Search to Involve Pilipino Americans

What Search to Involve Pilipino Americans does

Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1972 in Los Angeles, California, by young Filipino American activists to address the lack of resources for the Filipino American community. Operating for over 53 years, SIPA is recognized as one of the oldest and most prominent Filipino American community organizations in the United States, delivering integrated programs from two physical locations in Historic Filipinotown: the HiFi Collective headquarters at 3200 W. Temple Street (a mixed-use permanent supportive housing development co-developed with Linc Housing, home to 63 formerly unhoused residents) and the HiFi Well-Being Center at Lucena on Court (a 45-unit family affordable housing development opened March 2024 in partnership with Meta Housing and the Foundation for Affordable Housing).

SIPA's core service portfolio comprises four program areas: Youth Programs (After School Program for ages 6–17, Filipino Summer Program, Youth Leadership Internship, dance troupe, Filipino martial arts workshops); Mental Health Services (free counseling, the Walang Hiya "Rising Above Shame" curriculum, LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC-affirming care, in-language services in Tagalog, Spanish, and Chinese); Health and Wellness (food distribution, health education workshops, case navigation, mobile clinic partnerships addressing Filipino health disparities in SPA 4 and LA County); and Affordable Housing (resident services at HiFi Collective, Lucena on Court, and El Centro Loretto Apartments). Signature programs include the Cultural Roots and Leadership initiative, PLATO community garden, Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings, and the annual AAPI Youth Solidarity Conference (Healing Hope / Roots & Resilience). Approximately 3,800 community members are served annually.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform. Its revenue model is diversified across individual donations (one-time and recurring monthly giving), corporate sponsorships and matching gifts, government grants (federal via L.A. City Council and LA County supportive housing funding), annual fundraising events (Barangay Awards & Gala targeting $250,000, Giving Greens Golf Invitational, Bayanihan Brunch), planned/legacy gifts, cryptocurrency donations, and third-party community fundraisers. Services are delivered free of charge to participants, and acquisition is community-led via word-of-mouth, school and agency partnerships, events, and referrals across LA County.

Name

Search to Involve Pilipino Americans

Legal name

Search to Involve Pilipino Americans

Website

https://sipacares.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) is a 53-year-old Los Angeles nonprofit providing youth programs, mental health counseling, health and wellness services, and affordable housing support to the Filipino American community in Historic Filipinotown and across LA County, free of charge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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. Individual Donations: SIPA accepts one-time and monthly donations from individuals. Monthly giving programs allow supporters to contribute consistent amounts ($1 to $1000+) to support daily operating needs. The organization also runs DIY fundraising campaigns for personal milestones.
2. Fundraising Events: SIPA generates revenue through annual flagship events including the Barangay Awards & Gala (51st anniversary in 2023, targeting $250,000), Giving Greens Golf Invitational, and Bayanihan Brunch. Events feature corporate sponsorships, ticket sales, and auction/raffle proceeds.
3. Corporate Giving & Matching Gifts: SIPA pursues corporate sponsorships for events and programs. The organization also encourages employee matching gift programs through employers to maximize donations.
4. Government Grants: SIPA receives government funding including federal grants (e.g., grant awarded through L.A. City Council Member Jackie Goldberg's office enabling property purchase) and Los Angeles County funding for supportive housing services.
5. Give in May Campaign: SIPA participates in annual Give in May campaign targeting a $25,000 fundraising goal to support programs including Cultural Roots and Leadership, mental health, and health and wellness.
6. Third-Party Fundraising: Community partners and individuals host independent fundraisers benefiting SIPA, including events by Brewyard Beer Company, GPK Fitness, Jason Lustina x Club Osa, Geffen Playhouse, CSUN FASA, and Queer Liberasian.
7. Legacy/Planned Gifts: SIPA solicits legacy gifts and donor advised fund contributions to ensure long-term sustainability and future generations' access to programming.
8. Cryptocurrency Donations: SIPA accepts cryptocurrency donations as a tax-efficient giving option for supporters.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) is a community nonprofit that provides free Youth Programs (After School Program, Filipino Summer Program), Mental Health Services (counseling, Walang Hiya curriculum, clinical supervision), Health and Wellness programs (food distribution, health education, case navigation, referrals), and Affordable Housing (HiFi Collective, Lucena on Court, El Centro Loretto). All programs are delivered free of charge to Filipino American community members in Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles.

Product overview

Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) is a community nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of social service programs rather than a technology product. The organization provides an integrated suite of services including Youth Programs (After School Program, Filipino Summer Program), Mental Health Services (counseling, clinical supervision), Health and Wellness programs (food distribution, health education), and Affordable Housing (at HiFi Collective, Lucena on Court, El Centro Loretto). Key programs include the Cultural Roots and Leadership area featuring Walang Hiya mental health curriculum, PLATO community garden, Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainings, and annual youth conferences (Healing Hope and Roots & Resilience). The organization also operates community spaces including the HiFi Collective headquarters and HiFi Well-Being Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Walang Hiya: Mental health program and curriculum for BIPOC youth that transforms the Tagalog phrase meaning 'shameless' to promote help-seeking behaviors and wellness.
• Cultural Roots and Leadership
• PLATO (Pilipinos and Latinos Accessing Together)

Products and services

• Youth Programs Youth and after school programs that enrich and engage youth in Historic Filipinotown to be better leaders for their community. Includes the After School Program for youth ages 6-17 and the Filipino Summer Program. Free to participants.
• Mental Health Services Direct mental health services aiming to heal communities with a holistic approach and de-stigmatize mental health for the safety and well-being of youth, children, and families. Includes counseling, clinical supervision, and specialized sessions for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC community members with in-language support in Tagalog, Spanish, and Chinese.
• Health and Wellness (SANA) Health and wellness team addressing and reducing health disparities in SPA 4 and Los Angeles County amongst Filipino Americans and those highly impacted by inequities in vital health resources. Includes food distribution, case navigation, referrals, health education workshops, and community clinic partnerships.
• Affordable Housing Residential services at affordable and supportive housing units including El Centro Loretto Apartments, HiFi Collective (63 units of permanent supportive housing with formerly unhoused residents), and Lucena on Court (45-unit family affordable housing with Meta Housing and Foundation for Affordable Housing). Supports residents in healthy development, cultural engagement, and access to SIPA programming.
• Cultural Roots and Leadership Program area engaging youth and families to lead their own communities. Encompasses Walang Hiya mental health curriculum, Parenting Our LGBTQ+ Children, SPACE for UCLA peer mentoring, Filipino Summer Program, Youth Leadership Internship, Filipino martial arts workshops (with Pamana Kali), community dance troupe, and community events.
• Filipino Summer Program Summer cultural enrichment program for youth in Historic Filipinotown featuring cultural education, dance, and community engagement activities. Free to participants.
• Walang Hiya - Rising Above Shame Mental health program and curriculum for BIPOC high school and college age youth focusing on self-awareness, normalizing help-seeking behavior, and knowledge and skills needed to maintain balance and wellness, with particular focus on mental health and identity.
• Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainings Training program teaching parents, coaches, educators, and community adults how to identify, understand, and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use disorders in youth, including bystander intervention and de-escalation techniques.
• Roots & Resilience Youth Solidarity Conference Annual Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Youth Solidarity Conference bringing together youth to build solidarity within the AAPI community through workshops, speakers, and wellness offerings focused on activism, leadership, and community healing. Includes bystander intervention training, resource workshops, and community resiliency model training.
• PLATO - Pilipinos and Latinos Accessing Together Free community garden program for Filipinos and Latinos to learn how to grow fresh produce. Participants meet weekly to follow the progress from planting to harvest.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 2,400+ community members in 2023 across youth, wellness, and mental health programs
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2026SIPA's Leadership Development interns collaborated with KDI to create the Community Media Lab (CML), allowing young creatives to produce projects centered around gentrification and displacement in Historic Filipinotown. The partnership supports the inaugural Stories of HiFi: Media Townhall attended by 80 community members, combining youth voice with urban design expertise.
• Meta Housing and Foundation for Affordable HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024SIPA partnered with Meta Housing and Foundation for Affordable Housing on Lucena on Court, a 45-unit family affordable housing development at 1921/1919 W Court St. SIPA operates the HiFi Well-Being Center at this location providing mental health programs, wellness offerings, community clinic, food distribution, and referrals to residents and the broader community.
• Linc HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2020SIPA partnered with nonprofit Linc Housing in June 2020 to develop the 3200 W. Temple St. property into HiFi Collective, a mixed-use space with permanent supportive housing (63 units for formerly unhoused residents) and SIPA's headquarters and community center. Linc Housing provides supportive services to residents; SIPA operates community programming on the ground floor.
• Comprehensive Community Health CentersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide mobile clinic services at SIPA locations, expanding healthcare access for Historic Filipinotown residents.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for health insurance enrollment support, legal assistance covering immigration, housing, domestic violence, and anti-Asian violence resources for SIPA community members.
