The Lydia Project Inc

What The Lydia Project Inc does

Cancer Support Services (CSS), legally Cancer Support Services and formerly The Lydia Project Inc, is a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004 and headquartered in Augusta, Georgia, that provides free financial, practical, lodging, and emotional support to people undergoing cancer treatment. Its service footprint centers on the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA), with emergency relief funding available across six counties spanning Georgia and South Carolina, and with lodging patients drawn from a broader tri-state region. The organization rebranded from "The Lydia Project" to "Cancer Support Services" in 2022 after board-level research indicated the prior name limited awareness among men and youth with cancer.

The service catalog includes the Daksha Chudgar Lydia House (a 10-bedroom, 9,000 sq ft, 20-bed, mortgage-free lodging facility with private bathrooms near Augusta/Aiken treatment centers), transportation to cancer appointments, emergency financial relief for rent, utilities, prescriptions and medical supplies, a prayer and monthly outreach program, a women's tote ministry (Lydia Totes) shipped worldwide, a monthly cancer support group, and a free tax preparation service in partnership with AARP Tax Aid. Services are delivered through a referral-based model in which oncology medical teams fax patient referrals and direct requests are also accepted via the website and phone. There is no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or AI system; intake, case management, and outreach are staff- and volunteer-coordinated.

CSS is funded entirely through donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, community fundraisers, the Combined Federal Campaign for federal employees, and grants, and the organization was seeded by a $500,000 philanthropic gift from the late Dr. Bipin Chudgar that built the Lydia House debt-free in under seven years. The board of directors includes representation from Georgia Cancer Center, Cancer Care Institute of Carolina, Ameriprise Financial Services, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, providing clinical and governance ties to the regional oncology ecosystem that supplies the bulk of patient referrals.

Name

The Lydia Project Inc

Legal name

Cancer Support Services

Website

https://cancersupportservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cancer Support Services (formerly The Lydia Project) is an Augusta, Georgia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free lodging, transportation, emergency financial relief, and emotional support to cancer patients and caregivers in the CSRA region, plus nationwide Lydia Totes for women with cancer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Patient lodging assistance
• Medical transportation services
• Emergency financial assistance
• Nonprofit cancer care

Headquarters

HQ city

Augusta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: CSS operates as a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity incorporated in 2004. Revenue comes entirely from charitable donations from individuals, organizations, and corporate sponsors. All services are provided free of charge to cancer patients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Lydia Project Inc (operating as Cancer Support Services) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free, wraparound support to cancer patients, including free lodging at the Daksha Chudgar Lydia House, transportation to cancer treatment, emergency financial assistance for rent/utilities/prescriptions, the Lydia Project tote program for women, prayer support, and monthly outreach. All services are provided at no charge to patients and are funded entirely through charitable donations, with intake initiated via physician referral, website request, or phone.

Product overview

Cancer Support Services (CSS), formerly The Lydia Project, is a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing comprehensive cancer support services. The organization operates a multi-service model centered around emergency financial relief, housing, and transportation for cancer patients. Key offerings include the Daksha Chudgar Lydia House (free 10-bedroom lodging facility), The Lydia Project Totes (free tote bags for women with cancer), transportation services to treatment, emergency funding for rent/utilities/prescriptions, prayer support, outreach programs, and volunteer opportunities. The Lydia Project and the Daksha Chudgar Lydia House now operate as sub-brands under the Cancer Support Services umbrella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Lydia Project: Tote ministry providing supportive items and monthly outreach to women worldwide fighting GYN, breast, and other type cancers. Totes include an inspirational journal, lotion, and other supportive items.
• The Daksha Chudgar Lydia House

