According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and approximately 1% of breast cancer occurs in men. But that doesn’t mean men can’t be allies in the fight to eradicate this disease, and Justin Nelson is leading the way in a strong show of allyship.
As a managing director and head of the asset management and financial principals coverage team for J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Connecticut, Nelson often finds himself in male-dominated environments. And yet, when it comes to his philanthropic efforts, a key focus has become his work with the Breast Cancer Alliance. There, he’s not just fighting for better health outcomes for women — he’s also working to get more men involved.
How did this banker join the ranks of dedicated BCA volunteers? As Justin Nelson explains, “I’ve been involved there for about 15 years, and it was probably at a time where I wasn’t necessarily looking. I don’t have a specific personal involvement or connection to breast cancer. Most of the people who are in there are people who were survivors, people who have had family touched by [breast cancer]but there are a couple of people in there too, like me, who just love doing the work and making the impact.”
While Nelson admits, “There are several breast cancer charities out there,” he was particularly drawn to the BCA because “what’s unique about them is that the board does all the work. There’s 30 people on the board, and their goal is to give as much as possible for breast cancer research or just ongoing support, like mammograms and things like that.” Inspired by the mission — and the methods — Nelson joined the organization’s efforts, initially as a volunteer and now serving in his ninth year as a BCA board member. During his time in office, “The organization has raised $1.5 million to $2 million a year for research,” he says, noting, “I just find it really special.”
Since the Breast Cancer Alliance has a rule that board members can’t serve for more than nine years, this will be Justin Nelson’s last stint volunteering in that role. But that doesn’t mean he’s making a quiet exit. Instead, he says, he wants to maximize his impact in his remaining time as a BCA board member.
Drawing the Crowds
During his time on the board, Justin Nelson has been heavily invested in event planning, making efforts to both raise funds and alert more people to the cause. After all, he says, “If you think of all the breast cancer charities, I think we’re the fifth-largest out there but the goal is always to try to figure out how do we get more people involved.” And, for Nelson, the answer seems to lie in planning unique events designed to draw in unexpected supporters.
While the BCA tends to have more women participants, Nelson feels his role is to expand its reach by working with the BCA team to throw out-of-the-box events like a casino night fundraiser. “We’re trying to bring in a lot of men and get different faces involved and just try to expand the network,” he says. “We’re always doing what we can to get more people involved.”
