National Down Syndrome Congress
The National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) is a Cincinnati-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1973 that serves individuals with Down syndrome, their families, educators, and healthcare providers through an annual convention, advocacy training, policy engagement, and an affiliate network of state and local Down syndrome organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersCincinnati, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What National Down Syndrome Congress does
The National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1973 and headquartered at a Cincinnati, Ohio mailing address (3825 Edwards Road), operating as the leading national resource organization dedicated solely to Down syndrome. Its mission centers on educating through awareness, advocating for civil rights protections, empowering self-advocates, and inspiring inclusive understanding of Down syndrome. The organization serves a multi-stakeholder audience including families of individuals with Down syndrome (parents, siblings, grandparents, caregivers), self-advocates ages 15 through 70+, K–12 educators and special education professionals, healthcare providers, and a network of local and state Down syndrome affiliates.
NDSC's core product is the annual NDSC Convention, which in 2026 will be held as the 54th Annual Convention at the Hilton Signia at Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Florida, and aggregates 3,000–3,500 attendees. The convention bundles multiple specialized tracks — a general conference, the Youth & Adult Conference, Siblings Conference (grades 7–12), Educators Conference, DSAIA Leadership Pre-Conference, Advocacy Training Boot Camp, Kids Camp (ages 6 months to 14 years), Deep Dive 3-hour workshops, and an NDSC College Fair — supported by a digital portfolio of English and Spanish webinars, a Policy Action Center, and the NDSC Down Syndrome Policy Summit. The underlying platform is a relatively standard nonprofit digital stack (website, email newsletter, social channels, action-alert tool) rather than proprietary technology.
The revenue model is diversified across four streams: individual donations (annual campaigns, monthly giving, memorial giving, NDSC Champions legacy program), convention registration fees (e.g., $200 Kids Camp, $150 Educators Conference, $75 Deep Dive, $75 College Fair booth), corporate sponsorship (Microsoft, Comfees, Daymark, Global, Dr Noze Best for 2025), and planned/stock gifts including donor-advised funds and charitable IRA rollovers. The go-to-market motion is event-driven and community-led: the annual convention anchors acquisition and engagement, supplemented by the DSAIA affiliate network, NDAC coalition, Self-Advocate Council, and 900+ convention volunteers. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the organization has no parent company, subsidiaries, or external funding rounds.
National Down Syndrome Congress firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- National Down Syndrome Congress
- Legal name
- National Down Syndrome Congress
- Website
- https://ndsccenter.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) is a Cincinnati-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1973 that serves individuals with Down syndrome, their families, educators, and healthcare providers through an annual convention, advocacy training, policy engagement, and an affiliate network of state and local Down syndrome organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
National Down Syndrome Congress industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Disability Advocacy and Support Services
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Down Syndrome & Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Childcare (HSAAAIAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Assistive Technology (AT) & AAC Services (EDAJAKAF), Assistive Technology & AAC for Young Children (EDACAFAL)
Keywords
Where National Down Syndrome Congress is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cincinnati
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
National Down Syndrome Congress business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Annual Campaigns: Individual donations through annual campaigns, monthly giving programs, and memorial giving. Major gift program and NDSC Champions legacy giving.
- Convention Revenue: Registration fees for the annual convention including general conference, youth & adult conference, siblings conference, educators conference, kids camp, and deep-dive sessions.
- Corporate Sponsorship: Convention sponsorship from corporations including Comfees, Microsoft, Daymark, Global, Dr Noze Best, and others at various sponsorship tiers.
- Stock and Planned Gifts: Stock gifts, donor advised funds, charitable IRA rollover gifts, and legacy giving programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time | Kids Camp full weekend registration |
| Unit Pricing | One time | College Fair exhibitor booth |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Educators Conference registration |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Deep Dive sessions |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | General Conference registration |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
National Down Syndrome Congress product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy and support organization that operates a national annual convention (the 54th in 2026) and surrounding program portfolio for the Down syndrome community. It provides advocacy training, policy engagement, professional development for educators, scholarships, webinars, and a national affiliate network (DSAIA), all centered on educating, advocating for, empowering, and inspiring people with Down syndrome and their families.
Product overview
The National Down Syndrome Congress operates as a comprehensive advocacy and support organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and events. The core offering is the annual NDSC Convention, which serves as the central hub integrating multiple specialized conference tracks (Youth & Adult Conference, Educators Conference, Siblings Conference, Kids Camp) and professional development opportunities (DSAIA Leadership Conference, Advocacy Training Boot Camp, Deep Dive Sessions). Supporting programs include webinars, policy and advocacy resources, scholarships, and signature fundraising events (Big Game Ball, Golf Classic). The organization also operates the NDSC College Fair to connect individuals with Down syndrome to postsecondary educational opportunities. This integrated program structure provides the Down syndrome community with year-round education, advocacy training, and fellowship opportunities centered around the annual convention.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- NDSC Annual Convention Flagship multi-day annual event bringing together thousands of people with Down syndrome, their families, and professionals for workshops, networking, advocacy training, and community support. Includes general conference, youth & adult conference, siblings conference, kids camp, and deep-dive sessions.
- Youth & Adult Conference Dedicated conference track for individuals with Down syndrome ages 15 and older, focused on self-advocacy, independence, and personal development through interactive workshops and social activities.
- Educators Conference One-day conference designed for educators working with students with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities, offering hands-on, research-based strategies for K-12 classrooms. Registration is $150 per registrant and includes 7 professional hours of training.
- Siblings Conference Program for siblings (rising 7th through 12th grade) to learn about Down syndrome, disability issues, and how to be effective advocates for their siblings.
- Kids Camp Supervised camp for children ages 6 months to 14 years (with and without Down syndrome) during the annual convention, featuring educational and therapeutic play, arts and crafts, and physical activities.
