The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida

What The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida does

The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 27-2436041) founded in 2009 and headquartered virtually in Orlando, Florida. The foundation provides programs, scholarships, and family-support services for individuals with Down syndrome from birth through adulthood, serving nearly 2,000 families statewide. Its core product suite is the iCan! program family — including iCan! Communicate (ages 0-4, AAC-based early communication), iCan! Learn (ages 4-9, STEM-based reading/math at UCF), iCan! Excel (ages 10-15, mindfulness/yoga), iCan! Bike (iCan Shine partnership, 80% two-wheel success rate), iCan! Surf, iCan! Work (vocational placement), and College & Career Prep — supplemented by an extensive scholarship portfolio covering community activities, education, IEP navigation, swim, sleep-away camp, oral motor, speech therapy, ABA, and the named Kay Ness Neurodevelopmental Scholarship.

The organization is nearly 100% volunteer-run with 1-10 paid employees and operates without physical office space, delivering services through partnerships with the University of Central Florida, FAAST Assistive Technology Center, schools in 13 Central Florida counties, and employer partners including Orlando Health, Levy Restaurants, Quality One Wireless, and White Castle. Revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate sponsorships (Corporate Cup Challenge), and the flagship annual Tour of Champions Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser, which alone produces over $180,000 in scholarships per year and has cumulatively enabled approximately $1.7 million in scholarships and $2 million in programming since inception. Membership is free and scholarship-based, with eligibility often requiring participation in foundation activities, creating a self-reinforcing community engagement loop that has sustained the organization for 15 years.

Name

The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida

Legal name

Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida

Website

https://dsfflorida.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2009 and based in Orlando that delivers programs, scholarships, and family support to nearly 2,000 families across Florida for individuals with Down syndrome from birth through adulthood.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Down syndrome programs
• Special needs scholarships
• Vocational training services
• Family support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

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 donations from individuals supporting the foundation's mission of inclusion for individuals with Down syndrome. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN 27-2436041.
2. Tour of Champions Bowl-A-Thon: Annual bowling fundraiser generating approximately $180,000 in scholarships annually and supporting over 240 programs per year. Since inception, has generated nearly $1.7 million in scholarships and $2 million in programming.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support events and programs through the Corporate Cup Challenge and event sponsorship opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida delivers a comprehensive portfolio of programs and scholarships for individuals with Down syndrome and their families in Florida, including the iCan! suite (Work, Communicate, Learn, Excel, Bike, Surf), College & Career Prep, Partners in Education, social clubs, and therapeutic/educational scholarships (speech therapy, ABA, oral motor, IEP, swim, sleep-away camp). Membership is free; programs are delivered largely through UCF partnerships and community venues.

Product overview

The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida is a non-profit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services centered around the iCan! suite of programs (iCan! Work, iCan! Communicate, iCan! Learn, iCan! Excel, iCan! Bike, iCan! Surf) and an extensive scholarship system (Community, Educational, IEP, Swim, Sleep-Away Camp, Oral Motor Clinic, Speech Therapy, ABA, Kay Ness Neurodevelopmental, and Driving School scholarships). The organization also provides social programs including Club 321 for teens, T21 Social Network for adults, LEAP Club for elementary students, PEERS social skills training, and Mental Health & Wellness support. Programs operate in partnership with UCF and local community organizations, with annual events like the Tour of Champions Bowl-A-Thon and iCan! Bike Camp as flagship offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• iCan! Work
• iCan! Communicate
• iCan! Learn
• iCan! Excel
• iCan! Bike
• iCan! Surf
• College & Career Prep
• Community Scholarship
• Educational Scholarships
• IEP Scholarship
• Swim Scholarships
• Sleep-Away Camp Scholarship
• Speech Therapy Scholarship
• Oral Motor Clinic
• ABA Scholarship Program
• Kay Ness Neurodevelopmental Scholarship
• Partners in Education
• Club 321
• T21 Social Network
• LEAP Club (Learning Enrichment Academic Program)
• PEERS Program
• Mental Health and Wellness Program
• Creative Confidence

