DMF Youth

What DMF Youth does

DMF Youth is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in New York State (EIN 47-1189284), founded in 2015 by Lindi Duesenberg following her work running a NYC dance-fitness company and volunteering with underserved youth. The organization delivers free, on-site afterschool, summer camp, and professional development programming that integrates dance-fitness instruction with a codified Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum addressing the five CASEL competencies. Programs are delivered directly at Title I public schools and homeless shelters in New York City — six school sites and two Homes for the Homeless Bronx shelter locations serve children ages 5-13, with cumulative reach of 2,640+ students since inception. Stakeholder endorsements highlight outcomes including 90%+ of participants showing increased self-esteem and lower truancy rates than school-wide averages.

The organization operates with a team of 11-50 staff led by a Founder/Executive Director, Senior Program Director, Associate Program Director, Teams Director, and 20+ teaching artists, supported by a board that includes executives from WME Group, Kramer Levin, and Segal Group. There is no software product, no app, and no API; the 'technology' layer is the proprietary SEL-integrated curriculum and the trained teaching-artist delivery model. All programs are provided free of charge to students and families.

DMF Youth's revenue model is multi-stream philanthropy rather than commercial: individual donations (including a 'Sponsor a Child' program), foundation and institutional grants (PwC, BNP Paribas, ON Running, Aaron Judge's All Rise Foundation, Women's Sports Foundation, FOA Cares, Jimmie Johnson Foundation), event fundraising (annual Together Celebration Gala, NYC Marathon charity partnership, international marathon entries in Paris/Cape Town/Sydney/Berlin), and a capital campaign branded 'Bigger, Better, Bolder' targeting $1,000,000 in 2026 with stated line items of $200K for team expansion, $20K for curriculum research, $30K for community programs, and $750K for annual operations. As of campaign launch, $467,072 had been raised. The 2024 gala alone raised $60,130.50, the inaugural 2023 showcase raised $35,000, and the 2024 NYC Marathon charity partnership raised $25,212. Distribution is direct: school principals, shelter directors, and corporate/foundation development teams rather than channel intermediaries.

Name

DMF Youth

Legal name

DMF Youth, Inc.

Website

https://dmfyouth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DMF Youth is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2015 that delivers free, on-site dance, fitness, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs to underserved K-12 youth at Title I schools and homeless shelters across New York City, supported by individual donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Services (611), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Social emotional learning
• After school programs
• Dance fitness education
• Nonprofit youth services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to the organization through direct donations, annual giving, and the Bigger Better Bolder campaign targeting $1,000,000.
2. Institutional/Foundation Grants: Corporate sponsors, foundations, and institutional funders provide major support. Campaign goal includes $200,000 for team expansion, $20,000 for curriculum research, $30,000 for community programs, and $750,000 for annual operations.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual galas, marathon running programs, and community fitness-for-cause events generate revenue while building awareness. 2024 gala raised over $60,000.
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors support annual events and programs. Sponsors include PwC, BNP Paribas, ON Running, and others visible on supporter logos.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DMF Youth is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides free after-school and summer programs integrating dance, fitness instruction, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum for underserved youth in New York City. Programs are delivered on-site at partner Title I public schools and homeless shelters, serving children and teens who lack access to arts enrichment and structured out-of-school programming.

Product overview

DMF Youth is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a portfolio of youth development programs focused on dance, fitness, and social-emotional learning for underserved children in New York City. The core offerings include: (1) the After School Program, which blends dance workouts with SEL-based life skills curriculum; (2) Summer Camp, featuring dance-fitness, arts, theatre games, and performances; (3) Professional Development Workshops for staff training on SEL implementation; and (4) the Sponsor a Child program enabling individual sponsorship. Supporting programs include marathon running teams for fundraising and the annual Together Celebration Gala. All programs are provided free of charge to participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Together Celebration Gala: Annual gala event celebrating DMF Youth's impact and raising funds for programming.
• Bigger, Better, Bolder Campaign

Products and services

• After School Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% of students showed increase in self-esteem after program participation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NYRR (New York Road Runners)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024First-year official charity partner for the 2024 TCS NYC Marathon. DMF Youth runners fundraise for the organization while representing the charity. Partnership provides fundraising platform and community engagement opportunities.
• Homes for the Homeless (HFH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Longstanding partnership since 2017 serving homeless youth at HFH shelters in the Bronx. DMF Youth provides dance, fitness, and SEL programming at two shelter sites for children ages 5-13. HFH serves approximately 530 families with 700 children daily across five shelter locations.
• Apollo FirstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance and performing arts organization partnership visible on partners page. Nature of collaboration involves shared commitment to youth arts education.
• NYU Skirball CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for 2025 Together Celebration Gala. Prestigious NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts provided event space for organization's annual celebration.
• W-ABC NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal television news coverage of DMF Youth programming and events. Media coverage provides visibility and credibility for the organization.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wellness in the Schools: National nonprofit inspiring healthy eating, fitness, and wellness in public schools. Most directly comparable peer — DMF Youth board President Katie Cook previously worked there — and both serve under-resourced schools with free in-school programming.
• The Door: NYC-based nonprofit serving young people ages 12-21 with education, wellness, arts, and career development. Comparable as a youth development nonprofit offering holistic programming (including arts) to underserved NYC youth.
• Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club: NYC youth development organization offering after-school programming, athletics, and arts enrichment to underserved youth. Directly comparable free after-school model serving Title I-adjacent populations with physical and creative programming.
• Boys' Club of New York: NYC nonprofit providing after-school, athletic, and arts programming to underserved youth ages 6-21. Directly comparable model combining athletics and arts enrichment delivered free to under-resourced youth in NYC.
• Asphalt Green: NYC nonprofit operating community fitness and aquatics facilities with youth sports and aquatics programming. Comparable as a movement-and-fitness-focused youth development nonprofit serving NYC, including underserved communities.
• Figure Skating in Harlem: NYC nonprofit combining figure skating with education and SEL for underserved girls of color. Closely comparable niche: an athletic art form (skating vs. dance) combined with SEL/life-skills curriculum for under-resourced NYC youth.

Broad incumbents

• The Children's Aid Society: Large NYC nonprofit providing a broad portfolio of youth and family services including after-school programming, arts education, and health services. Comparable as a long-established NYC youth-serving institution operating at significantly greater scale.
• City Parks Foundation: NYC nonprofit offering free sports, arts, and education programs in city parks. Comparable as a NYC nonprofit delivering free athletics and arts programming to underserved youth across many sites.
• YMCA of Greater New York: Large NYC YMCA network offering youth sports, aquatics, and after-school programming. Comparable broad youth fitness and after-school operator in NYC, though at much greater scale and breadth.
• 92nd Street Y: NYC community and cultural center offering dance, fitness, and youth enrichment programs. Comparable as a NYC institution combining dance/fitness instruction with youth and family education programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dmfyouth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHRVQX6MukHOmgXPr_45Ogw
• Facebookfacebook.com/dmfyouth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dmf-youth
• Instagraminstagram.com/dmfyouthinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 DMF Youth