- Advocacy Training Boot Camp Free training program at the annual convention that helps parents, professionals, and self-advocates build advocacy skills and learn how to engage effectively with legislators.
- DSAIA Leadership Conference Pre-conference event bringing together leaders from local, state, regional, and national Down syndrome organizations for best practices and professional development.
- NDSC College Fair Event showcasing inclusive postsecondary programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities, held during the annual convention.
- Deep Dive Sessions Intensive 3-hour workshops offered at the annual convention providing in-depth learning experiences with expert presenters on various Down syndrome topics.
- Webinars Online educational presentations covering topics related to Down syndrome, available in English and Spanish for parents, professionals, and self-advocates.
- Policy & Advocacy Resources Tools and resources to help advocates engage with policymakers, including action alerts, policy briefs, and the NDSC Policy Summit.
- NDAC Town Hall
Quantifiable outcome
- 50+ years of annual conventions bringing together thousands of families and professionals
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use National Down Syndrome Congress
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
National Down Syndrome Congress technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
National Down Syndrome Congress partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- ComfeesminorConvention sponsor for 2025 NDSC Convention. Comfees appears as a sponsor logo on the convention sponsors page.
- MicrosoftminorConvention sponsor for 2025 NDSC Convention. Microsoft appears as a sponsor logo on the convention sponsors page.
- DaymarkminorConvention sponsor for 2025 NDSC Convention. Daymark appears as a sponsor logo on the convention sponsors page.
- GlobalminorConvention sponsor for 2025 NDSC Convention. Global appears as a sponsor logo on the convention sponsors page.
- Dr Noze BestminorConvention sponsor for 2025 NDSC Convention. Dr Noze Best appears as a sponsor logo on the convention sponsors page.
- DSAIA (Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action)coreDSAIA is a membership organization dedicated to creating a powerful network of local, state, and national Down syndrome organizations. NDSC hosts the DSAIA Leadership Pre-Conference at its annual convention and collaborates on programming.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
National Down Syndrome Congress competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Special Olympics: Global nonprofit providing year-round sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities. Shares a similar event-driven GTM, corporate sponsorship model, and self-advocate movement, though at much larger scale and broader IDD scope.
- National Disability Rights Network: Federation of disability rights protection and advocacy organizations funded by federal grants. Operates a parallel policy and member-services model focused on legal advocacy rather than direct community programming.
- March of Dimes: Long-established maternal and infant health nonprofit historically connected to Down syndrome. Operates a similar advocacy, research-funding, and maternal-health programming model at national scale.
- American Association of People with Disabilities: National cross-disability advocacy organization. Operates a parallel model of policy advocacy, coalition-building, and member engagement at broader (cross-disability) scope, occasionally competing for the same corporate disability-inclusion sponsors.
- Autism Society of America: National disability advocacy organization with a comparable operational structure (national office, affiliate network, annual conference, advocacy, family support). Serves a different disability community but follows the same nonprofit disability-advocacy playbook.
Direct peers
- GiGi's Playhouse: A network of Down syndrome achievement centers offering free educational, therapeutic, and career development programs. Operates a brick-and-mortar delivery model distinct from NDSC's convention-centric approach but serves the same community.
- Global Down Syndrome Foundation: Denver-based Down syndrome research and medical care foundation. Competes for healthcare-research funding, corporate sponsorships, and family engagement, with a stronger medical-research orientation than NDSC.
- National Down Syndrome Society: The largest US Down syndrome advocacy organization, founded 1979. NDSS operates the National Buddy Walk, advocacy, and public awareness programming, directly competing with NDSC for donors, sponsors, and self-advocate engagement.
- Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network: A peer Down syndrome organization focused on supporting new and expectant parents at diagnosis. Overlaps with NDSC's New Parents resources and competes for early-stage family donor dollars.
- LuMind IDSC Foundation: Down syndrome research foundation funding medical and cognitive research. Competes for research-aligned donors and corporate sponsors, particularly in life sciences and pharmaceutical categories.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
National Down Syndrome Congress social profiles
Digital presenceNational Down Syndrome Congress financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
National Down Syndrome Congress leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
National Down Syndrome Congress funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
National Down Syndrome Congress M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about National Down Syndrome Congress
What does National Down Syndrome Congress do?
The National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy and support organization that operates a national annual convention (the 54th in 2026) and surrounding program portfolio for the Down syndrome community. It provides advocacy training, policy engagement, professional development for educators, scholarships, webinars, and a national affiliate network (DSAIA), all centered on educating, advocating for, empowering, and inspiring people with Down syndrome and their families.
Is National Down Syndrome Congress a public or private company?
National Down Syndrome Congress is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was National Down Syndrome Congress founded?
National Down Syndrome Congress was founded in 1973. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is National Down Syndrome Congress based?
National Down Syndrome Congress is headquartered in Cincinnati, United States, in the North America region.
How does National Down Syndrome Congress make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Annual Campaigns are the primary driver. The others are convention Revenue, corporate Sponsorship and stock and Planned Gifts.
Who are National Down Syndrome Congress's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Special Olympics, National Disability Rights Network, March of Dimes, American Association of People with Disabilities and Autism Society of America. Direct peers are GiGi's Playhouse, Global Down Syndrome Foundation, National Down Syndrome Society, Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network and LuMind IDSC Foundation.
Does National Down Syndrome Congress have an API?
No public API is recorded for National Down Syndrome Congress.
What industry is National Down Syndrome Congress in?
National Down Syndrome Congress's product category is Disability Advocacy and Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAAAIAC, Down Syndrome & Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Childcare, with a secondary code of EDAJAKAF, Assistive Technology (AT) & AAC Services. Its NAICS code is 813212 and its SIC code is 8300.