GOLD2023

Cactus Cancer Society

aka Lacuna Loft   |   Oakland, CA   |  http://cactuscancer.org/

Mission

Cactus Cancer Society’s mission is to provide a safe space where young adults facing cancer can connect, cope, and thrive with one another in an online community through creativity and expression.

Ruling year info

2015

CEO

Ms. Mallory C Casperson

Main address

2323 Broadway

Oakland, CA 94612 USA

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Formerly known as

Lacuna Loft

EIN

47-3741634

NTEE code info

Health Support Services (E60)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Young Adult Voices

A daily blog where over 70 young adult cancer and caregiver contributors share their stories to help end isolation.

Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Caregivers

Cactus Cancer Society brings young adult cancer survivors and caregivers together over a good book, providing 24 books to survivors/caregivers upon request and then leading the survivors/caregivers in a weekly book club discussion with a video chat discussion at the end.

Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Caregivers

This program is designed to take the survivors/caregivers on a journey through their cancer diagnosis and into their survivorship with a small group of their young adult cancer survivor peers. Each 8-week program consists of a weekly writing session attended via video chat.

Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Caregivers

Each workshop is designed to teach a group of young adult cancer survivors and caregivers the basics of an art form such as sketching, comics, painting, jewelry making, crafting, and more. The primary goal is to connect these young survivors to their young adult cancer peers, helping to end isolation in this patient population and to provide a healthy, creative outlet. Each workshop occurs via video hangout.

Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Caregivers

Together, 25 young adults facing cancer (patients, survivors, or caregivers) will go through a 6-week, online program experience where they hit the highlights of our workshops! They form a tight-knit community and every other week, they take part in a different 2-hour program with the same group of young adults moving together through the series. The group also has access to a private facebook page with activities and chances for engagement built in for the entire, 6-week experience.

Each group can be formed around a specific disease state, geographic area, etc.

Population(s) Served

Jean Rowe, LCSW, OSW-C, CJT, is guest faculty of several programs for Cactus Cancer Society. Her background includes 15 years in the oncology space primarily working with young adults affected by breast cancer. Jean’s original programs include themes around reclaiming intimacy after cancer, addressing burnout and compassion fatigue, journal drop-ins to temper the triggers of everyday life, and coping through the holidays. Grounded in all of them is the importance of self-care.

Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Caregivers

Dr. Anne Katz, also known as the Awkward Auntie, is a certified sexuality counselor and nurse who has written a couple of books about young adults and cancer* – and all the things that happen to your body, relationships, and sex during and after treatment. She answers any and all questions that are submitted on the anonymous form. You don’t have to give your name or other identifying information – but it might be helpful for her to know how you identify yourself by gender, your age and what kind of cancer and treatment you had.

YOU CAN ASK HER ANYTHING…. Don’t hold back! Your questions will be answered periodically and posted here, on our Awkward Auntie page.

Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Caregivers
People with diseases and illnesses
Caregivers
People with diseases and illnesses
Caregivers

Cactus Cancer Society has over 20 programs that are run on a monthly basis. All program information can be found at https://cactuscancer.org/programs/.

Population(s) Served
Caregivers
People with diseases and illnesses
Caregivers
People with diseases and illnesses

Where we work

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    Cactus Cancer Society serves young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers between the ages of 18 and 45. Our mission is to provide a safe space where young adults facing cancer can connect, cope, and thrive with one another in an online community through creativity and expression. Our vision is to end isolation among young adults facing cancer.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Suggestion box/email,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback,

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,

Financials

Cactus Cancer Society
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Cactus Cancer Society

Board of directors
as of 01/27/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Ms. Mallory Casperson

Patricia McDonald

SIUE

Shelly Whitsitt

Fusion Hill

Kelly Miragliotta

Pontera

Lauren Creel

Cactus Cancer Society

Vikki Christian

Bryan Walker

Maxim Healthcare Group

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Not applicable
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 10/28/2021
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual orientations in the LGBTQIA+ community
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 01/27/2023

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.