BRAC USA
BRAC USA is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in New York that serves as the North American fundraising affiliate of BRAC, the world's largest Global South-led development organization. It channels US individual donations and foundation grants to BRAC's poverty alleviation programs across 15 countries in Asia and Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What BRAC USA does
BRAC USA, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 20-8456741) registered in New York State in 2006 and granted IRS tax-exempt status in 2007. It is the North American affiliate of BRAC (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee), the world's largest Global South-led development organization founded in Bangladesh in 1972. BRAC USA is headquartered at 26 Broadway, 3rd Floor, Office #348, New York, NY, and operates with approximately 21 staff. Its functional role is charitable fundraising: it solicits tax-deductible donations from US-based individual donors (one-time, monthly recurring, and legacy giving via bracusa.org) and secures institutional grants from foundations such as the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation ($5.6M, 2022) and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation ($650K, 2023), channeling these resources to support BRAC's global poverty alleviation programs across 15 countries in Asia and Africa.
BRAC USA's underlying "technology" is not a software stack but a programmatic and field-delivery architecture: the Ultra-Poor Graduation Program (a 12+ month holistic intervention achieving a 95% graduation rate for ~70,000 women annually), the Mastercard Foundation–funded Accelerating Impact for Young Women (AIM) program (382,000+ girls and women engaged since 2021 with a target of 2 million by 2033 across seven African countries), a microfinance platform that disbursed $6 billion in loans primarily to women in 2024, and Humanitarian Play Labs co-created with the LEGO Foundation serving Rohingya refugee children aged 0–5 in Cox's Bazar. BRAC's social enterprises — Aarong (retail, 31+ stores in Bangladesh), BRAC Dairy (the country's second-largest dairy processor), BRAC Fisheries, BRAC Seed & Agro, BRAC Healthcare, and others — generate earned revenue that subsidizes the charitable mission, employing 30,000+ artisans (97% women).
The business model is a hybrid charitable + social-enterprise model. On the charitable side, BRAC USA earns no revenue from selling products or services; it depends on donations and grants with tiers ranging from $5 to $1,000+. On the social-enterprise side, BRAC entities generate income through retail (Aarong), dairy processing, fisheries, agriculture, healthcare, and other ventures that are owned by the parent BRAC rather than BRAC USA. Customer/donor segments include individual US philanthropists, family foundations, corporate partners, and institutional donors. The organization is led by President & CEO Julia Roberts, with Board Chair Raymond C. Offenheiser (former Oxfam America president) and a board that includes former leaders of CARE, World Bank, Citicorp Investment Bank, and the China Medical Board.
BRAC USA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BRAC USA
- Legal name
- BRAC USA, Inc.
- Website
- https://bracusa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BRAC USA is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in New York that serves as the North American fundraising affiliate of BRAC, the world's largest Global South-led development organization. It channels US individual donations and foundation grants to BRAC's poverty alleviation programs across 15 countries in Asia and Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BRAC USA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Development Nonprofit
- NAICS
- Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microfinance, Financial Inclusion & Inclusive Markets (BPAGABAM)
Keywords
Where BRAC USA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
BRAC USA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: BRAC USA raises funds from individual donors in the United States through its website, email campaigns, and events. Donations are tax-deductible under IRS 501(c)(3) status (EIN 20-8456741) and are used to support BRAC's global poverty alleviation programs across Asia and Africa.
- Monthly Giving / Recurring Donations: Recurring monthly donations provide sustained funding for BRAC's programs, allowing donors to give on an ongoing basis.
- Social Enterprise Revenue (BRAC Group): BRAC's social enterprises including Aarong (retail), BRAC Dairy, BRAC Fisheries, BRAC Seed and Agro Enterprise, and others generate income that supports BRAC's social programs. These enterprises provide employment to over 30,000 artisans (97% women) through Aarong alone.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | One-time or monthly recurring donations at donor-selected amounts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
BRAC USA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BRAC USA is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises charitable donations in the United States to fund BRAC's global poverty alleviation and social development programs across 15 countries in Asia and Africa. As the North American affiliate of BRAC (the world's largest Global South-led development organization), it channels individual, institutional, and foundation donations into programs including the Ultra-Poor Graduation intervention, microfinance ($6B disbursed in 2024), the AIM youth empowerment program, humanitarian refugee support, and a portfolio of social enterprises such as Aarong retail and BRAC Dairy.
