The Northwestern University Dance Marathon, commonly known as NUDM, is a philanthropic dance marathon held every March at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1975, NUDM is one of the nation's most established and largest entirely student-run philanthropies. NUDM is one of the only annual Dance Marathons in the country to continually change its primary beneficiary. NUDM has raised over $1 million for its beneficiaries each year since 2011, and involves over 1,000 students participating as dancers and committee members. Since 1997, the Evanston Community Foundation has been NUDM's secondary beneficiary.
Recent marathons
2023
In 2023, NUDM supported Little Heroes League (LHL) and the Evanston Community Foundation (ECF). This was NUDM's 26th year working with ECF. LHL is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization working to improve the lives of medically complex babies and their families by providing life-saving care coordination services, both while the babies are being treated in the NICU and after they are discharged to outpatient status. This was the first year the beneficiary was able to visit the NUDM tent after the COVID-19 Pandemic. NUDM raised $434,455 for its beneficiaries during its 2023 event.
2022
In 2022, NUDM supported Chicago Youth Programs and the Evanston Community Foundation (ECF). This was NUDM's 25th year working with ECF. Chicago Youth Programs (CYP) is a nonprofit organization striving to improve the life opportunities and health of youth in low-income neighborhoods, primarily on the south and west sides of Chicago, through long-term academic, emotional, and mental support. In its first year back in person, NUDM raised $580,778 for its beneficiaries. During Block 10, the final three hours in the tent, dancers had to be evacuated due to an extreme weather warning; the event safely continued in the Louis Room of Norris University Center.
2021
In 2021, NUDM supported Compass to Care and the Evanston Community Foundation (ECF). This year, NUDM and Compass to Care worked together to eliminate the monetary burden of cancer-related travel costs, remove the stress of planning a trip and traveling with a child who is ill and give hope for their child’s cure from cancer. This Dance Marathon existed entirely virtually due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Despite its online existence, the event still raised $674,375.
2020
In 2020, NUDM supported Children's Home and Aid and the Evanston Community Foundation (ECF). NUDM focused its efforts on supporting Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Child & Family Center, located in Evanston, via both fundraising and service. The 30-hour dance marathon was unexpectedly and unprecedentedly canceled in 2020 by the Northwestern Administration on March 4, two days before it was set to kick-off, due to health concerns with “uncertainty surrounding COVID-19” (i.e. novel coronavirus). The NUDM Executive Board ultimately implemented a "virtual" NUDM, posting videos, quotes and thank you's via social media, which raised over $1 million - $1,029,366 exactly.
2019
For its 45th year, NUDM supported Communities in Schools of Chicago (CIS) and the Evanston Community Foundation, raising $1,114,514.62. CIS is a nonprofit organization that works to ensure that each and every public school student in Chicago graduates high school prepared for success. CIS believes that dropping out of school is a continuous process, not a single event— and so they strive to connect students to mentors and resources to end that process.
2018
In 2018, NUDM raised $1,175,709.82 for Cradles to Crayons and the Evanston Community Foundation. Cradles to Crayons provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school and at play. To further Cradles to Crayons’ cause, NUDM celebrated a yearlong philanthropic effort to connect communities and enable childhood dreams.
2017
In May 2016, GiGi's Playhouse was announced as the primary beneficiary for NUDM 2017. GiGi's Playhouse is a nationwide network of Down syndrome achievement centers that impacts the lives of children and adults with Down syndrome through free educational and therapeutic programs. Through its partnership with GiGi's, NUDM hopes to improve the lives of individuals with Down syndrome and simultaneously share a message of global acceptance for people of all abilities.
For the 20th consecutive year, the Evanston Community Foundation was announced as NUDM 2017's secondary beneficiary to honor the close relationship between Northwestern University and the city of Evanston.