National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals

What National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals does

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) is a nonprofit, membership-based professional association founded in 1996 and headquartered in Albany, New York, that exists to elevate the status of direct support professionals (DSPs) — frontline workers who assist people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) across homes, group homes, vocational programs, and community settings. NADSP's mission centers on improving practice standards, promoting system reform, and advancing DSP knowledge, skills, and values, and it functions as the recognized national voice for the DSP workforce, referenced in federal and state policy discussions.

The organization's core product surface is built around the NADSP E-Badge Academy, an online platform at ebadge.nadsp.org where DSPs and Frontline Supervisors earn stackable electronic badges that map to CMS Core Competencies, with competency evidence reviewed by NADSP-trained Local Administrators. This credentialing engine feeds the broader NADSP Certification program and is complemented by Training, Curricula (including a DSP Onboarding Curriculum), Accredited Education, and Advocacy services. Underpinning these offerings is the NADSP Code of Ethics (in continuous use for over 25 years and revised in 2026) and its companion bilingual (English/Spanish) practice guidelines guidebook. Distribution is community-led: direct membership enrollment via the website, self-serve use of the E-Badge Academy, and channel partnerships with state I/DD agencies in New York, Georgia, and Tennessee that have implemented statewide DSP certification pilots.

NADSP's revenue model is diversified across four streams: recurring organizational Membership Fees (which bundle webinars, discounted training, and conference registration), recurring Certification Fees from individual DSPs and Frontline Supervisors, one-time Training and Curricula sales to human service providers, and Conference Registration transaction fees. The customer base spans 650+ provider organizations enrolling 27,000 DSPs across 40+ states, with no single account driving disproportionate revenue. The organization operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees and has no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or external investors.

Name

National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals

Legal name

National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals

Website

https://nadsp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals is a nonprofit membership-based professional association founded in 1996 that provides certification, training, curricula, and advocacy for direct support professionals serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Organizations pay membership fees to join NADSP, gaining access to resources, training discounts, webinars, and conference registration for their DSP employees.
2. Certification Fees: Direct support professionals and frontline supervisors pay certification fees to earn NADSP credentials through the E-Badge Academy, with fees varying by certification type.
3. Training and Curricula Sales: NADSP sells professional development options, curricula, and training programs to human service providers to bring NADSP ideals into their organizations.
4. Conference Registration: Revenue generated from conference registration fees for professional development events and advocacy gatherings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) is a U.S. nonprofit professional association that delivers national certification, electronic badge-based credentialing (E-Badge Academy), training, curricula, accredited education, and policy advocacy for direct support professionals (DSPs) and the human service organizations that employ them. Its offerings are anchored by the NADSP Code of Ethics and Competency Areas, and reach roughly 27,000 DSPs across 650+ organizations in 40+ states through membership, online certification, and state-level workforce partnerships.

Product overview

NADSP operates as a professional alliance offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services focused on elevating the direct support professional workforce. The core offering consists of the E-Badge Academy (electronic badge certification system), NADSP Certification (national credentialing), Training, Curricula, Advocacy, and Accredited Education. These services are supported by the NADSP Code of Ethics (revised 2026) and its companion Guidebook, along with the DSP Onboarding Curriculum. The organization also provides a membership program and hosts the Let's Talk webinar series. The E-Badge Academy allows DSPs to earn stackable electronic badges demonstrating competency, which feeds into the broader certification and training ecosystem. NADSP functions as a membership-based professional association rather than a technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NADSP E-Badge Academy

Named customers2 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• National Children's Center (NCC)minorOthers · 1 January 2025National Children's Center became the first organization in Washington, D.C. to join NADSP as a member organization for 2025. The membership grants NCC employees access to NADSP webinars, resources, discounted training, and conference registration, signaling NCC's commitment to elevating direct support professionals in the I/DD sector.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nadspinc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCsEE_0lI0Uzo5BF2yxHx8Ag
• Facebookfacebook.com/NADSPINC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-alliance-for-direct-support-professionals-nadsp-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals