SPIRIT CLUB FOUNDATION

What SPIRIT CLUB FOUNDATION does

Spirit Club Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Kensington, Maryland (P.O. Box 443), operating in the greater Washington DC metropolitan region including Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia. Its mission is to build healthy communities by providing financial access to fitness and wellness opportunities for people with disabilities, principally individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, children and youth with disabilities, post-high-school students with disabilities, and seniors with vision impairments. The foundation does not deliver fitness services directly; rather, it acts as a financial intermediary that distributes individual scholarships, partner agency sub-grants, and regional programmatic grants to people with disabilities and to disability-serving organizations. Core programs include the Individual Scholarship Program (subsidizing group classes and personal training at pre-approved partner providers), the Partner Agency Scholarship Program (channeling funds through organizations such as Disability Partnerships, Sports Plus Group, Open Door Sports, and the Parkinson's Foundation of the National Capital Area), the Montgomery County partner agency portfolio, and the Prince George's County Accessible Exercise Grant (a three-year grant funding eight recipient organizations including Arc of Prince George's County, EPIC, Hands of Hope, Melwood, Our Care, PGCR, and Renoxx Caregivers). Fitness Festival events held annually in Howard County (Spring) and Montgomery County (Fall) serve simultaneously as community engagement, volunteer recruitment, and fundraising instruments, with the 2025 Montgomery County Fall event targeting $50,000 and the inaugural Howard County event raising nearly $16,000.

Name

SPIRIT CLUB FOUNDATION

Legal name

Spirit Club Foundation

Website

https://spiritclubfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Spirit Club Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides scholarships, partner agency grants, and regional grant programs to expand fitness and wellness access for people with disabilities across the greater Washington DC metropolitan region, including Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Fitness Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Disability fitness scholarships
• Adaptive fitness grants
• Inclusive wellness programs
• Community fitness festivals
• Nonprofit disability services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kensington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to the organization through the website donation portal (Givebutter platform). Donors are sought to help make inclusive fitness accessible.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support Fitness Festivals at various levels (Strength $3,500+, Endurance $1,500+, Agility $1,000+, Balance $750+, Flexibility $500+, Wellness $250+). Sponsors include companies like Athelas Institute, Community Options, NIHFCU, SPIRIT Club, and others.
3. Stock/Securities Donations: Donors can gift appreciated securities including stocks, bonds, and mutual funds directly to Spirit Club Foundation, providing tax benefits to donors while supporting the mission.
4. Grants: The organization receives grants including a three-year strategic grant from the William S. Abell Foundation for sub-grants for fitness programming in Prince George's County.
5. Event Revenue: Fitness Festivals generate funds through sponsorships, vendor fees, and donations. The 2025 Howard County event raised nearly $16,000 and the Montgomery County Fall Fitness Festival has a $50,000 fundraising goal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Spirit Club Foundation provides financial scholarships and grants that remove cost barriers so people with disabilities can access inclusive fitness and wellness programs. It runs Individual Scholarships for group classes, personal training, and swimming lessons; a Partner Agency Scholarship Program for disability-serving organizations; regional grant programs in Montgomery County and Prince George's County; and the annual Fitness Festival as a community engagement and fundraising event across the greater Washington DC metropolitan area.

Product overview

Spirit Club Foundation is a non-profit organization that operates as a single, unified mission-driven service rather than a multi-product technology platform. The foundation's core offerings consist of financial assistance programs: Individual Scholarships that subsidize group classes and private fitness sessions for people with disabilities, and the Partner Agency Scholarship Program that helps organizations fund exercise programs. These are complemented by regional grant programs in Montgomery County and Prince George's County, and the annual Fitness Festival event. The organization connects beneficiaries with partner fitness providers including SPIRIT Club (an integrated gym), KEEN, MoCo Movement, Sports Plus, and others. No technology product, API, or software platform is offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Scholarships
• Partner Agency Scholarship Program
• Prince George's County Accessible Exercise Grant
• Annual Fitness Festival

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 250 people helped annually across the greater DC metropolitan region
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

