Inner-City Arts
Inner-City Arts is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1989, that provides free K-12 arts education to underserved youth via an LAUSD school-day partnership, after-school Institutes, a college/career readiness track, and a professional development institute for educators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Inner-City Arts does
Inner-City Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1989 and headquartered at 720 Kohler Street in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles. Its mission is to provide arts education to underserved youth in Los Angeles, and since inception it has served over 200,000 students and 10,000 teachers in the LA area. The organization operates a portfolio of five core programs: Learning & Achieving Through the Arts (LATA), a school-day visual and performing arts program for K-8 students delivered in partnership with LAUSD; the Institutes Program, a self-select after-school, weekend, and summer offering for grades 6-12 across visual, media, and performing arts; Work of Art, a college and career readiness program for grades 11-12 providing mentorship and real-world creative industry experience; the Professional Development Institute, which trains educators and administrators in creative classroom integration; and The Rosenthal Theater, a state-of-the-art performance venue used for student productions and community programming.
The underlying service model is a teaching-artist methodology in which professional artists deliver instruction either on Inner-City Arts' campus or integrated into LAUSD classrooms. All programs are offered at no cost to students, families, or schools; the organization is funded entirely through donations, grants, and charitable contributions, with revenue streams including individual giving, corporate matching gifts (facilitated through Double the Donation), recurring monthly giving circles (powered by GoFundMe Pro), and corporate/foundation grants from entities such as The Genesis Inspiration Foundation and AEG. Distribution is geographically concentrated in the Los Angeles area, with primary beneficiary acquisition routed through the LAUSD partnership and secondary acquisition through self-select registration for after-school and summer offerings. Marketing and donor engagement operate via the organization's website (with a Spanish-language version), a Mailchimp-managed email newsletter, community events such as Battle of the Bands, volunteer programs, and earned media coverage. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and a Founders Board, with co-founder Bob Bates continuing as Co-Artist Director.
Inner-City Arts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Inner-City Arts
- Legal name
- Inner-City Arts
- Website
- https://inner-cityarts.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Inner-City Arts is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1989, that provides free K-12 arts education to underserved youth via an LAUSD school-day partnership, after-school Institutes, a college/career readiness track, and a professional development institute for educators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Inner-City Arts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts Education Services
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater) (EDAJAJAE), Visual Arts & Media Arts Programs (Art Club, Photography, Film) (EDAJAJAF)
Keywords
Where Inner-City Arts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Inner-City Arts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission to provide arts education to underserved Los Angeles youth. The organization offers monthly giving circles and one-time donation options.
- Corporate Matching Gifts: Many employers sponsor matching gift programs where charitable contributions made by employees are matched. The organization actively promotes this through their matching gifts page, encouraging donors to check if their employer participates.
- Monthly Giving Circle: Recurring monthly donations from supporters who join the Monthly Giving Circle. Even $5 monthly donations can provide a student with art supplies for a full academic year. This provides predictable recurring revenue for the organization.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Inner-City Arts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Inner-City Arts provides free visual and performing arts education programs to K-12 students from underserved Los Angeles communities, delivered through on-campus instruction and a school-day partnership with LAUSD. Programs include the LATA school-day curriculum for K-8, Institutes self-select classes for grades 6-12, the Work of Art college and career readiness program for grades 11-12, the Professional Development Institute for educators, and The Rosenthal Theater performance venue. All services are offered at no cost to students, families, or schools and are funded by donations, grants, and charitable contributions.
Product overview
Inner-City Arts is a nonprofit arts education organization offering a portfolio of programs for K-12 students and professional development for educators. The core offerings include the Learning & Achieving Through the Arts (LATA) program for K-8 students during the school day, the Institutes program for self-select creative classes in grades 6-12, the Work of Art college and career readiness program for grades 11-12, and the Professional Development Institute for educators. The Rosenthal Theater serves as the organization's performance venue for student productions and community engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LATA (Learning & Achieving Through the Arts): Learning & Achieving Through the Arts program for K-6th grade students providing learner-centered, research-based visual and performing arts instruction in partnership with LA schools during the school day.
- Institutes (Visual, Media & Performing Arts)
- Work of Art
- Professional Development Institute
- The Rosenthal Theater
Products and services
- Learning & Achieving Through the Arts (LATA) A school-day visual and performing arts instruction program for students in grades K-8, delivered in partnership with LAUSD schools during regular school hours. Provides learner-centered, research-based arts instruction as an in-classroom curriculum integration for underserved Los Angeles students.
- Institutes Program Self-select creative arts classes for students in grades 6-12, offered after school, on weekends, and during summer sessions in disciplines including visual arts, media arts, and performing arts. Designed as intervention and prevention programming during critical out-of-school hours.
