SOMALI HEALTH BOARD

What SOMALI HEALTH BOARD does

Somali Health Board is a private nonprofit, Somali-led community health organization headquartered at 5907 Martin Luther King Jr Way S in Seattle, Washington, serving Somali immigrants and refugees in King County. Its mission is to reduce persistent health disparities through advocacy, community-driven education, and partnerships with healthcare providers. The organization delivers a portfolio of more than a dozen culturally and linguistically responsive programs spanning chronic disease education and healthy eating, behavioral health, developmental screenings and referrals, family-centered care (including the Somali Centering Motherhood Program), the SHB Soccer Club for youth aged 5–19, a Senior Health Promotion Program, systems and policy advocacy, and reactive health education initiatives (COVID-19, measles). It also operates the 14th Annual Health Fair and rents its facility for community events. Service delivery is in-person and community-based, with no proprietary technology platform described.

Underlying infrastructure is operational rather than technological: the organization runs community workshops, developmental screenings, mental health referrals, home-based prenatal-to-five visits, and youth sports, supported by a lean team led by Executive Director Dr. Ahmed Ali (PharmD), Board President Mohamed Ali (MPH), and program-specific coaches. There is no app, API, SDK, or AI/ML component disclosed.

The business model is nonprofit and donation-plus-grant funded. The organization accepts donations through Square checkout and is sustained by partnerships and grants with a named network of healthcare and research institutions, including Kaiser Permanente, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, Public Health – Seattle & King County, Seattle Children's Hospital, HealthPoint, and the King County Health Department. Services are provided free to beneficiaries; pricing is not applicable. A supplementary earned-revenue stream comes from renting the MLK Jr. Way facility for community events. Distribution relies on direct community engagement, referrals from healthcare providers and managed care organizations, community events, and organic social media (Facebook, Instagram).

Name

SOMALI HEALTH BOARD

Legal name

Somali Health Board

Website

https://somalihealthboard.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Somali Health Board is a Seattle-based nonprofit delivering culturally responsive community health programs — chronic disease education, mental health, developmental screenings, family-centered care, youth soccer, and senior wellness — to Somali immigrants and refugees in King County, funded by donations and institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)

Keywords

• Community health services
• Culturally responsive care
• Health education programs
• Chronic disease management
• Mental health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization accepts donations through Square checkout, indicating a donation-based funding model typical of nonprofit community health organizations.
2. Partnerships and Grants: The organization partners with healthcare institutions and research organizations like Kaiser Permanente, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and University of Washington, suggesting grant-funded and partnership-based revenue.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Somali Health Board is a nonprofit community health organization that delivers culturally responsive health education, mental health services, chronic disease management programs, developmental screenings, and family-centered care to Somali immigrants and refugees in King County, Washington. Services are offered free of charge through direct community engagement, referrals, partnerships with healthcare institutions, and recurring community events including an annual health fair.

Product overview

The Somali Health Board is a community health organization serving the Somali community in King County, Washington. It offers a portfolio of culturally responsive health programs rather than a unified technology product. Programs include: Chronic Diseases Education/Healthy Eating (holistic wellness addressing physical, social, emotional, spiritual health), Behavioral Health (mental health services), Developmental Screenings and Referrals, Whole Child Initiative, Somali Centering Motherhood Program, SHB Soccer Club (youth sports), Senior Health Promotion Program, Community Based Participatory Research, Systems & Policy Change advocacy, COVID-19 education/resources, Measles education/resources, and the Annual Health Fair. The organization also provides community space rental for events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chronic Diseases Education / Healthy Eating Program A holistic wellness program addressing physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being for Somali immigrants and refugees in King County. Focuses on educating community members about managing and preventing chronic diseases through culturally sensitive approaches and promoting healthy eating habits.
• Behavioral Health Program Mental health program addressing high rates of untreated, undiagnosed, or diagnosed mental illness for Somalis in King County. Provides evidence-informed and culturally tailored services including referrals, community dialogs, and access to mental health professionals.
• Developmental Screenings and Referrals Program Program addressing developmental concerns for Somalis in King County through evidence-informed, culturally tailored services. Offers community events, provider workshops, referrals, community workshops, parent ambassadors, and monthly support groups.
• Whole Child Initiative Child care health consultation program utilizing comprehensive socio-cultural practices to support children and families, leveraging best practices developed through community partnerships.
• Somali Centering Motherhood Program (SCMP) Culturally responsive prenatal to five home-based program that adapts evidence-based programs Centering Pregnancy and Centering Parenting. Aims to engage and improve health outcomes for Somali mothers, babies, and children up to age five in King County.
• SHB Soccer Club (SHBSC) Year-round youth soccer program offering an inclusive and culturally responsive learning experience for Somali youth aged 5-19. Uses soccer and culturally relevant adult mentorship to promote physical, mental, and community health.
• Senior Health Promotion Program (SHPP) Program designed to support Somali-speaking seniors in South Seattle and South King County with greater social connectedness, knowledge of physical health through exercise and nutrition, mental health preservation, and chronic disease prevention and management.
• Community Based Participatory Research Research initiative partnering with Kaiser Permanente, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and University of Washington to co-lead community-based research that is respectful, equitable, and honors community knowledge and expertise.
• Systems & Policy Change Civic engagement initiative addressing lack of access to decision-making bodies for communities of color and limited English proficiency groups. Seeks strategies to change systems operations and encourage accountability and inclusive representation.
• COVID-19 Education and Resources Comprehensive COVID-19 education program providing general COVID information, vaccine information, safety precautions, testing resources, and vaccine toolkit. Includes free rides (Lyft, Hopelink) and free childcare assistance for vaccination appointments.
• Measles Education and Resources Measles education initiative addressing rising measles cases in Washington State. Provides information on symptoms, prevention through vaccination, and resources for families.
• Community Space Rental Conference space rental at MLK Jr. Way location between Columbia City Station and Othello Station. Available for community events, performances, celebrations, and all types of gatherings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mental health services available to estimated 8,000 Somali residents in King County

