University of Iowa Dance Marathon

What University of Iowa Dance Marathon does

University of Iowa Dance Marathon (UIDM) is a student-run non-profit philanthropy organization founded in 1995 at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. It operates the third-largest Children's Miracle Network Dance Marathon in the nation and is the largest student organization on the University of Iowa campus. UIDM provides year-round emotional and financial support to pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant patients and their families at University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital, currently serving more than 1,400 families. Its flagship offering is the annual 24-hour Big Event where 1,000+ registered dancers stand to celebrate survivors and honor children who have passed, with the cumulative fundraising total reaching $39,054,543 since inception.

UIDM's core programs include the Big Event, Mini Dance Marathons (K-12 school partnerships), Dance Marathon the Marathon (a Bank of America Chicago Marathon charity running program), Family Relations support, UIDM Scholarships (up to $2,000 per semester for patients enrolled at the University of Iowa), Family Pillowcases, and the "Dancing in Our Hearts" memorial program. Technology is minimal: UIDM relies on the DonorDrive platform for online giving pages and donation processing, with no proprietary software or AI/ML capabilities. Fundraising is executed through individual dancer commitments ($400 minimum per dancer), community canning events, letter-writing campaigns, corporate matching gifts processed through the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, and alumni engagement via the Dance Marathon Alumni Group (DMAG).

The organization's revenue model is donation-based across three streams: individual donations (dancer fundraising pages and direct gifts), corporate matching gifts, and event-based fundraising (Summer Challenges, Gala, Chicago Marathon, Mini Dance Marathons). The governance structure is a student Executive Council (18+ named directors for DM33) under faculty advisor Jessie Cunningham, with annual leadership transitions. The parent entity is The University of Iowa (a public state university). All funds raised are directed to UI Stead Family Children's Hospital; UIDM does not retain profits, has no external investors, and is not a separately incorporated legal entity.

Name

University of Iowa Dance Marathon

Legal name

The University of Iowa

Website

https://dancemarathon.uiowa.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

University of Iowa Dance Marathon is a student-run non-profit philanthropy organization that provides year-round financial and emotional support to pediatric oncology patients and families at UI Stead Family Children's Hospital, operating the nation's 3rd largest CMN Dance Marathon and serving 1,400+ families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Iowa City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting dancers' fundraising efforts or general organizational contributions. Each dancer commits to raising $400 and solicits donations from friends, family, and community members through personal fundraising pages.
2. Corporate Matching Gifts: Corporate employee matching gift programs where businesses match charitable contributions made by employees. Processed through University of Iowa Center for Advancement.
3. Event-Based Fundraising: Summer Fundraising Challenges, Gala events, Chicago Marathon participation, and Mini Dance Marathon programs generate additional fundraising revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

University of Iowa Dance Marathon is a student-run philanthropy that provides year-round financial, emotional, and community support to pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant patients and their families at University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital. Its core offering is the annual 24-hour Big Event Dance Marathon, where 1,000+ registered dancers each raise a minimum of $400 to support 1,400+ families, supported by Mini Dance Marathon school programs, Dance Marathon the Marathon (Chicago Marathon charity team), family relations services, scholarships, and memorial programming.

Product overview

University of Iowa Dance Marathon is a student-run fundraising organization offering a portfolio of programs centered around its flagship 24-hour Big Event. The core offering is the annual Dance Marathon which serves as both a major fundraiser and community-building experience. Supporting programs include Mini Dance Marathons (school partnerships), Dance Marathon the Marathon (running group), Family Relations support services, UIDM Scholarships for patients, Sustainability Initiatives, Family Pillowcases, and the Dancing in Our Hearts memorial program. The organization connects over 1,400 families with student volunteers through year-round programming that culminates in the annual Big Event.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Big Event The flagship 24-hour Dance Marathon event where 1,000+ registered students gather to celebrate child survivors and remember those who have passed, culminating in a tote board reveal of total funds raised for pediatric oncology families at UI Stead Family Children's Hospital.
• Mini Dance Marathons Partnership program with elementary, middle, and high schools to get kids of all ages involved in fighting pediatric cancer through age-appropriate fundraising activities and awareness.
• Dance Marathon the Marathon A marathon training group that runs the Bank of America Chicago Marathon while raising money and awareness for Dance Marathon, with fundraising commitments of $1,000-$2,100 per runner.
• Family Relations Program Year-round emotional and practical support for pediatric oncology families including hospital volunteer visits, family events, gift cards, prescription co-pay assistance, and family representative matching.
• UIDM Scholarships Scholarship program offering up to $2,000 per semester to hematology/oncology pediatric patients treated at UI Stead Family Children's Hospital who are enrolled or plan to enroll at the University of Iowa.
• Sustainability Initiatives Environmental sustainability efforts including clothing drives, compostable dinnerware, food waste reduction through donations, can recycling, tree planting for carbon neutrality, and Terracycle bins.
• Family Pillowcases Decorated pillowcases created by dancers and leadership members representing each of the 1,400+ families in the Dance Marathon program, displayed at the Big Event.
• Dancing in Our Hearts Program honoring children who have passed away from cancer, including memorial events, DIH Day recognition, commemorative programming, and support for bereaved families.

Quantifiable outcome

• $39 million+ raised since 1995
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 minor.

• Children's Miracle Network (CMN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with Children's Miracle Network, the national organization that supports children's hospitals. Dance Marathon is part of the CMN Dance Marathon network, the 3rd largest CMN Dance Marathon nationally. CMN provides organizational framework and connects to national hospital network.
• University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary beneficiary of Dance Marathon fundraising. Pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant unit receives direct financial support for treatment expenses, family assistance, comfort items, research, and long-term services.
• University of Iowa Center for AdvancementcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProcesses corporate matching gifts for Dance Marathon. Donors complete matching gift forms through the UI Center for Advancement (legal name: State University of Iowa Foundation). Handles gift processing and corporate matching coordination.
• Bank of America Chicago MarathonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDance Marathon the Marathon (DMM) program allows runners to participate in Chicago Marathon while raising funds for Dance Marathon. Charity spots allocated to DM runners who commit to fundraising minimums.
• Dance Marathon Alumni Group (DMAG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlumni organization that hosts events, fundraises, and keeps alumni connected. Raised over $100,000 in a recent year through dozen-plus events. Helps expand organizational presence nationwide.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UIDM
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_oZdt6ePqTGW-p4UR5dvkw
• Facebookfacebook.com/UIDanceMarathon
• Instagraminstagram.com/uidm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-iowa-dance-marathon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Iowa Dance Marathon