About Somarts
SOMArts Cultural Center harnesses the power of art as a catalyst for collective liberation and social transformation. As a cross-cultural, community-rooted space, SOMArts works toward creating a more equitable arts and culture sector by providing affordable and accessible exhibitions and public events for all, and by equipping artists with space, mentorship, and support.
Focus Areas
Arts & cultureArts educationCommunity developmentPublic exhibitions and eventsArtist support / residencies
Who They Fund
local artists and arts organizationscommunity participants/general publicyouth and families
Funding Style
program/project supportdirect service deliverycommunity engagement
About Somarts
SOMArts’ recent grantmaking is anchored by a large 2025 Cultural Arts Program award of $431,885 to American Indian Cultural Ctr in San Francisco. That grant sits alongside equally specific support for community-rooted cultural organizations, including $143,885 to Asian Pacific Islander Center and $143,885 to Queer Cultural Center, both for Cultural Arts Program work. The pattern points to a funder that uses direct grants to sustain arts and culture programming for distinct communities in San Francisco. Through the arts center’s grantmaking, support reaches organizations working in cultural arts, public events, and community engagement rather than broad, unrestricted philanthropy. The grant record also aligns with SOMArts’ role as a cross-cultural arts institution that equips artists with space, mentorship, and support. In practice, that means the foundation’s giving is tied to programming, exhibitions, and artist-facing cultural work within a local ecosystem. The scale of the recent awards suggests a concentrated strategy: fewer, larger grants directed to named organizations with ongoing cultural programming in the city.
What Somarts Funds
SOMArts gives within a narrow set of arts and culture priorities, and the recent grants show those priorities in action. In cultural arts programming, it awarded $431,885 to American Indian Cultural Ctr for its Cultural Arts Program. The same program area also supported Asian Pacific Islander Center with $143,885 for Cultural Arts Program work, linking the funder to community-based cultural expression in San Francisco. The foundation’s broader focus on arts education and public exhibitions is reflected in its active programs: The Ramp Gallery accepts applications for four-week solo and group shows, while the Curatorial Residency is a nine-month incubator for historically underrepresented artists and curators. SOMArts also provides fiscal sponsorship through Model A and Model C, extending administrative and financial support to arts and community-based cultural projects.
How Somarts Gives
Typical grant size is consistent at the middle of the distribution: p25, median, and p75 are $143,885, $143,885, and $287,885, respectively. The recent record shows a mix of one larger award and two matching-size grants, which suggests a concentrated set of program grants rather than many small awards. The foundation’s active programs include both open-call opportunities and support structures, such as exhibition applications, curatorial residencies, and fiscal sponsorship. That structure shows a funder that operates through direct program support, artist services, and project-level administration rather than individual giving or program-related investments. The available record points to local, recurring arts support in California.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$349K
Total Assets
$1.2M
Total Revenue
$2.8M
Total Expenses
$3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $144K and $288K, with a median of $144K.
25th Percentile
$144K
Median
$144K
75th Percentile
$288K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Maria Jenson
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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