SFArtsED

What SFArtsED does

SFArtsED (San Francisco Arts Education Project) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts education organization founded in 1968 by sculptor Ruth Asawa and architectural historian Sally Woodbridge as the Alvarado School Art Workshop, headquartered at 135 Van Ness Avenue with a 1,209-square-foot gallery and classroom at the Minnesota Street Project in San Francisco's Dogpatch arts district. It places working professional artists as mentors directly into San Francisco public elementary and middle schools and serves approximately 7,500 children per year across more than 20 SFUSD sites, with a cumulative reach exceeding 300,000 students since inception. Core programs include Artists-in-Residence in-school placements, multi-track summer camps (Exploration, Broadway Bound, Art and Design, Fashion, and one-week workshops), the SFArtsED Players musical theater troupe performing at Presidio Theatre, the Glen Park After School program for more than 200 K-5 students, weekend workshops and adult/youth classes at Minnesota Street Project, and a year-round public gallery program.

The organization operates without a technology platform; its pedagogical product is curated, artist-delivered instruction in visual and performing arts disciplines including painting, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, fashion design, drumming, singing, acting, dance, musical theater, and puppetry. Teaching artists are vetted through a rigorous interview process that includes live classroom demonstration, and tenure of seven or more years confers a Master Artist designation. Administrative headcount is approximately eight staff and is described as intentionally lean to maximize reach to children.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit funding stack: tax-deductible individual donations (including a monthly recurring gift option and a matched-giving program with Sharonjean and Richard Leeds for gifts of $1,968 or more to the Performing Arts Endowment), grants from federal, state, and local arts agencies (National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, San Francisco Grants for the Arts) and private foundations (Bothin, Chavez Family, Crankstart, Kimball, Bernard Osher, Morris Stulsaft), corporate sponsorships from companies including Adobe, Autodesk, Dodge and Cox, and Macy's, income-based program fees for Glen Park After School ($360 monthly or $1,620 semester), summer camp tuition managed through sfartsedsummer.org, and ancillary rental income from the Minnesota Street Project gallery space. Go-to-market is community-led through SFUSD institutional relationships, parent networks, alumni referral (notably the Alumni Council on Instagram), and earned media coverage.

Name

SFArtsED

Legal name

San Francisco Arts Education Project

Website

https://sfartsed.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SFArtsED is a San Francisco 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1968 that places working professional artists as mentors in 20-plus SFUSD public schools, while also running summer camps, the SFArtsED Players youth musical theater troupe, an after-school program, and a public gallery at Minnesota Street Project, serving roughly 7,500 children annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Arts Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater) (EDAJAJAE)

Keywords

• Youth arts education
• Artist-in-residence programs
• After-school arts enrichment
• Summer arts camps
• Musical theater training

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Donor Circle: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals, including monthly recurring gifts via PayPal, stock donations, and employer matching programs. A matched giving program exists where donors giving $1,968+ have their gift matched by Sharonjean and Richard Leeds to the SFArtsED Performing Arts Endowment.
2. Foundation and Government Grants: Support from foundations including Bothin Foundation, Chavez Family Foundation, Crankstart Foundation, Kimball Foundation, Bernard Osher Foundation, Morris Stulsaft Foundation, and government entities including San Francisco Grants for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and California Arts Commission. The organization holds 501(c)(3) status with EIN 23-7092484.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Season sponsorships from companies including Cavin & Marks, Dodge & Cox, Todd Stein, SDI, Vaznaugh Law, DIG Wine, Barbco, Bi-Rite, Anglim Trimble, Metier, Piccino, Adobe, Autodesk, and others. Sponsors receive recognition and association with the organization's programs and performances.
4. Program Fees - Glen Park After School: Monthly co-payment of $360 for families not qualifying for free/reduced lunch status; semester payment of $1,620 (10% discount). Fees are waived for homeless youth, foster children, and families eligible for Free or Reduced lunch. Program serves over 200 students.
5. Summer Camp Tuition: Fees for multi-session summer camps serving children ages 6-14 across Exploration, Broadway Bound, Art & Design, and Fashion tracks. Nearly 20% of campers receive scholarship assistance. Registration is managed through sfartsedsummer.org.
6. Space Rental: The 1,209 square foot modular gallery/studio space at Minnesota Street Project is available for short-term rentals for workshops, meetings, and exhibitions, generating ancillary revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SFArtsED is a nonprofit arts education organization that places working professional artists as in-school mentors in 20+ San Francisco public elementary and middle schools, while also operating multi-track summer camps, a year-round musical theater troupe, weekend classes and workshops, and an after-school program that together reach approximately 7,500 children annually. The organization is funded primarily through donations, foundation and government grants, corporate sponsorships, and program fees for the after-school program and summer camps. Its core deliverable is direct, hands-on arts mentorship for children ages 6–14, anchored by the belief that arts education is led by practicing artists.