Product overview
BRAC USA is a nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) that serves as the North American affiliate of BRAC, the world's largest Global South-led development organization. BRAC USA's offerings are primarily social development programs and social enterprises rather than a unified technology product. The organization operates a portfolio of social enterprises including Aarong (retail brand with 31 stores), BRAC Dairy (second largest dairy processor in Bangladesh), BRAC Fisheries, BRAC Seed and Agro Enterprise, BRAC Healthcare, BRAC Nursery, BRAC Recycled Handmade Paper, and BRAC Sericulture. Core programs include the Ultra-Poor Graduation Program (a 12+ month holistic intervention with 95% graduation rates), the Accelerating Impact for Young Women (AIM) program with Mastercard Foundation, and microfinance services ($6 billion disbursed in 2024). Humanitarian initiatives include Humanitarian Play Labs for early childhood development in refugee settings and digital literacy training. These programs and enterprises work together within BRAC's holistic ecosystem approach to poverty alleviation across Asia and Africa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ultra-Poor Graduation Program BRAC's flagship core program: a holistic 12+ month intervention combining safe housing, food security, productive assets (livestock), skills training, savings and credit, and regular coaching to lift people out of extreme poverty. Approximately 70,000 women join annually, with 95% graduating from extreme poverty. Program participants are 100% women.
- Accelerating Impact for Young Women (AIM) Program Partnership with Mastercard Foundation empowering adolescent girls and young women across seven African countries with entrepreneurship, employability, and life skills training, along with microfinance access. Since 2021, has engaged over 382,000 girls and women through more than 2,800 youth clubs and 18,000+ microfinance groups. Expansion targets 2 million beneficiaries by 2033.
- BRAC Microfinance Microfinance services disbursing loans primarily to women across multiple countries including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, with $6 billion disbursed in microloans in 2024. Includes country-specific entities such as BRAC Tanzania Finance Limited, BRAC Rwanda Microfinance Company PLC, BRAC Ghana Savings and Loans Limited, BRAC Uganda Bank Ltd, and others.
- Humanitarian Play Labs Safe spaces for children aged zero to five in refugee settings to learn, heal, and grow through play. Co-created with LEGO Foundation and the Rohingya community in Cox's Bazar, offering early childhood development, psychosocial support, and cultural preservation through home-based and center-based models. Over 250 Humanitarian Play Labs serve Rohingya refugee children.
- Aarong Social Enterprise BRAC's flagship social enterprise retail brand and one of the most popular lifestyle retail chains in Bangladesh. Connects over 30,000 artisans (97% women) in rural areas to consumers through 31+ stores and multiple brands, e-commerce, and digital platforms. Operated through the Ayesha Abed Foundation, providing fair wages, healthcare, childcare, legal awareness, and retirement benefits.
- BRAC Dairy (Aarong Dairy) Social enterprise producing dairy products; currently the second highest dairy processor in Bangladesh with a diverse portfolio of products.
- BRAC Healthcare Social enterprise providing healthcare services and products, operating clinics and health facilities.
- Digital Literacy Training English Language and Digital Literacy Training programs in refugee settings, teaching Microsoft Office, resume building, and digital skills to empower refugees with employment-ready capabilities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 145 million people globally have accessed BRAC's education, healthcare, and economic development programs to date
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use BRAC USA
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
BRAC USA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
BRAC USA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- LEGO FoundationcoreThe LEGO Foundation co-created BRAC's Humanitarian Play Labs model with the Rohingya community in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. These safe spaces allow children aged zero to five to learn, heal, and grow through play, combining early childhood development with psychosocial support and cultural preservation.
