization partnered with MGH to provide social services to patients in need including transportation, childcare, healthcare, and mortgage payments. MGH is the primary beneficiary of The Julie Fund's research funding, and The Julie Fund has become the single largest contributor to ovarian cancer research at the hospital.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Julie Fund participates in the Amazon Smile program, where shoppers can designate The Julie Fund as their chosen charity and a percentage of qualifying purchases is donated to the organization.
• Corporate Employers (Employer Matching Programs)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVarious corporate employers whose employees donate to The Julie Fund may match employee donations, amplifying individual contributions to the organization.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Stand Up To Cancer: Major cancer research funder partnering with academic medical centers on translational research. Adjacent peer in funding mechanism (research grants to leading institutions) rather than direct disease overlap.

Emerging players

• Clearity Foundation: Smaller nonprofit funding ovarian cancer research and providing patient support resources. Comparable as a niche ovarian cancer grantmaker with similar educational and patient-navigation missions.
• Tina's Wish: Nonprofit funding early-detection ovarian cancer research, primarily at academic medical centers including MGH/Columbia. Direct peer in narrow focus on ovarian cancer detection research.

Direct peers

• Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA): Largest U.S. nonprofit funding ovarian cancer research and supporting patients; directly comparable as a grantmaking and patient-support organization focused on the same disease (ovarian cancer) as The Julie Fund.
• National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC): National nonprofit focused on ovarian cancer awareness, education, and patient support. Direct peer in disease focus, community events, and patient-services model.
• Foundation for Women's Cancer: Nonprofit focused on gynecologic cancer research, education, and awareness. Direct peer in disease sub-category (gynecologic oncology) and in supporting research at academic medical centers.
• Ovations for the Cure of Ovarian Cancer: Existing partner of The Julie Fund (meals program since 2011); directly comparable as an ovarian cancer nonprofit combining awareness, patient support, and research funding.

Broad incumbents

• Susan G. Komen: Largest breast cancer nonprofit with event-driven fundraising (Races for the Cure), research funding at major medical centers, and patient support services. Broad incumbent comparable on women's cancer research funding model and event-based GTM, though disease focus is breast rather than ovarian.
• Bright Pink: Nonprofit focused on breast and ovarian cancer early detection and risk reduction. Comparable women's cancer cause, broader national footprint, similar education-driven mission.
• American Cancer Society: Largest U.S. cancer nonprofit funding research across cancer types and providing patient support. Comparable as a research-granting and patient-support organization, though at vastly larger scale and broader disease scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 The Julie Fund For Women's Cancers