National Association for Continence

What National Association for Continence does

The National Association for Continence (NAFC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1987 and headquartered in Charleston, SC. It is the only U.S. national nonprofit focused exclusively on bladder and bowel health, serving three audience segments: patients with incontinence, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. NAFC's mission centers on reducing stigma, advancing education, and connecting users to clinical care.

NAFC's core product is a digital education platform built around nafc.org and a separate clinician portal at hcp.nafc.org. The platform delivers condition-specific content (urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, bowel conditions, men's and women's conditions), interactive assessment tools (the "What Could It Be?" symptom quiz and OAB Treatment Tracker), downloadable patient diaries (bladder, bowel, bedwetting, nocturia), and structured programs (the PCORI-funded Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Toolkit and a 6-Week Pelvic Health Program). Audience reach is extended through the Life Without Leaks and Pelvic Floor Power podcasts, the Bhealth Blog, the Incontinence Message Boards, and an On The Go newsletter distributed via Mailchimp; user data is stored in Salesforce. Clinical credibility is anchored by a Medical Advisory Board and a Physical Therapist Advisory Board that includes contributors from Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women's Hospital and board-certified urologists.

NAFC's revenue model is donation- and sponsorship-based rather than transactional. It relies on individual charitable contributions to a qualified 501(c)(3), supplemented by a Trusted Partner corporate-sponsorship program that grants incontinence product and device companies (Convatec, Premier Medical Supply, Attn: Grace, Elitone, Tranquility) brand association and special-offer visibility on the NAFC website. Additional funding has come from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute through a Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award (EADI-38455). All core educational resources are provided free to patients, caregivers, and clinicians. The organization has 1–10 employees and reports no traditional funding rounds or institutional investors.

Name

National Association for Continence

Legal name

National Association for Continence

Website

https://nafc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NAFC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free bladder and bowel health education, interactive symptom tools, and clinical resources to patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Continence Health Education and Patient Advocacy

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Wound, Ostomy & Continence Care (WOC) at Home (HSABACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment & Care Planning (HSABAIAA), Incontinence & Urological Supplies (Catheters, Briefs, Ostomy Supplies) (HSABAKAH), Continence Care Products (Adult Incontinence Pads/Briefs, Underpads, External Collectors) (HLAHALAH)

Keywords

• Continence health education
• Bladder health resources
• Pelvic floor therapy
• Patient advocacy services
• Nonprofit healthcare support

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: NAFC is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that relies on donations from individuals to fund its mission of education, community support, and advocacy for bladder and bowel health.
2. Trusted Partner Program: Corporate partnerships with companies in the incontinence product and healthcare space, where partners receive the NAFC Trusted Partner designation and access to special offers visibility on the NAFC website.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The National Association for Continence (NAFC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that delivers free educational resources, self-management tools, and advocacy programs to individuals, caregivers, and healthcare professionals affected by bladder and bowel incontinence. Its offering centers on downloadable tracking diaries, interactive symptom quizzes, structured pelvic-floor training programs, podcasts, and a searchable directory of credentialed providers, all oriented toward improving diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life for patients with incontinence conditions.

