Special Olympics

What Special Olympics does

Special Olympics North Dakota (SOND) is a regional nonprofit affiliate of the global Special Olympics movement, headquartered in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The organization provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in 11+ Olympic-type sports — including Athletics, Basketball, Bocce, Bowling, Cross-Country Skiing, Flag Football, Powerlifting, Snowshoeing, Soccer, Swimming, and Volleyball, with additional offerings in Alpine Skiing, Figure Skating, Speed Skating, and Gymnastics — for children and adults ages 8-80 with intellectual disabilities. Athletes progress through six competition levels: local, area, district, state, national, and world games. Programs are delivered at no cost to athletes and are structured around 8-10 week training cycles designed to build physical fitness, sports skills, and rule knowledge.

The operating model is event-driven and community-based. SOND engages 1,203 athletes and Unified partners, 175 certified coaches, and 2,352 day-of volunteers, organized through an Area Programs Network across North Dakota and supplemented by school- and campus-based channels (Unified Champion Schools, Young Athletes, SO College Clubs at NDSU and UND). Beyond sports, the organization runs a Healthy Athletes program with eight sub-disciplines (Fit Feet, FUNfitness, Health Promotion, Healthy Hearing, Medfest, Opening Eyes, Special Smiles, Strong Minds) and a Fit 5 wellness curriculum covering Exercise, Nutrition, and Hydration.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events — Polar Plunge, Truck Convoy, Dancing for Special Stars, Golf Classics, and the Law Enforcement Torch Run — with major corporate backing from Coca-Cola, SpartanNash, Scheels, and the Myra Foundation, plus institutional grants (e.g., The Standard Charitable Foundation). Athletes are not charged to participate, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. The technology footprint is minimal: no proprietary software, API, app, or digital platform; operations rely on human-intensive coaching, volunteer coordination, and in-person competition delivery.

Name

Special Olympics

Legal name

Special Olympics North Dakota

Website

https://specialolympicsnd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Special Olympics North Dakota is a Grand Forks-based nonprofit providing year-round sports training and competition in 11+ Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adaptive Sports and Disability Athletics

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics) (MPAKACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability & Adaptive Sport Governing Bodies (Paralympic & Sport-Specific) (MPAKAFAL), Adaptive & Para-Sport Training Programs (MPAKAJAK)

Keywords

• Adaptive sports programs
• Intellectual disability athletics
• Unified sports competition
• Nonprofit community sports
• Athlete health screenings

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Forks

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: Revenue is generated through donations, fundraising events (Polar Plunge, Truck Convoy, Dancing for Special Stars, Golf Classics), sponsorships from corporate partners, and individual contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Special Olympics North Dakota provides free year-round sports training and athletic competition in 11 Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities ages 8-80, structured around an eight-to-ten-week training cycle and a six-tier competition pathway progressing from local to world games. Offerings are complemented by the Healthy Athletes health screening program, Fit 5 wellness curriculum (Exercise, Nutrition, Hydration), Unified Sports integration with non-disabled partners, and Unified Champion Schools inclusion programs for youth and college students.

Product overview

Special Olympics is a nonprofit organization providing year-round sports training and athletic competition in 11 Olympic-type sports for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The core product is its sports programs portfolio encompassing Athletics, Basketball, Bocce, Bowling, Cross-Country Skiing, Flag Football, Powerlifting, Snowshoeing, Soccer, Swimming, and Volleyball. Complementing the sports programs are health and wellness initiatives including the Healthy Athletes Program (offering Fit Feet, FUNfitness, Health Promotion, Healthy Hearing, Medfest, Opening Eyes, Special Smiles, and Strong Minds screenings) and the Fit 5 wellness program focusing on Exercise, Nutrition, and Hydration. Additional offerings include Unified Sports (pairing athletes with non-disabled partners), Unified Champion Schools (school-based inclusion programs with Young Athletes and SO College Clubs), and fundraising events such as the Law Enforcement Torch Run featuring Polar Plunge, Truck Convoy, and Truck Pull activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Unified Sports: A program that pairs athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team for training and competition
• Unified Champion Schools
• Healthy Athletes
• Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR)

