Chicago Dancers United
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Chicago Dancers United acknowledges the barriers to adequate healthcare among Chicagoland's diverse dance industry and aims to increase accessibility through The Dancers' Fund.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
The Dancers' Fund
The Dancers’ Fund provides short-term financial assistance to Chicago dance professionals diagnosed with a critical health need. In 2020, we broadened our grantmaking to include support for general health and wellness needs.
There are two grant opportunities through The Dancers’ Fund:
The Critical Health Need Grant helps cover medical expenses related to the diagnosis of a critical health issue. Those expenses include, but are not limited to, doctor and hospital visits, surgery, medical testing, therapy, and medication. Funding of up to $4,000 is available annually.
The General Health and Wellness Grant helps cover non-critical health expenses related to general health and wellness, such as insurance premiums, medical bills, dental bills, and mental health sessions. Funding of up to $500 is available annually.
Dance for Life
Dance for Life is a one-of-a-kind annual performance and benefit event that has showcased nearly 40 dance companies from throughout Chicago, representing a variety of genres, sizes, and histories, and numerous choreographers, artists, and designers during the past 30 years. All proceeds fuel The Dancers' Fund, and contribute to our partnerships with the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and the American Cancer Society.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Chicago Dancers United provides financial relief for preventative health care and critical medical needs for Chicago dance industry professionals. We envision a healthy and thriving Chicago dance community.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Dance for Life is a one-of-a-kind annual performance and benefit event that has showcased nearly 40 dance companies from throughout Chicago, representing a variety of genres, sizes, and histories, and numerous choreographers, artists, and designers during the past 30 years.
In the summer of 2021, Chicago Dancers United commemorated 30 years of uplifting professionals in the local dance community at the iconic and accessible Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. The Dance for Life 30th Anniversary Celebration aimed to heal, unify, and inspire. We will carry forth this spirit into 2022, as Dance for Life returns to The Auditorium Theatre.
Dance Divas is a glamorous, three-night showcase, from which all proceeds benefit The Dancers’ Fund and HIV/AIDS initiatives in Chicago. Featuring Chicago’s leading, professional male dancers impersonating the famous dancing women of stage, screen and pop music, it traditionally serves as an annual kick-off event for Dance for Life and is held at The Baton Show Lounge; however, restrictions inherent in the pandemic prevented us from hosting this event in 2021. We look forward to revitalizing this event in 2022.
The Dancers’ Fund provides short-term financial assistance to Chicago dance professionals diagnosed with a critical health need. In 2020, we broadened our grantmaking to include support for general health and wellness needs. Practicing and retired dance industry professionals such as dancers, instructors, choreographers, production technicians, rehearsal assistants, administrators, and accompanists are eligible to apply.
There are two grant opportunities through The Dancers’ Fund:
1. The Critical Health Need Grant helps cover medical expenses related to the diagnosis of a critical health issue. Those expenses include, but are not limited to, doctor and hospital visits, surgery, medical testing, therapy, and medication. Funding of up to $4,000 is available annually.
2. The General Health and Wellness Grant helps cover non-critical health expenses related to general health and wellness, such as insurance premiums, medical bills, dental bills, and mental health sessions. Funding of up to $500 is available annually.
Chicago Dancers United practices an unwavering commitment to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility through our grantmaking and fundraising efforts. In conversation and in alignment with our community, CDU endeavors to be a conduit for physical, mental and emotional healing, while recognizing our collective humanity.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The organization currently consists of one administrative employee that reports to the Board President and carries out daily tasks to maintain operations at Chicago Dancers United. The organization also engages experienced contractors in the areas of accounting, public relations, DEI, event management and video production, while the board members activate their wealth of knowledge in their respective professional spheres to propel initiatives forward. The administrative employee, engaged contractors and board members work collaboratively and report to their respective board committees.
The committees are as follows: Executive Committee, Internal Affairs Committee, Governance Committee, External Affairs Committee, DEI Committee
The subcommittees are as follows: Budget + Finance Subcommittee, The Dancers’ Fund Subcommittee, Marketing Subcommittee, Fundraising Subcommittee, Dance for Life Artistic Subcommittee, Dance Divas Subcommittee, Mission Subcommittee, Advisory Council, Bylaws/Organization Structure, Recruitment, Policies + Procedures
In defining our goals as an organization, we have, likewise, defined our needs. As such, Chicago Dancers United will be pursuing an additional, full-time employee. We have also welcomed three new board members, who will offer invaluable perspectives and professional expertise as we dive into another year and strive to actualize our visions.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Chicago Dancers United is in the midst of reimagining the extent of our programming, in alignment with three primary goals:
1. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI): As a granting institution, Chicago Dancers United is taking intentional steps toward the actualization and perpetuation of diversity, equity and inclusion through structured and ongoing training, as well the establishment of a DEI Committee and associated Advisory Council. The Advisory Council is comprised largely of community members and convenes quarterly, in addition to collaborating within the context of workshops. The council is a manifestation of our commitment to listening, responding, and aligning with the needs of our community.
2. Fundraising: Chicago Dancers United is working toward the creation an annual giving program to augment Dance for Life and, therefore, strengthen and diversify our donor base. In doing so, it is our hope that our organization will become less reliant on a single, special event.
3. Broader promotion and utilization of The Dancers’ Fund: The board and staff are in the midst of carrying out and continuing to refine an extensive marketing and community outreach plan in order to increase the promotion of and clarity surrounding The Dancers’ Fund. We anticipate that these efforts will yield a higher application rate and, in turn, afford us the opportunity to provide increased financial support to the dance community.
In the upcoming three to five years, we envision the fortification of our role as a health and wellness resource within the Chicago dance community, through an anti-racist lens and with the utmost sensitivity to our responsibility to listen, learn, activate and lead.
We strive to become a referral source for local specialists within the field of dance medicine, so that our community can easefully access appropriate and meaningful care with our financial support. In harmony with this aspiration, we will curate content and events surrounding health observances that we have highlighted in the past and wish to bring to the forefront of our efforts. Furthermore, in order to maintain a consistent and tangible connection with our community, we intend to increase the frequency of our quarterly newsletter and institute informational sessions in the form of town halls.
While maintaining the joyous and generative energy surrounding Dance for Life, we envision the centralization of our identity as a granting institution and diversification of our fundraising initiatives and sources. The pursuit of additional avenues of funding will become an intrinsic element of our annual operational practices and will, in turn, fuel our ability to broaden the impact of The Dancers’ Fund.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Chicago Dancers United
Board of directorsas of 01/14/2022
Michael Anderson
Chicago History Museum
Julie Kaplan
Sandi Cooksey
Rush University Medical Center
Randy Duncan
Chicago Academy for the Arts
Elizabeth Halajian
Harris Theater for Music and Dance
Sara Schumann
Laborers’ Pension & Funds
Brian W Smuts
Gensler
Aaron Weiss
Cook County Public Guardian
Sarita Connelly
Bunker Labs
Leonard Mayersky
Fifth Third Bank
Jonathan E Alsberry
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Lynne Belsky
Living Well Medical Associates, LLC
Pierre Desy
Society of Gynecologic Oncology/Foundation for Women's Cancer
Veronica Guadalupe
VG Pilates, Inc.
Jose Torres
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
No data
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/11/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.