Arts for Humanity!

What Arts for Humanity! does

Arts for Humanity! is a Santa Barbara-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 by Karsen Lee Gould that delivers free expressive arts programming to marginalized community members across Santa Barbara County, including at-risk youth, low-income seniors, and individuals with disabilities. Its core products are the Community Arts Programs (CAP), delivered through partnerships with local social service agencies and nonprofits at no charge to participants, spanning dance, theatre, poetry, visual arts, and life-stories storytelling. Sub-programs include Senior Expressive Arts (SEA), Teaching Artist Program (TAP), Creative Internship Program (CIP) for college students, Music Alive Program (MAP), Public Events Program (PEP), and seven original Mixed-Ability Theatre/Dance Productions plus the 'Inside the Outside' outsider art exhibit.

The organization's technology footprint is minimal — a Squarespace-hosted website, Google Slides-based interactive storytelling, and a virtual program called 'Have You Had Your Art Today?' launched during the COVID-19 pandemic (6,552 visits in 2022) — and there is no proprietary platform or AI component. The Creative Internship Program uses college interns from UCSB and other local institutions as program facilitators alongside a small paid staff.

The organization operates on a donation- and grant-funded model with no paid pricing or revenue from participants. It became independent of Social Good Fund's 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship umbrella in 2022 and is run by a small staff of approximately 19 employees supplemented by college interns and volunteers. Funding sources include the City of Santa Barbara Organizational Development Grant Program, the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture, the Squire Foundation, and the Stephanie Lancaster Foundation. Geographic operations are restricted to Santa Barbara County.

Name

Arts for Humanity!

Legal name

Arts for Humanity!

Website

https://artsforhumanity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arts for Humanity! is a Santa Barbara-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 delivering free expressive arts programming in dance, theatre, poetry, and visual arts to at-risk youth, low-income seniors, and individuals with disabilities through partnerships with local social service agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts & Nonprofit Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI)

Keywords

• Community arts programs
• Expressive arts therapy
• Youth arts education
• Senior arts programs
• Disability arts inclusion

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Arts for Humanity! is a nonprofit organization supported entirely by donations from individuals, foundations, and grants. Programs are provided free of charge to participants. Organization received funding from Organizational Development Grant Program (City of Santa Barbara), Community Arts Grant, Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture, and various private foundations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arts for Humanity! provides free, year-round Expressive Arts Programs—including dance, theatre, poetry, visual arts, creative storytelling, and music—directly to marginalized and underserved community members (at-risk youth, seniors, and people with disabilities) through partnerships with local nonprofits and social service agencies in Santa Barbara County. The organization also trains college interns and produces original Mixed-Ability Theatre/Dance Productions.

Product overview

Arts for Humanity! is a nonprofit organization (not a technology product company) offering community arts programs. Its core offering is the Community Arts Programs (CAP), which delivers year-round interactive arts programming (creative theatre, expressive movement, visual art, dance, poetry, life stories) free of charge to underserved populations including at-risk youth, people with disabilities, and seniors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it launched 'Have You Had Your Art Today?' as a virtual arts program and 'Creative Storytelling' using Google Slides for interactive community storytelling. Sub-programs include Senior Expressive Arts (SEA), Teaching Artist Program (TAP), Creative Internship Program (CIP), Music Alive Program (MAP), and Public Events Program (PEP). The organization also produces original mixed-ability theatre/dance productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Have You Had Your Art Today?: Virtual program offering curated creative arts resources including art tutorials, inspirational performances, heartwarming stories, and classes in poetry, dance, and yoga.

Products and services

• Community Arts Programs (CAP) Year-round free interactive arts programming (creative theatre, expressive movement, visual art, dance, poetry, life stories) delivered directly to at-risk youth, people with disabilities, and seniors through partnerships with local nonprofits and social service agencies.
• Have You Had Your Art Today? Virtual arts program offering curated resources including art tutorials, inspirational performances, heartwarming stories, inspiring talks, and classes in poetry, dance, and yoga for community members across a wide audience.
• Creative Storytelling Interactive storytelling platform using Google Slides where participants add stories, poems, phrases, or images to create collaborative stories with accessible visuals.
• Senior Expressive Arts (SEA) Arts program for low-income seniors providing uplifting creative opportunities including visual art, poetry, photography, and the Life Stories component which uses nostalgia and memorabilia to awaken memories.
• Music Alive Program (MAP) Program where local musicians perform across various genres providing interactive music experiences for residents of low-income senior facilities and youth.
• Zabella's Circle Original mixed-ability theatre/dance production created through collaborative improvisational process, blending theatre and dance enhanced by visual art of artists with disabilities.
• Public Events Program (PEP) Program providing creative activities at community events including the 'Create a Costume & Portraits for Youth' booth and the 'Inside the Outside' annual outsider art exhibit showcasing artwork by artists with disabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 3,650+ participants annually prior to pandemic
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered prior partnership, core and minor.