31 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Athelas InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2026Host venue for Spring Fitness Festival events in Howard County, MD. Celebrating over a decade of transforming lives through adaptive fitness scholarships and community-driven change.
• SPIRIT ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated for-profit gym offering universal design fitness that empowers people of all abilities. Many scholarship recipients use their awards at SPIRIT Club. Founder Jared Ciner co-founded Spirit Club Foundation with Steve Allen.
• Arc of Prince George's CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecipient of Prince George's County Accessible Exercise Grant (3-year program). Partner organization providing fitness programs to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Community Options, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit developing housing and employment supports for people with disabilities. State Director Tigest Alemu serves on Spirit Club Foundation board. Sponsor of Howard County Fitness Festival.
• Prince George's Community Resources (PGCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting older teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Recipient of Outstanding Community Partner Award and grant funding for virtual fitness programs.
• Sports Plus Group, Inc.secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing instructional swim, fitness, and social programs to children, teens and young adults with autism and other developmental disabilities.
• Open Door SportssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency providing fitness programming for people with disabilities in Montgomery County.
• Parkinson's Foundation of the National Capital AreasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency in Montgomery County providing fitness programming for people with Parkinson's disease.
• Disability PartnershipssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency in Montgomery County providing fitness programming for people with disabilities.
• EPICsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecipient of Prince George's County Accessible Exercise Grant for fitness programming.
• Hands of HopesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecipient of Prince George's County Accessible Exercise Grant for fitness programming.
• MelwoodsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecipient of Prince George's County Accessible Exercise Grant for fitness programming.
• Our CaresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecipient of Prince George's County Accessible Exercise Grant. Sponsor of both Howard County and Montgomery County Fitness Festivals.
• Renoxx CaregiverssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecipient of Prince George's County Accessible Exercise Grant for fitness programming.
• Columbia AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing $15/session swimming scholarship program. Recipients register and pay for swimming sessions, then submit receipts for reimbursement from Spirit Club Foundation.
• Bender JCCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing discounted $30/month gym membership for Spirit Club Foundation members (regular $69). $125 initiation fees waived. Includes access to health/fitness center, pools, and 40+ group exercise classes.
• KEEN Greater DC - BaltimoresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in Resources section. Creates communities that empower youth with disabilities through inclusive recreation and fitness programs.
• MoCo Movement CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in Resources section. Fully inclusive pediatric therapy practice and athletic movement center offering therapy services and movement classes for children of all ages and abilities.
• We Rock the Spectrum - GaithersburgsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in Resources section. Sensory-friendly gym providing a place for children of all abilities to play and grow together.
• You Can Learn to SwimsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in Resources section. Provides private adaptive swim lessons from toddlers to adults. Sponsor of Montgomery County Fitness Festival.
• ZamDancesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in Resources section. High impact dance fitness program for children and adults with developmental differences incorporating music and dance steps.
• Planning Across the SpectrumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in Resources section. Provides comprehensive special needs certified financial planning services for individuals, families and employers.
• Shared HorizonssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in Resources section. 501(c)(3) nonprofit managing Pooled Special Needs Trusts. Offers fitness scholarships up to $1,000 for individuals with disabilities in D.C., Maryland, or Virginia.
• Ivymount SchoolsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient supporting Post High School students with fitness classes led by SPIRIT Club trainers. Participated in #IvyMoves fitness month with 383,344 total steps.
• Model Cities Senior Wellness Center (Seabury Resources for the Aging)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram partner hosting seated fitness classes for seniors who are blind or have low vision. Class funded by Spirit Club Foundation grant in partnership with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.
• CareFirst BlueCross BlueShieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded grants for senior fitness programming including Model Cities Senior Wellness Center classes for visually impaired seniors.
• Metro Bethesda RotarysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Nesfield Performance 5K event that raised more than $12,000, shared between Spirit Club Foundation and Metro Bethesda Rotary Club.
• Nesfield PerformancesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of 5K event with Metro Bethesda Rotary and Spirit Club Foundation for a morning of fun and fitness at BCC High School Track.
• NIHFCUsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Howard County 2025 Spring Fitness Festival at Endurance level ($1,500+).
• Planet FitnesssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Montgomery County 2025 Fall Fitness Festival at Endurance level.
• Jubilee Association of MarylandsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Montgomery County 2025 Fall Fitness Festival at Agility level ($1,000+). Steve Allen served as director of fundraising at Jubilee before founding Spirit Club Foundation.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Move United: National nonprofit (formerly Disabled Sports USA) that provides adaptive sports and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities. Direct peer — Spirit Club Foundation's mission of funding adaptive fitness programs for people with disabilities is highly aligned with Move United's adaptive sports delivery model.
• National Ability Center: Park City, Utah-based nonprofit offering adaptive sports, recreation, and outdoor experiences for people of all abilities. Spirit Club Foundation is comparable in providing financial and program access to inclusive fitness for people with disabilities, though NAC is facility-based and Spirit Club is a scholarship-granting intermediary.
• Melwood: DC-metro area nonprofit providing employment, recreation, and community living services for people with disabilities. Direct regional peer — both serve the same DC-area IDD community and Melwood is an existing Spirit Club Foundation partner agency receiving Prince George's County sub-grants.
• YAI (YAI Network): Large direct-services nonprofit supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across programs including health, wellness, and recreation. Comparable IDD-services mission and similar focus on inclusive community programming for the same beneficiary population.
• The Arc of the United States: National disability advocacy and services nonprofit with local chapters serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Highly comparable — Spirit Club Foundation directly funds Arc of Prince George's County as a partner agency, operating in the same IDD-support space.

Regional players

• YMCA of Metropolitan Washington: Regional YMCA chapter offering inclusive fitness, swim, and wellness programs across the DC metro area. Comparable community-fitness access mission in the same geography, with Spirit Club Foundation specifically partnering with Bender JCC to deliver discounted gym memberships for its scholarship recipients.

Emerging players

• KultureCity: National nonprofit focused on sensory accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities across sports, entertainment, and public spaces. Comparable mission around accessibility and disability inclusion, but focuses on venue/program certification rather than direct fitness scholarships.

Broad incumbents

• Easterseals: National nonprofit providing disability services including accessible recreation and fitness programs across the U.S. Spirit Club Foundation is comparable as another disability-focused nonprofit delivering inclusive fitness opportunities, though Easterseals operates at far greater scale and breadth.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large youth-development nonprofit offering inclusive programming including sports, fitness, and wellness to youth from diverse backgrounds. Spirit Club Foundation's youth-with-disabilities fitness scholarship model is a narrower version of BGCA's broader youth-fitness access mission.
• Special Olympics: Global nonprofit providing year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Comparable mission focus on fitness access for the IDD community, but at vastly larger scale and via competitive sport rather than direct scholarships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SpiritClubFnd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@spiritclubfoundation6719
• Facebookfacebook.com/SpiritClubFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spirit-club-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/spirit_club_foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SPIRIT CLUB FOUNDATION