- Ayeshs Abed Foundation (AAF)coreThe Ayesha Abed Foundation (AAF) in Trishal, Bangladesh is the backbone of BRAC's flagship social enterprise Aarong. AAF engages over 30,000 artisans (97% women) and provides holistic support including fair wages, healthcare, childcare, legal awareness and support, and retirement benefits.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
BRAC USA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Habitat for Humanity International: Large US-based global housing nonprofit. Comparable: large-scale, US-headquartered international development nonprofit with shelter focus; broader portfolio and stronger US brand than BRAC USA.
Direct peers
- Opportunity International: US-based global microfinance and small-enterprise development nonprofit. Direct comparable: financial-inclusion focus on women entrepreneurs in low-income countries, US fundraising model, and emerging-markets program delivery.
- Oxfam America: Large US-based international development and anti-poverty nonprofit. Direct comparable: similar mission, US-donor fundraising model, and global program portfolio addressing poverty, gender inequality, and humanitarian response.
- Grameen Foundation: US-based nonprofit focused on microfinance and poverty alleviation, with strong Bangladesh and global-South roots. Direct comparable: microfinance-led anti-poverty model and US donor base, originating from the same Bangladesh development ecosystem as BRAC.
- Save the Children US: US affiliate of Save the Children federation focused on child welfare, education, and emergency response. Direct comparable: US fundraising affiliate model, education and youth programs in low-income countries, and refugee response work overlapping with BRAC's Humanitarian Play Labs.
- World Vision US: Large US-based Christian humanitarian organization. Direct comparable: US individual-donor fundraising model, child-sponsorship–style recurring giving, and integrated community development programming.
- Heifer International: US-based nonprofit focused on ending hunger and poverty through livestock, agriculture, and economic empowerment. Comparable: poverty graduation-style asset transfers (livestock, training), rural livelihoods focus, and US fundraising model.
- Mercy Corps: US-headquartered global humanitarian and development organization. Direct comparable: US-donor-funded international programs, microfinance-adjacent financial inclusion work, and emergency response in fragile contexts.
- BRAC International: Sister organization managing BRAC's programs outside Bangladesh. Direct comparable: shares the same BRAC brand, mission, and programs; effectively the operational counterpart to BRAC USA's fundraising role.
- CARE USA: Major US-based international humanitarian nonprofit fighting global poverty with focus on women and girls. Direct comparable: nearly identical mission, US fundraising affiliate model, and women's-empowerment programming — BRAC USA's board leadership includes former CARE chairs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BRAC USA social profiles
Digital presenceBRAC USA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BRAC USA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
BRAC USA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BRAC USA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BRAC USA
What does BRAC USA do?
BRAC USA is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises charitable donations in the United States to fund BRAC's global poverty alleviation and social development programs across 15 countries in Asia and Africa. As the North American affiliate of BRAC (the world's largest Global South-led development organization), it channels individual, institutional, and foundation donations into programs including the Ultra-Poor Graduation intervention, microfinance ($6B disbursed in 2024), the AIM youth empowerment program, humanitarian refugee support, and a portfolio of social enterprises such as Aarong retail and BRAC Dairy.
Is BRAC USA a public or private company?
BRAC USA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was BRAC USA founded?
BRAC USA was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BRAC USA based?
BRAC USA is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does BRAC USA make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are monthly Giving / Recurring Donations and social Enterprise Revenue (BRAC Group).
Who are BRAC USA's main competitors?
Habitat for Humanity International is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Opportunity International, Oxfam America, Grameen Foundation, Save the Children US, World Vision US, Heifer International, Mercy Corps, BRAC International and CARE USA.
Does BRAC USA have an API?
No public API is recorded for BRAC USA.
What industry is BRAC USA in?
BRAC USA's product category is International Development Nonprofit. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAM, Microfinance, Financial Inclusion & Inclusive Markets. Its NAICS code is 8133 and its SIC code is 8300.