Hip Hop For Change, Inc.

What Hip Hop For Change, Inc. does

Hip Hop For Change, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 and headquartered in Oakland, California, with a secondary creative facility in San Francisco. Its mission is to use hip hop culture — DJing, MCing, breakdancing, graffiti, and knowledge — as a vehicle for education, empowerment, and employment for marginalized communities, primarily low-income students of color. The organization has reached 45,000+ students across 100+ schools in the U.S. and internationally (including El Salvador), with 90% of youth served identifying as low-income students of color.

Its core product portfolio comprises proprietary curricula (THE MC five-part program, Women's Empowerment curriculum), youth-development programs (Pipeline to Positivity, Agents of Change, Writers Camp Wednesday), school assembly and residency services, two physical production facilities (Oakland recording studio and San Francisco Creative Studio), an online course on Teachable (THE MC Online), a Youth Album project, and tiered memberships. Programs are delivered via in-school residencies, free weekly studio access for youth ages 14-24, paid workforce-development residencies for systems-impacted youth ages 18-24, and community park events.

The business model combines earned revenue and contributed revenue. Earned streams include school assemblies at $2,000 standard rate (with $1,500 new-partner discount), studio rentals at $35-$100/hour across both locations, and five membership tiers ranging from $25 to $350 per month (the top tier bundles Roc Nation-affiliated artist development). Contributed revenue comes from one-time and recurring tax-deductible donations, plus institutional grants from the City of Oakland, California Arts Council, San Francisco Foundation, and East Bay Regional Parks District. The organization states 80% of donations pass through to education programs and community initiatives, with the remaining 20% allocated to operations and growth.

Name

Hip Hop For Change, Inc.

Legal name

Hip Hop For Change, Inc.

Website

https://hiphopforchange.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hip Hop For Change is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses hip hop culture as a vehicle for arts education, workforce development, and creative production for underserved youth, operating proprietary curricula, two studios, and programs across the Bay Area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Arts Education

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Sound Recording Studios (51224), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Youth Leadership, Oratory & Civic Speaking Programs (EDAMAOAH)

Keywords

• Arts education services
• Hip hop curriculum
• Youth workforce development
• Music education programs
• Community arts programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland, California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Monthly Memberships: Recurring monthly subscriptions at four tiers ($25-$350/month) providing members with exclusive event access, content, merch discounts, studio sessions, and artist development resources. Artist Accelerator tier includes Roc Nation-affiliated course access and performance opportunities.
2. Studio Rental Services: Hourly rental of recording studios in Oakland and San Francisco to artists and content creators. Oakland rates: $40-$80/hr for recording with optional engineer. SF Creative Studio: $35-$100/hr depending on space type (Art Annex, Performance Venue, Recording Studio).
3. School Assembly Programs: One-time fees for school assembly programs: standard rate $2,000 (45-60 minutes, 3 educators) with new school partner discount at $1,500. Also includes classroom workshops, artist residencies, and professional development programs.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible contributions as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. One-time donations at preset amounts ($10, $20, $50, $100) or custom amounts. 80% of donations go directly to education programs and community initiatives.
5. Tour Package Services: Booking services for touring artists including Art Annex performance space rental and Oakland recording studio sessions, with optional add-ons for booking shows in other NorCal cities, promotion support, and local artist collaborations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hip Hop For Change is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers culturally responsive hip hop arts education, community programming, and creative-industry workforce development for marginalized youth. Core offerings include in-school curricula (THE MC, Women's Empowerment), park-based programs (Hip Hop In The Park, Agents of Change), a paid youth artist residency (Pipeline to Positivity), free weekly studio access (Writers Camp Wednesday), professional recording/creative studio rentals in Oakland and San Francisco, sync songwriting workshops, an online hip hop course on Teachable, and a tiered monthly membership program.

