Wah Mei
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Wah Mei does
Wah Mei Bilingual Education & Advocacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 1400 Judah Street in San Francisco's Sunset District, founded in 1974 as the city's first dual language preschool in the wake of the Lau v. Nichols Supreme Court decision. For 50 years it has delivered early care and education (ages 0-5), bilingual youth development programming for K-6 students (ACE Afterschool and BASE! ExCEL at Alice Fong Yu Alternative School), Mandarin and Cantonese weekend and summer Chinese language classes, seasonal break camps, and family support services through the Sunset Family Resource Collaborative. The organization leads the Sunset Chinese Cultural District and operates from six physical sites across San Francisco, serving more than 500 students annually through approximately 80 full-time and part-time faculty and staff.
The underlying product is a whole-child bilingual curriculum delivered in English alongside Cantonese or Mandarin, supported by a 50-year curriculum library and a project-based learning methodology. Technology plays no material role; the value proposition is built on in-person instruction, cultural preservation, and community integration rather than software. Wah Mei's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through open enrollment, online applications, monthly site tours, and a partner referral network of 40+ community organizations including Children's Council, DCYF, SFUSD, and Alice Fong Yu Alternative School. Marketing is community-led via Instagram, the website, email newsletter, and recurring community events (Spring Gala, Autumn Moon Festival, Chinese New Year Parade, Sunset Night Market).
Revenue is diversified across four streams: sliding-scale program fees (subsidized by AMI tiers with sibling/educator/staff discounts), government contracts and grants (City and County of San Francisco, SFUSD ExCEL, DCYF Summer Together, California Department of Education and Social Services), foundation and corporate grants (Haas Jr. Fund, Mimi & Peter Haas Fund, Bothin Foundation, Asian Pacific Fund, Kaiser Permanente), and individual donations/fundraising (online donations, planned giving, annual gala). Pricing is published by program: Summer Camp 2026 ranges $1,450-$1,730 per session; BASE! ExCEL $106-$705/month; Chinese Program $155-$280/month with a $205 K-5 single-class option. The organization holds a San Francisco Legacy Business designation (2018) and was recognized by Mayor London Breed with a dedicated Wah Mei Day on January 17, 2024.
Wah Mei firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wah Mei
- Legal name
- Wah Mei Bilingual Education & Advocacy
- Website
- https://wahmei.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wah Mei industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early Childhood Bilingual Education
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (624410), Language Schools (611630), Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bilingual/Language-Immersion Preschools (EDACABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bilingual / Language-Immersion Childcare Centers (EDACAAAI), English Learner (EL/ESL/ELL) & Bilingual Education Programs (EDAJAGAB), Youth & Teen Language Camps (Summer/Winter) (EDAIAEAF)
Keywords
Where Wah Mei is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Wah Mei business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Program Fees: Fee-based programs including before/after school care, summer camps, Chinese language classes. Sliding scale fees based on family income (Tier 1, 2, 3). Subsidies available for homeless youth and foster care children.
- Government Contracts and Grants: City and County of San Francisco funding, SFUSD ExCEL program grants, DCYF Summer Together initiative, California Department of Education and Social Services grants.
- Foundation and Corporate Grants: Support from foundations including Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund, Mimi & Peter Haas Fund, Bothin Foundation, Asian Pacific Fund, and others.
- Individual Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations through website, recurring gifts, tribute gifts, planned giving, IRA contributions, stock gifts, and peer fundraising. Gala events and online auctions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Spring Camp 2026 |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Summer Camp 2026 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Chinese Program 2026-2027 |
| Subscription | Monthly | BASE! ExCEL at AFY 2026-2027 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chinese Program at NDV |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Wah Mei product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wah Mei delivers bilingual early care and education (ages 0-5), before/after school youth programs (K-6), Mandarin and Cantonese weekend/summer language classes, and seasonal break camps at multiple San Francisco sites. Programs are sold to families through direct enrollment on a sliding-scale fee basis tied to Area Median Income. Supporting community infrastructure includes the Sunset Family Resource Collaborative and Wah Mei's leadership of the Sunset Chinese Cultural District.
Product overview
Wah Mei is a comprehensive early childhood and youth development organization offering a portfolio of interconnected bilingual education programs. The core offerings include Early Care & Education (ages 0-5), ACE Afterschool and BASE! ExCEL before/after-school programs (K-6), Chinese Weekend/Summer language programs in Mandarin and Cantonese, and seasonal camps. The organization also operates the Sunset Chinese Cultural District and Sunset Family Resource Center as community-facing programs. All programs emphasize dual language (primarily Cantonese-English) education, cultural preservation, and whole-child development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Early Care & Education Program Bilingual early care and education for children ages 0-5, focused on a whole-child development model that nurtures each child's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth in English and Cantonese/Mandarin. Offered across multiple San Francisco sites including Judah Street, Kids by the Bay Civic Center, and Financial District.
- ACE Afterschool Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Serves 500+ students annually across all programs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Wah Mei
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Wah Mei technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Wah Mei partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Sunset Chinese Cultural DistrictcoreWah Mei leads the 9th cultural district in San Francisco, the only one on the west side. Protects and preserves the Sunset's Chinese cultural character.
- Children's Council of San FranciscocoreCommunity partner for childcare subsidies and financial aid referrals. Helps families pay for childcare programs including Wah Mei's Summer Camp.
- DCYF - SF Department of Children, Youth & Their FamiliescorePrimary funder for youth development programs. Co-sponsor of Summer Together initiative serving 100 youth annually in summer camp.
- SFUSD - San Francisco Unified School DistrictcoreExCEL after school program partner. BASE! program operates at Alice Fong Yu school site, serving K-6 students with bilingual support.
- Alice Fong Yu Alternative SchoolcoreBASE! ExCEL after-school program site. Wah Mei provides bilingual before/after school programming at this Chinese immersion school.
- Sunset Family Resource Collaborative (SFRC)corePartnership between Wah Mei, Sunset Youth Services, and Gum Moon Asian Women's Resource Center. Provides free family support services including parenting workshops, diaper bank, referrals.
- Gum Moon/Asian Women's Resource CentercoreSFRC partner providing women's services and family support within the Sunset Family Resource Collaborative.
- Sunset Youth ServicescoreSFRC partner providing family support and youth services within the Sunset Family Resource Collaborative.
- École Notre Dame des VictoirescorePartnership to launch after-school Cantonese language program at NDV school in Financial District. Wah Mei provides language curriculum and instruction.
- Wu Yee Children's ServicesmajorSan Francisco nonprofit providing child development services. Executive Director Ben Wong previously served as Interim Executive Director.
- Richmond Neighborhood CentercoreLocal nonprofit serving the Richmond District. Board member Alice Tam serves as Director of Elementary Programs.
- 19th Avenue Baptist ChurchminorCommunity partner providing space and support for neighborhood programs.
- CYC - Community Youth Center of San FranciscocoreYouth development organization. Executive Director Ben Wong previously served as Program Coordinator.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves14 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Wah Mei competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sunset Youth Services: SF nonprofit providing youth and family services in the Sunset District, including after-school programs and family support. Direct peer in Sunset neighborhood service delivery; co-leads the Sunset Family Resource Collaborative with Wah Mei.
- Chinese American International School (CAIS): SF-based independent school offering Mandarin Chinese immersion curriculum from preschool through 8th grade. Closest direct competitor in bilingual (Chinese-English) education with comparable age range; differs in being a tuition-charging independent school rather than a sliding-scale nonprofit.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco: Long-established SF nonprofit providing after-school, summer camp, and youth development programming at multiple sites. Comparable after-school and summer enrichment service offering, though broader in demographic targeting and larger in scale.
- Presidio Knolls School: SF-based Mandarin immersion independent school serving preschool through 8th grade. Comparable to Wah Mei's bilingual preschool and Chinese language programs in target customer (SF families seeking Mandarin immersion) and curriculum approach.
- CYC - Community Youth Center of San Francisco: SF-based nonprofit providing youth development, childcare, and family services primarily serving the Chinatown and immigrant community. Direct peer in youth-services programming and Asian-American community focus; Wah Mei's ED previously served as Program Coordinator at CYC.
- Richmond Neighborhood Center: SF nonprofit providing child development, after-school, and family services in the Richmond District adjacent to the Sunset. Comparable community-based nonprofit service model with similar age range and program mix.
- Mission Neighborhood Centers: San Francisco nonprofit providing early childhood education, youth development, and family services rooted in community-based programming in the Mission District. Comparable bilingual/multicultural nonprofit service portfolio with similar government-grant funding model.
- Wu Yee Children's Services: San Francisco-based nonprofit providing child development services for low-income families, including early childhood education, family childcare, and Head Start programs. Directly comparable to Wah Mei's early care and community-based service model; Wah Mei's current ED previously served as Interim ED at Wu Yee.
Others
- Children's Council of San Francisco: SF nonprofit focused on childcare resource/referral and subsidies, not direct program delivery. Functions as a complementary ecosystem partner rather than competitor; current Wah Mei partner that funnels subsidies to Wah Mei families.
Regional players
- Chinatown YMCA: San Francisco YMCA branch in Chinatown providing youth programs, family services, and community programming. Comparable community-anchor role within a different SF neighborhood; broader youth programming than Wah Mei but less focused on bilingual education.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wah Mei social profiles
Digital presenceWah Mei financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wah Mei leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Wah Mei funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wah Mei 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 Wah Mei
What does Wah Mei do?
Wah Mei delivers bilingual early care and education (ages 0-5), before/after school youth programs (K-6), Mandarin and Cantonese weekend/summer language classes, and seasonal break camps at multiple San Francisco sites. Programs are sold to families through direct enrollment on a sliding-scale fee basis tied to Area Median Income. Supporting community infrastructure includes the Sunset Family Resource Collaborative and Wah Mei's leadership of the Sunset Chinese Cultural District.
Is Wah Mei a public or private company?
Wah Mei is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Wah Mei founded?
Wah Mei was founded in 1974. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Wah Mei based?
Wah Mei is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Wah Mei make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Program Fees are the primary driver. The others are government Contracts and Grants, foundation and Corporate Grants and individual Donations and Fundraising.
Who are Wah Mei's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sunset Youth Services, Chinese American International School (CAIS), Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, Presidio Knolls School, CYC - Community Youth Center of San Francisco, Richmond Neighborhood Center, Mission Neighborhood Centers and Wu Yee Children's Services. Children's Council of San Francisco is listed as an others. Chinatown YMCA is listed as a regional player.
Does Wah Mei have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wah Mei.
What industry is Wah Mei in?
Wah Mei's product category is Early Childhood Bilingual Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACABAH, Bilingual/Language-Immersion Preschools, with a secondary code of EDACAAAI, Bilingual / Language-Immersion Childcare Centers. Its NAICS code is 62441 and its SIC code is 8351.