doulas association of southern california (dasc)

What doulas association of southern california (dasc) does

Doulas Association of Southern California (DASC) is a non-profit professional membership association founded in 1997, serving birthworkers and expecting families across Southern California. The organization is headquartered at a P.O. Box in Los Angeles and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Its core service is the "Find a Doula" member directory, an online searchable database that connects families with member doulas filterable by service type, geographic service area, specializations, and accepted insurance including multiple Medi-Cal plans.

DASC's product surface includes membership enrollment (peer support via a private Facebook group, monthly meetings, scholarships), monthly in-person circle meetings across multiple Los Angeles venues, educational resources for expecting families, and a branded merchandise shop selling apparel, accessories, and novelty items priced from $3 to $60. The underlying technology is a standard WordPress website with a member search database and a PayPal-integrated donation flow; no proprietary software, mobile app, or API is disclosed.

The business model relies on three revenue streams: recurring membership dues, merchandise sales, and donations via PayPal. Go-to-market is community-led, leveraging Facebook and Instagram for member engagement and the searchable directory as a referral channel between families and member doulas. The organization serves two primary customer segments: professional doulas and birthworkers (membership, networking, education) and expecting and new families (referrals, resources), with no disclosed enterprise contracts, funding rounds, or commercial partnerships beyond two minor cross-referral relationships.

Name

doulas association of southern california (dasc)

Legal name

Doulas Association of Southern California

Website

https://dascdoulas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Short description

DASC is a non-profit professional membership association founded in 1997 that connects expecting families in Southern California with vetted member doulas through a searchable directory, while supporting birthworkers via networking, education, and branded merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: DASC generates revenue through professional membership fees, providing members with peer-to-peer support, access to a private Facebook group, monthly meetings, educational opportunities, and professional affiliation opportunities.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization sells DASC-branded merchandise including apparel (hoodies, t-shirts, onesies), accessories (mugs, water bottles, tote bags, fanny packs, duffle bags), phone cases, and novelty items. Products are priced from $3 to $60.
3. Donations: DASC accepts donations through PayPal at [email protected], supporting the organization's mission and scholarship programs for members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DASC is a non-profit professional membership association founded in 1997 that serves doulas, midwives, and birthworkers throughout Southern California. It provides a Find a Doula member referral directory, monthly in-person Circle meetings, member-only resources, public-facing educational content for families, and an online merchandise shop with branded apparel and accessories.

Product overview

DASC operates as a non-profit professional membership association offering a suite of services centered on advancing the birthwork profession. The core offerings include a searchable member directory for families seeking doulas, a branded merchandise shop selling apparel and accessories, monthly circle meetings for community networking, educational resources for families, and membership programs providing peer support and professional development. The organization connects the public with member birth workers while supporting doulas through advocacy, education, and collaborative community building across Southern California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DASC Membership Annual membership that joins doulas, midwives, and birthworkers to a vetted professional community, granting access to the member-only private Facebook group, networking, and member-directory listing.
• Find a Doula Directory Searchable public referral directory that connects expecting and new families with DASC-member doulas across Southern California, including filtering by service type, language, and certification.
• Monthly Circle Meetings Recurring monthly community gatherings (in-person and online) for DASC members, birthworkers, students, and families to network, share resources, and receive peer support.
• Resources for Families Public-facing educational content and referral guidance aimed at expectant and new families seeking information about doula care, postpartum support, and maternal wellness.
• DASC Merchandise Shop Online storefront offering DASC-branded apparel and accessories such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, bags, and water bottles to members, supporters, and the public.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Harvest HomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvest Home transforms the lives of homeless pregnant women and their children by providing housing, support, and programs that equip women to become great mothers. DASC is proud to partner with this organization supporting homeless pregnant women.
• The Family RoomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Family Room is a modern, inclusive space for expecting parents and young families, supporting families from pregnancy through preschool with locations in Toluca Lake and San Marino.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DONA International: DONA International is the largest and oldest doula certifying body in the US, offering membership, training, and a public-facing doula directory. It is the closest direct functional peer to DASC's professional membership and referral model, operating at a national scale versus DASC's regional SoCal footprint.
• CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association): CAPPA certifies and supports doulas, childbirth educators, and lactation professionals through a membership-based structure with directories and member resources. Its certification + community model directly mirrors DASC's membership and peer-support value proposition.
• ProDoula: ProDoula is a doula training and membership organization offering certification, business tools, and a member directory. It is a comparable membership-and-community commerce model targeting working doulas, competing for the same member base as DASC.
• International Doula Institute: International Doula Institute provides doula training, certification, and membership support with member resources and a presence in multiple states including California. It overlaps with DASC on professional development and referral-driven member benefits.
• Madriella Doula Network: Madriella operates as a doula membership and certification body offering member directories and continuing education. It competes with DASC for doula members seeking affiliation, referral listings, and educational community.

Emerging players

• National Black Doulas Association: NBDA is a membership-based organization supporting Black doulas and families, with directories and advocacy. It is comparable in mission-driven association model but is identity-segmented, while DASC is regional and profession-broad.
• Birth Works International: Birth Works is a doula and childbirth educator training and membership organization offering community and certification. It is comparable in scope (training + community + member support) but operates nationally rather than regionally.

Others

• Harvest Home: Harvest Home is a Los Angeles nonprofit supporting homeless pregnant women with housing and programs, and a listed DASC partner. It is adjacent rather than competitive, sharing the maternal-health ecosystem but serving a different stakeholder (families in crisis) versus DASC's doula workforce.
• The Family Room: The Family Room is an inclusive expectant and young-family resource center with locations in Toluca Lake and San Marino. It is a listed DASC partner and an adjacent, enabling community resource rather than a direct doula-membership competitor.

Regional players

• Bay Area Doula Association: Bay Area Doula Association is a regional nonprofit professional membership association for doulas in Northern California, with peer networking and a member directory. It is a regional-membership comparator to DASC's SoCal model, but operates in a different geography.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DoulasAssociationofSouthernCA
• Instagraminstagram.com/dasc_doulas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/doulas-association-of-southern-california-dasc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 →

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