Rutgers University Dance Marathon

What Rutgers University Dance Marathon does

Rutgers University Dance Marathon (RUDM) is a student-run philanthropic organization operating under Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Since its re-founding in 1999, RUDM has conducted year-long fundraising and awareness efforts on behalf of a single beneficiary — Embrace Kids Foundation — which supports families whose children face cancer, sickle cell disease, and other serious health challenges. The organization's operations center on an annual culminating dance marathon event, with RUDM 2026 scheduled for April 18 at Voorhees Mall on the College Ave campus. Governance rests with a student-led Board of Directors and a Central Planning Team (with the 2025 cohort publicly named), including directors across Finance, Human Resources, and Dancer Relations functions.

RUDM has no commercial product, no pricing model, and no revenue mechanics in the traditional sense. Its "distribution channels" consist of a Squarespace-hosted website (apricot-cone-3hhs.squarespace.com) for information and donation redirects to the Embrace Kids Foundation campaigns platform, supplemented by a newsletter signup, social media presence under the "Connect With Us" section, and in-person event engagement on the Rutgers campus. Cumulative fundraising since the 1999 re-founding exceeds $11M, though no annual breakdown or per-year donation figures are disclosed. The organization reports 19 personnel (interpreted as student volunteer leadership positions, not compensated employees) and operates within a regional Northeast USA footprint with no disclosed geographic expansion plans.

As a university-affiliated charitable initiative rather than a commercial enterprise, RUDM does not deploy proprietary technology, does not maintain API or software product lines, and does not disclose any AI, ML, or data-driven capabilities. The technology stack is limited to standard web infrastructure. Its core "product" is the annual dance marathon event itself, which functions as both a fundraising mechanism and a community engagement moment for the Rutgers student body. The value proposition to its beneficiary is concentrated entirely in donation throughput and volunteer awareness, while its value proposition to participants is community belonging, leadership experience, and affiliation with the "FTK" (For The Kids) cultural identity.

Name

Rutgers University Dance Marathon

Legal name

Rutgers University Dance Marathon

Website

https://marathon.rutgers.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rutgers University Dance Marathon is a student-run philanthropic organization at Rutgers University that conducts year-long fundraising for Embrace Kids Foundation, supporting families whose children face cancer, sickle cell, and other serious health challenges, culminating in an annual dance marathon event.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peer-to-Peer Charitable Fundraising

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Athletics Fundraising, Sponsorships & NIL Support (EDALAIAN)

Keywords

• Student philanthropy
• Dance marathon fundraising
• Peer-to-peer fundraising
• Pediatric charity events
• University nonprofit fundraising

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Rutgers University Dance Marathon (RUDM) is a year-long student-run philanthropic effort that raises funds and awareness for the Embrace Kids Foundation, supporting families whose children are facing cancer, sickle cell, and other serious health challenges. The effort culminates in an annual dance marathon event where the Rutgers university community gathers to dance and celebrate the year's collective fundraising. Since re-founding in 1999, RUDM has raised over $11M for this cause.

Product overview

Rutgers University Dance Marathon (RUDM) is not a technology product company but rather a year-long student-run philanthropic initiative. The organization raises funds and awareness for Embrace Kids Foundation to support families whose children are facing cancer, sickle cell, and other serious health challenges. The core "product" is the annual dance marathon event itself, where the university community gathers to dance and celebrate their collective fundraising efforts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual RUDM Dance Marathon Event A year-long culminating in-person dance marathon event hosted at Voorhees Mall (College Ave) on the Rutgers University campus, where participants dance to celebrate the Rutgers community's collective annual fundraising for Embrace Kids Foundation. Targeted at Rutgers University students, alumni, and community supporters.
• Year-long RUDM Fundraising Campaign A year-long student-run peer-to-peer fundraising campaign collecting donations for Embrace Kids Foundation. Open to Rutgers University students, alumni, and community members who wish to donate or fundraise on behalf of the cause.

Quantifiable outcome

• Raised over $11M for families since 1999

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Embrace Kids FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmbrace Kids Foundation is the primary beneficiary of RUDM's year-long fundraising efforts. RUDM raises funds and awareness specifically for Embrace Kids Foundation, which supports families whose children are facing cancer, sickle cell, and other serious health challenges. The dance marathon event serves as the culminating celebration of the year's fundraising efforts to benefit these patient families.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON): The largest student-run philanthropy in the world, a year-long dance marathon at Penn State raising funds for pediatric cancer. Most directly comparable to RUDM in mission, structure, and event format, but at materially greater scale.
• University of Maryland Dance Marathon (Terp Thon): Student-run Big Ten dance marathon benefiting Children's Miracle Network. Operates the same university-based, year-round fundraising culminating in a single dance marathon event, making it a structural twin to RUDM.
• Northwestern University Dance Marathon: Student-run dance marathon benefiting the Evanston Community Foundation and other local nonprofits. Same Big-Ten-affiliated university setting, same year-long fundraising format, and same student governance model as RUDM.
• Dance Marathon at the University of Florida: Year-long student-run dance marathon benefiting Children's Miracle Network / UF Health Shands Children's Hospital. Closely mirrors RUDM's model of student-led fundraising culminating in a multi-hour dance event, with substantially larger annual totals.
• University of Pittsburgh Dance Marathon: Pittsburgh-based student-run dance marathon benefiting the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation. Shares RUDM's Northeast regional positioning, pediatric beneficiary focus, and university-organization structure.
• Indiana University Dance Marathon: Student-led dance marathon at Indiana University raising funds for Riley Hospital for Children. Comparable in mission (pediatric illness), event format, and student-run nonprofit governance model.

Broad incumbents

• Miracle Network Dance Marathon: The official Dance Marathon program of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, coordinating hundreds of university dance marathons across the U.S. RUDM's peer institutions (UF, Maryland, Pitt) participate in this program, making it the relevant industry umbrella for RUDM's category.
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: National nonprofit raising funds for pediatric hospitals, with a long-running Dance Marathon program partnership that many university dance marathons (including several RUDM peers) benefit. Represents the broader institutional framework RUDM operates adjacent to.

Others

• Dance Marathon Network: Industry association connecting and supporting university dance marathon programs nationwide. RUDM operates in this ecosystem and benefits from shared best practices, branding, and peer-program resources.
• Embrace Kids Foundation: The direct beneficiary of RUDM's fundraising efforts, supporting New Jersey families with children facing cancer, sickle cell and other serious illnesses. Strategic core partner rather than a competitor, but central to RUDM's operating model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rutgers-dance-marathon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rutgers University Dance Marathon