• Squire Foundationprior partnershipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2017Partnership with Squire Foundation providing Community Arts Programs. The Squire Foundation is a nonprofit empowerment foundation dedicated to civic and educational programs for artists and creative people.
• United Way of Santa Barbara CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts for Humanity! provides arts opportunities for United Way's annual Fun in the Sun program serving hundreds of at-risk youth. Expanded partnership in 2019.
• Villa Santa FecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLife Stories for Seniors program expanded to low-income residential communities at Villa Santa Fe, providing meaningful program to seniors and reducing isolation.
• Garden Court Senior CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Expressive Art for Seniors and Music Alive Program for low-income senior residents, including Life Stories program.
• Westside Boys & Girls ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly visual arts classes and creative arts workshops led by Teaching Artists for at-risk youth at Westside Boys & Girls Club.
• Santa Barbara Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership beginning January 2018 providing inspiring creative arts opportunities to local youth at multiple library branches including Lolligaggers puppet-making, Pocket Books, and Book Mobiles.
• Down Syndrome Association of Santa Barbara CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts for Humanity! participates in annual Buddy Walk and Hoedown events with Create a Costume & Portraits for Youth booth.
• Santa Barbara Rite Care Childhood Language CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partnership for Family Fiesta summer celebration featuring Create a Costume and Portraits for Youth booth.
• Cal Poly Kappa Kappa PsiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented 'Instrument Petting Zoo' event with Cal Poly's honorary band fraternity, Iota Pi chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi.
• Alpha Resource CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatre and dance programs for individuals with disabilities through partnership with Alpha Resource Center.
• Girls Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoetry for Youth programming delivered to Girls Inc. participants.
• Goleta Boys & Girls ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWatercolor Play and creative arts activities provided at Goleta Boys & Girls Club summer programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• VSA (Kennedy Center): International nonprofit program at the Kennedy Center providing arts programming for people with disabilities. Direct peer for Arts for Humanity!'s Mixed-Ability Theatre/Dance Productions and Alpha Resource Center partnership.
• Turnaround Arts: Kennedy Center initiative bringing arts education to high-poverty schools serving underserved students. Comparable in using arts as a vehicle to support at-risk youth through institutional partnerships.
• Free Arts NYC: Nonprofit providing free arts programming and mentorship to underserved youth in New York City through volunteer mentors. Comparable model of free arts delivered to at-risk youth via community partnerships.
• Young Audiences Arts for Learning: National network of affiliates delivering arts education programs to K-12 students, with a strong focus on underserved youth. Directly comparable mission to Arts for Humanity!'s Community Arts Programs for at-risk youth via nonprofit partnerships.
• National Guild for Community Arts Education: Membership organization supporting community-based arts education providers, including programs serving at-risk populations. Comparable in delivering free/low-cost arts instruction through nonprofit and community partnerships.

Emerging players

• Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network: National network of clinical arts programming for military service members and veterans with trauma. Compares on therapeutic/expressive arts delivery model aligned with Arts for Humanity!'s Creative Arts Therapies approach.

Broad incumbents

• Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit service organization advancing the arts at federal, state, and local levels. Operates broadly across all arts segments rather than specializing in direct-service community arts, making it a broader incumbent in the same space.

Regional players

• Community Music Center of San Francisco: San Francisco nonprofit offering sliding-scale music and arts instruction to community members regardless of ability to pay. Closely comparable in providing affordable arts instruction to underserved populations, but operating in Northern California rather than Santa Barbara.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ArtsforHumanity
• Facebookfacebook.com/arts4humanity
• Instagraminstagram.com/arts_for_humanity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arts-for-humanity-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Arts for Humanity!