CAPOEIRA ARTS FOUNDATION INC

What CAPOEIRA ARTS FOUNDATION INC does

The Capoeira Arts Foundation (CAF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural arts organization founded circa 1977 in Berkeley, California, by Mestre Acordeon (Ubirajara G. Almeida), recognized as one of the early pioneers of capoeira in the United States. The organization serves as an ambassador of Brazilian and Afro-Brazilian culture, delivering programming in capoeira, music, and dance across weekly classes, workshops, festivals, and an annual summer camp, reaching over 1,000 participants weekly.

CAF operates Casa de Cultura, a performing arts venue and community center at 1901 San Pablo Avenue purchased in 2019, which functions as a third-space community hub offering subsidized space to independent teachers, cultural organizations, and community groups. The organization's portfolio is organized around four named programs: Casa de Cultura (venue and community programming), Projeto Saúde (health and well-being initiatives), Educação (educational programming including healthcare translation services and school field trips), and Legados (archival and legacy preservation work documenting capoeira elders, with associated copyright-recapture support for artists). The United Capoeira Association (UCA), a network of independent capoeira schools, coordinates cultural exchange and events through CAF.

CAF generates revenue through a mix of tax-deductible individual and corporate donations, grants from entities such as Creative West, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the City of Berkeley, class and workshop fees (e.g., $30 per evening event), summer camp tuition, and subsidized venue rentals. Distribution is community-led and direct: weekly on-site classes, workshops with visiting Brazilian masters, Legados festivals, Instagram (@capoeiraartsfoundation), an email newsletter, and partnerships with local schools and community organizations. The organization operates with approximately five paid staff and a volunteer board of directors comprising prominent capoeira mestres and community leaders.

Name

CAPOEIRA ARTS FOUNDATION INC

Legal name

The Capoeira Arts Foundation, Inc

Website

https://capoeiraartsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Capoeira Arts Foundation is a Berkeley-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1977, that delivers Afro-Brazilian capoeira, dance, and music classes, workshops, and festivals to over 1,000 weekly participants through its owned Casa de Cultura community center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Arts Education

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Dance Companies (711120), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Community arts education
• Capoeira instruction classes
• Afro-Brazilian cultural arts
• Performing arts venue
• Cultural heritage preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and grants from organizations like Creative West, National Endowment for the Arts, and City of Berkeley.
2. Class and Workshop Fees: Fees for capoeira, dance, and music classes. Some events charge registration fees at the door ($30 per evening).
3. Summer Camp Programs: Revenue from CAF Summer Camp programming for children.
4. Venue Rental: Casa de Cultura serves as a performing arts venue offering space to other organizations, teachers, healers, and community groups at subsidized rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Capoeira Arts Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers Afro-Brazilian cultural arts programming, including weekly capoeira, dance, and music classes, workshops with visiting Brazilian masters, an annual children's summer camp, community festivals, and the Legados elder-preservation project. It operates Casa de Cultura, a performing arts venue and community center at 1901 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, purchased in 2019, offered at subsidized rates to community organizations and serving over 1,000 participants weekly.

Product overview

Capoeira Arts Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization offering a portfolio of cultural programs centered on Afro-Brazilian arts. The core offerings include Casa de Cultura (a performing arts venue and community center), Projeto Saúde (health and well-being initiatives), Educação (educational programming), and Legados (legacy preservation and archiving). The organization also provides weekly classes in Capoeira, Music, and Dance; operates a events programming including workshops with visiting masters and Legados festivals; and runs an annual Summer Camp. These programs collectively serve over 1,000 participants weekly, functioning as a third-space community hub dedicated to preserving and sharing Brazilian culture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Casa de Cultura: A performing arts venue and community center at 1901 San Pablo Avenue offering classes, workshops, shows, and festivals of Afro-Brazilian Culture. Functions as a 'third space' for community gathering.
• Legados
• Projeto Saúde
• Educação
• United Capoeira Association (UCA)

