Project Commotion

What Project Commotion does

Project Commotion is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 84-3634157) founded in 2006 and operating in San Francisco's Mission District since 2008. The organization delivers movement- and play-based educational programs for children from birth through age 16 and their families, with an explicit focus on serving children of all abilities, including those with developmental delays and disabilities. Programming spans three core pillars: Kids on the Move (youth movement classes, school residencies, summer camp, and developmental playgroups), Las Luciérnagas (early childhood program), and Community MOVE (adult and educator programming). Curricula integrate capoeira, creative movement, dance/movement therapy, sensory-motor enrichment, and Feldenkrais-influenced somatic work, delivered bilingually in English and Spanish.

The organization's revenue model blends earned income from sliding-scale tuition ($25 per class for youth movement classes; $25 drop-in or $90 five-class pass for adult capoeira), individual donations through its Supporting Membership campaign, and grants from a diversified funder base that includes SF Department of Children Youth & Their Families, SF Department of Early Childhood, California Arts Council, Kaiser Permanente, Bainum Family Foundation, Mimi and Peter Haas Fund, and Hellman Foundation. Distribution combines direct in-studio classes at the 2095 Harrison Street headquarters, on-site school residencies through Schools on the Move, and self-serve online enrollment via Eventbrite and Google Forms. Operating geographies remain concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area with no claimed international footprint.

Operations are led by Executive Director and co-founder Susan Osterhoff (also known in capoeira circles as 'Contramestra Formiguinha'), supported by a leadership team of approximately seven members and roughly 20 total named staff, including credentialed practitioners such as a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist, a Guild-Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, and an MSW with Infant Mental Health endorsement. The technology stack is intentionally lightweight, relying on Squarespace for web presence, PayPal for payments, and basic SaaS tooling for events and forms, reflecting a community-embedded nonprofit model rather than a tech-platform organization.

Name

Project Commotion

Legal name

Project Commotion

Website

https://projectcommotion.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Project Commotion is a San Francisco 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers movement- and play-based educational programs, including youth classes, school residencies, summer camp, and adult workshops, for children of all abilities and their families in the Mission District.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Movement Education Programs

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAJ

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAMALAA

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Summer & Holiday Enrichment Camps (Multi-Activity, Academic)

SECONDARYEDAMALAO

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Summer & Holiday Enrichment Camps (Multi-Activity, Academic)

Keywords

• Movement education programs
• Early childhood development
• Sensory motor curriculum
• Dance movement therapy
• Nonprofit youth services

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees (Class Tuition): Fees charged for movement classes, playgroups, and summer camp programs. Sliding scale pricing is available and no one is turned away for lack of funds. Drop-in and multi-class pass options.
2. Foundation & Government Grants: Funding from foundations (e.g., Bainum Family Foundation, Hellman Foundation, Mimi and Peter Haas Fund), government agencies (SF DCYF, SF Department of Early Childhood, California Arts Council, Kaiser Permanente), and corporate giving programs. Major grantors include SF Department of Children, Youth & Their Families and SF Department of Early Childhood.
3. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and community members through the Supporting Membership campaign, launched in April 2011, as well as one-time giving. Project Commotion is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Project Commotion is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers movement and play-based educational programs for children ages 0-16 and adults in San Francisco's Mission District. Its core offerings combine specialized movement classes (capoeira, creative movement, sensory-motor enrichment) with developmental playgroups, school residencies, summer camp, and educator workshops, grounded in child development science and delivered bilingually in English and Spanish with sliding-scale pricing.

Product overview

Project Commotion is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering movement and play-based educational programming through a unified platform of integrated programs. The core offerings include Kids on the Move (youth movement classes and school residencies), Las Luciérnagas (early childhood program), and Community MOVE (adult programming). These programs deliver specialized movement classes including capoeira, creative movement, and developmental playgroups across multiple formats: in-studio classes, school partnerships, summer camp, and professional development workshops. The portfolio spans children ages 0-18 and their families, with sliding-scale pricing and bilingual English/Spanish delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kids on the Move: Programming for children 0-16 including movement classes, school residencies, summer camp, and developmental playgroups
• Las Luciérnagas
• Community MOVE
• Jardín Family Playgroups
• Schools on the Move
• Camp Commotion

Products and services

• Kids on the Move Movement and play programming for children ages 0-16 including movement classes, school residencies, summer camp, and developmental playgroups designed to support children's physical, social, and emotional development.
• Las Luciérnagas

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 870 children in 2021-2022 fiscal year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and moderate.

