For nearly a decade, Jill Brinck has dedicated her career to helping children through nonprofit organizations, which eventually led her to Cincinnati, where she's continued to lead, foster communities and provide funding for children in need.
Brinck "isn't a fan of independent awards," saying that "nothing can be done alone," but her drive and dedication to research and fundraising for CancerFree Kids, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit that raises money to fund early-stage research into pediatric cancer, have left a tremendous mark on those who've worked with her.
"Those who know Jill Brinck describe her as a servant leader who leads with humility, authenticity and purpose. Her career choices have consistently reflected a desire to improve the lives
of others," Jackie Reau, CEO of Game Day Communications, wrote to The Enquirer.
Brinck, one of The Enquirer's Women of the Year honorees for 2026, earned a bachelor's degree in biomedical science but never entered the medical field. Instead, she began working at United Way Suncoast, a nonprofit in Tampa, Florida, that "elevates early learning, energizes middle school and high school students and empowers families through financial stability."
She worked with United Way for 10 years, six of which she served as the director of community campaign and strategy development. During her time, she helped deliver $1 million increases in consecutive annual campaigns in 2015 and 2016.
At United Way, Brinck said they were "very focused on early childhood education," adding that giving kids a good start has always been a passion point for it. Then CancerFree Kids recruited her.
"It just hit a lot of boxes. Obviously, there's not a lot that's more compelling than helping sick children," she said. Brinck joined the Cincinnati-based nonprofit in 2019 and has been raising funds and expanding the organization's mission ever since.
Under Brinck's leadership, CancerFree Kids inches closer to funding goals
Since becoming executive director of CancerFree Kids in 2019, Brinck has focused on strengthening the organization's ability to fund cutting-edge pediatric cancer research and has expanded the organization into the Columbus market, reaching advocates statewide.
And she's only getting started.
Aside from granting more money, Brinck said CancerFree Kids has a goal of getting to $5 million in investments annually by 2030. "We're going to continue to just work to make as much impact and fund as much research as we possibly can that would otherwise just go unfunded," she said.
As a Florida native, Brinck is especially moved by the Cincinnati community and its ability to rally around philanthropic needs.
"A lot of people know that Cincinnati is special when it comes to philanthropy and definitely punches above its weight and offers so much from a community support standpoint," Brinck said. "In my opinion, Cincinnati is really special because when they see a problem – to rally support, to make a difference and to make a change – it's just almost like in our DNA."
About the honoree
- Birthplace: Winter Haven, Florida.
- Family: Son, Jack, 12, and son, Everett, 11.
- Education: University of South Florida and Xavier University.
- Occupation: Executive director of CancerFree Kids.
What she says
What inspires you to give back?
"I'm always fulfilled by serving others, and, you know, doing something that's bigger than yourself is something that I strive for, personally and professionally. And if I can make someone else happy, then it makes me happy."
Who most influenced or inspired you to care about others?
"My parents. Just always growing up and watching them model servant leadership. [They] were very involved in church along the way and were involved in giving back to faith and the community."
What need in the community would you like to see addressed?
"Our core focus is to find early-stage pediatric cancer research. A lot of people don't realize that pediatric cancer in general is significantly underfunded. There's just not enough patients for it to be profitable to help develop drugs for kids. That leaves the federal government to fund most of it, which is really, really difficult to get, and it needs a lot of proof-of-concept data to get the larger funds that are available through the federal government. So, our role is to help basically give seed funding to help research get off the ground and develop further so that they can get that proof-of-concept data and move the idea forward."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Jill Brinck champions children through cancer research
