Phils Friends

What Phils Friends does

Phil's Friends is a 501(c)(3) faith-based nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by Phil Zielke following his own cancer diagnosis, formalized in 2009, and headquartered in Crown Point, Indiana. The organization provides emotional and spiritual support to individuals affected by cancer, operating four Hope Centers across Indiana and Illinois (Crown Point, Wheaton, Addison, and Kankakee) plus satellite locations at partner churches. Core service offerings include Care Packages delivered nationwide via a UPS logistics partnership at a stated cost of $100 per package, hand-written Cards of Hope (1.145 million cumulative), Hope Center visits, a Prayer Team ministry, off-site pack events for corporate and community groups, and the Ignite Hope video ministry. To date the organization reports 70,313 Care Packages delivered and more than 2.1 million cumulative volunteer hours.

The business model is donation-funded rather than commercial. Revenue sources span individual giving, church donations, corporate sponsorships (including DocuSign, ComEd, Exelon, AT&T, Thrivent, Packaging Corp of America, Weber Metals, and Lowe's), grants, in-kind contributions, stock gifts, and book sales from the founder's published work. The organization cites a 91% program-spend ratio, indicating that the majority of donor dollars flow directly to patient support. Institutional distribution is anchored by hospital partnerships with Franciscan Health and Advocate Good Shepherd (established 2019), and donor awareness is amplified through recurring broadcast exposure on K-Love, WGN Radio, Moody Radio, The 700 Club, TCT, NRB, AFA Journal, Focus on the Family, NBC, CBS, and FOX.

The operating geography is the United States only, with no international expansion referenced. Headcount is stated at 11-50 employees. The organization has no disclosed proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capabilities, or data assets; service delivery is human-labor intensive and depends on a large volunteer base assembled through churches, corporate partners, and Hope Center recruitment. Phil's Friends is governed as a faith-based nonprofit with no equity, funding rounds, or investor base; growth is funded entirely by philanthropic contributions.

Name

Phils Friends

Legal name

Phil's Friends

Website

https://philsfriends.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Phil's Friends is a 501(c)(3) faith-based nonprofit that provides cancer patients with free Care Packages, hand-written Cards of Hope, Prayer Team support, and Hope Center visits across Indiana and Illinois, funded by individual, church, and corporate donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Cancer Support Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteer & Companion Support Services (Hospice Volunteer Programs) (HSABAFAO)

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Faith-based nonprofit
• Care packages
• Volunteer engagement
• Patient support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Crown Point

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Phil's Friends is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through individual donors. Donations can be made through the website via ACH or credit card, or by check payable to Phil's Friends.
2. Church and Corporate Donations: The organization receives financial support from churches and corporate donors as part of their partnership programs.
3. Grants: Phil's Friends receives grant funding as part of their overall funding strategy.
4. In-Kind Donations: The organization accepts donations of new, unused items for Care Packages.
5. Stock Donations: Appreciated stocks, bonds, and mutual funds can be transferred as gifts to Phil's Friends, providing donors tax benefits while supporting the organization.
6. Product Sales: Phil's Friends sells the book 'Seeing the Good in It' by Phil Zielke through their online shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Phil's Friends delivers free, customized Care Packages filled with comforting and practical items to cancer patients across the United States, supplemented by monthly Cards of Hope for one year and prayer support. Care Packages are hand-assembled by volunteers at four Hope Centers in Indiana and Illinois, and delivered either to patients' homes via UPS or directly into hospitals through the Hope to Hospitals program.