Product overview

SFArtsED (San Francisco Arts Education Project) is an arts education nonprofit organization founded in 1968 that offers a portfolio of programs centered on providing children with participatory experiences in the visual and performing arts under the mentorship of practicing artists. The core offerings include Artists-in-Residence (in-school residencies), Summer Camp (with Exploration, Broadway Bound, Art and Design, Fashion, and One-Week Workshop tracks), SFArtsED Players (musical theater troupe for ages 9-14), Art Classes and Workshops, Glen Park After School program, and a Gallery at the Minnesota Street Project. The organization reaches more than 300,000 public school students historically and currently serves approximately 7,500 children annually across over twenty San Francisco public schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SFArtsED Players: Musical theater troupe for young performers ages 9-14, offering rigorous after-school and weekend training culminating in fully-realized productions at the Presidio Theatre.

Products and services

• Artists-in-Residence Cornerstone program placing professional working artists as mentors in 20+ San Francisco public elementary and middle schools, teaching visual arts, dance, drama, musical theater, world rhythms, and choral expression aligned with SFUSD's Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) standards. Program is funded by donations and grants at no cost to schools.
• SFArtsED Summer Camp Multi-session summer day camp for children ages 6-14 offering immersion in visual and performing arts including painting, drawing, ceramics, dance, musical theater, fashion design, and world rhythms. Managed through sfartsedsummer.org with scholarships available. Operates 9am-3pm with optional aftercare until 6pm.
• SFArtsED Players Musical Theater Troupe Invitation-only musical theater company for young performers ages 9-14 offering after-school and Saturday rehearsals (9+ hours per week) and culminating in fully produced Broadway-scale productions at Presidio Theatre. Acts as a pipeline to the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts and beyond.
• Art Classes and Workshops Week-long and weekend classes and workshops for artists ages 11 and up at the Minnesota Street Project gallery/classroom space, covering fashion design, knitting, painting, stenciling, gilding, collage, lamp making, spoken word, and related practices. Self-service registration with minimum/maximum enrollment of 5-15 students per class.
• Glen Park After School Program After-school program at Glen Park Elementary School serving 200+ students in Kindergarten through 5th grade, offering academic support, arts-based enrichment, physical recreation, and homework assistance. Monthly co-payment of $360 (or $1,620 per semester with 10% discount); fees waived for homeless youth, foster children, and families eligible for Free/Reduced lunch.
• Gallery at Minnesota Street Project 1,209 sq ft modular gallery and classroom space at 1275 Minnesota Street in the Dogpatch arts district hosting rotating group and solo exhibitions of student and Artist Mentor work, performances, artist talks, workshops, and summer camp intensives. Open Wed-Sat 11AM-4PM; space also available for short-term rental.
• Broadway Bound Summer Camp Musical theater summer camp for ages 9-14+ that trains young people as triple-threat singers, dancers, and actors, and serves as the audition pathway into the SFArtsED Players musical theater company.
• Exploration Camp Day camp for younger campers ages 6-9 featuring world rhythms, dance, choral singing, mixed-media art projects, ceramics, theater, and storytelling, balanced with structured activities and free outdoor playtime.
• Art and Design Camp Visual arts camp for ages 10-14 exploring cartooning, illustration, zines, mixed-media arts including collage, paints, and stencils, with student work exhibited at the Minnesota Street Project gallery.
• Fashion Camp Fashion design summer camp for young designers featuring thrifting and upcycling projects that transform costume jewelry into unique accessories.
• One-Week Specialized Workshops Specialized intensive one-week summer workshops including Puppet Movie Studio, Art in the Field field trip programs, Backstage Magic tech theater courses, and Fashion Thrift Flip jewelry design.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300,000+ students served since 1968
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeep partnership with SFUSD to provide artist residencies at over 20 public elementary and middle schools. SFArtsED supports SFUSD's Visual and Performing Arts Learning (VAPA) standards and mission to revitalize arts education. Residencies range from 6 weeks to full school year depending on school needs.
• Presidio TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFArtsED Players productions performed at Presidio Theatre over three weekends each spring. Venue partnership enables professional-quality Broadway-scale performances for young artists.
• Minnesota Street Project FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince March 2016, SFArtsED has been located at the Minnesota Street Project in Dogpatch arts district. The nonprofit is the only organization of its type surrounded by major contemporary art galleries. Hosts gallery exhibitions, workshops, classes, and summer camp programs.
• Jewish Community High School of the BaymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for SFArtsED Summer camps including Exploration, Broadway Bound, Art & Design, and Fashion programs. Located at 1835 Ellis Street, San Francisco.
• Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts (SOTA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproximately 10% of SFArtsED Players alumni go on to audition successfully into this prestigious SFUSD arts high school. SFArtsED played advocacy role in the school's founding in 1982 and has ongoing talent pipeline relationship.
• San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company (SFBATCO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partnership for theatrical performances including 'Into the Woods' (Summer 2025). Rodney Earl Jackson Jr., a SFArtsED alumnus and SFBATCO Co-Founder/Artistic Director, bridges both organizations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Guild for Community Arts Education: National membership and advocacy organization for community-based arts education providers. SFArtsED is a likely member; relevant as a peer/adapter organization that benchmarks and supports nonprofits with analogous missions and operating models.

