SOMA Pilipinas

Name

SOMA Pilipinas

Legal name

SOMA Pilipinas

Website

https://somapilipinas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage & Community Arts Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO), Cultural Heritage & Traditional Festivals (Folk, Ethnic, Indigenous) (MPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Cultural heritage preservation
• Community arts programs
• Public art murals
• Cultural district advocacy
• Ethnic community events

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: SOMA Pilipinas raises funds through individual donations via its Dekada giving campaign and monthly sustainer program. The organization invites community members and allies to contribute financially to support community arts, cultural programming, public art, and advocacy work.
2. Government Grants: As a City and State recognized cultural district, SOMA Pilipinas receives baseline funding from the City of San Francisco and California Arts Council. Funding cuts to baseline support have been reported as an ongoing challenge.
3. Event-based Fundraising: The organization generates revenue through fundraising events such as the DEKADA Celebration and Fundraising Party, Filipino Heritage Night with Golden State Valkyries ticket sales, and other community events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SOMA Pilipinas coordinates and delivers cultural programs, public art installations, guided cultural tours, and policy advocacy on behalf of San Francisco's Filipino Cultural Heritage District in the South of Market neighborhood. The organization operates community events (including the annual Parol Lantern Festival and exhibitions such as MAKIBAKA: A Living Legacy), manages a public art program of more than 40 murals and installations, runs ethno tours aboard the Mahal Jeepney, and conducts advocacy to prevent displacement of Filipino residents and small businesses.

Product overview

SOMA Pilipinas is San Francisco's Filipino Cultural Heritage District, dedicated to preserving and promoting Filipino culture and history through cultural programs, public art installations, community events, and advocacy. The organization operates as a cultural movement rather than a traditional product company, offering programs including the MAKIBAKA exhibition series, a public art program with over 40 murals and installations, the annual Parol Lantern Festival, Mahal Jeepney cultural tours, and year-round community celebrations. These offerings work together to fulfill the district's mission of cultural preservation, community development, and economic and racial justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cultural Heritage District Programs Core programmatic offering covering cultural arts, public art, history and living legacy, and policy advocacy to preserve Filipino presence in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood; serves Filipino community members, local residents, and visitors.
• MAKIBAKA: A Living Legacy Exhibition Exhibition featuring contemporary Filipinx artists alongside historical objects and community-held memories, presented at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; intended for arts audiences, community members, and cultural visitors.
• Public Art Program Curated collection of more than 40 public artworks, murals, crosswalks, and light installations across the district, developed with neighborhood developers and institutions; serves residents, visitors, and partner developers.
• Parol Lantern Festival Annual Filipino holiday lantern festival celebrating the traditional parol symbolizing hope, peace, and community; serves families, community members, and the general public during the holiday season.
• Mahal Jeepney Tours Guided ethno tours of the district's historic landmarks, public art, and cultural institutions, hosted aboard a vintage 1948 Willy jeepney; serves community members, school groups, and cultural visitors.
• Community Events and Celebrations Calendar of cultural events, workshops, art shows, food pop-ups, and performances organized for the community throughout the year; serves Filipino residents, partner organizations, and general public visitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ public artworks completed, with 10 new Filipino murals in the past year alone
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOMA Pilipinas collaborates with YBCA on major exhibitions including MAKIBAKA: A Living Legacy (August 2025 - January 2026). YBCA provides gallery space and co-present programming featuring contemporary Filipino artists alongside historical materials and community-held objects.
• SOMCAN (South of Market Community Action Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership in community organizing, displacement prevention, and advocacy. SOMCAN led the effort for formal recognition of SOMA Pilipinas as the Filipino Cultural Heritage District.
• Filipino-American Development Foundation (FADF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFADF provided leadership for establishing SOMA Pilipinas as the Filipino Cultural Heritage District in 2016. Continues partnership on cultural programming including Parol Lantern Festival.
• Bayanihan Equity CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacy Filipino community organization partner in community stabilization and advocacy efforts within the South of Market neighborhood.
• Bindlestiff StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilipino arts organization partner providing performance space and cultural programming support.
• KulArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in presenting traditional and contemporary Filipino arts programming, including collaborative events like Buffalo Soldiers multimedia experience.
• Manilatown Heritage FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacy organization partner in preserving Filipino American history and advocating for community rights.
• Filipino Mental Health InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for mental health advocacy through arts, including the Kapwa Mural project addressing mental health stigma.
• Galing BataminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth organization partner contributing to community programs and cultural asset maintenance including Victoria Manalo Draves Park.
• Bill Sorro Housing ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing advocacy partner in community stabilization efforts against displacement.
• Golden State ValkyriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWNBA team partnership for Filipino Heritage Night events, providing visibility and community engagement opportunities.
• San Francisco Arts CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Shaping Legacy Project to critically examine and re-imagine monuments and memorials in San Francisco's Civic Art Collection.
• Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS-SF Chapter)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in historical preservation and community education, including collaboration on Shaping Legacy Project at Dewey Monument.
• Trisha Lagaso GoldbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcclaimed independent curator who co-curated MAKIBAKA: A Living Legacy exhibition with SOMA Pilipinas at YBCA.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Manilatown Heritage Foundation: San Francisco-based Filipino heritage preservation organization focused on International Hotel legacy and Filipino American history in SoMa. Highly comparable as a Filipino heritage organization operating in overlapping geography and mission.
• Chinese Historical Society of America Museum: San Francisco-based historical society operating a museum and cultural center focused on Chinese American heritage preservation and education. Comparable as an ethnic heritage institution combining exhibitions, programming, and advocacy in the same city.
• Little Saigon Foundation (Orange County): Orange County nonprofit that stewards Little Saigon, a California-designated ethnic cultural heritage district focused on placemaking and Vietnamese American cultural preservation. Operates a near-identical cultural district model with significant comparable funding and advocacy structures.
• Calle 24 Latino Cultural District: San Francisco Latino Cultural District in the Mission, also officially designated by the city and state, focused on preserving Latino heritage, public art, and small business support. Directly comparable model and regulatory framework to SOMA Pilipinas.
• Japantown Task Force Inc. San Francisco-based nonprofit that stewards the Japantown cultural district, operating with a comparable model of community organizing, cultural programming, and advocacy against displacement. Directly parallel to SOMA Pilipinas in structure, geography, and mission.
• American Indian Cultural District SF: San Francisco's American Indian Cultural District (established 2020), another officially designated cultural district with shared placemaking, public art, and advocacy approach. Closely comparable structure as a same-city ethnic cultural heritage district.

Regional players

• Galeria de la Raza: San Francisco Mission-based Chicano/Latino arts and cultural organization with public art, exhibitions, and community programming. Comparable as an ethnic heritage cultural organization focused on placemaking and public art in a similar Bay Area neighborhood context.

Emerging players

• SOMArts Cultural Center: San Francisco nonprofit arts and cultural center providing exhibition and event space to diverse communities. A venue/programming partner peer for SOMA Pilipinas and shares the Bay Area arts infrastructure footprint.
• Bindlestiff Studio: Filipino American performing arts venue and cultural organization in San Francisco's SoMa. Comparable as a Filipino arts/cultural organization sharing geography, artist networks, and overlapping programming audience with SOMA Pilipinas.

Others

• Cultural Districts Coalition of California: Coalition organization supporting California state-designated cultural districts like SOMA Pilipinas through advocacy, funding coordination, and shared programming. Comparable as an ecosystem-level coordinator for the same state designation system.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SOMAPilipinas
• Facebookfacebook.com/SOMAPilipinas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soma-pilipinas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 SOMA Pilipinas