Pan-Mass Challenge

Org #27
Pan-Mass Challenge
Founded: 1980
Founder: Billy Starr
Latest Annual Revenue Raised (2024): $75 million
Total Raised to Date: Over $1 billion
Location: Massachusetts (nationwide participation)
Focus Area: Cancer research and care funding

In 1980, Billy Starr organized a long-distance bike ride in memory of his mother, who had died of cancer. That first ride raised just over $10,000. It became the start of the Pan-Mass Challenge, now the largest athletic fundraiser in the country. The model is simple and unusually disciplined: riders raise money for cancer research and care at Dana-Farber, and 100% of what they raise goes directly to the cause. Event costs are covered separately by sponsors and volunteers. Starr built the PMC over four decades by focusing relentlessly on relationships, trust, and keeping the mission front and center. In 2024, the ride raised $75 million, bringing the total since inception to over $1 billion. Some might see this as just a well-run fundraiser, not a systemic innovation—but the consistency, scale, and trust it has built make it a rare example of nonprofit infrastructure that works. The funding has helped Dana-Farber launch new clinical trials, expand access to care for patients across New England, and pursue high-risk, high-reward research that might not otherwise get funded. The PMC model has inspired other rides and runs across the country, and Starr has advised several of them directly, but few have matched the clarity and staying power of this one. It shows that when a mission is clear and the model is tight, nonprofits can mobilize serious resources, build long-term loyalty, and fund institutions that change lives.

Website: pmc.org
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