What Dancers' Group does

Dancers' Group (legal entity: Dancers' Group Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts service organization founded in 1979 and headquartered at 44 Gough St., Suite 201, San Francisco, with 11–50 employees. Its mission is to amplify, strengthen, and unify the dance community across the 11-county San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma counties). The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs targeting individual dance artists, choreographers, and dance companies/performers.

The core product surface is built around a community platform and program suite: an Opportunities Platform aggregating jobs, auditions, spaces for rent, and calls for artists; an Events Calendar of performances, classes, and festivals; the In Dance quarterly digital publication (with Substack distribution and audio narration); the CA$H Dance grant program awarding $5,000 per recipient ($100,000 distributed to 20 recipients in 2025); and a Fiscal Sponsorship Program serving over 100 artists and companies at a 5–10% administrative fee, passing 90–95% of funds through. Signature events include Bay Area Dance Week (annual festival with 300+ participants at 2026 kick-off), Dance with Pride (SF Pride Parade contingent with 190+ dancers in 2025), and ONSITE (free site-specific performances co-presented with partners such as Zaccho Dance Theatre). Supporting resources include a Grants & Artistic Support Calendar, Wellness Resources, Tax & Financial Resources, and Research Publications on dance field health.

The business model is foundation-funded nonprofit operations: core program grants come from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Fleishhacker Foundation, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, Grants for the Arts, California Arts Council, and the Hewlett 50 Arts Commission ($8M/5-year commitment for new works). Revenue is augmented by fiscal sponsorship fees (5–10%), membership, and donations. The organization is governed by a board of directors with co-founder Wayne Hazzard as executive director, alongside co-founders Aaron Osborne and Vernon Fuquay, and has operated continuously since 1979 with a long-tenured leadership model and no parent company or institutional investors.

Name

Dancers' Group

Legal name

Dancers' Group Inc.

Website

https://dancersgroup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dancers' Group is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 1979 that serves the 11-county Bay Area dance community through fiscal sponsorship of 100+ artists, the CA$H Dance grant program, the In Dance publication, and signature events including Bay Area Dance Week.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD), Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Dance community services
• Fiscal sponsorship program
• Arts grantmaking programs
• Dance publication media
• Community dance festivals

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CA$H Dance Grant Program: Grantmaking program funded by foundations (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Fleishhacker Foundation, Grants for the Arts, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation) that distributes $5,000 grants to Bay Area dance artists and organizations. Awarded $100,000 to 20 recipients in 2025.
2. Fiscal Sponsorship Services: Administrative support and guidance to choreographers, dance organizations and artists. Charges shared management costs of 5-10% on grants, donations and earned income, ensuring projects receive 90-95% of funds. Currently fiscally sponsors over 100 artists and companies.
3. Membership Program: Community members receive the latest opportunities through weekly emails. Membership provides access to resources, grants calendar, and community network.
4. Donations: Accepts donations to support the organization's work and to fiscally sponsored projects through online donation platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Dancers' Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that supports the San Francisco Bay Area dance community through fiscal sponsorship services for dance companies, grantmaking (CA$H Dance), community publications (In Dance), convening events (Bay Area Dance Week, Dance with Pride), in-person performance series (ONSITE), and digital resources such as an Opportunities Platform, Events Calendar, and Wellness Resources. Its core activity is providing administrative, financial, programmatic, and promotional infrastructure to individual dance artists and dance-making organizations in the region.

Product overview

Dancers' Group is a nonprofit arts organization that operates a portfolio of interconnected programs serving the San Francisco Bay Area dance community. The core offerings include an Opportunities Platform for posting and finding jobs, auditions, and calls for artists; an Events Calendar for performances and classes; and the In Dance Publication for dance journalism. Supporting programs include the CA$H Dance Grant Program providing financial support to artists, a Fiscal Sponsorship Program for over 100 sponsored artists and companies, the Bay Area Dance Week festival, the Dance with Pride parade program, the ONSITE site-specific dance series, a Grants & Artistic Support Calendar, Wellness Resources, and Research Publications tracking dance field health data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• In Dance: The Bay Area's publication dedicated to dance, known for engaging interviews with local and visiting artists, articles reflecting community conversations, and featured listings of Bay Area dance artists and organizations
• ONSITE
• CA$H Dance
• Bay Area Dance Week
• Dance with Pride

Products and services

• Opportunities Platform Online platform aggregating dance-related opportunities such as auditions, residencies, workshops, jobs, and calls for submissions for the Bay Area dance community.
• Events Calendar Digital calendar listing Bay Area dance performances, classes, workshops, and community events, accessible to the public free of charge.
• CA$H Dance Grant Program Grantmaking program that distributes financial awards to Bay Area dance artists and projects; launched in 1999.
• Fiscal Sponsorship Program Program providing 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and administrative services (donation processing, grant administration, financial reporting) to dance companies, collectives, and project-based organizations without independent nonprofit status.
• In Dance Publication Long-running print and digital publication covering the Bay Area dance community, which transitioned to digital-only distribution in 2020.
• Bay Area Dance Week Annual community festival presenting free and low-cost dance events, classes, and performances throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Dance with Pride Annual program in which the Bay Area dance community participates together in the San Francisco Pride Parade.
• ONSITE In-Person Performance Series Curated in-person performance series presenting Bay Area dance makers in shared performance programs.
• Membership Program Community membership program providing individual dance artists and supporters access to benefits and engagement with the organization.
• Wellness Resources Curated wellness resources addressing physical and mental health needs specific to dance artists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 participants at Bay Area Dance Week 2026 festival kick-off event
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 major.

• Rhythm & MotioncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Annual partnership for Dance with Pride contingent in San Francisco Pride Parade. Co-organize choreography, rehearsals, and parade participation with over 190 dancers and volunteers.
• Yerba Buena Gardens FestivalcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Partner for Dance with Pride parade and Bay Area Dance Week kick-off event at Jessie Square.
• ODCmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Partner organization for Dance with Pride 2026 contingent participation.
• Theatre Bay AreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-designed CA$H Dance program in 1999 with Theatre Bay Area. Both organizations continue to administer the program for their respective fields - Theatre Bay Area handles theatre applications.
• Zaccho Dance TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of ONSITE program featuring free large-scale site-specific dance. Joanna Haigood's 'The People's Palace' was a co-presentation at San Francisco City Hall.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Springboard for the Arts: Midwest-based arts service organization offering fiscal sponsorship, grants, and community programs to individual artists — same nonprofit intermediary model as Dancers' Group, in a different geography.
• Zaccho Dance Theatre: Bay Area dance company and ONSITE co-presenter — Dancers' Group fiscally sponsors and produces work by Zaccho, making them simultaneously customer and close programmatic partner.
• National Performance Network (NPN): National network supporting dance and performance artists through touring, commissioning, and residency funding — closely comparable to Dancers' Group's grantmaking and ONSITE showcase programs, scaled nationally.
• Fractured Atlas: National nonprofit that provides fiscal sponsorship, insurance, and resources to individual artists and small arts organizations — directly analogous to Dancers' Group's fiscal sponsorship and member services, but operating nationally rather than regionally.
• New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA): Provides fiscal sponsorship, grants, training, and resources to artists across disciplines — functionally identical to Dancers' Group but at NY-state scale; comparable operating model (nonprofit intermediary for artists).
• Theatre Bay Area: Regional performing arts service organization for theater in the Bay Area; co-designed the CA$H Dance granting program with Dancers' Group in 1999 and continues to co-administer it for their respective disciplines, making them sibling intermediaries serving adjacent arts.

Regional players

• Houston Arts Alliance: Regional arts service organization administering municipal arts funding, grants, and capacity building for Houston — comparable model to Dancers' Group, in a different geography.
• Yerba Buena Gardens Festival: SF-based free outdoor arts festival partner that co-presents Dancers' Group events; adjacent model (free public arts programming) in the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• Alliance of Artists Communities: Industry association serving artist residencies and communities globally — broader scope than Dancers' Group but overlapping in artist-support services, residencies, and field research.
• Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP): National service organization for the performing arts presenting field — adjacent as an industry/membership body to Dancers' Group's community-level work; overlaps on advocacy and field research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bayareadanceweek
• Facebookfacebook.com/DancersGroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/bayareadanceweek
• Xx.com/dancersgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dancers-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Dancers' Group