Only Make Believe
Only Make Believe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that provides free interactive theatre performances to children in hospitals, care facilities, and special education schools across NYC, DC, and 15+ cities via in-person and virtual programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Only Make Believe does
Only Make Believe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 by Dena Hammerstein, in memory of her husband James Hammerstein (grandson of Oscar Hammerstein), that provides free interactive theatre performances to children who are hospitalized or living with chronic illness, disabilities, or serious challenges. The organization serves its beneficiaries through two core programs: an In-Person Program delivered in NYC and Washington, DC, and The Elaine Dannheisser Virtual Program, which uses CCTV and streaming technology to broadcast interactive performances to facility screens in 15+ cities nationwide. Since inception, the organization reports serving more than 115,000 children across 60+ partner hospitals, care facilities, and special education schools, including long-standing relationships such as a 10+ year partnership with the Rebecca School.
The operating model is donation-funded and free to participants. Revenue is generated through individual giving (including a Sustaining Star monthly program and planned/legacy giving), corporate sponsorships and CSR partnerships (Disney, Goldman Sachs, Samsung, Cravath, Skadden), foundation grants, and an annual Broadway Gala that has historically raised between $450,000 and $920,000+ per event. The organization maintains a Charity Navigator 4-star rating and a board drawn from New York's legal, financial, and Broadway-adjacent professional networks.
Operationally, the organization runs on professional Broadway-caliber actors performing during daytime hours in medical and educational settings, supported by a corporate volunteer program that has logged 2,316+ annual volunteer hours. In 2026, the organization announced a leadership transition elevating Tamela Aldridge to CEO and Christopher Wilson to Chief Program Officer, alongside the launch of a Virtual CCTV Studio, 5-Week Performance Residencies, and expansion to Philadelphia as a new in-person market.
Only Make Believe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Only Make Believe
- Legal name
- Only Make Believe Inc.
- Website
- https://onlymakebelieve.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Only Make Believe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that provides free interactive theatre performances to children in hospitals, care facilities, and special education schools across NYC, DC, and 15+ cities via in-person and virtual programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Only Make Believe industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Arts Services
- NAICS
- Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Virtual Theater, Comedy & Performing Arts (Digital Performances) (MPAGAOAF)
Keywords
Where Only Make Believe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Only Make Believe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Individual giving via one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations ("Sustaining Star"), wire/stock transfers, Donor Advised Funds (Tax ID 13-4133410), and planned/legacy giving.
- Corporate Partnerships and CSR Sponsorships: Corporate Social Responsibility partnerships including corporate volunteer events, performance underwriting, in-kind donations, gala sponsorships (Premier, Champion, Advocate, Benefactor, Patron tiers), and customized fundraising pages. Last year corporate volunteers contributed over 2,316 hours of service.
- Annual Broadway Gala Fundraising: Major annual on-Broadway galas with ticket sales, sponsorships, and donations. 2019 gala raised over $920,000; 2020 virtual gala raised over $450,000; 2023 gala raised $850,000. Held at Shubert Theatre, St. James Theatre, Broadhurst Theatre.
- Peer-to-Peer and Community Fundraising: Online peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns via Give Lively for birthdays, weddings, Mitzvah projects, and creative community fundraisers (change drives, bake sales, car washes).
- Planned Giving / Legacy Bequests: Charitable estate planning gifts providing sizable tax breaks; legacy gifts to campaigns or annual fund.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free interactive theatre programming for all participating children, hospitals, and schools |
| Other | Monthly | Donor giving options: one-time, monthly, stock/wire, DAF, legacy |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Only Make Believe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Only Make Believe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates and performs free, sensory-friendly, interactive theatre for children in hospitals, care facilities, and special education schools. Programming is delivered via two channels: live in-person performances by professional actors using a portable theatrical setup, and the Elaine Dannheisser Virtual Program that live-streams interactive shows via closed circuit television and streaming devices. A proprietary library of original shows and a forthcoming Virtual CCTV Studio support nationwide reach.
