What Dane County UW Extension does

Dane County UW Extension is the Dane County office of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, a public-sector educational institution operating under the federal Cooperative Extension System established by the Smith-Lever Act of 1914. The organization delivers research-based educational programming across eight topical areas: 4-H Positive Youth Development, Agriculture, Community Development, Community Food Systems, Families and Finances, FoodWIse nutrition education, Horticulture, and Natural Resources. Its service footprint is strictly Dane County, Wisconsin, with a 12-employee core staff supplemented by an extensive volunteer network (85+ tax preparation volunteers, 30+ community 4-H clubs, multiple project committees) and partner organizations including the IRS VITA program, Wisconsin Department of Revenue, REAP Food Group, and Dane County Food Council.

The organization's core products and services are educational rather than technological in nature. Standout programs include the Richard Dilley Tax Center (a VITA site filing 3,000+ returns annually and returning $5.8M in refunds to the community), The Literacy Link (video-recorded storybook readings connecting incarcerated parents at the Dane County Jail with their children), FoodWIse (SNAP-Ed/EFNEP-funded nutrition education), the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (pop-up markets at senior centers), multi-year cover crop research with Dane County farmers, and farm-to-school equity research with UW-Madison School of Human Ecology. Physical assets include the headquarters at 5201 Fen Oak Dr in Madison, a partner VITA site at 2238 S. Park St, the Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center in Wisconsin Dells, and conference facilities at the Lyman F. Anderson Agriculture & Conservation Center. The organization uses no proprietary technology systems and delivers programming through conventional in-person, workshop, and event-based methods.

The business model is primarily government-funded and free at point of service to Dane County residents. Operating revenue derives from a tripartite funding structure: Dane County government appropriations, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and federal programs (USDA/NIFA, SNAP-Ed/EFNEP, IRS VITA grants). A small portion of revenue comes from participant fees: 4-H membership ($20 youth, $3 Cloverbud, $5 volunteers), 4-H summer camp at Upham Woods ($240-$300), and retirement planning classes ($75). Financial assistance and Send-A-Kid-to-Camp donations ensure accessibility. The organization is not privately owned, not venture-backed, and not subject to ownership change; it is a permanent public institutional structure governed by the Wisconsin State Legislature and Board of Regents.

Name

Dane County UW Extension

Legal name

University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension

Website

https://dane.extension.wisc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dane County UW Extension is the county office of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, providing free, research-based educational programming in 4-H youth development, agriculture, financial education, food systems, horticulture, and natural resources to Dane County, Wisconsin residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Extension Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Populations ASE (Reentry/Corrections, Homeless, Refugee/Immigrant, Foster/Justice-Involved) (EDAAABAI)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Agricultural extension services
• Community nutrition education
• Financial literacy programs
• Cooperative extension education

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding from University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dane County government, and federal programs including USDA, SNAP-Ed, and IRS VITA program. Services provided at no cost to residents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dane County UW Extension is a county-level office of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension that delivers free educational programming across eight program areas: 4-H Positive Youth Development, Agriculture, Community Development, Families & Finances, Community Food Systems, FoodWIse nutrition education, Horticulture, and Natural Resources. Core deliverables include free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance through the Richard Dilley Tax Center, 4-H youth clubs and summer camps, SNAP-Ed nutrition education, financial literacy classes, and applied agricultural research such as cover crop trials.

Product overview

Dane County UW Extension is a county office of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension offering educational programs across multiple domains. The organization operates several distinct service areas: 4-H Youth Development (clubs, projects, summer camp, and fairs), Financial Education (including the Richard Dilley Tax Center free tax preparation, retirement planning, and financial coaching), Community Food Systems (Farm to School, FoodWIse nutrition education, and senior food access), Family Programs (including The Literacy Link for incarcerated parents), and Horticulture/Natural Resources education. These programs function as separate service offerings under the unified Extension umbrella rather than a single integrated product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 4-H: Youth development program for ages 5-19 focusing on leadership, teamwork, critical thinking, and communication skills through hands-on activities
• Richard Dilley Tax Center
• The Literacy Link
• FoodWIse