Product overview

The National Association for Continence operates a primarily educational and resource-focused platform centered around its main website (nafc.org), which serves as a comprehensive information hub for bladder and bowel health. The organization offers a suite of digital tools and downloadable resources including the Bladder Diary, Bowel Diary, Bedwetting Diary, and Nocturia Symptom Tracker for self-monitoring; the interactive 'What Could It Be?' quiz and OAB Treatment Tracker for symptom assessment; and the free Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Toolkit and 6-Week Pelvic Health Program for guided treatment. Additional offerings include the Life Without Leaks Podcast and Pelvic Floor Power Podcast Series for education, the Doctor Finder tool for provider locate, and the Healthcare Providers Portal for clinical professionals. The organization also maintains community support through its Incontinence Message Boards and the customizable On The Go Newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Life Without Leaks Podcast Audio podcast program covering bladder and bowel health topics for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals seeking accessible condition information and lifestyle guidance.
• Pelvic Floor Power Podcast Series Focused podcast series dedicated to pelvic floor health, providing structured education on exercises, treatment options, and self-management strategies.
• Doctor Finder Searchable directory tool that helps patients locate healthcare providers specializing in continence care, pelvic floor disorders, and related urological or urogynecological conditions.
• Healthcare Providers Portal Dedicated online portal (hcp.nafc.org) offering clinical resources, patient education materials, and practice-support content for physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and other continence-care professionals.
• Free Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Toolkit Downloadable, structured toolkit providing guided pelvic floor muscle exercises designed for at-home use by patients with stress, urge, or mixed incontinence.
• 6-Week Pelvic Health Program Structured six-week guided program aimed at improving pelvic floor strength and reducing symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence through progressive exercises and behavioral techniques.
• NAFC Bladder Diary Downloadable daily tracking diary for recording fluid intake, voiding frequency, urgency episodes, and leakage incidents to support diagnosis and treatment discussions with providers.
• NAFC Nocturia Symptom Tracker Downloadable tracking resource focused on nighttime voiding patterns, designed to help patients document nocturia symptoms and discuss findings with their clinician.
• What Could It Be? Interactive Quiz Interactive online questionnaire that helps users identify potential types of incontinence or related conditions based on their reported symptoms, guiding them toward appropriate next steps.
• OAB Treatment Tracker Interactive tracking tool for patients with overactive bladder (OAB) to monitor treatment effectiveness, symptoms, and side effects over time.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 fewer leakage episodes per week with pelvic floor muscle training compared to usual care
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ConvatecminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Convatec was named a 2023 Trusted Partner by NAFC, receiving the Trusted Partner designation that provides special offers visibility on the NAFC website and association with NAFC's trusted brand in the continence care space.
• PCORI (Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCORI provided funding through a Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award (EADI-38455) to support the development of the free Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Toolkit, including brochures, symptom trackers, and discussion guides. This partnership enables NAFC to provide evidence-based educational resources to patients.
• PMF (Premier Medical Supply)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPMF, a premier medical supply company for Intellectually/Developmentally Disabled and Aging communities, was named a 2022 Trusted Partner by NAFC.
• Attn: GraceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAttn: Grace, a company producing incontinence products for women, is featured in NAFC content including the Life Without Leaks podcast and blog posts. The company appears to participate in NAFC's Trusted Partner program with special product offers.
• ElitoneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerElitone, maker of wearable pelvic floor stimulation devices including Elitone Urge for overactive bladder, is featured in NAFC podcasts and educational content as a product partner with special offers for NAFC audiences.
• Harvard Medical School / Brigham and Women's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Barbara Frank from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital participates as a medical expert in NAFC's Life Without Leaks podcast and educational content, providing clinical expertise and credibility to NAFC's educational materials.
• Tranquility Incontinence ProductsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTranquility products are featured in NAFC's Caring for your skin when living with incontinence podcast episode, with Clinical Nurse Lead Kolo Wilkinson providing expert guidance on skin care products.
• Physical Therapist Advisory BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAFC's Pelvic Floor Health Center was created in conjunction with physical therapists who contribute to the development of educational content and exercise programs for pelvic floor health.
• NAFC Medical Advisory BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA dedicated Medical Advisory Board of healthcare professionals provides clinical oversight and expertise for NAFC's educational content and resources.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Patient Advocate Foundation: US nonprofit providing case management and advocacy for patients with chronic conditions. Comparable US-based patient-advocacy nonprofit model, though broader in scope and less condition-specific.

Direct peers

• Interstitial Cystitis Association: Nonprofit focused on a specific bladder condition (interstitial cystitis) with patient education, advocacy, and research funding. Comparable patient-education and advocacy model with narrower condition focus.
• Urology Care Foundation: The official foundation of the American Urological Association, providing patient education on urologic conditions including incontinence. Comparable in serving patients, caregivers, and clinicians with educational content and physician finder tools.
• Simon Foundation for Continence: A US nonprofit dedicated to continence education, support, and destigmatization. Most direct peer to NAFC—similar mission, similar patient/caregiver audience, similar educational resource model.
• Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network: Nonprofit providing bladder cancer patient education, support, and advocacy. Comparable patient-education nonprofit model in adjacent bladder health category.
• Voices for PFD (Pelvic Floor Disorders): Patient-focused initiative from the American Urogynecologic Society addressing pelvic floor disorders including incontinence. Comparable audience (women with pelvic floor conditions) and patient-education model.

Broad incumbents

• HealthyWomen: Leading nonprofit providing women health information across many conditions. Comparable as a women's-health educational nonprofit, broader in scope but similar content/newsletter distribution model.
• International Continence Society: Global multidisciplinary membership organization advancing continence research and clinical practice. Comparable in being a major continence-focused organization but oriented to clinicians/researchers rather than patients.
• National Kidney Foundation: Large nonprofit providing education and advocacy on kidney and urinary tract health. Comparable educational/advocacy nonprofit model with adjacent organ system and overlapping patient concerns.
• Crohn's & Colitis Foundation: Major nonprofit for IBD and bowel conditions, with patient education, advocacy, and research funding. Comparable as a bowel-health nonprofit but at significantly larger scale and with condition-specific focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/bhealth_
• Facebookfacebook.com/BHealth.NAFC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-national-association-for-continence-nafc
• Instagraminstagram.com/bhealth_nafc
• Pinterestco.pinterest.com/bhealthNAFC/_created

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Association for Continence