ArtSmart

What ArtSmart does

ArtSmart is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2016 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It delivers tuition-free music mentorship programs to youth in under-resourced communities across eight U.S. regions, including San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, Newark, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Troy (NY), and a remote program in the Adirondacks. The organization was co-founded by internationally recognized opera singers Michael Fabiano and John Viscardi with a dual mission of expanding access to arts education for underrepresented youth while sustaining meaningful careers for professional working musicians.

The organization's core product surface consists of three programs. The One-to-One Mentorship Program delivers weekly private lessons in voice, piano, and other instruments over a 28-week school year, focused on goal-setting, self-image building, and intrinsic motivation. The Vocal Theater Program is a small-group format in which three students create original theatrical pieces combining music and dialogue to explore social issues over 28 weeks. A Remote Outreach Program, run in partnership with We Are Instrumental, extends virtual mentorship to geographically isolated communities. All programs are delivered during the school day at no cost to students or schools by paid professional musicians branded as the "Maria Manetti Shrem Mentors." Underlying the curriculum is an evidence-based framework incorporating the Connected Arts Learning Framework, the Creative Youth Development Model, SMART Goal-Setting, and SAFE Practices; a longitudinal study published in June 2023 establishes causal impact on social-emotional outcomes.

ArtSmart operates as a community-led nonprofit with no proprietary technology platform, no paid beneficiary pricing, and no equity or debt capital structure. Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropic channels: individual donations across eight tiers (from under $1,000 Friends to $500,000+ Champions), foundation grants (William Penn Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, The Presser Foundation), corporate sponsorships, and gala/regional event fundraising (with sponsorship tiers up to $20,000). Distribution is achieved through direct partnerships with Title I schools, where at least 40% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The organization serves a student population that is 90% Black, Indigenous, and people of color, 55% from English Language Learning backgrounds, and reports outcome metrics including a 100% increase in student belief in their own talent, a 59% increase in having a trusted adult to talk to when stressed, and a 93% college-aspiration rate (versus 71% in a comparison group and 74% national average). Headcount stands at 42 employees, and the organization has delivered over 60,000 music-mentorship sessions since inception.

Name

ArtSmart

Legal name

ArtSmart

Website

https://artsmart.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ArtSmart is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 that delivers tuition-free, in-school music mentorship by paid professional artists to youth in under-resourced communities across eight U.S. regions. It serves a student population that is 90% BIPOC and 55% English Language Learners at Title I schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Music Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Music Lessons (Instrumental) (EDAMANAA), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Music mentorship programs
• Youth arts education
• Nonprofit music instruction
• School-based arts programs
• Tuition-free music lessons

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

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. Individual Donations: Charitable contributions from individual donors at various giving levels (Friends up to $999+, Supporters $1K-$5K, Patrons $10K+, Ambassadors $25K+, Guardians $50K+, Visionaries $100K+, Luminaries $250K+, Champions $500K+)
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from private foundations including William Penn Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, The Presser Foundation, and others
3. Event Fundraising: Gala events and regional events generate sponsorship revenue and ticket sales. The 10th Anniversary Gala features sponsorship tiers from $750 Friend to $20,000 Event Underwriter.
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors at various event sponsorship levels with recognition benefits

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ArtSmart is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides tuition-free, in-school music mentorship programs to youth in under-resourced communities. Professional artist mentors deliver weekly one-to-one lessons (voice, piano, instruments) and small-group vocal theater workshops during the school day at no cost to students or partner schools. The organization operates across eight U.S. cities/regions and has delivered more than 60,000 mentorship sessions since 2016.

Product overview

ArtSmart is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 that provides tuition-free music mentorship programs to youth in under-resourced communities. The organization operates two core programs: the One-to-One Mentorship Program offering weekly private voice, piano, and instrumental lessons over a 28-week school year, and the Vocal Theater Program enabling small groups of students to create original theatrical pieces combining music and dialogue. Both programs are delivered by professional musicians called Maria Manetti Shrem Mentors. ArtSmart also offers a Remote Outreach Program for geographically isolated communities. The organization serves students across multiple U.S. cities including San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, Newark, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Troy, with additional virtual reach in the Adirondacks region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One-to-One Mentorship Program Weekly private lessons in voice, piano, and other instruments delivered one-on-one by professional artist mentors over a 28-week program year, focusing on goal-setting, self-image building, and intrinsic motivation. Offered tuition-free to youth in Title I schools and under-resourced communities.
• Vocal Theater Program A small-group mentorship program in which students create original theatrical pieces combining music and dialogue over 28 weeks, exploring social issues and personal values through team-building, acting, and singing lessons. Delivered tuition-free to under-resourced students.
• Remote Outreach Program Virtual music mentorship delivered to students in remote communities, such as the Adirondacks region, partnering with local organizations like We Are Instrumental to reach students lacking access due to geographical barriers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% increase in student belief that they are talented
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• We Are InstrumentalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with We Are Instrumental in the Adirondacks to provide virtual music mentorship and lessons to students in remote communities lacking access to fine arts education due to geographical barriers.
• Title I Schools (Various)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with Title I schools where at least 40% of students receive free or reduced lunch, providing in-person music mentorship during school hours at no cost to the school.
• Sphinx OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Sphinx Organization for music education and youth development initiatives, including EXIGENCE vocal ensemble participation.
• League of American OrchestrasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the League of American Orchestras on national initiatives to diversify the classical music field, including graduate fellowship programs for musicians of color.
• Smithsonian InstitutionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Smithsonian Institution on field-wide conversations on inclusion, access, and social impact in the arts.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute: Education arm of Carnegie Hall running national programs (including free concerts in schools and Link Up curriculum). Larger, broader portfolio with overlapping but more institutionally-focused music education footprint.

Direct peers

• El Sistema USA: U.S. affiliate of the global El Sistema movement, providing intensive ensemble-based music education to children in underserved communities. Comparable mission and youth-population focus.
• Sphinx Organization: National nonprofit focused on diversity in classical music, with K-12 programs, the Sphinx Performance Academy, and youth ensembles (including EXIGENCE, which ArtSmart mentors participate in). Highly comparable mission and target population.
• VH1 Save The Music Foundation: National nonprofit dedicated to restoring music education in American public schools through instrument grants and program support. Directly comparable focus on K-12 music access.
• Little Kids Rock / Music Will: National nonprofit providing free music instruction to under-resourced public school students, now operating in thousands of schools across all 50 states. Comparable target beneficiary and school-based delivery model.
• Midori & Friends: New York-based nonprofit providing free music education to underserved NYC public school students via in-school residencies and mentorship. Highly comparable in-school delivery model and underserved-youth focus.
• Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation: National nonprofit that supports music education through instrument donations and program partnerships in under-served schools. Directly comparable K-12 music access mission.

Others

• League of American Orchestras: National service and advocacy organization for orchestras, including diversity initiatives and youth fellowships. Existing ArtSmart partner and a strategic peer in the field-wide classical-music DEI conversation.
• National Guild for Community Music Education: Membership organization supporting community music schools (including Settlement Music School). Comparable community-based music instruction orientation with operational and policy overlap.

Regional players

• Settlement Music School: Philadelphia-based nonprofit community music school (founded 1908) offering subsidized music instruction to Philadelphia-area students. Comparable music-education-offering model and Philadelphia co-location with ArtSmart.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/artsmartorg

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 ArtSmart