JPMorganChase honored for work with nonprofit CanCare

At its annual HOPE Survivorship Luncheon, CanCare honored JPMorganChase as its corporate honoree in recognition of the nonprofit’s partnership with Tech for Social Good. Based in Houston, Texas, CanCare envisions a world where no one faces cancer alone – providing one-on-one support, hospital visits and education to the community.

CanCare matches cancer patients with cancer survivors, offering patients support, validation and community as they battle the disease. CanCare’s relationship with JPMorganChase began in 2023 at a Code for Good hackathon in Dallas. The hackathon brought together students from local universities and paired them in teams to ideate on tech solutions. The technologists were asked: “How might technology help CanCare connect and foster meaningful relationships across cancer patients and survivors?” Eight student teams explored ways in which technology could expedite and strengthen the matching process to better serve cancer patients.

Several prototypes were developed to help answer this question, including an enhanced matching algorithm (like what is seen on dating apps), a virtual support platform to help facilitate communications and store resources, an app for volunteers that provided training and feedback with an AI companion for additional support and a data analytics dashboard with which CanCare could track the metrics and success of their matching support network.

Building on the success of Code for Good, CanCare continued its collaboration with JPMorganChase through the Force for Good program in 2024. This 8-month-long tech delivery program brought CanCare’s vision to life. CanCare partnered with a team of ten JPMorganChase technologists who volunteered to develop a plan to identify, select, and implement a new matching platform for the organization. With the volunteer tech team’s guidance, CanCare selected an off-the-shelf mentor matching platform to replace their previous system which had lacked reporting capabilities, a user-friendly experience and automation options.

The new system significantly enhances CanCare’s ability to support cancer patients and survivors. By streamlining operations, CanCare ensures that patients are matched with survivors who can provide personalized support and understanding, facilitating smoother communication and allowing patients and volunteers to connect effortlessly. This improvement fosters a sense of community and belonging, while the ability to effectively monitor and evaluate the support network ensures continuous improvement and expansion of their impact.

Prasanna Raparti, JPMorganChase software engineer and project lead of the CanCare Force for Good team, reflects: “The most rewarding aspect of this project was getting the chance to listen to many CanCare volunteers passionately share their journeys fighting cancer, realizing just how many lives will be positively impacted as a direct result of our work.”

With this new solution, CanCare is better equipped to serve its community by offering more support to cancer patients, engaging more volunteers and expanding its impact nationwide, ultimately enriching the lives of those affected by cancer. 

When asked what advice he would give to others interested in using their skills for social good, Lawson Cooper, JPMorganChase volunteer software engineer who also led the Force for Good project with CanCare shared,  “Don’t limit yourself to what you do in your everyday… this program is an opportunity to expand your skillset while making a difference for an organization in need.”

Darcie Champagne Wells, President & CEO of CanCare, said, "Partnering with JPMorganChase through the Tech for Social Good program has been transformational for CanCare! The JPMorganChase team guided us through defining our needs, selecting the best product for our goals, and the incredible task of data migration, resulting in a state-of-the-art matching platform that will take us into the future. We consider the JPMorganChase team family now and are so grateful for their talent and heart!"

The partnership between CanCare and JPMorganChase exemplifies how technology and collaboration can drive meaningful change. By leveraging innovative solutions, CanCare is now better equipped to support cancer patients and expand its reach, ensuring that no one faces cancer alone.

For more information on Tech for Social Good programming, click here.