Products and services

• Richard Dilley Tax Center (VITA) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site that provides free income tax preparation to low-income workers, families, seniors, English Language Learners, and people with disabilities in Dane County. Operates as a partnership with volunteers, UW-Madison South Madison Partnership, Wisconsin Department of Revenue, and IRS funding support.
• 4-H Youth Development Program The nation's largest youth development organization offering programs for youth ages 5-19 to learn leadership, teamwork, critical thinking, and communication through hands-on activities. Includes 30+ community clubs in Dane County, project areas, camps, and educational travel experiences.
• 4-H Summer Camp Overnight residential camp held at Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center in Wisconsin Dells for youth completing grades 3-8. Includes crafts, field games, campfire, swimming, nature walks, and outdoor skill development. Pricing: $240-$250 for Dane County 4-H members, $290-$300 general rate.
• Financial Education Programs Comprehensive financial education including tax preparation assistance, retirement planning classes ($75 per person including 225-page textbook), one-on-one financial coaching, and Money Matters online modules offered to Dane County residents.
• FoodWIse Federally-funded nutrition education program (SNAP-Ed and EFNEP) supporting healthy eating habits, active lifestyles, and healthy community environments for Wisconsin residents with limited incomes.
• Community Food Systems Program Works to strengthen local and regional food systems through initiatives including farm-to-school programs, farmers market support, food access programs for seniors, and regional food planning.
• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program Pilot program providing seasonal vouchers to low-income seniors redeemable at participating farmers markets and farm stands, with pop-up markets at senior centers to improve voucher redemption rates.
• The Literacy Link Family program that teaches incarcerated parents at the Dane County Jail to record themselves reading storybooks via video. The recordings are shared with children at home to reduce trauma of separation, strengthen family relationships, and increase children's exposure to books and reading. Has reached 100+ incarcerated parents and 250+ children.
• Horticulture and Natural Resources Education Educational programs on horticulture, gardening, tree and shrub care, and natural resources management for Dane County residents. Includes the Native Garden Design Workshops delivered in partnership with Dane County Land and Water.
• Cover Crops Research and Outreach Multi-year on-farm research program partnering with 6 Dane County farmers to test winter camelina as an alternative to cereal rye cover crops. Field research demonstrated a 50% reduction in nitrogen loss at 2 trial sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000+ tax returns filed, $5.8 million total refunds returned to community
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UW-Madison South Madison PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Partnership for the Richard Dilley Tax Center providing free tax preparation services. South Madison Partnership provides venue and support for VITA operations at 2238 S. Park St. location.
• Wisconsin Department of RevenuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for Richard Dilley Tax Center and free tax preparation initiative. Provides support and resources for state tax filing assistance.
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - VITA ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal funding and program support through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. IRS provides training materials, guidelines, and grant funding for free tax preparation services.
• REAP Food GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating organization for food systems work including Harvest Gathering events and food action planning. Partner in community food initiatives and regional food system development.
• Dane County Land and WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatural Resources Educator Wade Moder partnered with Dane County Land and Water to host Native Garden Design Workshops using 3D-printed plant tokens.
• Dane County Food CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in developing comprehensive regional food plan. Dane County Extension's Community Food Systems program works with Food Council on food system resilience initiatives.
• UW-Madison School of Human EcologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for farm-to-school equity study examining historically underserved producer access to school food markets.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMadison joined Bloomberg Philanthropies' Youth Climate Action Fund providing technical assistance and funding for youth climate initiatives.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UW-Madison Extension Waukesha County: Adjacent county extension office within the UW-Madison system serving a suburban Wisconsin county with the same youth development, agricultural research, and family finance program mix. Directly comparable mission, funding model, and volunteer-driven delivery.
• Penn State Extension: Pennsylvania's land-grant extension system operating under the same Smith-Lever Act framework with comparable 4-H, agricultural research, and community education programming. Closest cross-state equivalent in programmatic breadth and university affiliation.
• Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: Iowa's land-grant extension system providing research-based agricultural, youth, and family programming through county offices. Particularly relevant peer given the shared agricultural research emphasis and rural/urban county mix.
• UW-Madison Extension Milwaukee County: Sister county extension office under the same UW-Madison Division of Extension parent. Operates an identical programmatic structure (4-H, financial education, food systems, agriculture) in Wisconsin's largest urban county, making it the most direct operational peer.
• Michigan State University Extension: Michigan's land-grant extension arm delivering comparable agricultural research, 4-H youth development, and community education programming across county offices. Same federal funding model and similar volunteer-driven service delivery.
• UW-Madison Extension Brown County: Another county-level UW-Madison Extension office operating in a different Wisconsin region (Green Bay area) with the same Smith-Lever Act mandate, programmatic areas, and partnership structure with local government. Strong operational comparability.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension: New York state's land-grant extension network serving county offices with research-based programming in agriculture, youth development (4-H), family finance, and community development. Operationally and structurally analogous to the UW-Madison Extension system.
• Ohio State University Extension: Ohio's land-grant extension system delivering 4-H, agriculture, and community development programming statewide through county offices. Same Smith-Lever Act mandate and comparable programmatic mix to Dane County Extension.
• University of Illinois Extension: Illinois's land-grant extension network offering the same Cooperative Extension programmatic areas (4-H, agriculture, family, community development) with university research backing. Geographic proximity and similar Midwest agricultural context make it a strong comparable.

Broad incumbents

• UW-Madison Division of Extension: The statewide parent organization that coordinates all Wisconsin county extension offices. Provides research, faculty, and funding; broader scope than a single county office but operates the same Cooperative Extension model across 72 counties.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uwmadisonext
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLNtxoX1cwQruNoOoDVCc1w
• Facebookfacebook.com/Dane.County.Extension
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dane-county-uw-extension
• Instagraminstagram.com/danecountyextension

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Dane County UW Extension