Puget Soundworks

What Puget Soundworks does

Puget Soundworks is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating an all-gender, LGBTQIA+ community chorus founded in 2018 by Vanessa Grose. The organization serves the Puget Sound region with a chorus of 100+ singers, producing roughly three major concert events per year including holiday shows, spring concerts, and Pride celebrations. Its core operations center on weekly in-person rehearsals in Seattle with a Zoom hybrid accommodation, supported by a small professional staff (Artistic Director, Pianist, Technical Director) and a volunteer Board of Directors.

The organization runs a WooCommerce-powered online shop selling branded merchandise across three sub-brand collections (RESIST!, Queer Icons, PSW Classics) totaling 48 SKUs. It produces and distributes virtual chorus performances via a YouTube channel, which proved critical during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pivot. No proprietary technology platform is built; the organization relies on standard third-party tools (Givebutter, Flipcause, Zoom, WooCommerce/Shopify, Facebook Fundraisers).

Revenue is generated through four streams: individual and sustaining donations (including a RESIST campaign with 1:1 matching up to $25,000), membership dues of $25-$100 per cycle with no-questions-asked waivers, sliding-scale concert ticket sales, and merchandise. Grant funding from ArtsFund and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation provided $22,500 in April 2023. The go-to-market model is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth, twice-yearly auditions, and event-driven engagement rather than paid acquisition.

Name

Puget Soundworks

Legal name

Puget Soundworks

Website

https://pugetsoundworks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Puget Soundworks is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating an all-gender, LGBTQIA+ community chorus serving the Puget Sound region. It funds operations through singer dues, donations, concert tickets, and branded merchandise, reaching 100+ singers and 1,300+ patrons since its 2018 founding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, monthly sustaining donations, employer matching programs, Facebook Fundraisers, and the RESIST campaign with 1:1 matching up to $25,000. Puget Soundworks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 83-1286693) with all donations tax-deductible.
2. Membership Dues: Singers pay dues ranging from $25-100 per cycle, with no-questions-asked waivers available for those unable to pay. Dues support rehearsal space, venue rental, staff, and technology infrastructure.
3. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded merchandise including t-shirts ($24-40), hoodies ($38-62), mugs ($18), stickers ($6), and tote bags ($25-36). 48 total products across multiple collections.
4. Concert Tickets: Ticket sales for concerts including their November performances. Sliding scale tickets available for accessibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Puget Soundworks operates as an all-gender LGBTQIA+ community chorus that produces live and virtual choral performances, runs a singer membership program with dues, and sells branded merchandise through its online shop. Revenue is generated through donations, monthly sustaining gifts, concert ticket sales, singer dues, and apparel/accessory sales to support its mission of amplifying queer joy and community across the Puget Sound region.

Product overview

Puget Soundworks is a nonprofit all-gender chorus organization, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of choral performances and concerts, plus a merchandise portfolio sold through its WooCommerce online shop. The merchandise includes four main sub-brands: the RESIST! Collection (activism-themed apparel and accessories), the Queer Icons Collection (LGBTQ+ celebration merchandise), the PSW Classics Collection (voice part-labeled items for chorus members), plus general clothing (hoodies, sweatshirts, tee shirts) and accessories (hats, tote bags, mugs, stickers). The organization generates revenue through ticket sales, donations, and merchandise sales to support its mission of amplifying queer joy and community across the Puget Sound region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Choral Concerts and Performances Live in-person and virtual choral concerts performed by the all-gender chorus, including main stage shows (holiday, spring, Pride) and special collaborative performances such as Sandbox Radio. Tickets sold on a sliding scale for accessibility.
• RESIST! Collection Merchandise Branded merchandise line featuring apparel and accessories with RESIST messaging, including t-shirts, crewnecks, hoodies, tank tops, bucket hats, foam trucker hats, tote bags, mugs, and stickers, sold through the chorus's online shop.
• Queer Icons Collection Merchandise Merchandise collection celebrating queer icons, featuring t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and stickers in various colors and sizes.
• PSW Classics Collection Merchandise Classic merchandise featuring chorus voice part labels (BASS, ALTO, SOPRANO, TENOR, BARITONE), including hoodies, eco tote bags, and t-shirts.
• General Clothing (Hoodies, Sweatshirts, Tee Shirts) Apparel items including pullover hoodies, crewneck sweatshirts, v-neck t-shirts, and tank tops available in a wide range of colors and sizes including plus sizes up to 5XL.
• Accessories (Hats, Tote Bags, Mugs, Stickers) Accessories including bucket hats, foam trucker hats, eco tote bags, ceramic and glossy mugs, and concert stickers in various designs.
• Singer Membership Program Recurring membership program for adult LGBTQIA+ singers and allies (18+); singers pay dues of $25–100 per cycle (with no-questions-asked waivers available), participate in weekly Wednesday evening rehearsals and hybrid in-person/Zoom sessions, and perform in concert productions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached over 1,300 patrons during inaugural season with musical message of inclusion and kindness
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Seattle Men's Chorus: Long-standing Seattle LGBTQ+ chorus operating under Seattle Choruses. Most direct comparable: same city, same LGBTQ+ community focus, similar concert-and-donation revenue model, but traditional male-voice format.
• Seattle Women's Chorus: Sister chorus to Seattle Men's Chorus under Seattle Choruses. Same community and geography; female-voice counterpart to PSW's all-gender model, sharing donor and audience pools.
• Seattle Lesbian and Gay Chorus: Earlier LGBTQ+ chorus in Seattle that merged into Seattle Choruses; PSW board member Janet Sailer sang there. Same community served, historical lineage directly relevant to PSW's audience.
• San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus: One of the largest and oldest LGBTQ+ choruses in the U.S. Same mission (queer joy through choral music), similar donation/dues/ticket/merch revenue mix, but larger scale and longer history.
• New York City Gay Men's Chorus: Established LGBTQ+ chorus with comparable programming, fundraising model, and Pride-centered repertoire. Larger scale but mirrors PSW's community chorus + activism model.
• Seattle Labor Chorus: Community chorus also led by PSW's Artistic Director Miriam Anderson. Mission-aligned community chorus model (workers' rights vs. LGBTQIA+ rights) with parallel nonprofit revenue structure.
• Atlanta Resistance Revival Chorus: Activist-oriented chorus explicitly combining music with progressive social justice (Treasurer Julie Tarr-Stovering was a singer). Closest peer in mission-over-artistry positioning.
• Seattle Girls' Choir: Seattle-based choral organization where PSW Artistic Director Miriam Anderson and Pianist Abigail Habegger work. Same city, overlapping artist pool, comparable concert-and-tuition revenue structure.
• Choral Arts Northwest: Seattle-area choral organization where PSW Artistic Director Miriam Anderson is Chorus Manager. Comparable regional performing-arts nonprofit with concert-led revenue model.

Others

• GALA Choruses: International association of LGBTQ+ choruses. PSW operates within this ecosystem; relevant for benchmarking peer choruses and accessing network resources, but not a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/pugetsoundworks
• Facebookfacebook.com/pugetsw
• Instagraminstagram.com/pugetsoundworks
• Xx.com/PSoundworks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Puget Soundworks