Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress

What Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress does

Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC) is a Burlington, Massachusetts–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1983 (Parents First Call Program established 1985) that provides information, peer support, and advocacy services for people with Down syndrome and their families across the lifespan—from prenatal diagnosis through aging. The organization is structured around five Centers of Excellence (National Parents First Call Center, Legislative Action Center, Center on Inclusive Education, Philip Donahue Your Next Star Employment Center, and Center on Down Syndrome and Aging), augmented by programmatic offerings including the MDSC Cares Program, Self Advocate Advisory Council, Allen C. Crocker Intern Program, Julia's Way breastfeeding support, and a comprehensive Resource Library.

MDSC's core deliverables are human services rather than technology products: phone- and email-based parent-mentor matching, in-person events (Buddy Walk, Annual Conference, Educators Forum, Adults & Aging Conference), employer outreach through Your Next Star, and policy advocacy at the state and federal level. The technology footprint is limited to commodity platforms—NeonCRM for donor management, Constant Contact for email marketing, a WordPress-based website, and standard social media channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube). The Resource Library functions as a curated, vetted database rather than a dynamic AI-driven knowledge system.

The organization's revenue model is multi-stream and mission-aligned: individual donations (Circle of Giving Society tiers from $500 to $50,000+), memorial/tribute and planned-giving vehicles including gifts of appreciated securities, annual membership dues, event fees and corporate sponsorships (Bruins Foundation, Red Sox, PwC Boston, among others), and employer matching-gift programs. All core services—Parents First Call mentoring, Resource Library access, and most programs—are free to participants; revenue is generated from donors, members, sponsors, and event participants rather than from service recipients. MDSC serves over 5,000 individuals with Down syndrome in Massachusetts plus hundreds of thousands of family members, educators, and supporters, and has trained 33 Down syndrome organizations in 18 states to replicate the Parents First Call model, with related best practices shared across 35 states and 5 countries.

Name

Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress

Legal name

Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress

Website

https://mdsc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides peer mentoring, advocacy, education, and employer-engagement programs for people with Down syndrome and their families in Massachusetts, structured around five Centers of Excellence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

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 Contributions: MDSC relies heavily on individual donations, memorial and tribute gifts, corporate donations, and planned giving. The Circle of Giving Society offers named giving levels from $500 to $50,000+ annually. Matching gift programs through employers are also utilized.
2. Membership Dues: Annual membership provides access to resources, discounts on Annual Conference and Educators Forum, and invitations to special events. New grandparents receive free membership.
3. Event Revenue and Sponsorships: Revenue generated from event participation fees, corporate sponsorships, and portion-of-proceeds partnerships with companies.
4. Gifts of Stocks and Bonds: Donors can contribute appreciated securities directly, avoiding capital gains taxes while receiving a full fair-market-value deduction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

MDSC is a nonprofit organization that provides advocacy, support, information, and networking for individuals with Down syndrome and their families across Massachusetts. Its core offerings are organized around five Centers of Excellence covering prenatal and new parent mentoring, legislative advocacy, inclusive education, inclusive employment, and aging, supplemented by community events, peer support groups, and a comprehensive Resource Library. Services are delivered free of charge to families and funded primarily through donations, membership dues, and event sponsorships.

Product overview

The Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC) operates as a non-profit organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs organized as a platform-plus-centers architecture. The organization is structured around four Centers of Excellence: the National Parents First Call Center (offering prenatal and postnatal parent mentoring), the Legislative Action Center (advocacy), the Center on Inclusive Education (educator resources), and the Philip Donahue Your Next Star Employment Center (workforce development). Supporting these centers are key programs including the Resource Library (a searchable database), MDSC Cares Program (medical support), Self Advocate Advisory Council (S.A.A.C.), Julia's Way (breastfeeding support), the Allen C. Crocker Intern Program, and event programs including the Buddy Walk, Annual Conference, and Educators Forum. MDSC also partners with Best Buddies International through the Eunie's Buddies program for expanded family support reach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Parents First Call Center
• Legislative Action Center
• Center on Inclusive Education
• Philip Donahue Your Next Star Employment Center
• Center on Down Syndrome and Aging
• Resource Library
• MDSC Cares Program
• Buddy Walk Program
• Annual Conference
• Educators Forum
• Julia's Way
• Allen C. Crocker Intern Program
• Self Advocate Advisory Council (S.A.A.C.)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 new and expectant families served by Parents First Call Program since 1985
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.

