Raw Art Works
Raw Art Works is a Lynn, Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free art-therapy-based youth development programming — visual arts, filmmaking, teen leadership, and college access — to over 400 underserved youth in grades 4–12 annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersLynn, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Raw Art Works does
Raw Art Works (RAW) is a 501(c)(3) creative youth development organization headquartered at 37 Central Square in Lynn, Massachusetts, founded in 1988 by Mary Flannery. It provides free, art-therapy-rooted programming for underserved youth in grades 4–12 (ages 8–19), delivered on-site at a single facility. Core products are Visual Arts programs (age-banded art therapy groups from Pop Art through Loud + Proud), Real to Reel FilmSchool (a 26-year-old digital filmmaking track using Mac/Adobe stacks and professional Canon/Sony cameras), Talent + Purpose (paid teen-leadership and public-art teams including WAMX, Good 2 Go, and Artists in Action), and Project Launch (college access launched in 2001). All programming is staffed by registered art therapists and licensed counselors (LMHC ATR), combining clinical mental-health intervention with creative instruction.
Raw Art Works firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Raw Art Works
- Legal name
- Raw Art Works
- Website
- https://rawartworks.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Raw Art Works is a Lynn, Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free art-therapy-based youth development programming — visual arts, filmmaking, teen leadership, and college access — to over 400 underserved youth in grades 4–12 annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Raw Art Works industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Arts Education
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Arts & Design (Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation) (EDAMAAAB), Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)
Keywords
Where Raw Art Works is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lynn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Raw Art Works business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Raw Art Works is entirely funded through charitable donations and grants. The organization accepts one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations, gifts of stock, Donor Advised Fund grants, and planned giving arrangements including bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable lead trusts. RAW's EIN is 22-2854850.
- Corporate and Foundation Grants: RAW receives program funding from corporate sponsors, private foundations, and government arts/cultural agencies including Bloomberg Philanthropies, Cummings Foundation, Mass Cultural Council, NEA, NEFA, and local municipal cultural councils.
- Employee Giving and Matching Gifts: RAW participates in employee giving platforms such as Benevity, and benefits from corporate matching gift programs where available through employers including Liberty Mutual, Apple, Hewlett Packard, Google, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and others.
- Scholarship Facilitation: RAW's Project Launch program helps seniors submit scholarship applications, with college scholarship awards going directly to students. RAW seniors have received approximately $1,897,566 in college scholarships annually (5-year average), and $2.8MM for the Class of 2022.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free programming for all youth participants |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Raw Art Works product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Raw Art Works is a creative youth development nonprofit offering free art therapy, visual arts, filmmaking, and college/career access programs to youth in grades 4-12 in Lynn, Massachusetts. The organization delivers programming through four core lines: Visual Arts (age-segmented groups across elementary, middle, and high school), Real to Reel FilmSchool (photography, digital filmmaking, and animation), Talent + Purpose (paid teen leadership and workforce development through public art and civic engagement), and Project Launch (college application, scholarship, and financial aid support). All programs are delivered free of charge and staffed by registered art therapists and teaching artists.
Product overview
Raw Art Works (RAW) is a creative youth development organization rooted in art therapy, offering a multi-program portfolio centered on visual arts, filmmaking, and college/career readiness for youth in grades 4-12 (ages 8-19). The core offerings include Visual Arts Programs (structured art therapy groups across elementary, middle, and high school levels), Real to Reel FilmSchool (R2R) providing filmmaking and animation education, Project Launch providing college access and career programming, and Talent + Purpose (TAP) offering teen leadership and workforce development through public art and civic engagement groups. All programs are provided free of charge to participants and are rooted in the belief that art can help youth process trauma and build confidence.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Visual Arts Programs Age-differentiated art therapy groups for students in grades 4-12, covering elementary, middle, and high school levels. Offerings include Pop Art (Playground of Possibilities), RAW Energy, Studio Time 1, Mariposa (girls mentor-based), AMP Middle School, Embark, Boyz Lync, Wall Wise public art, KickstART, Loud + Proud (LGBTQIA+ safe space), and Men 2 Be. Free of charge to participants.
- Real to Reel FilmSchool (R2R) A comprehensive youth filmmaking program offering photography, digital filmmaking, and animation education using industry-standard equipment including Mac computers, Adobe software (Premiere, Photoshop), and advanced cameras (Canon 60D, 1DX, Sony A7SII). Program levels include Take One (7th/8th grade), POV (high school personal storytelling), Animation (mixed middle/high school), and Filmmakers for Community (advanced TAP group). Free of charge to participants.
- Project Launch RAW's college access and career exploration program providing teens with 1:1 mentorship, college application support, scholarship assistance, financial aid guidance, and life skills workshops. The program achieves 100% high school graduation rates among participating seniors and 100% college/workforce enrollment. Free of charge to participants.
- Talent + Purpose (TAP) Teen leadership and workforce development program offering five groups: WAMX (Womxn Art Muralists), Good 2 Go (G2G), Artists in Action (civic engagement), RAW Stars (leadership development for facilitating youth groups), and Filmmakers for Community (advanced filmmaking with paid compensation). Free of charge to participants.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of RAW seniors graduate from high school with a plan for their future
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Raw Art Works
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Raw Art Works technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Raw Art Works partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- The Food ProjectminorThe Food Project is listed as a partner for RAW's Block Party event, contributing to community engagement and food resources at the annual celebration.
- Lynn Community Health CenterminorLynn Community Health Center is listed as a mental health community resource that RAW connects youth and families with for additional support services.
- The Cabot (Beverly, MA)minorThe Cabot cinema in Beverly, MA serves as the venue for RAW's annual Real to Reel FilmSchool screening events, hosting youth filmmakers and the community for screenings.
- Kayak and Sail LynnminorRAW has partnered with Kayak and Sail Lynn for summer programming collaborations engaging youth in community activities.
- City of LynncoreThe City of Lynn provides funding through its cultural council and partners with RAW for community events including Block Party. RAW is recognized as a social anchor in Lynn.
- Lynn Public SchoolscoreLynn Public Schools partners with RAW for referrals, school-day programming connections, and Project Launch college access initiatives. RAW alumni and staff include graduates of Lynn schools.
- Peabody Essex MuseumminorRAW teens' sculpture 'A Seat at the Table' was displayed at the Peabody Essex Museum in January 2019 in conjunction with Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend programming.
- SAY Sí (San Antonio)minorRAW partnered with San Antonio-based SAY Sí youth arts organization for a weeklong social justice residency, creating letter-pressed posters addressing issues of class, race, and gender. SAY Sí was recognized as an Adobe Creative Catalyst alongside RAW.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Raw Art Works competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- KID smART: New Orleans-based nonprofit delivering arts integration and visual/performing arts education to underserved youth through school and community partnerships. Comparable in integrating arts with youth development and serving low-income urban populations.
- Youth Speaks: San Francisco-based nonprofit creating literary, performance, and spoken-word opportunities for youth. Comparable as a free creative youth development organization rooted in identity expression and social justice, with similar teen leadership development and mentor pathways.
- Artists for Humanity: Boston-area nonprofit providing visual arts and creative industry programming for teens from underserved communities. Directly comparable as a free, studio-based youth arts nonprofit serving a Massachusetts urban population with a youth-development-plus-paid-workforce model similar to RAW's Talent + Purpose groups.
- SAY S\u00ed: San Antonio-based nonprofit offering free arts programming (visual, media, literary, performance) to youth. Directly comparable as a tuition-free creative youth development organization with social-justice-through-arts orientation; RAW explicitly cited SAY Sí as a social-justice residency partner.
- Marwen (now Marwen Chicago): Chicago nonprofit providing free, intensive visual arts education to underserved middle and high school students. Closely comparable model: tuition-free, studio-based art education, grade-segmented curriculum, college/career bridge focus, and a hybrid teaching-artist faculty.
Broad incumbents
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AileyCamp): National dance organization operating AileyCamp, a free summer youth program serving underserved teens. Comparable in providing free arts-based youth development programming, though broader national scope and dance-specific focus versus RAW's visual/film arts focus.
Emerging players
- Epicenter Creative Center (Salt Lake City): Salt Lake City creative youth development organization supporting artistic skill-building and workforce readiness for underserved teens. Comparable mission but smaller scale and narrower geographic footprint than RAW's Lynn operation.
- 826 National: Network of writing, tutoring, and publishing centers serving under-resourced students ages 6-18. Comparable as a free creative-education nonprofit working with school-aged youth in underserved communities, though focused on literacy/writing rather than visual arts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Raw Art Works social profiles
Digital presenceRaw Art Works financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Raw Art Works leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Raw Art Works funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Raw Art Works 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 Raw Art Works
What does Raw Art Works do?
Raw Art Works is a creative youth development nonprofit offering free art therapy, visual arts, filmmaking, and college/career access programs to youth in grades 4-12 in Lynn, Massachusetts. The organization delivers programming through four core lines: Visual Arts (age-segmented groups across elementary, middle, and high school), Real to Reel FilmSchool (photography, digital filmmaking, and animation), Talent + Purpose (paid teen leadership and workforce development through public art and civic engagement), and Project Launch (college application, scholarship, and financial aid support). All programs are delivered free of charge and staffed by registered art therapists and teaching artists.
Is Raw Art Works a public or private company?
Raw Art Works is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Raw Art Works founded?
Raw Art Works was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Raw Art Works based?
Raw Art Works is headquartered in Lynn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Raw Art Works make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are corporate and Foundation Grants, employee Giving and Matching Gifts and scholarship Facilitation.
Who are Raw Art Works's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are KID smART, Youth Speaks, Artists for Humanity, SAY S\u00ed and Marwen (now Marwen Chicago). Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AileyCamp) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Epicenter Creative Center (Salt Lake City) and 826 National.
Does Raw Art Works have an API?
No public API is recorded for Raw Art Works.
What industry is Raw Art Works in?
Raw Art Works's product category is Youth Arts Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAAAA, Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture), with a secondary code of EDAMAAAB, Digital Arts & Design (Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation). Its NAICS code is 61161 and its SIC code is 7812.