The International Association of Blacks in Dance, Inc.

What The International Association of Blacks in Dance, Inc. does

The International Association of Blacks in Dance, Inc. (IABD) is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit service organization founded in 1988 and formalized in 1991 that preserves and promotes dance by people of African ancestry or origin. The organization functions as the institutional voice for the Black Dance sector, serving more than 1,500 members — including professional dance companies, educational institutions, individual artists, presenters, and students — across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Oceania.

IABD generates revenue through a portfolio of programmatic and philanthropic streams: tiered annual membership dues ($60-$310), annual conference and festival registrations, foundation and individual grants, fiscal sponsorship fees, advertising/sponsorships, and audition fees. Its core programs include the flagship Annual International Conference and Festival (800-1,000 attendees), COHI|MOVE organizational health initiative, IABD Auditions, Kitchen Table Talks webinar series, Emerging Choreographer Residency, on the 1 dance class series, The Equity Project with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Dance/USA, the IABD Emergency Fund, and the newly launched Black Art Fund for Dance. The organization relies on standard association management software (YourMembership) rather than proprietary technology, and operates with a lean core staff of approximately 10-15 supplemented by fellowships and rotating conference hosts.

Cumulative grant funding exceeds $6.9 million since 2017, anchored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation ($3.136M), Mackenzie Scott and Dan Jewett ($3M in 2021), Ford Foundation ($375K), and the Wallace Foundation ($625K in 2026). Omar Ingram was appointed Executive Director in April 2025, succeeding Denise Saunders Thompson (now President/CEO Emeritus).

Name

The International Association of Blacks in Dance, Inc.

Legal name

The International Association of Blacks in Dance, Inc.

Website

https://iabdassociation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Association of Blacks in Dance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit service organization that preserves and promotes dance by people of African ancestry, serving over 1,500 members across professional companies, individual artists, educators, students, and presenters in the U.S. and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Service Organization

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Dance service organization
• Membership association
• Arts administration
• Dance advocacy
• Nonprofit arts programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individual artists, dance companies, institutions, and industry members ranging from $50 to $300 per year plus $10 administrative fee. Membership provides access to networking, discounts on programs, fiscal sponsorship eligibility, career center access, and promotional opportunities.
2. Annual Conference and Festival: Registration fees for the annual international conference and festival featuring performances, master classes, auditions, and networking opportunities. Members receive discounted admission and registration prices.
3. Advertising and Sponsorships: IABD reaches an international audience of 59,000 consisting of Black Dance professionals. The organization sells advertising through e-communications, website, and social media platforms. Sponsorships are obtained from foundations and corporate funders.
4. Fiscal Sponsorship: IABD serves as a fiscal sponsor by agreeing to receive funds on behalf of artists or organizations. Because IABD is a 501(c)3 organization, contributions received on behalf of fiscally sponsored entities are tax-deductible to donors.
5. Donations and Grants: Individual and organizational donations including the $3 million gift from Mackenzie Scott and Dan Jewett. Foundation grants from Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, and others support programs including COHI|MOVE and Black Art Fund for Dance.
6. Emergency Fund Program: Provides limited and short-term financial assistance to Artists and Dance organizations demonstrating financial need. Individual grants up to $5,000; organizational grants up to $75,000 with loan options up to $150,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The International Association of Blacks in Dance, Inc. (IABD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit service organization that preserves, promotes, and advances dance by people of African ancestry. Its core offerings include tiered membership programs for individuals and institutions, the annual International Conference and Festival, IABD Auditions, free on the 1 dance classes, the Emerging Choreographer Residency, Kitchen Table Talks, COHI|MOVE organizational health services, the Equity Project, the Career Center, fiscal sponsorship, and the IABD Emergency Fund / Black Art Fund for Dance.

Product overview

The International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) is a dance service organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs and services rather than a unified technology product. The portfolio includes the Annual International Conference and Festival (its flagship program), COHI | MOVE organizational health initiative, IABD Auditions, Emerging Choreographer Residency, Kitchen Table Talks webinar series, on the 1 dance class series, Open Space artist connectivity series, I AM BLACK DANCE campaign, The Equity Project, Nonprofit Arts Administration Program, IABD Emergency Fund, Black Art Fund for Dance, Career Center, Fiscal Sponsorship Program, and membership benefits. These programs serve dance artists, educators, administrators, scholars, students, and organizations through advocacy, education, funding, networking, performance, and professional development across national and international levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• I AM BLACK DANCE | I AM IABD: An international campaign launched at the 2019 Annual International Conference and Festival to raise awareness and bring visibility to the Black Dance community.
• COHI | MOVE
• IABD TV
• The Equity Project

