Momentum Dance Collaborative raised $22,000 to fund its workshop series thanks to Zeffy.

Every Spring, something exciting happens in Portland, Oregon. Dancers from all over the Metro area come together to participate in a vibrant and inclusive workshop series. But what sets this event apart is the mission that drives it: excellence in dance combined with community activism. 

Momentum Dance Collaborative is the organization behind this annual event. It’s a movement workshop series that features over 55 classes, 46 instructors, and 16 different locations. Through its community activism, Momentum Dance Collaborative strives to elevate marginalized genders within the dance community. 

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“Even in an industry with high percentages of women and people of marginalized genders, leadership roles and opportunities were largely held by men.” - Candice Agahan, Co-director 

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But working with gender-diverse dance instructors doesn’t stretch far enough for the Momentum Dance Collaborative leadership team. To take their mission even further, they donate all workshop proceeds to Rose Haven, an extraordinary, mission-aligned shelter in the heart of Portland. Rose Haven works to provide a safe space for women and gender non-conforming people experiencing poverty and homelessness.  

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Background

Led by dancers Izzy Holmes and Candice Agahan, Momentum Dance Collaborative began its work in 2019. But the organization didn’t become an official nonprofit until 2024. For six years, it operated exclusively with the help of fiscal sponsors.

After six successful years, Momentum Dance Collaborative hit an impressive $10,000 fundraising milestone. This was more than Candice and Izzy ever expected, and their sponsors could no longer support the size of the workshop series. Perfectly placed to continue expanding their mission of dance and community activism, Izzy and Candice transformed the organization into its own, fully-fledged nonprofit. 

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“We are so grateful to our former fiscal sponsors, Steps PDX and their nonprofit, Steps for Youth, for amplifying our programs and helping us stay organized in that time. Now, with our nonprofit status, we have more opportunities to fundraise, apply for grants, and put money into the hands of artists that help shape this city.” - Candice Agahan, Co-director 

Once Momentum Dance Collaborative became a nonprofit, leadership turned to their supporters for fundraising. They tried Eventbrite, PayPal, and Give Lively, but were demoralized by the associated fees. Their operating budget was small, and they simply didn’t have the funds for expensive platforms. 

Since starting the workshop series in 2019, the Momentum Dance Collaborative team and its studio partners have lost over $1,000 to platform and processing fees. Given that the leadership team generously passes its donations to Rose Haven, money spent on software has major implications. $1,000 is the cost of providing food and services to 10 homeless people for two months. 

For a grassroots organization committed to paying its dance instructors a fair wage, every dollar is significant.

Izzy discovered Zeffy early in her online search for a new, more affordable fundraising platform. Immediately, her eye was caught by Zeffy’s zero-fee promise. But she had some reservations about Zeffy’s long-term sustainability, given that fundraising was completely free. 

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“We wondered about Zeffy’s longevity. How is a free platform able to sustain itself, and are they at a higher risk of dissolving? We also wondered about the integrations and user interface.” - Izzy Holmes, Co-director

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Having weighed the pros and cons, Izzy’s hope that Zeffy would deliver its zero-fee promise eventually outweighed her skepticism. She put her reservations aside and gave Zeffy a try.

Since switching to Zeffy, Momentum Dance Collaborative has raised over $22,000 and saved over $1,000 in fees. Izzy was excited to find Zeffy has plenty of integrations to help grow a grassroots nonprofit, along with a simple, easy-to-use interface. (Plus, Zeffy has been around for almost ten years–and with new updates and features still being added, we’re not going anywhere anytime soon!)

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Inspired by Momentum Dance Collaborative’s story? Learn why more nonprofits are making the switch from Give Lively to Zeffy. 

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Momentum Dance Collaborative continues to host their annual spring dance workshops. With Zeffy helping them fundraise, the nonprofit has been able to positively impact more marginalized artists and build an even stronger, more vibrant community. Its partnership with Rose Haven is still going strong, and in recent years, they’ve found new ways to fundraise–including their annual spring lip sync battle!

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“Zeffy has allowed our small nonprofit to stretch our donations further into our community, impacting more dancers and artists of marginalized genders than ever before. Thank you for providing what you do and allowing nonprofits to do our work at an even higher capacity!” - Candice Agahan, Co-director