Uplifting Athletes

What Uplifting Athletes does

Uplifting Athletes, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization (EIN 34-1986485) founded in 2007 and headquartered at 8 Atkinson Drive, Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Its stated mission is to harness the power of sport to build a community that invests in the lives of people impacted by rare diseases. The organization operates a portfolio of programs organized around three pillars: building leaders (College Chapters, Leadership Development Conference, Lift For Life, Pledge Drives, Rare Disease Champion, Reps for Rare Diseases), driving change (Researcher Connection Program, Uplifting Ambassadors, Young Investigator Draft), and creating community connection (Uplifting Experiences, Letter to An Athlete, Team UA, 10,000 Mile Challenge). The Young Investigator Draft is an annual, draft-style event that selects and funds young rare disease researchers, while Uplifting Experiences connect collegiate athletes with rare disease patients and families.

Name

Uplifting Athletes

Legal name

Uplifting Athletes, Inc.

Website

https://upliftingathletes.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Uplifting Athletes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses collegiate athletics to build community for people impacted by rare diseases, fund research through the Young Investigator Draft, and develop student-athlete leaders via college chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Rare Disease Advocacy

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Athletics Fundraising, Sponsorships & NIL Support (EDALAIAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Rare disease advocacy
• Athletic fundraising programs
• Nonprofit community building
• Rare disease research funding
• Athlete leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Doylestown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue stream through individual donations, sponsorships, and fundraising events. Donations of $250 or more receive contemporaneous written acknowledgment per their charitable contributions policy.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded apparel and merchandise through a third-party spread shop platform.
3. Event Participation: Revenue from participants in events and experiences including the 10,000 Mile Challenge, Uplifting Experiences, and other athletic fundraising events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Uplifting Athletes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that harnesses the power of collegiate sport to deliver programs supporting people impacted by rare diseases. Its core offerings include community-building events (Uplifting Experiences), athletic fundraising campaigns (Lift For Life, Pledge Drives, 10,000 Mile Challenge), research funding and recognition (Young Investigator Draft, Researcher Connection Program), and athlete leadership development (College Chapters, Leadership Development Conference, Rare Disease Champion, Reps for Rare Diseases). The organization generates revenue through tax-deductible donations, sponsorships, and limited branded merchandise sales.

Product overview

Uplifting Athletes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a platform of programs connecting collegiate athletes with the rare disease community. The organization offers a unified portfolio of programs including leadership development initiatives (College Chapters, Leadership Development Conference), fundraising events (Lift For Life, Pledge Drives, 10,000 Mile Challenge), community connection programs (Uplifting Experiences, Letter to An Athlete, Uplifting Ambassadors), and research support initiatives (Young Investigator Draft, Researcher Connection Program, Rare Disease Champion). These programs work together to harness the power of sport to build community, fund rare disease research, and inspire hope for those impacted by rare diseases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College Chapters Campus-based chapters that empower college athletes to develop leadership skills while supporting rare disease research and community building.
• Leadership Development Conference Annual conference for college athletes focused on developing leadership skills and building a community committed to rare disease advocacy.
• Lift For Life Athletic fundraising event and challenge that engages athletes in raising funds for rare disease research.
• Pledge Drives Fundraising initiative in which athletes collect pledges to support rare disease research and community programs.
• Young Investigator Draft Annual draft-style event that selects and highlights young researchers working on rare disease treatments, providing funding and recognition for their work.
• Researcher Connection Program Program connecting young researchers with the rare disease community and providing opportunities for collaboration and funding.
• Uplifting Experiences Events that connect athletes, teams, and organizations with individuals and families impacted by rare diseases, building community and hope.
• Uplifting Ambassadors Ambassador program featuring individuals impacted by rare diseases who share their stories to inspire and connect communities.
• Rare Disease Champion Recognition program that celebrates athletes who demonstrate exceptional commitment to rare disease awareness and advocacy.
• Reps for Rare Diseases Program engaging athletes as representatives to raise awareness and funds for rare disease causes.
• 10,000 Mile Challenge Fitness challenge in which participants collectively log miles to raise awareness and funds for rare disease research.
• Letter to An Athlete Program connecting individuals and families impacted by rare diseases with athletes through personalized correspondence.
• Team UA Team participation program enabling groups to get involved in Uplifting Athletes events and fundraising activities.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• College Chapters (Partner Schools)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of college campuses with student-led chapters that run local events, fundraising campaigns (Lift For Life, pledge drives), and leadership development activities. Chapters are an integral part of the organization's community building and fundraising model.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• LIVESTRONG Foundation: LIVESTRONG is a larger, more established health-cause charity with strong athletic and endurance-event fundraising roots (marathons, cycling) — comparable as a sport-driven medical cause organization.
• Movember Foundation: Movember mobilizes a sport-adjacent community (fitness/grooming challenges) to fund men's health research — a larger comparable that uses community athletic-style events to drive research dollars.
• V Foundation for Cancer Research: Founded by Jim Valvano, the V Foundation leverages the sports world to fund cancer research — a larger, more established sports-rooted medical research charity that competes for similar sports-cause donors.

Direct peers

• St. Baldrick's Foundation: St. Baldrick's runs community-driven athletic fundraising events (head-shaving) for childhood cancer research — a comparable model of using sport-adjacent community events to fund medical research.
• Athletes for Hope: Athletes for Hope unites professional and collegiate athletes around charitable causes, overlapping with Uplifting Athletes' mission of channeling athlete influence toward community impact and fundraising.
• Team IMPACT: Team IMPACT connects college athletes with children facing serious or chronic illnesses, mirroring Uplifting Athletes' model of using collegiate sports as a vehicle to support medically vulnerable populations.
• Swim Across America: Swim Across America runs open-water and pool swimming fundraising events for cancer research — directly comparable as a sport-participation-driven medical research nonprofit.

Emerging players

• National Pediatric Cancer Foundation: A pediatric cancer research nonprofit that partners with collegiate and professional sports programs for fundraising events — overlapping in cause and athlete-engagement channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UpliftingAth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/upliftingathletes
• Facebookfacebook.com/upliftingathletes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3007008
• Instagraminstagram.com/upliftingathletes
• TikToktiktok.com/@upliftingath?lang=en

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Uplifting Athletes