Products and services

• Casa de Cultura Performing arts venue and community center at 1901 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, offering classes, workshops, shows, and festivals of Afro-Brazilian culture. Functions as a third-space community hub and is offered at deeply subsidized fees to other organizations, teachers, healers, and community groups.
• Projeto Saúde (Health Initiative) An initiative to promote physical and mental well-being through arts and community engagement, including translation services in health care settings for community members facing language and access barriers.
• Educação (Educational Programming)
• Legados (Legacy Preservation Project)
• Capoeira Classes Weekly capoeira instruction for adults (all levels), teens (ages 13-17), kids (ages 6-12), and pre-capoeira (ages 2-5), offered by the Berkeley Capoeira Collective and Capoeira Luanda.
• Music Classes
• Dance Classes
• Events Programming (Workshops and Festivals)
• CAF Summer Camp

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000+ weekly participants across all programs

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

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Dança de MandingaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 August 2025Collaboration for Mestre Marcelo Angola CA tour - two-night workshop at Casa de Cultura.
• Capoeira Batuque Daly CityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 August 2025Collaboration for Mestre Marcelo Angola CA tour - two-night workshop at Casa de Cultura.
• United Capoeira Association (UCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCA is the name for a group of various independent capoeira schools that work together to carry on the mission of CAF. They coordinate events, workshops, and cultural exchange according to common philosophical ideals. CAF provides the Casa de Cultura venue while UCA schools provide teaching and community engagement.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• DanceBrazil: Long-standing Afro-Brazilian dance company with a connected capoeira program. A CAF board member (Danilo Portugal) actually performed with DanceBrazil, establishing a direct organizational and cultural overlap with CAF's dance and capoeira programming.
• International Capoeira Association (FICA): Capoeira Angola nonprofit founded by Mestre Moraes, with affiliated schools and groups across the U.S. and globally. Shares CAF's mission of preserving Afro-Brazilian capoeira traditions through classes, workshops, and community events.
• Abada Capoeira: One of the largest capoeira organizations in the United States, founded by Mestre Acoba in the 1990s. Directly comparable to CAF as a multi-school capoeira nonprofit offering classes, performances, and cultural programming across U.S. cities.
• Grupo São Salvador: Independent capoeira group with a Bay Area presence (a CAF board member is an instructor with Grupo São Salvador). Closely comparable as a capoeira teaching organization with overlapping community and instructor networks.
• Aquarela Brazilian Dance: Bay Area-based Brazilian dance organization founded in 1986 by CAF board member Maria Amabilis de Souza. Highly comparable as a local Afro-Brazilian dance nonprofit with community classes and Carnaval programming, with direct organizational ties to CAF.
• Capoeira Angola Center of Mestre João Grande: New York-based capoeira academy founded by legendary Mestre João Grande, a direct contemporary of CAF's founder Mestre Acordeon. Highly comparable as a senior-mestre-led capoeira school focused on traditional Angola practice and community transmission.

Regional players

• La Peña Cultural Center: Berkeley-based nonprofit cultural center offering music, dance, and arts programming with a focus on Latin American and community-rooted arts. Comparable to CAF as a Berkeley cultural center combining classes, performances, and community gathering functions.
• Rhythmix Cultural Works: Alameda-based nonprofit cultural center offering music, dance, and arts education with a community programming model. Comparable to CAF's Casa de Cultura as a community-rooted performing arts venue providing classes, workshops, and cultural events.
• The Eastside Arts Alliance: Oakland-based arts and cultural equity nonprofit supporting Black and Brown artists across multiple disciplines. Comparable to CAF as a community-rooted nonprofit using arts as a vehicle for cultural preservation and social impact in the Bay Area.

Broad incumbents

• Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: San Francisco-based nonprofit arts institution presenting performing arts, visual arts, and community programming. Comparable to CAF as a community-oriented performing arts venue, though operating at significantly larger scale and broader programmatic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/capoeiraartsfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capoeira-arts-foundation-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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