San Diego Oasis

What San Diego Oasis does

San Diego Oasis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1982, operating as part of the national Oasis Institute network and serving adults aged 50+ in San Diego County from two physical hubs: the La Mesa center at Grossmont Shopping Center and the Rancho Bernardo location at 17170 Bernardo Center Drive. Its core product is a lifelong learning and healthy aging platform delivering 500+ classes per cycle across arts, humanities, technology, science, fitness, and wellness categories, supplemented by Medicare-covered fitness programs (including the Better Balance falls-prevention curriculum) and the Oasis Everywhere online delivery channel over Zoom. Specialized technology programming is delivered through the Cox Tech Tank at La Mesa (smartphone and digital literacy, including Spanish-language consultations) and the Oasis Innovation Center at Rancho Bernardo (telehealth, smart campus, smart home demonstration, and Smart Bar tech support). A flagship Intergenerational Tutoring Program pairs senior volunteers with elementary students across five San Diego-area school districts to improve reading and math outcomes, reporting measurable academic gains (e.g., 20-point Measures of Academic Success gains in individual students and 32% increases in Academic Performance Index at active program schools).

The organization's business model combines a freemium consumer membership structure with diversified nonprofit revenue streams. Basic membership is free for adults 50+; a premium Lifetime Membership, released in limited annual quantities at variable pricing, provides unlimited in-person and online class access for life with priority registration. Additional revenue comes from per-class registration fees, venue rentals for corporate and community events (capacity up to 300), commission-based travel partnerships with AFC Vacations, Collette, and Daytripper Tours, corporate sponsorship packages at $500–$2,500 tiers, and a broad donation program covering one-time, recurring, legacy, RMD, stock, and planned giving. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through two physical sites, the MyOasis online registration platform, bi-monthly print catalogs, weekly email, social media, and community partner referrals; marketing relies on word-of-mouth through class ambassadors, instructors, and the volunteer base.

San Diego Oasis operates with 11-50 staff supplemented by a substantial volunteer ecosystem (class ambassadors, front desk, special events, technology tutors) and is led by President and CEO Simona Valanciute. The organization has earned repeated national recognition including the Generations United Program of Distinction (2017, 2024, 2025, 2026), Charity Navigator 4-star rating, NBC Universal Project Innovation Award for technology efforts with older adults, and the American Society on Aging Gloria Cavanaugh Award. Its board includes executives from Qualcomm, Scripps Health, Sony Electronics, Alliant Insurance, and senior services operators, providing domain depth in aging, healthcare, and technology adoption.

Name

San Diego Oasis

Legal name

San Diego Oasis

Website

https://san-diego.oasisnet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

San Diego Oasis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers lifelong learning, healthy aging, and intergenerational tutoring programs for adults 50+ across San Diego County via two physical hubs, online classes, and specialized senior technology centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Education and Senior Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Wellness Retreat Centers (Yoga, Meditation & Mindfulness) (THAGAMAB)

Keywords

• Adult education
• Lifelong learning
• Senior wellness
• Intergenerational tutoring
• Community engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

La Mesa

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Free basic membership with optional paid Lifetime Membership providing unlimited class access across all San Diego County locations. Lifetime Membership is offered in limited numbers annually with varying costs.
2. Class Registration Fees: Per-class fees paid at time of registration. Individual class and program fees charged to members. Some classes have material fees additional to registration.
3. Venue and Event Rentals: Rental revenue from corporate meetings, presentations, workshops, team-building events, celebration of life services, and community gatherings at both La Mesa and Rancho Bernardo locations. Rooms range from 10 to 300 capacity.
4. Donations and Charitable Giving: Tax-deductible donations accepted through one-time, monthly, designated, tribute, legacy, and Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) gifts. Stock donations, vehicle donations, airline miles donations, and planned giving including bequests, life insurance, and real estate.
5. Travel and Trips: Travel program through partnerships with AFC Vacations, Collette, and Daytripper Tours. Commission-based revenue from travel bookings organized through Oasis.
6. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for special events ($1,000-$2,500 levels), single classes or class series ($500 level), and annual sponsorships. Provides marketing exposure to demographic-aligned membership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

San Diego Oasis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free and paid lifelong learning, healthy living, and community engagement programs for adults aged 50 and older across two physical centers in La Mesa and Rancho Bernardo and via an online (Oasis Everywhere) Zoom platform. Core offerings include 500+ classes in arts, wellness, technology, history, languages, and fitness; Medicare-covered health and falls prevention programs; the Cox Tech Tank and Oasis Innovation Center technology education centers; an award-winning Intergenerational Tutoring Program partnering with school districts; Lifetime Membership subscriptions; art gallery exhibitions; venue rentals; and a volunteer network.