• Harmonious AltruismminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHarmonious Altruism partners with Project Commotion to deliver Teen and Adult Tai Chi and Kung Fu classes at the 2095 Harrison Street studio on Monday and Thursday nights. Classes are open to the community with scheduling and registration managed through Harmonious Altruism's website.
• Okinawan Karate Club of San FranciscominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOkinawan Karate Club of San Francisco delivers adult and teen karate classes at Project Commotion's studio on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Registration is handled in-person or by phone.
• Mission Neighborhood Centers (MNC)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerMNC partnered with Project Commotion to host MNC Playdates — bilingual family movement classes at Project Commotion's studio. A record 17 families attended combined sessions. MNC serves similar target populations (Latinx immigrant families in the Mission District).
• Instituto Familiar de la Raza (IFR)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFR partnered with Project Commotion and MNC for Week of the Young Child events and MNC Playdates, providing child development expert-led educational discussions alongside movement classes. IFR serves the Latinx community in San Francisco.
• Lizz Roman & DancersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLizz Roman & Dancers collaborated with Project Commotion on 'You Are Here' — a site-specific dance film project held at Project Commotion's 2095 Harrison Street building in November 2021. Funded as a commissioned project benefiting Project Commotion.
• Alonzo King Lines BalletminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJayla, Project Commotion's Administrative & Marketing Coordinator, previously worked as a teaching artist at Alonyo King Lines Ballet, indicating a professional relationship and shared community in Bay Area dance education.
• City College of San Francisco (CCSF)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founders Chagua and Susan studied through the Child Development and Family Studies Department at CCSF, which provided the academic foundation for Project Commotion's methodology. Faculty member Susan Osterhoff formerly taught classes for parents and caretakers at CCSF's Child Development and Family Studies Department.
• Michele Elefante Sensei / Okinawan Karate ClubminorOthersMichele Elefante Sensei (Godan/5th degree black belt in Shobayashi Shorin-Ryu and Shudokan Karate) led Empowerment Self-Defense Workshops at Project Commotion in September 2022. She founded the Okinawan Karate Club San Francisco in 2005.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alonzo King LINES Ballet: San Francisco dance company with a BFA program and extensive community dance education/outreach. Comparable Bay Area dance-education and movement-based youth programming; shared talent pipeline (Project Commotion staff previously taught there).
• Mission Neighborhood Centers: San Francisco Mission District nonprofit serving Latinx immigrant families with early childhood and family programming. Directly comparable Mission-based peer and active Project Commotion partner for MNC Playdates and Week of the Young Child events.
• Instituto Familiar de la Raza: SF-based nonprofit serving Latinx community with child development, family, and behavioral health services. Comparable target population and Mission District footprint; partnered with Project Commotion for joint programming.
• ODC Dance Commons: San Francisco dance institution operating a school and youth program with subsidized community classes. Comparable in offering movement/dance instruction to Bay Area children and families with sliding-scale access.

Regional players

• Children's Creativity Museum: San Francisco children's enrichment nonprofit focused on creative and technology-based learning experiences. Comparable in serving Bay Area children through creative enrichment programming with a community/educational mission.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of San Francisco: Large San Francisco youth and family recreation provider offering movement, sports, and camp programming. Competes for the same families and overlapping funding sources; broader portfolio and larger scale.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco: Large established youth development nonprofit serving San Francisco youth with recreation, education, and arts programming. Comparable mission (youth development via enrichment) and competing for the same Bay Area foundation/government funding pool.
• San Francisco Ballet School: Major Bay Area ballet institution with a large dance school offering youth programming. Overlaps in providing structured movement/dance education for children in SF, though at a much larger scale and with a broader curriculum portfolio.
• Head Start San Francisco (Catholic Charities / SFSU): Federally-funded early childhood education provider serving low-income SF children with preschool programs. Comparable in delivering inclusive early childhood programming in the Mission and serving overlapping families eligible for movement-based enrichment.

Emerging players

• Circus Center: San Francisco nonprofit offering youth circus arts and movement classes with sliding scale access. Comparable in providing specialty movement-based enrichment for Bay Area youth with inclusive, community-rooted programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSAryMw4k_euYjGnO-37G5Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/projectcommotion
• Instagraminstagram.com/projectcommotion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/project-commotion

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Project Commotion