Products and services

• Special Olympics Sports Programs Year-round sports training and athletic competition in 11 Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, structured around an eight-to-ten-week training cycle and a six-tier competition pathway progressing from local to world games.
• Athletics Track and field sport program offering running, jumping, and throwing events for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Basketball Basketball sport program providing team competition opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Bocce Bocce ball sport program offering individual and team competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Bowling Bowling sport program providing individual competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Cross-Country Skiing Winter sport program for cross-country skiing competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Flag Football Flag football sport program offering team competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Powerlifting Powerlifting sport program for strength competition among athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Snowshoeing Winter sport program for snowshoeing competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Soccer Soccer sport program offering team competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Swimming Swimming sport program providing individual and relay competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Volleyball Volleyball sport program offering team competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Healthy Athletes Program Free health screening and wellness program for athletes with intellectual disabilities, offering Fit Feet, FUNfitness, Health Promotion, Healthy Hearing, Medfest, Opening Eyes, Special Smiles, and Strong Minds screenings.
• Fit 5 Program Health and fitness curriculum for athletes with intellectual disabilities focused on Exercise, Nutrition, and Hydration.
• Unified Sports Program that pairs athletes with intellectual disabilities with Unified partners (without disabilities) on the same team for sports training and competition.
• Unified Champion Schools School-based program promoting inclusion through Young Athletes and SO College Clubs for children and young adults with intellectual disabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Athletes train and compete in an eight to ten-week training program designed to increase physical fitness, sports skills, and knowledge of rules and regulations

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Coca-ColamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Special Olympics North Dakota, providing financial and marketing support for sports programs and events.
• SpartanNashmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Special Olympics North Dakota, supporting fundraising events and community programs.
• ScheelsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Special Olympics North Dakota, providing support for sports programs and athlete resources.
• Myra FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation sponsor providing grant funding and community support for Special Olympics North Dakota programs.
• North Dakota State University (NDSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for training camp prior to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
• University of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain competition venue for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games opening ceremony and sports competitions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• USA Paralympics: U.S. arm of the Paralympic Movement focused on elite athletes with physical disabilities. Comparable in delivering competitive sport pathways for athletes with disabilities, though at a higher competitive tier and with different eligibility.
• Special Olympics International: Global headquarters of the Special Olympics movement founded in 1968. Special Olympics ND operates under this umbrella; SOI sets standards, accreditation, and World Games — directly comparable in mission and program structure.
• Move United: National nonprofit (formerly Disabled Sports USA) serving people with physical disabilities through adaptive sport. Competes with SOND for adaptive-sport donors and corporate sponsors while serving an overlapping but distinct disability population.
• Special Olympics USA: National U.S. affiliate coordinating state chapters and the USA Games. SOND is one of its accredited state programs; organizational model, funding patterns, and competition pathway are identical.

Direct peers

• Special Olympics Minnesota: Adjacent state chapter offering the same 11+ sport portfolio, Healthy Athletes, Unified Champion Schools, and LETR fundraising. Closest regional peer — nearly identical scope and operating model in a neighboring state.
• Special Olympics Georgia: Another accredited state chapter delivering year-round training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Co-recipient of The Standard Charitable Foundation grant alongside SOND — directly comparable in scale and mission.

Emerging players

• Challenged Athletes Foundation: National nonprofit funding adaptive-sport equipment and grants for athletes with physical disabilities. Competes with SOND for cause-marketing dollars and shares the donor-base intersection of disability + sport.
• Best Buddies International: Nonprofit serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through one-to-one friendship, leadership, and inclusive jobs/athletics programs. Overlaps in mission and donor-base with SOND's inclusion focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sonorthdakota
• Facebookfacebook.com/SpecialOlympicsND
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/special-olympics-north-dakota
• Instagraminstagram.com/specialolympicsnd

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 Special Olympics