Product overview
Only Make Believe (OMB) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1999 that delivers a unified interactive theatre offering organized as a core platform with two primary delivery channels plus multiple distinct performances and engagement offerings. The two core programs are the In-Person Program (live actor-led performances delivered at hospitals, care facilities, and special education schools for children ages 5–10) and The Elaine Dannheisser Virtual Program (live interactive theatre streamed via CCTV and streaming devices to 15+ cities). Both channels run a portfolio of named shows including Imagination Unlocked, Rick Spacey Space Detective, Gamers, Marvelous Mickey Circus Star (in-person), and Flora the Garden Gnome (virtual). Surrounding the core programs are engagement offerings: Corporate Partnerships (employee volunteering, performance underwriting, supply drives, event sponsorships, fundraisers), Fundraise for OMB (online campaigns, events, Mitzvah Projects), and an Individual Volunteer Program. A new Virtual CCTV Studio is on the 2026 roadmap to expand the virtual program nationally and deepen impact via 5-week performance residencies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Elaine Dannheisser Virtual Program: The virtual program offering of Only Make Believe, providing FREE online interactive theatre via CCTV and streaming devices, named in honor of Elaine Dannheisser.
Products and services
- In-Person Program Live interactive theatre delivered by professional actors who set up a portable backdrop, trunk, and props at hospitals, care facilities, and special education schools serving children with developmental disabilities (ages 5-10). Performances are sensory-friendly and inclusive; children create characters, choose costumes, and tap/clap along. Scheduled as stand-alone visits or as recurring monthly, quarterly, weekly, or 5-week residency programs.
- The Elaine Dannheisser Virtual Program Free online interactive theatre performed LIVE by professional actors via closed circuit television (CCTV) and on streaming devices. Children in 15+ cities participate by calling or texting in to sing along, play characters, and move the plot forward with their imaginations. Children may join on or off camera. Named in honor of Elaine Dannheisser.
- Rick Spacey, Space Detective (Virtual Show) Virtual interactive show in which the Great Frump has lost the key to the gold frump storage room. Children join detective Rick Spacey and lead the search for the lost key. Themes include focus, friendship, decision making, outer space, perseverance, and acceptance. Available both in-person and virtually.
- Flora the Garden Gnome (Virtual Show)
- Imagination Unlocked
- Gamers
- Marvelous Mickey, Circus Star
- Corporate Partnerships / Employee Volunteering
- Fundraise for OMB
- Individual Volunteer Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 115,000 children served since 1999
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Only Make Believe
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Only Make Believe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Only Make Believe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major and minor.
- Walt Disney CompanyflagshipPremier Sponsor of 2020 Virtual Gala and ongoing corporate volunteer partner. Disney Volunteers team engaged 54 cast members in creating costumes and memories for OMB performances, including COVID-era support for children living with chronic illness and disabilities.
- Goldman SachsflagshipPremier Sponsor of 2020 Virtual Gala and 2020 OMB Founder's Award honoree alongside Manhattan Star Academy. Long-standing gala sponsor.
- SamsungmajorSamsung Employees Give Back corporate citizenship partner (November 2020) - volunteers designed virtual cards for children with chronic illness and disabilities. Featured as Friend sponsor of 2020 Virtual Gala.
- The Walt Disney Company & Sullivan & Cromwell PartnersflagshipCo-presenters of the 2020 Only Make Believe Virtual Gala alongside Goldman Sachs and other premier sponsors.
- YAI (Young Adult Institute)majorPartnership with YAI affiliates Manhattan Star Academy (MSA) and The International Academy of Hope (iHope) combining efforts to empower children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Co-participates in YAI's Central Park Challenge.
- Best BuddiesminorPartnership program for teens - OMB performed "Imagination Unlocked" at Hunter College in partnership with Best Buddies (Feb 2023).
- HSC Pediatric CentermajorLong-time DC partner facility hosting in-person interactive kids shows, including post-pandemic return to outdoor programming in June 2021.
- Rebecca SchoolmajorLong-term partnership (over 10 years) for OMB performances - "Imagination Unlocked" and other shows have been performed repeatedly for students.
- YAI: Seeing Beyond DisabilitymajorIn-Person Program partner organization supporting people with I/DD. Co-host of YAI Central Park Challenge.
- Children's Specialized Hospital - Residential (New Jersey)minorFacility partner in New Jersey participating in In-Person Program.
- Give LivelymajorOnline donation and peer-to-peer fundraising platform powering OMB's individual giving, sustaining star program, and event fundraising.
- NBCUniversalmajorPatron Sponsor of 2025 Gala; Kimberley D. Harris (EVP of Comcast Corporation and General Counsel of NBCUniversal) received the 2023 OMB Founder's Award.
