Peyvand NPO

What Peyvand NPO does

Peyvand NPO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, with program operations spanning the Seattle metropolitan area and King County. The organization connects diverse communities through arts and cultural engagement, serving multicultural and immigrant youth and their families in the Pacific Northwest. Its programming spans youth empowerment, cultural education, film initiatives, and Persian/Iranian heritage preservation, delivered through partnerships with libraries, universities, schools, and cultural institutions.

Peyvand operates a portfolio of distinct programs rather than a unified product. Core offerings include the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP), Future Voices King County (a free 12-week leadership, public speaking, storytelling, oral history, and podcasting program for ages 14-24), the Youth Film Making Summer Camp, Youth Art Workshops hosted at Seattle Public Library branches, the Iran Film Initiative (launched in 2015 with SIFF), Persian and Iranian Studies support for the University of Washington's PISP, Family Empowerment workshops, and seasonal cultural events including Nowruz, Yalda, and Chaharshanbe Suri. Its technical infrastructure is minimal and community-focused: a Squarespace website, Google Forms-based registration, Square-based donation processing, and social media engagement via Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Telegram. There is no proprietary technology platform; the organization explicitly identifies as a community nonprofit rather than a technology company.

Peyvand is funded through individual donations, government and foundation grants (4Culture, City of Bellevue, King County Best Starts for Kids, Crane Charitable Fund, ARTFUND, King County Public Health), modest program fees (e.g., a $250 Dance Summer Camp and $35 suggested donations for events like the NAMAD Ensemble Concert), and corporate sponsorships. Most programs are offered free of charge to ensure accessibility. Distribution occurs through partnerships with libraries, schools, universities, and community venues rather than commercial channels, with the go-to-market motion described as community-led. The organization is governed by a board of directors, led by President Shahrzad Shams and Vice President Leyla Salmassi, and operates with a small core team of 5 employees supported by over 1,450 documented volunteer hours.

Name

Peyvand NPO

Legal name

Peyvand

Website

https://peyvandnpo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Peyvand NPO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Kirkland, Washington that connects diverse communities through arts and cultural engagement, serving multicultural and immigrant youth and families across King County via youth empowerment, cultural education, film, and Persian heritage programs delivered in partnership with libraries, universities, and civic institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural and Arts Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB)

Keywords

• Community arts programming
• Youth cultural empowerment
• Immigrant family support
• Persian heritage education
• Cultural nonprofit services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellevue

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations from community members supporting the organization's mission of connecting diverse communities through arts and cultural engagement.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Grants from 4Culture, City of Bellevue, King County Best Starts for Kids, and other public funding sources supporting cultural programs and youth empowerment initiatives.
3. Program Fees: Tuition fees for paid programs such as the Dance Summer Camp ($250), with many programs offered free of charge to ensure accessibility.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Support from corporate sponsors including 4Culture, Crane Charitable Fund, Early Music Seattle, and others for specific events and programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Peyvand NPO delivers community-based arts, cultural, and youth empowerment programs for underrepresented multicultural and immigrant youth and families in the Seattle/King County area. Its offerings include leadership training (Future Voices King County), filmmaking camps, art workshops, the Iran Film Initiative with SIFF, Persian/Iranian Studies support with UW, family empowerment events, and seasonal cultural celebrations (Nowruz, Yalda). Most programs are free or low-cost and delivered in partnership with libraries, universities, and community venues.

Product overview

Peyvand is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of cultural, educational, and youth empowerment programs rather than a unified tech product. Its core offerings include the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP), Future Voices King County, Youth Film Making Summer Camp, Youth Art Workshops, Iran Film Initiative (IFI), Persian and Iranian Studies Support, Family Empowerment, and Cultural Events (Nowruz, Yalda celebrations, dance and music events). These programs connect diverse communities through arts and cultural engagement, focusing on underrepresented multicultural and immigrant youth and their families in the Seattle/King County area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Empowerment Program (YEP)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,450 volunteer hours contributed by community members
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015In 2015, Peyvand committee members were approached by SIFF to support and promote Iranian films. This led to the formation of the Iran Film Initiative (IFI), with the mission to increase both the number of Iranian films and their audience at the festival. In addition to funding film screenings, IFI hosts post-screening events including lectures by film delegates, often in collaboration with the University of Washington Persian & Iranian Studies Program.
• University of Washington Persian and Iranian Studies Program (PISP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince its inception, Peyvand has held cultural and fundraising events to support the University of Washington's Persian and Iranian Studies Program. The program is dedicated to promoting scholarship and thoughtful public discourse about Iranian history and culture. Peyvand sponsors educational events and supports program endowments.
• Seattle Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeattle Public Library partners with Peyvand for youth art workshops and cultural programming at various library branches including High Point, Rainier Beach, and others throughout Seattle.
• Bellevue CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBellevue College partners with Peyvand for cultural events and educational programming including the Intercultural Music in Iran and its Diaspora talk and the Words of Witness poetry reading event.
• King County LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKing County Libraries partners with Peyvand for Nowruz celebrations and cultural programming at various library branches including Newcastle, Renton Highlands, Bellevue, and others.
• Early Music SeattleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly Music Seattle co-presents the 2025 Nowruz celebration with Siriya Ensemble at Town Hall Seattle, with sponsorship from Peyvand Nonprofit.
• Bellevue Performing Arts CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner for NAMAD Ensemble concert and other performing arts events organized by Peyvand.
• Bellevue College English and Music DepartmentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative departments for the Words of Witness poetry reading event.
• UW Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures (MELC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity department partnership for film screenings and cultural events including Sea Boys film screening and Gaza Is Our Home documentary screenings.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Farhang Foundation: A much larger Los Angeles–based nonprofit dedicated to promoting Iranian art, culture, and heritage through festivals, performances, film series, and educational programming. Highly comparable mission to Peyvand but at materially greater scale and budget.
• National Iranian American Council: A large national Iranian-American organization that includes cultural and community programming alongside its policy and advocacy work. Comparable audience (Iranian-American diaspora) and overlapping cultural-preservation goals, though significantly larger and more advocacy-oriented.

Regional players

• Bellevue Arts Museum: Regional arts institution in Bellevue, WA offering exhibitions, workshops, and cultural programming. Comparable in operating geography and arts-and-culture audience, though with a permanent-exhibit and museum model versus Peyvand's community-program delivery.
• Asia Pacific Cultural Center: Tacoma-based multicultural community center offering cultural events, educational programming, and youth engagement across Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Washington State. Comparable scope, regional footprint, and small-staff community-arts delivery model.

Others

• WithinReach: Washington State nonprofit focused on maternal, child, and family health connections, on whose board VP Leyla Salmassi previously served. Comparable nonprofit scale and community-services orientation, with adjacent family-empowerment programming.
• Town Hall Seattle: A larger Seattle-based civic and cultural venue that has directly co-presented programs with Peyvand (e.g., the Nowruz celebration with Siriya Ensemble). Relevant as a venue/partner and as a regional cultural-programming benchmark.

Direct peers

• Tasveer Foundation: Seattle-area nonprofit running the Seattle South Asian Film Festival and related diaspora arts programming. Closely mirrors Peyvand's model of combining a film initiative with cultural programming and community-building for an immigrant-heritage audience in the Pacific Northwest.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peyvand-npo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Peyvand NPO