Harmony 4 Hope

What Harmony 4 Hope does

Harmony 4 Hope is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2014 and headquartered in Lake Zurich, Illinois, that uses music and storytelling to advance rare disease advocacy, education, and research. The organization operates three core programs: Rare Storytellers, an educational series that brings rare disease patients, musicians, and medical professionals together at medical institutions to educate future physicians and researchers on rare disease patient experiences; Play This Forward, a music-gift outreach program that delivers iPods, iTunes gift cards, and curated annual playlists to children and families affected by rare diseases; and Claire 4 Rare, a monthly publication featuring patient and family narratives.

The organization generates revenue through tax-deductible individual donations, corporate and pharmaceutical sponsorships (including Retrophin and Orchard Therapeutics), event-based fundraising, and proceeds funding annual rare disease research grants. Its go-to-market is community-led, anchored by partnerships with Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Marquette University, Children's Wisconsin, and Global Genes. Operationally, Harmony 4 Hope runs with a small team of about five staff and a volunteer board, has hosted over 40 events reaching more than 3,000 live and online attendees, and has cumulatively raised over $100,000 for rare disease research and education since inception.

Name

Harmony 4 Hope

Legal name

Harmony 4 Hope

Website

https://harmony4hope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Harmony 4 Hope is a 501c3 nonprofit that uses music and patient storytelling to educate medical students, deliver music gifts to families affected by rare diseases, and fund rare disease research across Midwest medical institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rare Disease Advocacy and Nonprofit Health Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Rare Disease & Special Needs Support Organizations (BPAGACAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Music Therapy (Educational/Developmental Programs) (EDAMANAK)

Keywords

• Rare disease advocacy
• Patient storytelling programs
• Medical education
• Music charity events
• Nonprofit fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Zurich

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. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals supporting rare disease research and education
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Industry sponsorship from pharmaceutical and biotech companies supporting the Rare Storytellers program and research grants
3. Event-based Fundraising: Concert benefits, rock your locks events, and community fundraising activities
4. Research Grants: Annual rare disease research grants funded through organizational fundraising and industry partnerships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Harmony 4 Hope is a 501c3 nonprofit that uses music and storytelling to advance three missions: funding scientific discoveries in rare disease research, educating future physicians and healthcare practitioners on rare disease patient experiences, and uniting the rare disease community. It delivers this through three named programs: Rare Storytellers (patient-led educational events at medical institutions), Play This Forward (a music gift-delivery program leveraging celebrity musical ambassadors), and Claire 4 Rare (a publication platform).

Product overview

Harmony 4 Hope is a nonprofit 501c3 charity organization founded in 2014 that operates through three core programs: the Rare Storytellers Program (educational storytelling events at medical institutions), Play This Forward (music gift outreach), and Claire 4 Rare (publication). The organization uses music and storytelling to fuel scientific discoveries in rare disease, educate future physicians, and unite the rare disease community. It is not a technology product but a charitable mission-driven organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rare Storytellers: A division of Harmony 4 Hope that educates on rare diseases through songs, stories, and science. It is a rapidly growing network of rare disease patients, musicians and medical professionals currently representing over 30 rare diseases.
• Play This Forward
• Claire 4 Rare

Products and services

• Rare Storytellers Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 future physicians educated on rare disease patient experiences
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Orchard TherapeuticsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 December 2021Pharmaceutical sponsor for Rare Storytellers: Women and Rare Disease event.
• Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with MCW's Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC) and The Mellowes Center for hosting Rare Storytellers events and rare disease research symposia.
• Northwestern Feinberg School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Rare Storytellers educational series, educating medical students on rare disease patient experiences.
• Rush University Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in hosting Rare Storytellers events and recipient of research funding for Batten Disease research.
• Marquette UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Rare Disease Day celebrations and ongoing Rare Storytellers events at the College of Health Sciences.
• Global GenescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor rare disease advocacy organization partner; H4H created Dollar Denim Days Campaign for Global Genes.
• Pete's DiaryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Peter Dankelson's organization for rare disease advocacy and kindness initiatives.
• Children's WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner for pediatric rare disease patient storytelling and care programs.
• Cures Within ReachminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRare disease research foundation partner supporting clinical research funding.
• Toad The Wet SprocketminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMusical artist partnership on #smashtoadtonic Tour for rare disease awareness and fundraising.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Global Genes: Rare disease patient advocacy organization and an actual partner of Harmony 4 Hope (H4H created Dollar Denim Days for Global Genes). Directly comparable mission around rare disease awareness, education, and community building.
• EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases: Rare disease advocacy nonprofit focused on accelerating biotech innovation and federal policy. Comparable as a peer nonprofit working at the intersection of patient stories, medical education, and legislative advocacy.
• National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD): Largest US rare disease advocacy umbrella organization. Directly comparable as a 501c3 focused on rare disease education, research funding, and federal advocacy, though operating at significantly greater scale.
• Cures Within Reach: Rare disease research foundation partner of H4H that funds clinical repurposing research. Directly comparable as a small nonprofit funding rare disease research with limited operating capacity.

Emerging players

• National Niemann-Pick Disease Foundation: Disease-specific rare disease nonprofit that combines patient stories, family support, and research funding. Comparable as a peer in operating a small nonprofit combining patient storytelling with research grantmaking.
• Rare Disease Diversity Coalition: Coalition focused on reducing disparities in rare disease diagnosis and treatment. Comparable as a peer advocacy organization working at the intersection of patient narratives and medical system change.
• Batten Disease Support and Research Association: Patient organization specifically for Batten Disease — the rare disease that inspired Harmony 4 Hope's founding through the Hope 4 Bridget Foundation. Closely aligned as the disease-specific predecessor organization in H4H's origin story.

Broad incumbents

• EURORDIS – Rare Diseases Europe: European umbrella for rare disease patient organizations. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the rare disease advocacy space, though operating transatlantically rather than competing directly in H4H's US Midwest geography.
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: Large nonprofit supporting children's hospitals including rare disease care. Comparable as a peer in pediatric rare disease fundraising, though significantly larger and broader in scope.

Others

• National Children's Cancer Network (Children's Oncology Group): Pediatric rare/cancer research network that runs educational and family-support programming at children's hospitals. Adjacent peer in the pediatric rare disease education and family support space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/harmonize4hope
• Instagraminstagram.com/harmony4hope
• Facebookfacebook.com/harmony4hope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harmony-4-hope

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 Harmony 4 Hope