• Legal Aid Foundation of Los AngelesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides legal services to SIPA community members including housing, immigration, and civil rights legal support.
• PATH, The People Concern, The CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing-focused partnerships with organizations providing housing resources, case management, and supportive services for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the SIPA service area.
• Asian Pacific Islander (API) Forward MovementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for grocery and food distribution events and programs, expanding food security resources for Historic Filipinotown residents.
• Para Los Niños (United Mental Health Promoter)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPara Los Niños' United Mental Health Promoter program facilitates the Community Resiliency Model workshop at SIPA's Roots & Resilience Youth Solidarity Conference, teaching youth about stress, trauma, and wellness skills.
• Los Angeles LGBT Center (Community Action Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLA LGBT Center's CAN Program led the 'Leadership is Our Legacy' workshop at SIPA's 3rd Annual Healing Hope AAPI Youth Solidarity Conference, exploring youth leadership and social change.
• Anakbayan Los AngelesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented 'Serve the People! Filipino Youth Respond to Los Angeles Fires' workshop at SIPA's AAPI Youth Solidarity Conference, mobilizing youth around crisis response and immigration issues.
• National Alliance for Filipino Health ConcernsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared stories and insights from their 2024 medical mission in the Philippines at SIPA's conference, connecting community-based health initiatives in barangays to public health approaches in the US and diaspora.
• Pilipinx in WellnessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed 'Roots, Remembrance, and Restorative Justice Circles' workshop exploring cultural stigmas, altar offerings, sound healing, and meditation, connecting Filipino cultural practices to restorative justice principles.
• Yellow Chair CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed workshop 'Breaking the Silence: Mental Wellness in AAPI Communities' examining how cultural values, historical experiences, and family expectations shape mental health in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
• Asian Youth CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented workshop on developing resilience against anti-Asian harassment through restorative justice circles and open discussion, helping youth understand how identity influences harassment experiences.
• YMCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPACE for UCLA peer mentoring and counseling program holds meetings at YMCA Ketchum-Downtown, with plans to relocate to SIPA's HiFi Collective in future academic years.
• Pamana KaliminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver free Filipino Martial Arts workshops (Kultura Klasses) for youth ages 6-17, teaching basic movements, self-defense skills, and cultural traditions.
• Nipa Hut WellnessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Diwa Soundscape monthly sound bath series at SIPA's HiFi Well-Being Center, combining wellness programming with Filipino cultural elements.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California: Major AAPI legal aid and civil rights nonprofit serving Southern California with health insurance enrollment, immigration, housing, and anti-Asian violence resources. Directly partnered with SIPA on referrals and is the closest AAPI community-services peer in LA.
• Little Tokyo Service Center: Community development corporation serving the Japanese American community in LA with affordable housing, social services, and youth programming. Comparable to SIPA in combining housing plus culturally rooted services under one umbrella in an LA ethnic enclave.
• Chinatown Service Center: Community-based organization serving the Chinese American community in LA with health clinics, social services, and youth programs. Highly comparable in scope, target population, and mixed direct-service-plus-health model.
• Para Los Ni\u00f1os: LA-based youth and family services nonprofit serving low-income families with mental health, education, and wraparound services. SIPA is an active partner, and the organizations share an LA focus on underserved youth and family mental health.
• Asian Youth Center: Youth and family services organization serving AAPI and other communities in the San Gabriel Valley and greater LA with youth development, violence prevention, and mental health programming. Closely aligned mission and youth-development portfolio.
• API Forward Movement: AAPI food security and community services organization operating in LA with grocery and food distribution events. Active SIPA partner for food distribution; directly comparable in AAPI community-services focus and food access programming.
• Inner City Struggle: East LA youth and community organizing nonprofit focused on displacement, gentrification, and AAPI/Latino coalition building. Comparable to SIPA in youth-led organizing and Historic Filipinotown-adjacent anti-displacement work.
• National Alliance for Filipino Health Concerns: Filipino-American health-focused community organization that presented alongside SIPA at the AAPI Youth Solidarity Conference. Closest direct peer in Filipino American health programming and diaspora public health.

Broad incumbents

• LA LGBT Center: One of the largest LGBTQ+ services organizations in the US, providing health, mental health, housing, and youth programs. SIPA partners with the Center's Community Action Network; broader incumbent serving overlapping LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC populations in LA.

Others

• Kounkuey Design Initiative: Equitable community development and participatory design nonprofit that partnered with SIPA on the Community Media Lab and Stories of HiFi Media Townhall. Adjacent ecosystem player rather than direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sipacares
• Facebookfacebook.com/sipacares
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sipacares

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Search to Involve Pilipino Americans