Products and services

• Daksha Chudgar Lydia House (Lodging) Free overnight lodging with private bathrooms, meals, transportation to treatment, and 24/7 on-site staff for cancer patients and their caregivers traveling to receive care in the Aiken/Augusta area, accessed through physician referral.
• Transportation Services Free rides for cancer patients to medical appointments in the Aiken, Augusta, and Fort Gordon areas, serving both local residents and lodging guests from rural areas, initiated through physician referral.
• Emergency Relief Funding Direct financial assistance for rent, utilities, prescriptions, and medical supplies for cancer patients receiving treatment in Georgia's Burke, Columbia, McDuffie, and Richmond Counties and South Carolina's Aiken and Edgefield Counties.
• The Lydia Project Totes Free tote bags containing an inspirational journal, lotion, and supportive items provided to women anywhere in the world currently undergoing treatment for any type of cancer, with an optional year-long monthly outreach program via cards, emails, or phone calls.
• Prayer Program Spiritual support service providing weekly prayer meetings and follow-up communication to cancer patients, providers, and caregivers, with a weekly electronic prayer report circulated to volunteers nationwide.
• Outreach Program Monthly correspondence and outreach program staffed by a team of volunteers that contacts cancer fighters and their families for at least one year to address depression, anxiety, and isolation during treatment.
• Cancer Support Group Monthly in-person support group meetings for cancer patients and those touched by cancer, providing community and shared experiences in the CSRA region.
• Free Tax Preparation Service Free tax preparation service for cancer patients and their families, delivered in partnership with AARP Tax Aid.
• Volunteer Program Structured volunteer program providing training and service opportunities for cancer survivors and community supporters, including tote assembly, note-writing, office support, fundraising, and community outreach roles available nationwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,461+ lodging nights provided at no charge to cancer fighters from Georgia, South Carolina, and Mississippi
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• PowerserveminorOthersWebsite design and development partner. Powerserve designed the Cancer Support Services website. Jeff Partl serves as an Advisory Member and President of Powerserve International on the CSS advisory board.
• Doctors HospitalminorOthersLocal Augusta hospital supporting CSS mission. Logo displayed among community supporters on CSS website.
• Harbor Club Ladies Golf AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts annual golf tournament to raise funds and awareness for CSS. Gallery page on website documents their fundraising event (Harbor Club tournament 2025).
• Ameriprise Financial ServicesminorOthersDamon Cline from Ameriprise serves on the CSS Board of Directors. Logo displayed among community supporters.
• Georgia Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Jorge Cortes from Georgia Cancer Center serves on CSS Board of Directors. The center is a primary referral source and treatment destination for CSS patients receiving lodging and transportation services.
• Cancer Care Institute of CarolinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Ahmad Gill from Cancer Care Institute of Carolina serves on CSS Board of Directors. The institute is a key treatment referral partner for cancer fighters receiving CSS support services.
• Local Hotels (Partnership for Overflow Lodging)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSS partners with a local hotel to lodge guests when the Daksha Chudgar Lydia House is at full capacity, and for young cancer fighters and their families.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• National Patient Advocate Foundation: Provides case management and financial assistance navigation for patients facing serious illness, including cancer. Comparable in advocacy and benefits-navigation function, though at national scale and with broader disease scope.
• Cleaning for a Reason: Provides free home cleaning services to cancer patients in treatment. Comparable as a small, donation-funded nonprofit delivering free non-medical support services that ease the daily burden of cancer treatment, though in a different service vertical.

Direct peers

• Lazarex Cancer Foundation: Provides financial assistance for travel, lodging, and treatment-related expenses for cancer patients participating in clinical trials. Closely comparable to CSS's emergency relief funding and transportation services, with a similarly patient-direct service model.
• Joe's House: National nonprofit that specifically helps cancer patients and families find discounted lodging near treatment centers. Highly comparable to CSS's lodging mission, though it operates as a referral/booking platform rather than owning housing facilities.
• Family Reach Foundation: Nonprofit that addresses financial toxicity of cancer by providing direct financial assistance for non-medical expenses (rent, utilities, food, transportation). Closely mirrors CSS's emergency relief funding for rent/utilities/prescriptions during cancer treatment.
• Healthcare Hospitality Network: Association of nonprofit hospitality houses that provide free or low-cost lodging to patients and families traveling for medical care, including cancer treatment. Direct organizational peer to CSS's lodging model, and a potential partner/affiliate for referral overflow.

Broad incumbents

• American Cancer Society (Hope Lodge): The American Cancer Society operates the Hope Lodge network, providing free lodging for cancer patients traveling for treatment — directly comparable to the Lydia House concept but at national scale. Also funds patient transportation, lodging grants, and 24/7 cancer information hotlines.
• Livestrong Foundation: National nonprofit providing direct support services to cancer survivors and families, including navigation, emotional support, and fertility preservation resources. Competes for similar donor audiences and provides overlapping non-clinical wraparound services.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Largest nonprofit provider of free lodging near pediatric (and increasingly adult) medical treatment, including cancer. Operates a global network of houses with volunteer-driven service models analogous to the Daksha Chudgar Lydia House, serving similar patient populations with overnight-stay needs during treatment.
• Susan G. Komen (and other disease-specific cancer nonprofits): Large national cancer-focused nonprofit with patient support programs including financial assistance for treatment-related costs. Competes with CSS for cancer-patient-directed donor dollars and offers some overlapping direct services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles29 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 Lydia Project Inc