Emerging players

• 826 Valencia: San Francisco nonprofit founded in 2002 providing writing and arts tutoring to underserved youth ages 6-18. Comparable as a Bay Area creative-education nonprofit targeting public school students with free programming and a strong volunteer pipeline.

Regional players

• Performing Arts Workshop: San Francisco nonprofit providing arts education to K-12 students through in-school residencies and community programs. Previously merged with SFArtsED's lineage; remains a comparable Bay Area arts education peer serving public school populations.
• ODC Dance (Common Ground / Dance Mission programs): San Francisco-based dance organization offering youth dance education, school partnerships, and community programs. Comparable as a Bay Area performing-arts nonprofit with K-12 educational programming and a working-artist teaching model.

Broad incumbents

• Berkeley Repertory Theatre (Education Programs): Major Bay Area professional theater with substantial youth education programming including in-school residencies and student matinees. Comparable for theater-arts education delivery and donor/sponsor overlap, though broader in scope as a producing institution.
• San Francisco Conservatory of Music: Accredited music conservatory in San Francisco with community education and pre-college youth programs. Comparable for music education offerings to youth and shared SF arts donor ecosystem, though primarily a degree-granting institution.
• Lincoln Center Education (Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts): Major national performing arts institution with extensive K-12 education programs including artist residencies in public schools. Comparable for the artist-in-schools methodology and high-profile arts education brand, though at vastly greater scale and broader mission.

Direct peers

• Community Music Center of San Francisco: San Francisco-based nonprofit founded in 1921 providing music and arts education across all ages with a strong youth and community-access mission. Comparable as a Bay Area arts education nonprofit offering tuition-subsidized instruction and community programming.
• Young Audiences Arts for Learning: National nonprofit founded in 1952 that places professional artists in K-12 schools to deliver arts education. Operates the same artist-residency-in-public-schools model as SFArtsED across a national affiliate network, making it the most directly comparable peer at scale.
• Education Through Music (ETM): Nonprofit that partners with schools to provide music and arts instruction taught by qualified teaching artists, with a similar model of placing professional artists in underserved public schools. Operates primarily in NYC but offers a directly analogous program structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SFArtsED
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SFArtsEDProject
• Facebookfacebook.com/sfartsed
• Instagraminstagram.com/SFArtsED
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-francisco-arts-education-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 SFArtsED