Product overview

San Diego Oasis is a nonprofit educational organization for adults 50+ that operates multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include Lifelong Learning Classes (arts, wellness, technology, history, fitness) available at two physical centers in La Mesa and Rancho Bernardo, plus the Oasis Everywhere online platform. Specialized programs include the Cox Tech Tank and Oasis Innovation Center for technology education, Health & Medicare Programs with Medicare-covered fitness classes, and the Intergenerational Tutoring Program connecting seniors with schoolchildren. Additional services encompass Lifetime Membership subscriptions, Travel & Trips through partner agencies, Art Gallery exhibitions, Special Events & Rentals, a Resource Directory for senior services, and Volunteer Programs. The organization offers free basic membership and premium Lifetime Membership options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cox Tech Tank: Technology education center partnership with Cox Communications offering one-on-one sessions, demonstrations, and workshops for smartphone apps.
• Oasis Innovation Center (OIC)
• Better Balance: Free From Falls

Products and services

• Lifelong Learning Classes In-person adult education classes spanning arts, wellness, technology, history, languages, fitness, and personal enrichment, available to members aged 50+ at the La Mesa and Rancho Bernardo Oasis centers.
• Oasis Everywhere (Online Classes) Online learning platform providing virtual access to Oasis classes via Zoom for adult members, including technology education, wellness programs, and digital literacy content.
• Health & Medicare Programs Wellness Center fitness and health education programs including Medicare-covered fitness classes for eligible beneficiaries, Better Balance: Free From Falls prevention, and broader health education for older adults.
• Cox Tech Tank Technology learning center at La Mesa offering one-on-one sessions, smartphone app demonstrations, and mini workshops for older adults, with Spanish-language consultations.
• Oasis Innovation Center (OIC) Technology center at Rancho Bernardo featuring telehealth care, smart campus, smart home demonstration, technology classes, workshops, and Smart Bar tech support for older adults.
• Intergenerational Tutoring Program One-on-one tutoring program pairing older adult Oasis volunteer tutors with elementary school students to improve reading and math skills, with training and materials provided by Oasis staff and delivered through partnerships with San Diego-area school districts.
• Lifetime Membership Premium membership tier offering unlimited access to in-person and online Oasis programs for life at any San Diego County location, with priority registration, priority check-in, and a special Lifetime Member card.
• Travel & Trips Group travel program offering domestic and international trips for Oasis members through partner agencies AFC Vacations, Collette, and Daytripper Tours, with Oasis receiving commission-based revenue from bookings.
• Aurelia & Jim Temenak Art Gallery Permanent and rotating art gallery at the Rancho Bernardo and La Mesa Oasis locations showcasing local artists, with artwork available for purchase.
• Special Events & Rentals Venue rental services for corporate meetings, presentations, workshops, team-building events, celebrations of life, and community gatherings at the La Mesa and Rancho Bernardo Oasis locations.
• Resource Directory Online directory connecting older adults with service providers for assisted living, in-home care, Medicare, financial planning, and other senior services in San Diego County.
• Volunteer Programs Various volunteer opportunities for adults 50+ including class ambassadors, front desk, program support, special events representation, and tutoring program assistants at both Oasis locations and via online programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students tutored by Oasis volunteers show increases in reading skills, higher class participation, and lower truancy likelihood
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, supportive and exploratory.