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Central Florida (UCF) - Toni Jennings Exceptional Education InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-faceted partnership delivering iCan! Learn, Excel, and College & Career Prep programs at UCF campus. UCF faculty, doctoral candidates, and graduate students from the College of Community Innovation and Education teach and support programs. UCF students entering teaching profession work with children ages 4-9 in research-based learning methods.
• University of Central Florida Graduate Program in Speech-Language PathologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with iCan! Communicate program to provide AAC assessments, device customization, and communication support for children with Down syndrome from birth to 4 years.
• FAAST Assistive Technology CentercoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaborates with UCF and the foundation to provide assistive technology assessments and AAC device support for the iCan! Communicate program.
• iCan ShinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver iCan! Bike camp using iCan Shine's adapted bicycling program. The program has helped 80% of participants learn to ride two-wheel bicycles in just five days. Partnership active since 2011.
• Orange County Convention CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for iCan! Bike Camp, providing facilities for the week-long cycling instruction program.
• Levy RestaurantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartneriCan! Work employer partner providing on-the-job training at Amway Center during Orlando Magic games. Members work in the Fields Lounge receiving employment experience.
• Orlando HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartneriCan! Work employer partner providing employment opportunities. Participant Adam has been employed since 2021, earning more than minimum wage.
• Quality One WirelessminorStrategic or Co-development PartneriCan! Work employer partner providing on-the-job training opportunities for members.
• White CastleminorStrategic or Co-development PartneriCan! Work employer partner providing on-the-job training opportunities for members.
• Surfing's Evolution & Preservation FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of iCan! Surf program. Foundation focuses on water safety awareness in addition to surfing instruction.
• Regional Florida Down Syndrome OrganizationsminorOthersNetwork of 14+ regional Down syndrome organizations across Florida counties including DSACF, DSA Jacksonville, DSA Tallahassee, Manasota B.U.D.S., and others providing local resources and referrals.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS): The largest national US organization advocating for people with Down syndrome, providing programs, advocacy, and resources. Directly comparable in mission to DSFF but operates at national scale rather than state-level.
• National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC): National organization providing education, advocacy, and resources for the Down syndrome community. Comparable in mission to DSFF but operates as a membership/conference-driven national body rather than a local service-delivery nonprofit.
• Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action (DSAIA): National umbrella supporting local Down syndrome affiliates across the U.S. Comparable to DSFF as a network member organization, with comparable program portfolios at affiliate level.

Regional players

• Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville (DSA Jacksonville): Regional Florida DS nonprofit listed in DSFF's referral network, offering comparable family support and programs in a different Florida region.
• Manasota B.U.D.S. Florida regional DS support group (Sarasota/Manatee counties) named in DSFF's referral network, offering family-support and community-inclusion programming at smaller scale.
• Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC): State-level Down syndrome organization with a comparable program portfolio (self-advocacy, family support, education). Operates as a benchmark for what a scaled state-level DS nonprofit looks like outside Florida.

Emerging players

• Bunnie's House: Emerging Down syndrome-focused nonprofit offering educational programs and resources. Comparable in early-stage program development and community-support orientation.

Direct peers

• GiGi's Playhouse: National network of Down syndrome achievement centers offering free educational, therapeutic, and career-development programs across the lifespan. Closest peer in program model (free, multi-age, therapeutic focus) with multiple U.S. locations.
• Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network (DSDN): National nonprofit focused on supporting new and expectant parents of children with Down syndrome — directly overlapping with DSFF's New Family Mentor / Welcome Baby segment.
• Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida (DSACF): Regional Down syndrome nonprofit operating in the same Central Florida geography as DSFF, providing family support, education, and programs. Explicitly named in DSFF's regional referral network, making it the closest geographic peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Down-Syndrome-Foundation-of-Florida/145882048837964
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/downsyndromefoundationfl

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida