Sherman Heights Community Center

What Sherman Heights Community Center does

Sherman Heights Community Center (SHCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1984 in San Diego, California, serving a predominantly Mexican-American community in the Sherman Heights neighborhood. It operates from a 12,500-square-foot, two-story facility at 2258 Island Avenue — designed in 1994 by architect Robert Quigley in collaboration with community members — that houses multiple offices, a 200-person-capacity multipurpose room, a 330-square-foot licensed commercial kitchen, an inner courtyard, a playground, and onsite mural art. The organization runs an integrated portfolio of nine community programs: Sherman Cocina (culinary workforce development launched 2024), youth enrichment, Club Amistad (senior enrichment), Barrios Limpios (community beautification), digital literacy/computer classes, ESL and citizenship exam preparation, Healthy Food Access (food distributions, El Comedor meals, La Despensa pantry), Sherman Comedor (senior lunches), and a Pet Pantry operated with San Diego Humane Society.

SHCC's business model is a hybrid nonprofit model combining earned revenue, philanthropic contributions, and grant funding. Earned revenue comes from facility rentals (multipurpose room at $85-125/hour and commercial kitchen at $320/month base plus hourly fees) and small program fees such as $25/week summer camp. Donations are accepted on one-time, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual cadences and are tax-deductible. Grant funding is sourced from foundations including San Diego Foundation ($627,500 awarded in August 2024 supporting Sherman Cocina), the El Camino Fund, and Prebys Foundation. Strategic operational partnerships with Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, Feeding San Diego, San Diego Humane Society, San Diego Futures Foundation, and UC San Diego Center for Community Health extend program reach.

The organization is led by Executive Director Daniela Kelly and Director of Operations Verónica del Río, supported by a Programs Manager and a Board of Directors. Recent strategic activity centers on workforce development expansion (Sherman Cocina), infrastructure modernization (24.1kW solar + energy storage installed in October 2024), and elevated public recognition including 2023 California Nonprofit of the Year and the 2024 District 1 Equity SHEro Award.

Name

Sherman Heights Community Center

Legal name

Sherman Heights Community Center

Website

https://shermanheightscc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sherman Heights Community Center is a San Diego-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded 1984, providing educational, cultural, health, food access, and workforce development programs to a predominantly Mexican-American community from a 12,500-square-foot purpose-built facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community and Social Services (Nonprofit Community Center)

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB), Civic Engagement, Volunteering & Leadership Education for Seniors (EDAAAMAK)

Keywords

• Community center services
• Nonprofit youth programs
• Workforce development training
• Healthy food access
• Facility rental venue

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Facility Rentals: Rental income from multipurpose room (up to 200 person capacity) and commercial kitchen (330 sq ft). Multipurpose room generates $125/hour (general) or $85/hour (nonprofit/SHCC member). Commercial kitchen generates $320/month base rate plus additional hourly fees.
2. Donations and Memberships: Tax-deductible donations accepted on a one-time, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Membership program offers reduced rental rates for members.
3. Program Fees and Event Tickets: Summer camp at $25/week, Noche de Mole fundraiser tickets at $75 ahead / $100 at door, Sherman Mamacitas Brunch at $15 suggested donation.
4. Grants and Foundation Support: Funding from San Diego Foundation, Prebys Foundation, El Camino Fund, and other grant programs supporting community programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sherman Heights Community Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community center that provides educational, cultural, health, food access, and workforce development programs to residents of the Sherman Heights neighborhood in San Diego. It operates a 12,500 sq ft facility offering free and low-cost programs including youth enrichment, senior programming (Club Amistad), ESL and citizenship classes, digital literacy training, culinary workforce development (Sherman Cocina), and healthy food access (El Comedor, La Despensa, Pet Pantry). The center also generates revenue by renting its 200-person-capacity multipurpose room and 330 sq ft commercial kitchen to individuals, nonprofits, and businesses.

Product overview

Sherman Heights Community Center operates as a community services organization offering multiple interconnected programs and facility rentals. Core programs include Sherman Cocina (culinary workforce development), Youth Programming, Club Amistad (senior enrichment), Digital Literacy, English/Citizenship Classes, and Healthy Food Access initiatives including El Comedor, La Despensa, and Pet Pantry. The center also provides venue rentals through its Multipurpose Room (up to 200 persons) and Commercial Kitchen (330 sq ft) facilities. Programs are offered in English and Spanish, with many targeted to specific demographics including seniors (55+), youth, and food-insecure individuals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sherman Cocina A culinary workforce development program supporting aspiring food entrepreneurs in Sherman Heights and San Diego County with training in cooking techniques, food safety, permits, and small food business knowledge (catering, MEHKOs, pop-ups). Targeted to community members interested in starting or growing food businesses.
• Youth Programming (including Summer Camp) Year-round programming for youth in Sherman Heights, including a half-day Summer Camp for ages 6-12 at $25/week with lunch included, plus movie nights, Day of the Dead activities, field trips, internships, volunteer opportunities, and afterschool arts and crafts enrichment.
• Club Amistad A free aging-adult enrichment program for community members 55+, offering activities such as lotería, birthday celebrations, field trips, and concerts to promote healthy aging and social connection.
• Digital Literacy / Computer Classes Free weekly computer and smartphone classes for older adults covering social media safety, Word, Excel, apps, and file management, delivered in partnership with the San Diego Futures Foundation with onsite WiFi and device access. Classes are held mostly in Spanish.
• English as a Second Language & Citizenship Classes Free ESL and US Citizenship Exam preparation classes for adults, including ESL Beginning, ESL Intermediate, and Citizenship Exam preparation covering US History and Civics.
• Healthy Food Access Program (El Comedor, La Despensa, Food Distribution) A 15+ year food security program providing fresh produce, pantry staples, hot meals (El Comedor), a food pantry (La Despensa), and resource navigation for food-insecure individuals and families in Sherman Heights, delivered in partnership with San Diego Food Bank and Feeding San Diego.
• Community Pet Pantry A monthly Community Pet Pantry held on the second Wednesday of each month in partnership with the San Diego Humane Society, providing free pet food and pet care essentials to community members in need.
• Event Space (Multipurpose Room) Rentals Rental of the 200-person-capacity multipurpose room (with full hall and half hall options) for weddings, receptions, workshops, fundraisers, and corporate functions, including tables, chairs, WiFi, and audio-visual equipment. Tiered pricing applies for general versus nonprofit/SHCC-member customers.
• Commercial Kitchen Rental Rental of a 330 sq ft commercially-licensed kitchen with a 6-burner range, convection ovens, griddle, refrigeration, prep stations, and a commissary letter for chefs, caterers, and food producers. Subscription base rate is $320/month plus hourly fees.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25 community altars featured at annual Día de los Muertos celebration
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UC San Diego Center for Community HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2023Partner spotlight featured on UC San Diego's Center for Community Health website, highlighting collaborative community health initiatives.
• Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide monthly food distributions of fresh produce and nonperishable food items to community members in need. Part of the Healthy Food Access program serving food insecure individuals and families in Sherman Heights.
• Feeding San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing free food assistance for the community. Feeding San Diego provides hunger-relief programs and additional free food distributions across the county.
• San Diego Humane SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to host monthly Community Pet Pantry on the second Wednesday of each month, providing free pet food and pet care supplies to community members.
• San Diego Futures FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting the Digital Literacy program with computer classes for older adults. Classes include Social Media Safety, Smartphone Basics, Word and Excel, Apps and File Management.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Feeding San Diego: San Diego County's largest hunger-relief organization; an actual SHCC partner. While a peer in the food-security space, it operates as a countywide distribution backbone rather than a neighborhood-rooted community center.
• Urban Corps of San Diego County: San Diego nonprofit providing workforce training, education, and civic programs for young adults. Directly comparable to Sherman Cocina and SHCC's youth enrichment programs as a regional workforce-development peer.

Direct peers

• MANA de San Diego: Mexican-American women's advocacy and leadership organization serving San Diego. Comparable as a Hispanic-heritage community nonprofit offering education, leadership, and civic engagement programming.
• Chicano Federation of San Diego County: Regional Latino-serving nonprofit providing workforce development, education, and civic engagement programs to San Diego families. Shares the same Mexican-American community focus, donor base, and advocacy role in the San Diego region as Sherman Heights Community Center.
• MAAC Project: San Diego-based nonprofit serving low-income communities through education, housing, workforce, and health programs. Strong peer for SHCC across program mix, funder profile, and community-development orientation.
• Barrio Logan College Institute: San Diego nonprofit in the adjacent Barrio Logan neighborhood providing college-prep, leadership, and educational programming to first-generation students. Compares directly to SHCC's youth enrichment, education, and community-empowerment mission.

Broad incumbents

• San Diego Rescue Mission: Established San Diego nonprofit providing meals, shelter, recovery programs, and community services. Comparable in mission (food insecurity, adult education, community support) but at significantly larger scale.
• Father Joe's Villages: Large San Diego nonprofit addressing homelessness, hunger, and poverty through housing, food programs, and education. Overlaps with SHCC on food access and adult education but operates at much greater scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sherman-heights-community-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Sherman Heights Community Center