Bay Area Cancer Connections
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Bay Area Cancer Connections' vision is to be a self-sustaining organization at the forefront of community-based cancer support. We do this by being a trusted partner to our clients, donors, the medical community and collaborative organizations, while striving to address shifting gaps in cancer services.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Resource Center
Free resources include: Breast Health Library; helpline telephone and walk-in support by caring volunteers; weekly drop-in question and answer sessions with physicians; a Buddy Program matching current clients with breast cancer survivors; support groups for individuals who are newly diagnosed, have metastatic breast cancer, have DCIS, and who have completed treatment; a support group for couples; a team of therapists available for crisis counseling; healing and guided imagery sessions, writing workshops, mindfulness meditation workshops, life coaching and other ongoing wellness activities; assistance preparing for medical appointments; and volunteer opportunities for breast cancer survivors and friends.
Early Detection Program
Our Early Detection Program helps young, at-risk women and men navigate the medical system and access necessary screening and diagnostic tests. The program pays for services for women and men under 40 who have no insurance or resources and are at risk for breast cancer.
Buddy Program
Peer support for people diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer
Support Groups
Emotional support groups for people touched by breast or ovarian cancer.
Where we work
Awards
Best Non Profit to Work For 2008
Opportunity Knocks
Spirit of Hope Award 2011
Stanford Cancer Center
Renewal Award 2011
HERS Breast Cancer Foundation
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of screening services provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Related Program
Early Detection Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Includes the number of clinical breast exams, screening mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies, and appointments we helped our clients receive, free of charge through our Screening Navigation Program.
Number of client interactions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This includes the number of clients attending our classes and groups, used our programs like our medical information services, our Buddy program, the number of visits to our Wig Boutique, and more.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Bay Area Cancer Connections supports anyone affected by breast or ovarian cancer with personalized services that inform and empower.
Guiding Principles:
• We place the needs of our clients first
• We empower clients by providing education that helps them make informed decisions
• We provide personalized services directly and through partnerships across the continuum of care
• We value the experience, knowledge and involvement of volunteers, breast cancer survivors, their families and caregivers
• We are committed to providing our services free of charge
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Bay Area Cancer Connections (BACC) is the region's largest nonprofit educator and support network serving those affected by breast and ovarian cancer. We offer a wide range of free, personalized services designed to inform and empower individuals, including emotional support, cancer education, therapies, and more. In addition, BACC provides low-income, uninsured women and men with access to critical screening and diagnostic services for breast health issues.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Since 1993 BCC has been providing free programs and services to those touched by breast cancer. A sample of the programs and services we offer includes:
Special presentations that address specific cancer topics/issues/advances.
A boutique offering free wigs, hats, breast prostheses, bras, swimsuits, and more- with complimentary fittings.
Online and in-center research resources.
An annual, educational conference featuring innovators and leaders in breast and ovarian cancer care and research.
Personalized assistance understanding a diagnosis by our on staff PhD and a medical resource library.
The BCC helpline – staffed primarily by volunteers, 90% of whom are survivors, this service provides medical information, emotional support and referrals to other services and resources in the client’s community.
Peer support through the Buddy program which pairs clients with someone who has gone through a similar cancer experience.
More than 12 types of support groups and individual counseling with a licensed therapist specializing in cancer-related therapies.
Personalized assistance with on-the-job issues related to breast cancer, including insurance concerns and employment benefits.
Survivorship programs that offer resources, opportunities and ongoing workshops for breast cancer survivors and their support networks.
Special weekly programs and events that include nutritional programs, exercise classes, alternative therapies and general support for individuals at each stage treatment and survivorship.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
BACC remains unique in its ability to tailor its services to each client, offering a combination of high-quality medical information, practical help and emotional support in a non-institutional setting. BACC complements the medical care that patients receive from their physicians and provides a safety net for low income, uninsured young women and men at risk. BACC’s programs aim to ensure that no one faces cancer alone and that each person is connected with the resources that best serve his or her needs. BACC recognizes that every person touched by cancer experiences the illness differently and therefore continually adapts its programs and services to serve a range of needs, be they emotional, informational, or access to care.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- 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.
Bay Area Cancer Connections
Board of directorsas of 08/22/2023
Pamela Ratliff
Stanford Cancer Institute
Jill Freidenrich
Community Volunteer
Elizabeth Day
Feinberg Day
Ann Kane
Amy Moody
Community Volunteer
Liz Kniss
Financial Advisor & Community Volunteer
Jonathan Berek, M.D.
Physician
Julie Brooks
Attornye
Kathleen Horst, M.D.
Physician
Guillermo Memo Morantes
Insurance Broker & Community Volunteer
Mika Nishimura
Executive, Biomedical
Mark Simon
Community Volunteer
Pamela Ratliff
Senior Administrator, Public Health and Cancer
Rebecca Brandes
Executive, Biomedical
Beth Solomon-Casper
Community Volunteer
Lauren Seder Antonakos
Attorney
Ann Kane
Marketing & Communications
Liz Kniss
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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 ? Yes -
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? Yes -
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? Yes
Organizational demographics
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
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 05/10/2021GuideStar 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
- 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 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.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- 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.