Product overview

Hip Hop For Change, Inc. is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of educational programs and community services centered on Hip Hop culture. The core offerings include THE MC (a five-part Hip Hop education curriculum), Women's Empowerment, Hip Hop In The Park, Pipeline to Positivity (youth artist residency), Agents of Change (environmental arts program), and Writers Camp Wednesday (free youth studio access). These programs are delivered through in-person school assemblies, week-long takeovers, semester-long classes, and online courses via THE MC Online on Teachable.com. The organization operates two physical studio spaces: the Oakland Studio ('The Spaceship') for recording and the San Francisco Art Annex for film/creative work and events. Additional offerings include sync songwriting workshops, the Youth Album project, and a tiered membership program. All programs are designed to serve marginalized youth and communities through the five elements of Hip Hop: DJing, MCing, Breaking, Graffiti, and Knowledge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• THE MC An in-school five-part program covering Hip Hop's five elements (DJing, MCing, Breaking, Graffiti, and Knowledge) through interactive workshops and experiential curriculum for K-12 and university students.
• Women's Empowerment Program A culturally responsive program exploring the history, impact, and future of women in Hip Hop culture through education, discussion, and artistic practice for schools and community organizations.
• Hip Hop In The Park Community program developing culture bearers and Hip Hop arts practitioners through events, performances, workshops and activations in Bayview/Hunters Point neighborhood parks and open spaces.
• Pipeline to Positivity A 6-week paid youth-artist-in-residency program for systems-impacted youth ages 14-24 introducing creative careers within Hip Hop and Tech industries.
• Agents of Change A week-long artist-in-residency program incorporating naturalist knowledge into an experiential survey of Hip Hop's five elements, held at Crab Cove East Bay Regional Park for youth ages 13-17.
• Writers Camp Wednesday Free weekly open studio space for youth ages 14-24 offering professional recording equipment, mentorship, and opportunities to write songs, produce beats, record tracks, practice DJing, and podcast.
• THE MC Online Course A fully functional internet-based Hip Hop education course offered via Teachable.com with video lectures, activities, and tutorials in all Hip Hop artistic elements.
• School Assemblies High-energy 45-60 minute pep rally-style assemblies combining live performance and pedagogy for K-12 schools, priced at $2,000 standard rate.
• Oakland Studio (The Spaceship) Rental State-of-the-art recording studio in Temescal, Oakland offering recording, mixing, mastering, and beat-making services with professional equipment including Pro Tools HD, Universal Audio Apollo, Ableton Live, and Logic Pro.
• San Francisco Art Annex & Creative Studio Rental Media production studio in San Francisco featuring Art Annex for film/multi-use creative space ($75/hour), Performance Venue/Event Space ($100/hour), and Recording Studio ($35/hour).
• Sync Songwriting Workshops Workshops teaching sync songwriting strategies for placing music in film, TV, and video games, led by artists like Nitty Scott with 8+ sync placements including HBO and Far Cry.
• Youth Album: Agents of the Future Compilation album featuring original music from youth alumni of core programs, professionally released with tracks mixed and mastered, with youth retaining majority publishing and writer's royalties.
• Monthly Membership Program Monthly membership program with five tiers: The Cypher ($25), The Beat Builder ($75), The Culture Architect ($150), The Movement Partner ($250), and The Artist Accelerator ($350) offering event access, studio discounts, Roc Nation-affiliated course access, and merch discounts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45,000+ students taught globally from Bay Area to El Salvador
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• India Basin Waterfront ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Hip Hop In The Park initiative. HH4C presented events, performances, workshops, and activations within Bayview/Hunters Point Area parks and open spaces. Goal was developing culture bearers and hip hop arts practitioners within the Bayview/Hunters Point neighborhood.
• California Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState arts funding agency providing support for Hip Hop In The Park initiative and youth arts education programming. Recognized nonprofit supported by California Arts Council along with major foundations.
• East Bay Regional Parks DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual summer partnership for Agents of Change program. Week-long artist-in-residency program at Crab Cove East Bay Regional Park in Alameda, incorporating naturalist knowledge into hip hop education.
• Hip Hop Education CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud partners with Hip Hop Education Center and contributors to National Hip Hop Education Standards. Collaborative effort to advance hip hop education methodology and standards.
• National Hip Hop Education StandardsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributors to National Hip Hop Education Standards initiative, helping establish formal educational standards for hip hop-based curriculum.
• Roc NationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with Roc Nation for artist development course available to Artist Accelerator members. Provides access to industry-leading artist development curriculum.
• California Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for NightLife events featuring hip hop programming. HH4C leads hands-on stations including graffiti lettering, beatmaking, and beginner-friendly breaking at museum events.
• Hiero DayminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnnual Oakland hip hop festival where HH4C partners to provide programming. Kicks off Hiero Day with exclusive NightLife performance featuring Souls of Mischief.

Scale indicators8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• MasterClass: Online education platform offering celebrity-taught courses including hip hop instruction — broader incumbent competing for the same online learning audience with significantly greater production budget and celebrity instructor access.
• VH1 Save The Music Foundation: Established music education nonprofit founded in 1997 with national school district partnerships — comparable K-12 music education mission with significantly greater funding scale and institutional reach.
• Hip Hop Caucus: National civic engagement organization using hip hop culture to mobilize communities around social issues — a broader peer operating at national scale with similar cultural-political framing but more advocacy-focused.

Direct peers

• Little Kids Rock: National nonprofit providing free music education (including hip hop and modern band) to under-resourced K-12 schools — comparable audience, school-distribution model, and use of culturally responsive pedagogy.
• Urban Arts Partnership: New York-based arts education nonprofit providing programming in underserved schools using music, film, and creative media — directly comparable K-12 underserved-youth arts education model with a different cultural anchor.
• Beats Rhymes and Life: Oakland-based nonprofit using hip hop culture (MCing, DJing, beatmaking, graffiti, breakdancing) for youth development and social justice — the closest functional peer to Hip Hop For Change, with overlapping Bay Area geography and identical pedagogical framework.
• Hip Hop Education Center: National nonprofit developing and advocating for hip hop-based education standards and curriculum — a direct peer and existing partner of Hip Hop For Change, with overlapping mission around institutionalizing hip hop pedagogy.

Others

• National Guild for Community Arts Education: Industry membership organization representing community arts education providers including hip hop-based orgs — comparable as a sector peer rather than direct competitor, offering benchmarking and advocacy infrastructure.

Emerging players

• The Hip Hop Transformation Project: Hip hop-based youth empowerment and education organization working with underserved youth — emerging peer with overlapping mission but smaller footprint and earlier stage of development.
• Girl Be Heard: Youth arts education nonprofit using theater and performance for empowerment of underserved girls — comparable nonprofit arts education model targeting a related but distinct underserved demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hip-hop-for-change

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Hip Hop For Change, Inc.