JIA Foundation

What JIA Foundation does

JIA Foundation (legal name: Fondation JIA Foundation) is a Quebec-registered non-profit organization founded in 2022 and headquartered in Montreal. Its mandate is to protect and promote the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Montreal's Chinatown through four operational pillars: education, research, space activation, and community capacity-building. The organization serves the Chinese Montreal community (multi-generational residents, Chinese-Canadian youth, recent immigrants), the broader public and heritage enthusiasts, Chinatown legacy businesses, and government/institutional partners engaged in heritage preservation and urban planning. Co-founder Parker Mah, a fourth-generation Chinese Montrealer, anchors the foundation's by-and-for community credibility.

The foundation's product portfolio centers on a permanent cultural and community space, Chinatown House, located at 116 De La Gauchetière O. (the Maison Yep-Riopel heritage building, occupied since January 2025). Programming spans photographic and documentary exhibitions (Made in Chinatown I & II, Maison Yep-Riopel, Wing Noodles: The Heart of Chinatown), a choreographic touring performance series (Manger Nos Racines), curated lecture and panel programs (Fortunes & Futures, Keith Lock's Intimate Diasporas Retrospective co-presented with Cinémathèque québécoise), and community-led urban-planning initiatives (Clark Street Reimagined, Chinatown Reimagined Forum). Supporting revenue infrastructure includes the JIA Boutique merchandise store and ticketed special events such as film screenings ($15) and community banquets ($80 CAD).

The business model is grant-and-donation-funded rather than commercial. Primary revenue streams are government and arts-council grants (Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Ville-Marie borough), individual donations (the foundation notes it is not a registered charity and cannot issue tax receipts), merchandise sales through JIA Boutique, and event ticket income from select paid programming. Most exhibitions and community programming are free. Distribution occurs through Chinatown House as a fixed anchor venue, partner venues across Montreal (MEM, Cinémathèque québécoise, Université de Montréal, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office), site-based outdoor projects, and traveling exhibitions. Technology is not a material component of operations; no AI, proprietary software, or digital platform is in evidence.

Name

JIA Foundation

Legal name

FONDATION JIA FOUNDATION

Website

https://jiafoundationmtl.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

JIA Foundation is a Montreal-based non-profit that protects and promotes Montreal's Chinatown cultural heritage through exhibitions, performing arts, and community organizing at its Chinatown House space, serving the Chinese Montreal community, legacy businesses, and the broader public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Preservation

NAICS

Museums (71211), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Cultural heritage preservation
• Community arts programming
• Chinatown community engagement
• Heritage exhibition services
• Urban planning advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts donations from individuals and organizations to support their cultural heritage programs, exhibitions, and community initiatives. They conduct fundraising campaigns such as the community banquet for Wing Noodles legacy preservation.
2. Merchandise Sales: JIA Foundation operates a boutique (JIA Boutique) selling merchandise to support their cultural programming at Chinatown House.
3. Event Ticket Sales: Some events such as film screenings and community banquets require paid admission. For example, the Golden Village screening charged $15 and the Wing Noodles community banquet was $80 CAD per person.
4. Government and Foundation Grants: JIA Foundation receives funding from government bodies and arts councils including Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and Ville-Marie borough to support specific projects and cultural programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

JIA Foundation is a non-profit that protects and promotes the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Montreal's Chinatown through education, research, space activation, and community capacity-building. It operates Chinatown House as a permanent cultural and community anchor venue and delivers free exhibitions, workshops, choreographic tours, talks series, and urban-planning advocacy initiatives. Programming is funded primarily by donations, government and foundation grants, and modest paid event tickets and boutique merchandise sales.

Product overview

JIA Foundation is a non-profit cultural heritage organization offering free community programs centered around education, research, space activation, and community capacity-building for Montreal's Chinatown. Its portfolio includes physical exhibitions at Chinatown House (photography/documentary projects like Made in Chinatown and Maison Yep-Riopel), performing arts programs (Manger Nos Racines choreographic tours), educational talks series (Fortunes & Futures), and urban planning advocacy initiatives (Clark Street Reimagined). All programs are free of charge, funded through grants and donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MADE IN CHINATOWN: Photography exhibition project documenting Chinatown businesses and community members
• Chinatown House
• Manger Nos Racines
• Fortunes & Futures

Products and services

• Chinatown House A permanent cultural and community space operated by JIA Foundation at 116 de la Gauchetière Ouest, Montreal. Hosts exhibitions, cultural programming, workshops, fireside chats, and community events with free admission on Fridays through Sundays from 11 AM to 4 PM, open to the general public and the Chinese Montreal community.
• Wing Noodles: The Heart of Chinatown Exhibition A free living exhibition exploring nearly 130 years of Wing Noodles history at Chinatown House, documenting the Lee family's legacy, the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion era, and JIA Foundation's heritage preservation advocacy that contributed to the building's Quebec heritage designation.
• Made in Chinatown Documentary Project A photo and video documentary project featuring portraits of Chinatown legacy businesses and community members. Phase II (2026) tells the stories of four businesses and includes a hardcover book publication. Exhibited at multiple locations including Chinatown House.
• Maison Yep-Riopel Exhibition An exhibition chronicling the layered history of the 116 De la Gauchetière building (the Chinatown House site itself), documenting community-led resistance against systemic racism and segregation, from the Yep family's early occupation to recent heritage protection. Inaugural exhibition at Chinatown House.
• Manger Nos Racines Choreographic Tour A choreographic co-creation inspired by stories of Chinese Montrealers, presented as a guided 70-minute tour of Chinatown with four sites featuring choreographies and theatrical scenes, co-presented with Festival Accès Asie. Includes free satellite activities such as dance classes at seniors' residences.
• Fortunes & Futures Talks Series Curated talks and deep dives accompanying the Wing Noodles exhibition, covering topics such as Chinatown history, heritage conservation, documentary filmmaking, and the Lee family's legacy, hosted at partner venues including MEM.

