Profitable Fundraising

Political change:

Rather than just being a collaborative source for fun, each year Give Peace a Dance was also a profitable fundraiser. As mentioned in the video filmed by John de Graaf, in 1985, 1600 dancers made 44,000 dollars from the weekend marathon and it was expected “in the next three weeks … that that number [would] double.”[4] 

Half of the money one year even went to the Community Marking and Media Center, with the purpose to promote peace groups. The rest was intended to go to the Puget Sound SANE, a citizen’s lobby which urged elected officials to vote in favor of “arms control, economic conversion, and a non-militaristic foreign policy.”[4]

Expenses and outcomes:

However, not all revenues went to peace activism, as it was often costly to host. In fact, the price "of a single dance [could] exceed 30,000 dollars”[4] from things such as making t-shirts and decorations.

Yet overall, this was a project that surged hope as each person could ‘count’ their contributions. For instance, Curtis Chapel was offered as an example for others to follow. In 1987 he was reported to have raised $700 and was “the top individual fundraiser three of the past four years.” [5]