- Youth INCmajorProud Partner designation - NYC youth-serving coalition supporting OMB programming and visibility.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Only Make Believe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ronald McDonald House Charities: Large international nonprofit supporting families of seriously ill children near hospitals. Operates at significantly greater scale with similar hospital-channel presence and corporate sponsorship engine, but provides residential and family services rather than performing arts programming.
- SeriousFun Children's Network: Global network of residential camps and programs for children with serious illnesses and disabilities (founded by Paul Newman). Broader incumbent serving a similar medically fragile pediatric population through experiential programming, comparable in donor profile and celebrity-backed fundraising.
- Make-A-Wish Foundation: Large, established national nonprofit granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. Broader incumbent in the pediatric-hospital charity space with a similar donor base, gala infrastructure, and corporate sponsorship engine, but a fundamentally different service offering (wish fulfillment vs. performing arts).
Direct peers
- Starlight Children's Foundation: National nonprofit providing entertainment, distraction, and program support to hospitalized children and their families, including hospital-based programming. Directly comparable mission and hospital-channel focus, with a similar corporate CSR partnership engine.
- Musicians on Call: National nonprofit that brings live and recorded music to patients in hospitals, including pediatric facilities. Closest direct analog to OMB's mission of delivering live interactive arts experiences to hospitalized children, sharing a similar CSR-anchored funding model and hospital-channel distribution.
- Creative Arts Team: NYU Steinhardt's long-running arts-in-education and social-issues theater program that brings interactive performances and workshops to schools, hospitals, and community settings. Directly comparable interactive-arts-for-underserved-audiences model to OMB's hospital and special-ed programming.
- Hospital Audiences, Inc. NYC-based nonprofit that brings performing arts programs to hospitalized, isolated, and underserved audiences including children in healthcare settings. Operates with a similar in-person performing arts model and shares OMB's hospital-channel distribution and NYC footprint.
- Big Apple Circus: Operates the long-running Clown Care program sending professional performers into pediatric hospitals. The most analogous performing-arts-in-hospitals model to OMB's interactive theater approach, serving the same pediatric inpatient audience with comparable in-person delivery.
Emerging players
- Kids Wish Network: Smaller national nonprofit granting wishes and providing hospital-based experiences for children with life-threatening illnesses. A niche competitor in pediatric-medical-experience programming with overlapping donor pools but limited performing-arts focus and smaller scale than OMB.
Others
- Dream Foundation: National nonprofit granting wishes and comfort experiences primarily to adults with life-limiting illnesses, with some pediatric reach. A thematically related experience-granting nonprofit in the broader children's/family healthcare charity ecosystem adjacent to OMB's hospital-based programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Only Make Believe social profiles
Digital presenceOnly Make Believe compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Only Make Believe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Only Make Believe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Only Make Believe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Only Make Believe M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Only Make Believe
What does Only Make Believe do?
Only Make Believe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates and performs free, sensory-friendly, interactive theatre for children in hospitals, care facilities, and special education schools. Programming is delivered via two channels: live in-person performances by professional actors using a portable theatrical setup, and the Elaine Dannheisser Virtual Program that live-streams interactive shows via closed circuit television and streaming devices. A proprietary library of original shows and a forthcoming Virtual CCTV Studio support nationwide reach.
Is Only Make Believe a public or private company?
Only Make Believe is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Only Make Believe founded?
Only Make Believe was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Only Make Believe based?
Only Make Believe is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Only Make Believe make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships and CSR Sponsorships, annual Broadway Gala Fundraising, peer-to-Peer and Community Fundraising and planned Giving / Legacy Bequests.
Who are Only Make Believe's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ronald McDonald House Charities, SeriousFun Children's Network and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Direct peers are Starlight Children's Foundation, Musicians on Call, Creative Arts Team, Hospital Audiences, Inc. and Big Apple Circus. Kids Wish Network is listed as an emerging player. Dream Foundation is listed as an others.
Does Only Make Believe have an API?
No public API is recorded for Only Make Believe.
What industry is Only Make Believe in?
Only Make Believe's product category is Children's Arts Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAM, Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking), with a secondary code of MPAGAOAF, Virtual Theater, Comedy & Performing Arts (Digital Performances). Its NAICS code is 516 and its SIC code is 7812.