World Arts West

What World Arts West does

World Arts West is a nonprofit cultural arts organization founded in 1978 in San Francisco in response to demographic shifts following the 1965 Immigration Act. It presents and promotes world dance and music through performances, festivals, and educational activities, operating as what it describes as the nation's largest world dance network. The organization's core programs include the annual WAW Dance Festival, monthly First Sundays at the Presidio outdoor performances, virtual series (Living Traditions and Live Arts In Resistance), and the Cultural Dance Sustainability Initiative—a portfolio encompassing the Cultural Dance Catalyst Fund (a national regranting program awarding $24,675 to 20 organizations annually), the Grants Accelerator Program (GAP) for capacity building, Special Artist Commissions for new works, Career Pathways Roundtable, and Professional Development Workshops. It serves culturally specific dance companies, BIPOC-led organizations with annual budgets under $500,000, and Bay Area cultural communities.

The underlying technology is conventional nonprofit infrastructure rather than a proprietary platform: a content-managed website (worldartswest.org), Givebutter for donations, Eventbrite for ticketing, Mailchimp for email, Printful for merchandise fulfillment, and YouTube for virtual programming. No proprietary software, AI/ML systems, mobile applications, or APIs are described. The business model relies on diversified revenue from foundation grants (Wallace Foundation, Kenneth Rainin, Zellerbach, Fleishhacker), government arts funding (NEA, California Arts Council, Grants for the Arts, SFAC), individual donations via check/Venmo/stock transfer/RMD, modest event ticket sales ($12-$25 per ticket for film screenings), and merchandise. A meaningful share of grant capital is pass-through (regranted to cultural dance organizations) rather than retained as operating revenue.

World Arts West operates from a single headquarters at 1446 Market Street in San Francisco with 11-50 employees and a lean named staff of six (Executive Director Dr. Anne Huang plus program, development, marketing, and social media roles). Geographic scope is Bay Area–rooted but extending nationally through the Wallace Foundation regranting cohort. The organization has documented $1,380,717 in grants facilitated through GAP over 2022-2024 and over $1.4 million raised by GAP participants from 2022 to 2025, indicating meaningful intermediation scale within the cultural dance philanthropy ecosystem.

Name

World Arts West

Legal name

World Arts West

Website

https://worldartswest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

World Arts West is a San Francisco nonprofit founded in 1978 that operates the nation's largest world dance network, presenting the annual WAW Dance Festival and regranting philanthropic capital to culturally specific dance organizations through the Cultural Dance Sustainability Initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Services

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Dance Companies (71112), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural & Folk Dance Performances (MPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage & Traditional Festivals (Folk, Ethnic, Indigenous) (MPAGAEAB), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD), Community Music & Dance Festivals (Non-Commercial/Local) (MPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Cultural dance performances
• Arts regranting programs
• Nonprofit dance network
• Artist capacity building
• Cultural arts festivals

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations via check, Venmo, stock transfer, and RMD. Tax-deductible donations encouraged through Givebutter platform. Merchandise sales through Printful storefront including hats, tee shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs, water bottles, tote bags, fanny packs, and stickers.
2. Grant Funding: World Arts West receives funding from The Wallace Foundation as part of the Advancing Well-Being in the Arts initiative. The organization serves as a regrantor, disbursing grants to cultural dance organizations through programs like the Cultural Dance Catalyst Fund ($493,500 total funding in 2026, $24,675 per award for 20 grants).
3. Event Ticketing: Revenue from film screenings and events. 2021 SFEDF Film premiere tickets: $25. In-person screenings: $15 advance, $16 at door. Children 12 and under: $12 for matinees. On-demand online viewing: $15.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

World Arts West presents and promotes world dance and music through live performances (notably the annual WAW Dance Festival) and delivers a portfolio of artist services for culturally specific dance companies. Core offerings include regranting through the Cultural Dance Catalyst Fund, capacity building via the Grants Accelerator Program, Special Artist Commissions for new works, professional development workshops, and virtual artist dialogue series, supported by foundation grants, government funding, donations, and ticketing revenue.