Quantifiable outcome

• Heritage building (116 de la Gauchetière O.) designated as protected heritage site through community-led advocacy
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.

• Festival Accès AsieflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of Manger Nos Racines (presented first edition Sit, Eat & Chew in 2022-2023) and Keith Lock's Intimate Diasporas Retrospective as part of Asian Heritage Month.
• MEM - Centre des mémoires montréalaisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouses the Wing's Collection (5000 lots of objects from Wings and Chinatown history donated by Gilbert Lee). Partner venue for Fortunes & Futures talks series and other events. Collaborated on multiple exhibitions and lectures.
• Panorama-cinémaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of Keith Lock's Intimate Diasporas Retrospective with Cinémathèque québécoise, Miao Collective, JIA Foundation, Festival Accès Asie, and Tënk Canada.
• Cinémathèque québécoiseflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of Keith Lock's Intimate Diasporas Retrospective, one of Quebec's major cinematheque institutions.
• Miao CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Keith Lock retrospective, prepared retrospective and accompanying magazine feature for Asian Heritage Month.
• Tënk CanadasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Keith Lock's Intimate Diasporas Retrospective, providing documentary film platform support.
• Think!ChinatownflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYC-based creative placekeeping nonprofit partnered with JIA to present short films on NYC Chinatown stories and activism. Executive Director Yin Kong participated in discussion following screening at Chinatown House.
• EYESTEEL FilmflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented world premiere of The Golden Village documentary film by Karen Cho, with panel discussion featuring JIA Foundation team members.
• Yee Kang CentersupportingOthersCommunity partner providing support for Manger Nos Racines project activities.
• Chinese Community HousingsupportingOthersCommunity partner supporting Manger Nos Racines project.
• Université de MontréalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for lecture series on placemaking, placekeeping, and Chinatown history. Partnership with Centre d'études asiatiques and venue access at Pavillon Lionel-Groulx and Pavillon Jean-Brillant.
• Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Montreal (TECO)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Keith Lock Retrospective closing event at 112 de la Gauchetière O. (3rd floor).
• Chinatown Round TablecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized community fundraising banquet for Wing Noodles legacy with JIA Foundation, jointly advocating for heritage preservation.
• Objets de MémoirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit museological action group that took on the Wing's Collection project (5000+ objects). Cofounder Jean-Philippe Riopel led the preservation effort before donating the collection to MEM.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chinese American Museum: Los Angeles-based museum housed in the historic Garnier Building, focused on Chinese American history and heritage preservation. Direct peer in operating a heritage-site museum with exhibitions and community programs for a Chinatown community.
• Chinatown Community Development Center: San Francisco-based nonprofit working to preserve and improve San Francisco Chinatown through affordable housing, community space, and cultural heritage programs. Highly comparable in combining real estate/anti-displacement strategy with heritage programming.
• Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience: Seattle-based museum and cultural center focused on Asian Pacific American history, art, and community. Similar model of operating a heritage-linked cultural space with exhibitions, education, and community programming for an Asian diaspora community.
• Think!Chinatown: NYC-based creative placekeeping nonprofit that partners with JIA on short films about Chinatown stories and activism. Both organizations use arts, programming, and community organizing to preserve and reimagine Chinatowns in major North American cities.
• Vancouver Chinatown Foundation for Community Revitalization: Canadian nonprofit focused on preserving and revitalizing Vancouver's Chinatown through heritage conservation, cultural programming, and community engagement. Comparable Canadian mandate, similar heritage preservation focus, and analogous fight against displacement pressures.
• Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA): New York-based museum dedicated to preserving and presenting the history, heritage, and culture of Chinese Americans. Comparable to JIA in its mandate to use exhibitions, oral histories, and education to document Chinese American heritage and counter narratives of erasure.
• Victoria Chinatown Museum Society: Canadian nonprofit society operating a Chinatown museum in Victoria, BC. Comparable in scope, scale, and mission: operating a small heritage-focused museum dedicated to a Canadian Chinatown's history and community.

Regional players

• MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises: Montreal-based heritage organization that houses the Wing's Collection (5,000 objects donated by Gilbert Lee) and is a core JIA partner. Operates in the same city with an overlapping mandate on minority and community heritage preservation and serves as a venue collaborator.

Others

• Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care: Canadian nonprofit serving Chinese-Canadian communities with seniors services and community programs. Not a direct peer but a community partner organization serving overlapping Chinese Montreal/Toronto populations with social services.

Broad incumbents

• Chinese Canadian National Council: National Canadian advocacy organization addressing issues facing Chinese Canadians including heritage preservation, anti-racism, and community development. Wider in scope and geographic reach than JIA but overlapping on cultural heritage advocacy and policy engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jia-foundation-mtl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about JIA Foundation