• Best Buddies InternationalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2024MDSC's National Parents First Call Center collaborates with Best Buddies' Eunie's Buddies program (named in honor of Eunice Kennedy Shriver) to provide one-on-one mentoring support for new and expectant parents of children with intellectual or developmental disabilities. MDSC provides gold-standard training to Eunie's Buddies staff. In Massachusetts, MDSC and Best Buddies MA/RI work especially closely to provide seamless family support.
• LuMind IDSCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2018LuMind IDSC moved headquarters to Burlington in October 2018, co-locating with MDSC. The organizations collaborate to provide educational research materials, webinars, presentations, and family support. LuMind provides access to clinical trial information and research resources through MDSC's network.
• Boston Children's Hospital Down Syndrome ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoston Children's Hospital is a founding partner of the MDSC Resource Library. The Down Syndrome Program, founded in 1967, provides highly specialized healthcare for individuals with Down syndrome from birth to age 22. Collaborates on research, resources, and family support.
• MassGeneral Hospital Down Syndrome ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMGH Down Syndrome Program is a founding Resource Library partner. Co-hosts the Adults & Aging Conference with MDSC. The program integrates state-of-the-art resources with compassionate, comprehensive care through a multi-disciplinary approach.
• Down Syndrome Center at UMass Memorial Children's Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComprehensive, personalized resource for children and families with Down syndrome. Resource Library partner providing specialized medical expertise.
• National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNDSS is a Resource Library partner and collaborator on the national Brighter Futures Conference co-presented with MDSC. Organizations share best practices and resources.
• The Arc of MassachusettscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource Library partner providing advocacy expertise and collaboration on disability rights initiatives.
• MA Department of Developmental ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource Library partner providing state-level services information and collaboration on support for individuals with developmental disabilities.
• National Down Syndrome CongresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource Library partner. Developed Adult Sibling Toolkit for adult siblings of individuals with Down syndrome.
• Massachusetts Advocates for ChildrensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource Library partner providing education advocacy expertise.
• Federation for Children with Special NeedssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource Library partner supporting families of children with special needs.
• 3-21 FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource Library partner and contributor, providing parent educator and educational consulting expertise.
• Boston Bruins FoundationflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Boston Bruins Alumni Hockey Game partnership supporting Down syndrome awareness. Features fundraising and community engagement.
• Boston Red SoxflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership supporting Down syndrome community events and awareness, including opportunities for self-advocates like Ben Majewski who works with the organization.
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) BostonsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerBoston office of PwC led networking and financial literacy activities (saving and spending workshops) for adults with Down syndrome at MDSC's 2018 Growing Up with Down Syndrome conference.
• Julia's WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJulia's Way, established in 2016 to support breastfeeding babies with Down syndrome through education and advocacy, was integrated into MDSC's National Parents First Call Center. Provides resources, support groups, and educational materials on breastfeeding for mothers of babies with Down syndrome.
• Best Buddies MA/RIflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState-level partnership with Best Buddies Massachusetts and Rhode Island, providing seamless experience for new and expectant families in the region alongside the National Parents First Call Center.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS): National Down syndrome advocacy organization that provides information, advocacy, and community programming. Highly comparable in mission and structure; NDSS serves a national footprint where MDSC serves Massachusetts.
• Global Down Syndrome Foundation: Major Down syndrome-focused nonprofit funding research, advocacy, and family support. Directly comparable in combining medical research partnerships, advocacy, and community programming.
• GiGi's Playhouse: National network of Down syndrome achievement centers providing educational and therapeutic programming. Comparable family-support and education offerings with a multi-location footprint.
• National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC): National Down syndrome organization with overlapping advocacy, education, and family support programs. MDSC has collaborated with NDSC on the Adult Sibling Toolkit and shares Resource Library content, indicating close programmatic alignment.
• LuMind IDSC: Down syndrome research and family support organization co-located with MDSC in Burlington, MA. Direct collaborator on webinars and educational content with shared beneficiary base.
• Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network (DSDN): National organization supporting families receiving a Down syndrome diagnosis, overlapping directly with MDSC's National Parents First Call Center mission for new and expectant parents.

Broad incumbents

• Best Buddies International: Large disability-focused nonprofit that MDSC partners with through the Eunie's Buddies program. Overlaps on employment and one-on-one mentoring for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Regional players

• The Arc of Massachusetts: Massachusetts state chapter of The Arc, a national disability rights organization. Direct Resource Library partner with overlapping advocacy and family support scope in the same geography.
• Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Massachusetts-based disability services and advocacy nonprofit. Comparable regional nonprofit operating model serving individuals with disabilities and their families in the same geography.

Emerging players

• Special Olympics Massachusetts: Massachusetts affiliate of Special Olympics providing sports, inclusion, and self-advocacy programming for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Comparable self-advocate empowerment programming for the same beneficiary demographic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheMDSC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/mdscrocks
• Facebookfacebook.com/themdsc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/themdsc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress