What DC SCORES does

DC SCORES is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit founded in 1994 that runs an after-school youth development program combining soccer, poetry, and service-learning for students at Title I elementary and middle schools. The organization currently serves approximately 3,500 "poet-athletes" annually across 68 partner schools in all eight D.C. wards, with a curriculum that operates during 28 after-school program sites and a 10-week summer camp.

The program model is built on three integrated pillars — soccer teams, poetry workshops, and community service projects — that run in parallel through the school year. Programming is delivered by a network of 300+ trained volunteer coaches and a paid staff of 11–50, with curriculum developed over 30 years of operation. The organization is part of the broader America SCORES national affiliate network and has built partnerships with professional sports franchises (Washington Spirit, Arsenal Women, Washington Commanders) and media partners (Telemundo) to provide enriched programming and visibility.

DC SCORES' business model is non-commercial: operations are funded through foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and annual fundraising events. The largest disclosed intake is a $2M grant from MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving in 2024, alongside a record $550K raised at the One Night One Goal benefit that year. The organization has a stated 2030 goal to reach every Title I elementary and middle school in Washington, D.C., and is expanding service offerings through bilingual programming (Atletas Poetas, launched April 2026 with Telemundo) and international representation (Street Child World Cup 26). In lieu of financial returns, success is measured in youth outcomes, school penetration, and beneficiary headcount.

Name

DC SCORES

Legal name

DC SCORES

Website

https://dcscores.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DC SCORES is a Washington, D.C. nonprofit founded in 1994 that runs after-school soccer, poetry, and service-learning programs for approximately 3,500 youth at 68 Title I elementary and middle schools across all eight D.C. wards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: DC SCORES relies on charitable contributions from individuals, with donation links prominently featured on the website. The organization encourages direct giving to support poet-athlete programs.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support various programs and events. Enlightenment Capital is a founding sponsor of One Night One Goal. Pepco sponsors poetry slams. Multiple corporate partners provide financial and in-kind support.
3. Special Events: Annual fundraising events including One Night One Goal at Audi Field, which raised $550,000 in 2024 - the largest single fundraising event success.
4. Foundation Grants: DC SCORES received a $2 million grant from MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving Open Call in 2024, representing the organization's largest ever gift.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DC SCORES runs a free, school-based after-school program for Title I elementary and middle school students in Washington, D.C. that integrates three pillars — neighborhood soccer teams, spoken-word and creative writing poetry instruction, and spring service-learning projects — into a single cohort experience delivered on partner school campuses by trained coaches and teaching artists. The program is complemented by tiered tracks (Junior SCORES, Elementary School SCORES, Middle School SCORES), the advanced Youth WORD poetry program, summer camps, and signature showcase events such as Poetry Slams, Capital Cup, Jamboree, Our Words Our City, and One Night One Goal.

Product overview

DC SCORES is a nonprofit youth development organization offering an integrated after-school program combining soccer, poetry, and service learning. The organization operates as a unified program with three core pillars (Soccer, Poetry, and Service Learning) delivered across multiple program tiers: Junior SCORES (grades 1-2), Elementary School SCORES (grades 3-5), and Middle School SCORES (grades 6-8). The program is complemented by the advanced Youth WORD poetry program, seasonal summer camps, and signature events including Poetry Slams, Capital Cup soccer championships, Jamboree, Our Words Our City showcase, and the One Night One Goal fundraising gala. Coach support is provided through the Coach Resource Center platform with curriculum materials and training resources. Founded in 1994, DC SCORES serves approximately 3,500 poet-athletes annually across 68 schools in Washington, D.C.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Poet-Athlete: A term used by DC SCORES to describe the youth participants in their combined soccer, poetry, and service-learning program
• Our Words Our City
• Youth WORD Project
• One Night One Goal