Products and services

• Annual International Conference and Festival A multi-day annual conference and festival gathering for IABD members, dance professionals, students, and institutions featuring performances, master classes, panels, auditions, and networking events. Held in rotating host cities across the U.S.
• IABD Auditions An online and in-person audition/career matching platform where IABD posts job and audition listings from member dance companies and individual dancers can search and apply to opportunities.
• on the 1 Dance Class Series
• Emerging Choreographer Residency
• Kitchen Table Talks
• COHI|MOVE Organizational Health Program
• Equity Project
• IABD Membership Program
• Fiscal Sponsorship Program
• IABD Emergency Fund
• Black Art Fund for Dance
• Career Center

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30 years of service as the institutional voice for the Black Dance sector
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Deeply Rooted Dance TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host partner for 37th Annual International Conference and Festival of Blacks in Dance in Chicago, IL, January 20-24, 2027.
• Chicago Black Dance Legacy ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-host partner for 37th Annual International Conference and Festival of Blacks in Dance in Chicago, IL, January 20-24, 2027.
• Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in COHI|MOVE (Comprehensive Organizational Health Initiative) delivering methodology and resources to strengthen financial and organizational health of IABD membership. NFF provides analytic basis, data, training, and planning for capitalization initiatives addressing financial capacity needs.
• Dance Theatre of HarlemflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in The Equity Project: Increasing the Presence of Blacks in Ballet, a three-year partnership with IABD, Dance/USA, and 21 large budget professional ballet organizations to support advancement of racial equity in professional ballet companies.
• Dance/USAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in The Equity Project along with Dance Theatre of Harlem to support advancement of racial equity in professional ballet companies through cohort meetings, coaching, and leadership development.
• National Afro-American Historical and Cultural MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchive partner for preserving documentation of Black Dance history and contributions. Archives established in Wilberforce, Ohio.
• Afro-American Museum in PhiladelphiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchive partner for preserving documentation of Black Dance history and contributions.
• Howard University Moorland-Spingarn Research CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchive partner for preserving documentation of Black Dance history and contributions in Washington, DC.
• Performing Arts ReadinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing emergency preparedness resources, training, presentations, workshops, consultations, risk assessments, and comprehensive Emergency Plan templates for the arts community. Funded through Lyrasis with support from Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
• BlakDance (Australia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational dance organization partner through Global Connections program connecting Black Dance professionals internationally.
• dance Immersion (Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational dance organization partner through Global Connections program connecting Black Dance professionals internationally.
• OneDanceUK (African Diaspora)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based international dance organization partner through Global Connections program.
• University of GhanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner through Global Connections program supporting international dance education and cultural exchange.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Black Theatre Network: Black Theatre Network is a national service organization for Black theater professionals and institutions, analogous to IABD's role in Black dance. It is directly comparable as a race-specific arts service organization with membership, conferences, advocacy, and professional development.
• Dance/USA: Dance/USA is the national service organization for professional dance, providing advocacy, research, and convening across the broader U.S. dance field. It is directly comparable to IABD as a membership-based dance service organization — IABD's narrower focus is the Black dance sector specifically, and the two collaborate on The Equity Project.
• National Performance Network (NPN): National Performance Network is a performing arts service organization supporting independent artists and presenters with grants, convenings, and technical assistance. It is comparable to IABD in operating a membership/peer-network model with grantmaking and convening functions, though without IABD's race-specific focus.

Broad incumbents

• Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP): APAP is the national service organization for presenting professionals in the performing arts, convening an annual conference and providing advocacy and professional development. It is comparable to IABD in operating model (membership-based, conference-anchored service org for performing arts) but serves a much broader constituency across music, theater, and dance.
• Americans for the Arts: Americans for the Arts is a national nonprofit service organization for the arts, providing advocacy, research, and capacity-building tools. It overlaps with IABD's mission in arts advocacy and sector capacity building but operates at a much broader cross-disciplinary level.

Others

• Dance Theatre of Harlem: Dance Theatre of Harlem is a prominent Black-led ballet company that co-leads The Equity Project with IABD and Dance/USA. It is comparable not as a service-organization peer but as a flagship member/partner organization within IABD's ecosystem and as a comparable Black-led dance institution.
• Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation: Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation is a regional arts funder supporting dance, music, theater, and visual arts across the mid-Atlantic region, including grant programs serving IABD's member ecosystem. It is an ecosystem partner — listed as an IABD funder — rather than a direct competitor, but its grantmaking and convening functions are structurally similar.
• Nonprofit Finance Fund: Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) is the collaborative partner in IABD's COHI|MOVE program, providing financial analysis, training, and capitalization support to Black dance companies. It is comparable as a capacity-building partner in the nonprofit arts ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/IABDINC
• Facebookfacebook.com/iabdblackdance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iabdinc/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/iabdinc

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 The International Association of Blacks in Dance, Inc.