Product overview

World Arts West is a nonprofit cultural arts organization founded in 1978 that serves as the nation's largest world dance network. Rather than a unified technology product, the organization offers a portfolio of programs and services centered around its annual WAW Dance Festival and the Cultural Dance Sustainability Initiative (CDSI). CDSI encompasses the Cultural Dance Catalyst Fund (grant program), Grants Accelerator Program (GAP), Special Artist Commissions (SAC), Career Pathways Roundtable, Professional Development Workshops, Visibility & Advocacy, and Research & Impact. Additional offerings include virtual series (Live Arts In Resistance, Living Traditions), recurring performance events (First Sundays at the Presidio), and archival publications (Festival Program Books).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WAW Dance Festival Annual world dance and music festival featuring culturally specific dance companies from the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, including live performances, artist showcases, and community engagement events for general audiences and cultural communities.
• WAW Cultural Dance Catalyst Fund Regranting program providing general operating support and cohort-based engagement to under-resourced cultural dance organizations, with awards of $24,675 per organization for 20 recipients annually.
• Grants Accelerator Program (GAP) Yearlong capacity-building initiative providing tailored grant writing support through monthly webinars, one-on-one coaching, proposal reviews, and peer learning for cultural dance artists and organizations.
• Special Artist Commissions (SAC) Commissioned new works from cultural dance artists, including dedicated productions exploring cultural traditions and immigrant experiences, supported by major Bay Area foundations.
• Career Pathways Roundtable (CPR) Facilitated dialogue series for cultural artists to share career roadmaps in philanthropy, education, arts administration, and events production within the cultural arts sector.
• Professional Development Workshops Workshops on equitable contracts, digital archiving, videography, online teaching, grant writing, video documentation, and digital transformation for cultural artists.
• First Sundays at the Presidio Monthly outdoor live performances at the Presidio Tunnel Tops featuring diverse cultural dance and music performances, co-presented with the Presidio Trust.
• Living Traditions Online interview series exploring dance disciplines, their history, and cultural traditions, featuring culturally specific dance companies.
• Live Arts In Resistance (LAIR) Virtual artist dialogue series in partnership with Eastside Arts Alliance and NAKA Dance Theater, highlighting cultural artists and their social justice work.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1,380,717 in grants awarded to 57 grants over 3 years through GAP
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and major.

• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency overseeing Presidio. Partnership enables First Sundays at the Presidio and Dances in the Park events at Presidio Tunnel Tops.
• Presidio TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal trust managing Presidio grounds. Co-presenter of First Sundays at the Presidio events at Presidio Tunnel Tops.
• Golden Gate National Parks ConservancysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerParks conservancy supporting programming at national parks including Presidio. Listed as funder.
• Dance Mission TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Francisco dance presenter and venue. Community partnership for programming and co-presenter of events.
• Asian Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Francisco museum. Co-presenter of Beyond Bollywood Dance Series featuring Chaksam-pa and Aerodance.
• Nava Dance TheatremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Migrations commission - a dance work exploring South Asian immigrant women's experiences. Premiered at ODC during Nava's home season.
• Parangal Dance CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilipino folk dance company. Co-presenter of Ipat a Kadsakay world premiere, a work capturing Maguindanaon ritual practices.
• Dancing Cy(i)phersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead organization for 5th Quarter Bantaba Special Artist Commission, tracing West African movement in US HBCU marching band culture.
• Jackson State UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for 5th Quarter Bantaba educational legacy. Seminars and workshops delivered at Jackson State as part of project.
• National Association of Latino Arts and CulturesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational advocacy organization for Latino arts. Listed as funder and partner.
• Alternate RootssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization supporting community-based arts. Listed as funder.
• San Francisco Public LibrarysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity library system. Community partnership for programming.
• National Arts Regranting PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of BIPOC-led arts organizations through Wallace Foundation initiative. 11 other arts service organizations in national regranting cohort.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Smuin Ballet: Bay Area dance company presenting contemporary and classical ballet with a subscription season and touring. Comparable as a Bay Area dance presenter with ticketed performances, though it focuses on ballet/contemporary rather than culturally specific folk traditions.
• ODC (Oberlin Dance Collective): Bay Area contemporary dance company and presenter with its own venue (ODC Theater) and Healthy Dance program. Comparable as a San Francisco-based dance presenter with community programming, though it focuses on contemporary rather than culturally specific folk traditions.

Direct peers

• First Peoples Fund: Native-led arts organization providing grants and capacity building to Indigenous artists, including cultural bearers and dancers. Comparable regranting and capacity-building mission focused on culturally specific artists; existing World Arts West partner.
• New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA): Regional arts funder and regranting organization supporting dance and performance across multiple states. Directly comparable regranting/funder model and existing World Arts West partner; differs in geographic scope (New England vs. California).
• Intersection for the Arts: San Francisco-based arts nonprofit offering fiscal sponsorship, residencies, and capacity building to performing artists and cultural organizations. Comparable San Francisco arts service / regranting intermediary; existing World Arts West partner.
• CounterPulse: San Francisco performing arts nonprofit supporting experimental and culturally rooted performance through residencies, commissions, and community programming. Comparable in mission (community-rooted performance support) and Bay Area geography.
• Dance Mission Theater: San Francisco-based dance presenter and venue that programs culturally diverse and community-rooted dance. Already a World Arts West co-presentation partner, making it a directly comparable presenter operating in the same Bay Area cultural dance ecosystem.
• Dancers' Group: San Francisco-based dance service organization providing fiscal sponsorship, performance opportunities, and capacity building to Bay Area dance artists and companies. Directly comparable dance service / regranting role in the same Bay Area ecosystem.
• National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC): National advocacy and regranting organization for Latino arts and culture, providing grants, leadership programs, and field research. Directly comparable national regranting model serving culturally specific artists; existing World Arts West partner.
• Alternate Roots: National organization supporting community-based arts and artists of the Southeast through funding and capacity building. Comparable as a BIPOC-led regranting/arts service organization; existing World Arts West partner within the Wallace cohort.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwsqQUq_1CsiiwzTRc53tEw
• Facebookfacebook.com/SanFranciscoEthnicDanceFestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/worldartswest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 World Arts West