Named customers2 records

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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• King County Health DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment health agency partnership supporting chronic disease education and healthy eating programs, providing public health resources and expertise to the Somali community in King County.
• University of Washington Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic medical institution partnership supporting chronic disease education and healthy eating programs for the Somali community.
• Seattle Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPediatric healthcare partnership supporting child health initiatives and developmental screening programs for Somali families.
• Public Health - Seattle & King CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic health authority partnership supporting COVID-19 education, vaccination efforts, and general health programs for the Somali community.
• HealthPoint Community Health CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity health network partnership supporting healthcare access and chronic disease management for underserved populations.
• Somali Community Services of SeattlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partnership supporting chronic disease education and healthy eating programs with culturally relevant services.
• Kaiser PermanentecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare organization partnership for community-based participatory research, helping inform and adapt programs to community needs.
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institution partnership for community-based participatory research focused on mental health and community health needs.
• University of WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for community-based participatory research, co-leading research projects with the Somali community to ensure respectful and equitable research practices.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Asian Health Services: Federally qualified community health center in Oakland, California providing culturally competent health care to Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Directly comparable as a community-led, culturally-tailored health organization serving a specific immigrant/ethnic population with multilingual staff and wraparound services.
• La Clínica de la Raza: California-based community health network providing culturally and linguistically appropriate health services to Latino and other underserved communities. Comparable as a mission-driven, community-rooted health organization delivering integrated care across chronic disease, behavioral health, and maternal/child programs.
• Sea Mar Community Health Centers: Washington State-based community health network serving Latino communities with medical, dental, behavioral health, and social services. Closely comparable in mission, service breadth, geographic footprint, and community-based delivery model targeting a specific underserved immigrant population.
• Center for MultiCultural Health: Seattle-based nonprofit providing culturally and linguistically appropriate health education and services to communities of color and immigrant/refugee populations in King County. Direct geographic peer sharing the same cultural-equity mission and community health education delivery model.
• International Community Health Services (ICHS): Seattle-based community health provider serving Asian Pacific Islander communities with culturally and linguistically appropriate care, including behavioral health, maternal/child health, and senior services. A direct geographic peer operating in the same King County market with the same community-health-center model for a different immigrant community.
• Refugee Women's Alliance (ReWA): Seattle-based nonprofit serving refugee and immigrant women and families with culturally responsive services including health navigation, education, and youth programs. Direct peer in King County serving overlapping refugee populations with a community-led, culturally-tailored model.
• Ethiopian Community in Seattle: Seattle-area community organization serving East African immigrants and refugees with culturally responsive health, social, and education programs. Comparable as a neighboring East African diaspora community organization in the same King County geography, with overlapping cultural competency requirements.

Regional players

• Horn of Africa Services: Seattle-area nonprofit serving East African immigrants and refugees including Somali, Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Oromo communities with health, social, and education programs. Closely overlapping diaspora community served by SHB in the same regional market, with a broader East African focus rather than Somali-specific.

Broad incumbents

• Nationalities Service Center: Philadelphia-based nonprofit providing legal, social, and health services to immigrants and refugees. Comparable in mission and service breadth across health navigation, education, and advocacy for refugee populations, though geographically distinct and broader in scope.
• HealthPoint Community Health Centers: Federal Qualified Health Center network serving King County with primary medical, dental, and behavioral health care for underserved populations. Comparable as an existing SHB partner and a larger, more generalist incumbent addressing similar health-equity gaps in the same regional market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/somalihealthboard
• Instagraminstagram.com/somalihealthboard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/somali-health-board

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 SOMALI HEALTH BOARD