Project Create
Project Create is a Washington, D.C. nonprofit providing free, multidisciplinary arts education and art therapy to children, youth, and families in underserved DC Wards 7 and 8 from its Anacostia Arts Center and 20+ community partner sites.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Project Create does
Project Create is a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C., that delivers free, multidisciplinary arts education and enrichment to children, youth, and families. Founded in 1994 by Rev. John W. Wimberly, Jr. as an after-school arts program at Western Presbyterian Church, the organization became an independent nonprofit in 2003 and now serves participants from birth to age 24, primarily in DC Wards 7 and 8 east of the Anacostia River. Programming is built around a trauma-informed, healing-centered methodology and includes studio classes at its permanent Arts Center, community partnership programs delivered at 20+ partner sites (including SOME, Community of Hope, Boys and Girls Club, and DC Public Libraries), HeART Space art therapy, Family Art Day events, workshops, a digital media studio, professional development for educators, and a Summer Arts & Wellness Camp.
The core technology and physical infrastructure consist of the 5,200 sq ft Arts Center purchased in December 2019 at 2208 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE, which houses five studios (music production, photography, visual art, dance, painting), an art gallery, student lounge, offices, and a fully equipped Digital Media Arts Studio with sound/recording equipment, DJ and podcast gear, video and photo technology, graphic design workstations, and 3-D printers. Supporting technology is conventional and non-differentiated: a WordPress website with WooCommerce/PayPal-powered e-commerce for a forthcoming online shop, Jetpack and Akismet for site functionality and spam control, DreamHost hosting, Bunny.net CDN, TaxJar for sales tax, EasyPost for shipping, and AfterSchool HQ as the third-party registration platform for classes, workshops, and summer camp.
The organization operates on a donation-and-grant revenue model with no participant fees. Funding flows from individual donations, foundation grants, corporate philanthropy (including The Genesis Inspiration Foundation), and government arts agencies (DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts). Distribution occurs through the Arts Center plus partner-site classes, with community-based marketing via social media, email newsletters, and events. Leadership is provided by Executive Director Christie Walser (since 2010) and a Board of Directors chaired by Gizachew 'Giz' Andargeh, supported by a Deputy Director and directors of Development & Communications, Programs, and an Artistic Director.
Project Create firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Project Create
- Legal name
- Project Create
- Website
- https://projectcreatedc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Project Create is a Washington, D.C. nonprofit providing free, multidisciplinary arts education and art therapy to children, youth, and families in underserved DC Wards 7 and 8 from its Anacostia Arts Center and 20+ community partner sites.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Project Create industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Arts Education
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO), Arts & Design Camps (Visual Arts, Crafts, Design Thinking) (EDAMALAH), Visual Arts & Media Arts Programs (Art Club, Photography, Film) (EDAJAJAF)
Keywords
Where Project Create is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Project Create business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit organization, Project Create operates entirely on donations, grants, and foundation support. All programs are offered free to participants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free programs for all students |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Project Create product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Project Create is a community-based nonprofit that provides free, multidisciplinary arts education and enrichment programs to children, youth, and families in underserved Washington, DC neighborhoods. Core offerings include Studio Programs at the Arts Center in Anacostia, Community Partnership Programs that deliver weekly arts classes at partner organization sites, HeART Space Art Therapy for emotional wellness, Family Art Day community events, workshops, summer camp, and digital media arts education. All programs are offered at no cost to participants.
Product overview
Project Create is a community-based nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of free arts education and enrichment programs for youth and families in Washington, DC. The core offerings include Studio Programs at their custom-designed Arts Center (opened 2015, expanded 2019 with digital media studio), Community Partnership Programs bringing arts education to underserved neighborhoods through partnerships with local organizations, HeART Space Art Therapy providing therapeutic creative services, Family Art Day community events, and Workshops covering diverse disciplines. The organization also offers a Summer Arts & Wellness Camp combining arts education with wellness practices, Digital Media Classes for teens in audio/video/photography/music production, and Professional Development training for educators. All classes and programs are provided free of charge to participants. An online shop selling art products and merchandise is in development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Studio Programs at the Arts Center Free multidisciplinary arts education classes held at Project Create's custom-designed Arts Center in Anacostia, featuring art classes in all disciplines, family workshops, open studio time, film screenings, gallery shows, and arts enrichment for all ages and experience levels.
- Community Partnership Programs Project Create's longest-standing program offering weekly multidisciplinary arts education classes taught by experienced teaching artists in partnership with community-based organizations serving children, youth, and families in underserved communities East of the River in DC Wards 7 and 8.
- HeART Space Art Therapy Therapeutic art program in which groups of up to six families participate in 2-hour weekly sessions led by experienced art therapists, focusing on building coping mechanisms, emotional wellness, anxiety reduction, and resilience through creative techniques such as drawing, painting, collage, coloring, and sculpting.
- Family Art Day Free community program held on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month (1:00pm-3:00pm) serving multi-generational families from infants to grandmothers for artistic exploration, art-making, and creative play. Led by an art therapist with rotating teaching artists.
- Workshops Arts workshops hosted at the Arts Center or in the community, taught by teaching artists in various artistic disciplines. Past workshops include poetry readings, fashion design, video production, 3-D printing, cooking, graphic design, mural-making, and mosaic collages. Also includes the Arts Enrichment Field Trip Program to cultural institutions.