- Work of Art A college and career readiness program for students in grades 11-12 that provides training, mentorship, and real-world experience to prepare young creatives for professional life beyond high school.
- Professional Development Institute Provides educators, administrators, graduate students, and teaching artists with strategies for integrating creative practices into classroom curricula to improve student literacy and academic success and increase teacher retention.
- The Rosenthal Theater A state-of-the-art performance space for innovative, diverse performance and engagement for students, artists, and the community. Hosts student performances, family programs, and community events.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 200,000 students served since founding in 1989
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Inner-City Arts
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Inner-City Arts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Inner-City Arts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District)coreA landmark partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District provides the only arts instruction many students in grades TK-8 will receive during the school day. This partnership enables more than 5,000 elementary students annually to receive high-quality arts education at the Inner-City Arts campus.
- GoFundMecoreGoFundMe provides the online fundraising platform powering Inner-City Arts' donation pages, including the Monthly Giving Circle program. The organization uses GoFundMe Pro for event registration and donation processing.
- Charity NavigatorminorInner-City Arts has received Charity Navigator designation (EIN: 954239478), indicating the organization meets Charity Navigator's standards for financial health and accountability.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Inner-City Arts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- A Place Called Home: A Place Called Home is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing arts, education, and wellness programs to underserved youth in South Central LA. It shares Inner-City Arts' donor-supported model, arts-education focus, and LA concentration on low-income communities.
- Education Through Music (ETM): Education Through Music is a national nonprofit that partners with schools to provide music and arts instruction to underserved students, with an active Los Angeles affiliate. The school-partnership delivery model and free-to-students funding structure mirror Inner-City Arts' LATA approach.
- The Harmony Project: Harmony Project is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit offering free, year-long music education and mentorship to underserved youth. It is directly comparable in target population (low-income LA youth), funding model (donor-dependent), and arts-education mission.
- Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA): HOLA is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing arts, athletics, and academic enrichment to underserved youth across the city. It directly parallels Inner-City Arts' mission of combining arts education with youth development for low-income LA children.
- PS Arts: PS Arts is a California-focused nonprofit that partners with public elementary schools to provide in-school arts education (visual arts, music, dance, theater) for underserved students — directly comparable to Inner-City Arts' LAUSD school-day LATA program.
Broad incumbents
- The Music Center: The Music Center is LA's largest performing arts presenter with extensive K-12 education and community engagement programming. It overlaps with Inner-City Arts in serving LA youth through performing arts experiences, but operates as a much larger, broader arts institution.
- Young Audiences Arts for Learning: Young Audiences is a national arts-in-education nonprofit with an LA chapter that places teaching artists in schools. It uses a similar teaching-artist deployment model to Inner-City Arts' methodology but operates at national scale and as a broader arts-education intermediary.
- Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA (CAP UCLA): CAP UCLA is a Los Angeles performing arts presenter within UCLA that runs K-12 community engagement and education programs. It overlaps with Inner-City Arts on performing arts education for LA youth but operates as part of a major university with broader institutional reach and resources.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Inner-City Arts social profiles
Digital presenceInner-City Arts compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Inner-City Arts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Inner-City Arts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Inner-City Arts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Inner-City Arts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Inner-City Arts
What does Inner-City Arts do?
Inner-City Arts provides free visual and performing arts education programs to K-12 students from underserved Los Angeles communities, delivered through on-campus instruction and a school-day partnership with LAUSD. Programs include the LATA school-day curriculum for K-8, Institutes self-select classes for grades 6-12, the Work of Art college and career readiness program for grades 11-12, the Professional Development Institute for educators, and The Rosenthal Theater performance venue. All services are offered at no cost to students, families, or schools and are funded by donations, grants, and charitable contributions.
Is Inner-City Arts a public or private company?
Inner-City Arts is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Inner-City Arts founded?
Inner-City Arts was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Inner-City Arts based?
Inner-City Arts is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Inner-City Arts make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Matching Gifts and monthly Giving Circle.
Who are Inner-City Arts's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are A Place Called Home, Education Through Music (ETM), The Harmony Project, Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) and PS Arts. Broad incumbents are The Music Center, Young Audiences Arts for Learning and Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA (CAP UCLA).
Does Inner-City Arts have an API?
No public API is recorded for Inner-City Arts.
What industry is Inner-City Arts in?
Inner-City Arts's product category is Arts Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAC, Arts Education & Community Arts Programs, with a secondary code of EDAJAJAE, Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater). Its NAICS code is 61161 and its SIC code is 8200.