Products and services

• Soccer Program Neighborhood soccer teams with practices, gamedays, and tournaments across the school year, forming lifelong communities and support networks for poet-athletes in Washington, D.C.
• Poetry Program During the fall season, poet-athletes learn creative writing and spoken word poetry performance as a team, improving social and emotional health and developing creative self-expression.
• Service Learning Program Spring program where poet-athletes take on issues explored in their poetry and apply soccer teamwork skills to community service projects, forming deep connections to their neighborhoods and becoming young community leaders.
• Junior SCORES Program for grades 1-2 that introduces young children to soccer and creative expression in age-appropriate ways.
• Elementary School SCORES Program for grades 3-5 combining soccer, poetry, and service-learning activities tailored to elementary school students.
• Middle School SCORES Program for grades 6-8 offering more advanced soccer competition, poetry slams, and leadership-focused service learning.
• Youth WORD (Word, Opportunity, Reflection, Development) Advanced poetry program for promising poet-athletes offering weekly workshops with professional teaching artists, preparing students for citywide performances.
• Summer Camp Summer program featuring soccer activities and poetry workshops for poet-athletes during school break.
• Poetry Slams Annual poetry slam competitions including Middle School Slam, Westside Elementary Slam, and Eastside Elementary Slam, with thousands of poet-athletes performing original spoken word poetry.
• Capital Cup Annual city-wide soccer championship held at Audi Field, featuring top middle school teams competing in coed, girls, and boys divisions.
• Jamboree Annual spring soccer tournament and community festival for elementary school poet-athletes featuring round robin competition and family activities.
• Our Words Our City The District's premier youth poetry showcase where poet-athletes perform original work alongside professional spoken word artists, held at prominent DC venues.
• One Night One Goal Annual flagship fundraising event held at Audi Field featuring celebrity appearances, poetry performances, and auctions to support DC SCORES programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,500+ poet-athletes served annually across 68 schools
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• America SCOREScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994America SCORES is the national network organization that connects SCORES affiliates across North America. DC SCORES is part of this network founded as a legacy of the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The network shares best practices, provides program standards, and facilitates leadership development through annual conferences like SCORES Con.
• Washington SpiritcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Washington Spirit professional women's soccer team has partnered with DC SCORES since 2020, supporting girls' soccer programs at Ida B. Wells Middle School and Excel Academy. The partnership includes free home game tickets for poet-athletes, appearances at DC SCORES events, and board representation from Spirit players.
• D.C. UnitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerD.C. United professional soccer club partners with DC SCORES for soccer programming, providing opportunities for poet-athletes to attend matches and meet professional players.
• Arsenal WomenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArsenal Women FC partnered with DC SCORES in August 2024 for a once-in-a-lifetime event where Bancroft Elementary poet-athletes joined Arsenal's practice at George Mason University. The partnership celebrates the connection between soccer and creative arts, with Arsenal players participating in poetry workshops.
• Fox 5 DCminorOthersFox 5 DC provides media coverage for DC SCORES programs, including features on summer camps and community events.
• NBC WashingtonminorOthersNBC Washington covers DC SCORES stories including the Afterschool Ambassador announcement and Atletas Poetas program.
• TelemundominorOthersTelemundo provides Spanish-language media coverage of DC SCORES programs and the Atletas Poetas partnership.
• PepcominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPepco sponsored DC SCORES poetry slams in 2022, supporting the return to in-person competitions after the pandemic.
• Enlightenment CapitalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnlightenment Capital is the founding sponsor of the One Night One Goal annual fundraiser at Audi Field, which raised $550,000 in 2024.
• Audi FieldminorOthersAudi Field serves as the venue for One Night One Goal fundraising events and Capital Cup middle school soccer championships, hosting thousands of poet-athletes annually.
• District SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDistrict Sports partnered with Washington Spirit star Ashley Hatch to host the Train Like A Pro soccer clinic fundraiser supporting DC SCORES transportation costs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Soccer Without Borders: Uses soccer as a vehicle for youth development in underserved communities, including refugee and immigrant youth — directly comparable in mission, free-program delivery, and partnership-driven model.
• Street Soccer USA: Uses soccer as a tool for youth and adult development in underserved U.S. communities; comparable in mission, free-program delivery, and partnership-driven scaling model.
• America SCORES: National parent network of which DC SCORES is an affiliate. Other city affiliates operate the identical soccer + poetry + service-learning model with comparable school-partnership GTM and donor-funded revenue model.
• Up2Us Sports: National sports-based youth development nonprofit training coaches for youth in underserved communities; same donor-supported, school-and-community-delivered model with overlapping funder relationships.
• Words, Beats & Life: D.C.-based nonprofit using hip-hop and spoken-word education to empower youth; directly comparable arts-education model serving overlapping D.C. youth populations.
• Urban Word NYC: Youth poetry and spoken-word organization serving underserved teens with slams, mentorship, and teaching-artist programming — directly comparable to DC SCORES' poetry pillar.
• City Year Washington, D.C. Operates inside DCPS schools providing near-peer mentorship and after-school academic support to Title I students — same geography, same funder base, same school-partnership delivery model.
• Free Arts DC: Provides free arts and creative-writing programming to underserved youth in the D.C. area; comparable arts-based youth development delivery model and donor-funded revenue structure.

Regional players

• Turnaround for Children: D.C.-anchored education nonprofit serving Title I schools with whole-child support services — same school-partnership GTM and similar donor-funded structure.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington: Broader youth-development nonprofit operating in the same D.C. market, providing after-school programming and competing for similar corporate sponsorships and foundation grants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 DC SCORES