Product overview

Phil's Friends is a faith-based nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of support services for cancer patients centered around its core Care Packages product. The organization delivers free, customized Care Packages filled with practical and comforting items (handmade crafts, hygiene products, books, blankets, hats) to cancer patients nationwide, supplemented by ongoing Cards of Hope (monthly encouraging cards for one year) and prayer support. Additional offerings include the Ignite Hope video ministry, volunteer opportunities at Hope Centers across Indiana and Illinois, Phil's book 'Seeing the Good in It', and speaking engagements. The organization operates primarily through volunteer engagement and donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Care Packages Hand-packed gift boxes filled with practical, comforting, and encouraging items (hygiene products, books, blankets, handmade cards, journals, hats, port pillows) delivered free of charge to cancer patients across the United States. Packages are age and gender specific (women, men, teens, children). Recipients also receive ongoing Cards of Hope for one year.
• Cards of Hope Monthly encouraging cards delivered to cancer patients for one year following receipt of a Care Package. Each card includes a joke, inspirational Bible verse, and personalized encouragement, created by volunteers and signed with their first name, age, and state.
• Prayer Team A team of prayer volunteers who pray for cancer patients and their families; prayer requests can be submitted to [email protected]. Provides ongoing spiritual support to recipients of Care Packages.
• Hope Centers Regional volunteer hubs located in Crown Point, IN (Home Office), Wheaton, IL, Addison, IL, and Kankakee, IL, where individuals and groups serve weekly to assemble Care Packages, decorate boxes, and create Cards of Hope.
• Ignite Hope Weekly 60-second inspirational video ministry delivered via text and email to uplift and empower individuals. Users sign up by texting 'HOPE' to (224) 524-1677; content also published on the Phil's Friends YouTube channel.
• Phil as Speaker Speaking engagements by founder Phil Zielke at companies, schools, churches, and treatment centers, sharing his story of resilience, faith, and purpose as a two-time stage 4 cancer survivor.
• Seeing the Good in It (Book) Book authored by Phil Zielke chronicling his journey of faith, resilience, and hope as a two-time stage 4 cancer survivor. Sold through the Phil's Friends online shop at $30 (reduced from $50).
• Hope to Hospitals Program Direct delivery of Care Packages to cancer patients in hospitals and treatment centers by the Hope to Hospitals team, supplementing medical care with practical and emotional support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70,313 Care Packages delivered to cancer patients
• +3 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

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Franciscan Health Cancer Center MunstercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2019Hospital partnership for delivering Care Packages directly to cancer patients at the facility. Phil's Friends began partnering with Franciscan Health Cancer Center in Munster, IN in May 2019 to bring hope to cancer patients.
• Advocate Good Shepherd HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2019Hospital partnership for cancer patient support. Phil's Friends partnered with Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, IL in February 2019 to support cancer patients.
• UPScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUPS driver King Gregory has been delivering hundreds of Care Packages for Phil's Friends out of Crown Point, IN for the past three years, providing essential delivery services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cleaning for a Reason: Nonprofit providing free house cleaning services to cancer patients through a network of partner cleaning companies. Comparable to Phil's Friends as a free, service-based cancer support organization that mobilizes volunteers/partners to deliver tangible support to patients.
• CancerCare: National nonprofit providing free, professional support services to anyone affected by cancer, including counseling, financial assistance, and resource navigation. Directly comparable to Phil's Friends in mission scope (cancer patient support, free services, donor-funded) and target population.
• Imerman Angels: Nonprofit providing free one-on-one peer mentor support to cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. Comparable to Phil's Friends as a free, volunteer-driven cancer support organization focused on personal connection and emotional support.
• Pinky Swear Foundation: Nonprofit supporting children with cancer and their families through direct financial assistance and enrichment programs. Comparable to Phil's Friends as a smaller, donor-funded cancer support organization providing tangible family services.
• Cancer Support Community: Global nonprofit delivering free psychosocial support, education, and hope to people impacted by cancer through community-based programs. Comparable to Phil's Friends as a donor-funded cancer support organization focused on the emotional/practical needs of patients and families.
• National Children's Cancer Society: Nonprofit providing direct financial and emotional support to children with cancer and their families, including transportation assistance and survivor programs. Comparable to Phil's Friends as a donor-funded cancer support organization providing tangible, free services to pediatric and family cancer patients.

Broad incumbents

• Susan G. Komen: Large US nonprofit focused on breast cancer research, community health, and patient support. Comparable to Phil's Friends on the patient-support dimension but narrower (breast cancer only) and far larger in research and advocacy scope.
• Livestrong Foundation: Nonprofit focused on cancer survivorship navigation, fertility preservation, and patient support programs. Comparable to Phil's Friends in the patient-support and survivorship space but with national reach and broader program scope.
• American Cancer Society: The largest US cancer nonprofit, funding research, patient support, advocacy, and education across all cancer types. Overlaps with Phil's Friends on cancer patient support but operates at vastly larger scale across research, advocacy, and 24/7 hotlines.

Others

• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Nonprofit supporting families of sick children through housing, meals, and in-hospital family rooms. Not a direct competitor, but operates in adjacent space of non-medical support services for cancer/medically complex families, often in hospital partnership contexts.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxIA3fJDTpYZiWP-yACTVNA?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/138986612834
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phil's-friends
• Instagraminstagram.com/philsfriends

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Phils Friends