- Professional Development Staff training opportunities including Art Workshops (visual arts, collage, music production, DJing, photography, dance, theater) and Trauma-Informed Training sessions covering Cultivating Empathy, Integrating a Healing-Centered Approach, and Cultivating a Therapeutic Environment.
- Digital Media Classes Digital media arts education program at the Arts Center, fully equipped with sound/recording equipment, DJ and podcast equipment, video/photo technology, computers with graphic design capabilities, and 3-D printers. Provides advanced training in film, photography, illustration, and music production for teens and young adults.
- Summer Arts & Wellness Camp Six-week summer arts enrichment camp at the Arts Center for elementary and middle school students (with additional options for teens/youth), blending arts education with wellness practices. Features visual arts, digital media (audio engineering/music production), and mindfulness-based wellness practices.
Quantifiable outcome
- Free arts education to underserved youth
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Project Create
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Project Create technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature1 record
Project Create partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- So Others Might Eat (SOME)coreLong-standing partnership providing art classes to children in families experiencing homelessness.
- Community of HopecorePartnership providing arts education to families experiencing homelessness.
- Anacostia PlayhouseminorCommunity partner for arts programming in Anacostia.
- Best KidsminorPartner organization serving children and youth.
- Boys and Girls Club of Greater WashingtonminorPartnership for youth arts programming.
- DC Public LibrariesminorPartnership for arts workshops at library locations.
- DC Parks and RecreationminorPartner for community arts programming.
- Generation HopeminorPartner serving teen parents and their families.
- Washington School for GirlsminorEducational partner for arts programming.
- Bishop Walker SchoolminorEducational partner for arts programming.
- Sasha BruceminorPartner serving youth in foster care.
- Sitar Arts CenterminorArts partner organization in DC.
- Hortons KidsminorPartner serving children in Ward 8.
- Friendship PlaceminorPartner serving individuals experiencing homelessness.
- Mi Casa IncminorPartner serving families and youth.
- Community Services FoundationminorPartner for community services.
- Good ProjectsminorPartner organization serving DC communities.
- Georgia Avenue Family Support CollaborationminorFamily support network partner.
- FAN (Family Alliance Network)minorFamily support partner organization.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Project Create competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dance Place: DC-based arts education and performance organization in Ward 7/8-adjacent neighborhoods offering classes across disciplines. Project Create team members have previously worked there, and both serve east-of-the-river DC youth with hands-on arts training.
- Sasha Bruce Youthwork: DC nonprofit serving youth and families experiencing homelessness and instability, with arts and creative expression programming. Both organizations serve overlapping populations in DC Wards 7 and 8 and pursue similar public and private funding sources.
- Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington: DC-area youth development nonprofit offering out-of-school-time programming including arts enrichment for underserved youth. Also a Project Create partner, and competes for the same foundation grants and DC government funding for youth services.
- Sitar Arts Center: DC-based nonprofit providing multidisciplinary arts education to youth and families, with a comparable focus on accessible, tuition-free programming. Listed as a partner organization in Project Create's network, indicating direct overlap in mission, geography, and target population.
- Anacostia Playhouse: Community theater in Historic Anacostia focused on arts programming and storytelling for underserved DC communities. Listed as a partner of Project Create and operates in the same Ward 8 neighborhood competing for similar local arts funding.
Broad incumbents
- National Guild for Community Arts Education: National membership organization supporting community-based arts education programs. Provides the broader category context for Project Create's model and sits at the intersection of nonprofit arts, education, and youth development.
- The Phillips Collection: DC art museum with community engagement and education programs targeting underserved youth. Project Create's Deputy Director previously worked there, and both pursue arts education and community access goals, though the Phillips Collection is substantially larger.
- Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit advocacy organization that supports local arts education and community-based arts programs through research, funding, and policy work. Operates at the systemic level but influences the funding environment Project Create depends on.
Regional players
- DC Arts & Humanities Education Collaborative: Coalition of DC-based arts education organizations that shares resources and advocacy for arts programming in DC schools. Project Create is part of a similar DC arts education ecosystem and competes for shared institutional funders.
- Young Audiences of Maryland: Regional nonprofit that provides arts education programming to students in Title I schools, including artist residencies and after-school programs. Operates in the broader DC/Maryland region with a similar mission of accessible arts education for underserved youth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Project Create social profiles
Digital presenceProject Create financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Project Create leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Project Create funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Project Create 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 Project Create
What does Project Create do?
Project Create is a community-based nonprofit that provides free, multidisciplinary arts education and enrichment programs to children, youth, and families in underserved Washington, DC neighborhoods. Core offerings include Studio Programs at the Arts Center in Anacostia, Community Partnership Programs that deliver weekly arts classes at partner organization sites, HeART Space Art Therapy for emotional wellness, Family Art Day community events, workshops, summer camp, and digital media arts education. All programs are offered at no cost to participants.
Is Project Create a public or private company?
Project Create is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Project Create founded?
Project Create was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Project Create based?
Project Create is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Project Create make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Grants.
Who are Project Create's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dance Place, Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington, Sitar Arts Center and Anacostia Playhouse. Broad incumbents are National Guild for Community Arts Education, The Phillips Collection and Americans for the Arts. Regional players are DC Arts & Humanities Education Collaborative and Young Audiences of Maryland.
Does Project Create have an API?
No public API is recorded for Project Create.
What industry is Project Create in?
Project Create's product category is Youth Arts Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAJ, Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAC, Arts Education & Community Arts Programs. Its NAICS code is 61161.