• Cox CommunicationscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Cox Communications partnered with San Diego Oasis to create the Cox Tech Tank at the La Mesa location. This center offers one-on-one technology sessions, demonstrations, and mini workshops for smartphone apps. Cox Communications provides funding and support for technology education targeting older adults to bridge the digital divide.
• Arlene & Michael BardinmajorOthers · 1 January 2024Major donors supporting the Oasis Innovation Center (OIC) at the Rancho Bernardo location. Their philanthropy enables technology programming and innovation center operations.
• McCarthy FamilymajorOthers · 1 January 2024Major donors supporting the Oasis Innovation Center (OIC) at Rancho Bernardo. Their contribution funds technology education and innovation programs for older adults.
• Rancho Bernardo Community FoundationcoreOthers · 1 January 2024Community foundation supporting the Oasis Innovation Center and technology programs for older adults in the Rancho Bernardo area.
• Rancho Bernardo Sunrise RotarysupportiveOthers · 1 January 2024Rotary service club supporting Oasis Innovation Center technology programs and community initiatives.
• Rotary Club of Rancho BernardosupportiveOthers · 1 January 2024Service organization providing support for Oasis Innovation Center and technology education programs.
• AFC VacationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel partner offering extended vacation packages to Oasis members. Includes trips like 'Explore America's Historic East', 'West Virginia Rails & Williamsburg', 'Wonders of the Blue Danube River Cruise', 'Classical Italy', and 'Fantastic Florida'. Oasis facilitates bookings and receives referral/commission revenue.
• CollettecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor travel partner offering guided tours to Oasis members. Includes destinations like 'Discover South Pacific Wonders', 'Scotland Discovery', 'National Parks of America', 'Spotlight on the French Riviera', and 'Enchanting Christmas Markets'. Commission-based partnership.
• Daytripper TourscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal day trip tour operator providing short excursions for Oasis members. Offers day trips from San Diego area with curated itineraries.
• San Diego State UniversityexploratoryStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnerships being developed for relevant studies on aging and technology at the Oasis Innovation Center. Potential for research collaboration and academic engagement.
• Healthcare and Senior Care ProvidersexploratoryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanned collaborations with healthcare and senior care providers as part of OIC's social ecosystem vision. Includes telehealth partnerships and coordinated care initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oasis Institute: Parent organization of San Diego Oasis; operates the broader national Oasis network of affiliate centers providing lifelong learning, healthy aging, and community engagement programs to adults 50+. Identical mission, programmatic model, and target demographic, with shared curriculum and best practices across affiliates.
• Road Scholar: Not-for-profit educational travel organization (formerly Elderhostel) providing learning adventures for older adults across the U.S. and internationally. Comparable in targeting intellectually curious 50+ adults with structured learning experiences, though focused more heavily on travel-based programming.
• Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI): Network of university-affiliated lifelong learning programs for adults 50+ offering non-credit courses, lectures, and social events. Operates 125+ institutes across the U.S. through Bernard Osher Foundation funding; directly competes for the same older-adult learner demographic with similar non-degree programming.

Broad incumbents

• AARP: Massive 50+ advocacy and member-services organization with 38 million members, offering educational programming, technology training (via OATS acquisition), and community engagement. Overlaps with Oasis's mission and demographics but operates at vastly greater national scale with broader advocacy focus.
• National Council on Aging (NCOA): National nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of older adults through community partnerships, evidence-based programs (including falls prevention similar to Oasis's Better Balance), and advocacy. Operates as a national umbrella and program distributor rather than a direct local education provider.

Emerging players

• GetSetUp: Online learning platform offering live classes taught by peers for adults 50+, covering technology, wellness, and hobbies. Closest digital-native competitor to Oasis's Oasis Everywhere online platform, with overlapping curriculum and similar demographic focus but without physical locations.
• Village to Village Network: National nonprofit membership organization supporting the "village" aging-in-place model with 300+ member villages providing social engagement, learning, and mutual support for older adults. Comparable to Oasis's community-driven model but focused on neighborhood-based aging in place rather than center-based programming.
• Cyber-Seniors: Nonprofit providing intergenerational technology mentoring and digital literacy training for older adults, with corporate partnerships and a strong intergenerational component. Comparable to Oasis's Cox Tech Tank and Intergenerational Tutoring Program in addressing senior digital literacy through cross-generational engagement.
• SeniorNet: Nonprofit providing technology education to older adults through volunteer instructors and learning centers. Comparable to Oasis's Cox Tech Tank and Oasis Innovation Center offerings in addressing the senior digital divide, with similar volunteer-driven instructional model.
• Encore.org: Nonprofit promoting encore careers (second-stage work combining purpose and income for people 50+), with programs connecting older adults to volunteer tutoring and mentoring roles. Overlaps with Oasis's Intergenerational Tutoring Program and member purpose/volition engagement model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OasisSanDiego
• Facebookfacebook.com/sandiegoasis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-diego-oasis

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 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 San Diego Oasis