Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

What Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies does

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank founded in 1970 and headquartered at 633 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, DC. Operating with a staff of 11-50, it produces evidence-based policy research and strategic communications focused on the political and economic conditions of Black Americans, organized around five issue areas: Government Diversity, Tax and Wealth Policy, Tech Policy, Workforce Policy, and Data for Black America.

The organization's core outputs include policy research and analysis, the Data for Black America data repository, the Diversity on the Hill interactive microsite that tracks top staff hires across Congress, a monthly Jobs Day Analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the Inside Black Policy newsletter, the FOCUS Magazine archive, and the annual State of the Dream report. The underlying technology stack is research- and data-analytics-driven rather than software-product-driven, with proprietary tracking tools for congressional staff diversity serving as its most distinctive technical asset.

The Joint Center is funded primarily through charitable donations, foundation grants, and individual contributions; no commercial product pricing is involved and all research outputs are publicly available at no cost. It reaches its audiences through a multi-channel mix of content marketing (website, newsletter, FOCUS Magazine), policy convenings and summits, congressional briefings, and frequent earned-media citations. It serves a diversified stakeholder base of Black communities, congressional offices and policymakers, and civil rights organizations, and operates within a dense coalition network that includes nearly 70 signatory organizations on its advocacy letters.

Name

Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Legal name

Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Website

https://jointcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) think tank founded in 1970 that produces policy research, data tools, and convenings on the political and economic conditions of Black Americans for Congress, civil rights organizations, and Black communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Think Tank Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC), Equity, Inclusion & Civil Rights Reporting (Disparities, Access, Outcomes) (EDADAIAH)

Keywords

• Policy research
• Think tank services
• Economic policy analysis
• Workforce policy research
• Civil rights advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations to support their research and policy work. The website includes a Donate section.
2. Annual Reports and Publications: Revenue is generated through the dissemination of research reports, policy briefs, and data analysis to stakeholders, policymakers, and the public.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is America's Black think tank, producing evidence-based policy research and analysis on the political and economic conditions of Black Americans. Its core offerings include policy research and analysis across economic policy, tech policy, workforce policy, and government diversity; the Diversity on the Hill interactive microsite for congressional staff diversity tracking; the Data for Black America data repository; monthly Jobs Day Analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data; the Inside Black Policy newsletter; the annual State of the Dream report; and FOCUS Magazine. Revenue is generated through donations, grants, and content distribution rather than commercial sales.

Product overview

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies operates as America’s Black think tank, providing a unified portfolio of policy research and analysis services. Its core offerings include evidence-based research on economic policy, tech policy, workforce policy, and government diversity; the Data for Black America project providing statistical resources; the Diversity on the Hill microsite with interactive congressional staff diversity tracking tools; monthly Jobs Day Analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data; Inside Black Policy newsletters covering multiple policy domains; and the annual State of the Dream report. The organization focuses on actionable policy solutions to eradicate persistent barriers facing Black Americans through research, convenings, and strategic communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy Research and Analysis Evidence-based research, analysis, and strategic communications addressing barriers to Black Americans' full freedom, focusing on economic policy, tech policy, workforce policy, and government diversity. For policymakers, civil rights organizations, and the public.
• Data for Black America Data repository providing statistics and research on economic conditions, employment, and wealth disparities affecting Black communities. For researchers, policymakers, journalists, and the public.
• Diversity on the Hill Microsite Microsite featuring interactive tracking tools monitoring top staff hires of all new and returning members of Congress, with reports on racial diversity among congressional staff (chiefs of staff, legislative directors, communications directors). For congressional offices, advocacy organizations, journalists, and the public.
• Jobs Day Analysis Monthly analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data showing what numbers mean for Black workers. For policymakers, journalists, advocates, and the public.
• Inside Black Policy Newsletter Monthly newsletter roundup covering government diversity, economic, and tech policy topics affecting Black communities. For subscribers, policymakers, advocates, and stakeholders.
• FOCUS Magazine Archived magazine publication covering policy issues relevant to Black communities. For the public, subscribers, and policy stakeholders.
• State of the Dream Report Annual report examining economic conditions facing Black communities, including employment, wealth, and economic regression analysis. For policymakers, journalists, advocates, and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Monthly Jobs Day Analysis reaches policymakers and media with Black employment data analysis
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Congressional Black Caucus FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026The Joint Center was honored with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Leadership in Policy Impact Award at the CBCF's Legacy & Leadership Gala, recognizing the organization's policy impact on Black communities.
• Women's Tech & Telecom PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Co-hosted congressional roundtable discussion 'Women, Work, and AI: Preparing Workers and Communities for the AI Economy' with Women’s Tech & Telecom Partnership and Acacia Hill Strategies on June 4, 2026 in the Senate Visitors Center.
• Acacia Hill StrategiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Co-hosted congressional roundtable discussion 'Women, Work, and AI: Preparing Workers and Communities for the AI Economy' with Women’s Tech & Telecom Partnership and Acacia Hill Strategies.
• National Urban League Fair Budget CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Joint Center joined the National Urban League's Fair Budget Coalition, a new alliance of civil rights leaders, economic justice advocates, and policy experts demanding a federal budget that centers fairness, opportunity, and economic security.
• The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Joint Center is part of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Media/Telecommunications Task Force, signing joint statements on civil rights protections.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Center for American Progress: Large progressive think tank producing policy research on economic, workforce, and racial-equity issues; competes for similar congressional, media, and foundation audiences as the Joint Center but with a wider ideological and topical scope.
• Urban Institute: Nonpartisan research organization that studies economic mobility, racial disparities, housing, and wealth inequality; a direct competitor in evidence-based research on Black economic conditions and policy reform, with deeper research infrastructure.
• Brookings Institution: One of America's largest and most established think tanks producing economic, governance, and racial-equity research with significantly larger staff and budget; directly comparable in policy-research mission but with a much broader portfolio than the Joint Center's Black-focused mandate.

Direct peers

• Economic Policy Institute: Think tank focused on economic policy with a strong emphasis on racial-equity and labor-market research targeting low- and middle-income workers; produces monthly jobs and wage analyses that overlap with Joint Center's Jobs Day Analysis and State of the Dream products.
• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Policy research organization focused on federal budget, tax, and anti-poverty policy with explicit racial-equity framing; comparable to the Joint Center in producing data-driven reports for federal policymakers and coalition advocacy.
• The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights: Coalition of more than 200 civil rights organizations that coordinates federal advocacy and policy research; the Joint Center is part of its Media/Telecommunications Task Force, making it a direct coalition peer on federal policy alignment.

Emerging players

• National Urban League: Historic civil rights and economic-empowerment organization that conducts policy research and advocacy for Black communities; the Joint Center has formally joined its Fair Budget Coalition, making it a direct peer in economic-justice research and federal advocacy.
• NAACP: Largest and oldest U.S. civil rights organization that combines policy research, litigation, and federal advocacy on Black economic, voting, and political representation; overlaps with the Joint Center on civil rights and economic-equity research agendas.
• Think 312 / Black Futures Lab: Black-led civic engagement and data organization that produces research and policy analysis on Black political participation, voting, and economic conditions; comparable mission and target audience to the Joint Center with a more organizing-focused model.

Others

• Howard University Research Centers: Howard's research institutes and policy centers produce scholarly work on Black political and economic conditions, supplying the Joint Center with academic talent pipelines (the "Talent Moat" of Black scholars identified in its competitive advantages) while publishing overlapping equity-focused research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jointcenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/108026092598817
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/joint-center-for-political-and-economic-studies-health-policy-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies