Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation

Name

Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation

Legal name

The Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation

Website

https://bpacf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation is a Cleveland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides scholarships, mentorship, career development, and recognition programs for African American students (ages 17-25) and professionals across Northeast Ohio, funded by donations, sponsorships, and an endowment managed with the Cleveland Foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Education and Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mentorship & Coaching (Career, Academic, Industry-Specific) (EDAMAKAA), Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation services
• Scholarship programs
• Professional development services
• Community recognition awards
• Workforce development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Contributions: BPACF raises funds through one-time and recurring donations from individuals and organizations. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) and offers a 'Friend of the Foundation' giving program. No membership fees are charged, ensuring equal access for all beneficiaries.
2. Event Sponsorships and Gala Revenue: Signature events including the Annual Scholarship & Awards Gala (500-700 attendees) and 40/40 Emerging Legends Salute generate sponsorship revenue and ticket sales. Sponsors can engage under 'We Develop', 'We Connect', and 'We Recognize' pillars.
3. Planned Giving and Endowment Fund: BPACF Endowment Fund (Honoring Allmond, Baker, and Harris) established February 1996, managed in collaboration with the Cleveland Foundation. Planned giving opportunities support sustainable scholarship and operational revenue streams.
4. Sponsorship and Underwriting: Corporate and organizational sponsors underwrite specific programs including Emerging Professionals Programming (scholarship underwriting, program underwriting for Soft Skills Boot Camp, Scholars Send Off, Winter Symposium), ENGAGE! Programming (professional mixers, head shot events), and Signature Events, as well as The Black Professional Magazine advertising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

BPACF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable foundation that provides scholarships, career development programming, and professional recognition to African American students and professionals in Northeast Ohio. Its core offerings include the BPACF Scholars Program, Career Connect Internship Program, College-to-Career Series, ENGAGE! professional development programming, networking events, and recognition awards (Black Professional of the Year, Lifetime Achievers, Forty Under 40 Emerging Legends).

Product overview

BPACF operates as a nonprofit charitable foundation offering a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on scholarship provision, professional development, career advancement, and community recognition. Its core student-facing offerings include the BPACF Scholars Program, Career Connect Internship Program, and College-to-Career Series, which together form the Emerging Professionals Programming track. For working professionals, BPACF provides the Forty Under 40 Emerging Legends Salute, Professional Night Out Networking, and ENGAGE! Programming. The organization publishes The Black Professional Magazine as a quarterly electronic magazine and hosts two signature events—the Annual Scholarships & Awards Gala and the Lifetime Achievers Awards. The BPACF Endowment Fund supports long-term scholarship sustainability. All programming is provided without membership fees, ensuring equal access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Black Professional Magazine: A quarterly electronic magazine featuring stories, community updates, and content shared by local volunteer writers, launched in 2021.

Products and services

• BPACF Scholars Program Scholarship program supporting African American emerging professionals ages 17-25 with educational stipends, mentoring, professional guidance, and career network exposure. Students apply via a common online application portal. Open to eligible Northeast Ohio students.
• Career Connect Internship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,031 post-secondary scholars supported since 1985
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cleveland Foundation: BPACF's endowment partner and the largest community foundation in the US. Operates its own scholarship and grantmaking programs for Cleveland residents, representing both an upstream funder for BPACF and a potential competitor for the same donor and scholar audiences.
• National Urban League: Large national civil rights and direct-service organization with education, workforce, and economic empowerment programs for African Americans. Comparable to BPACF in mission focus (Black professional advancement) but operates nationally across many cities rather than as a single regional foundation.
• UNCF (United Negro College Fund): National scholarship provider for African American students with similar scholarship, mentorship, and career pipeline programs. Operates at significantly larger scale than BPACF but shares the core model of funding Black post-secondary education.

Direct peers

• National Black MBA Association: Member organization focused on professional development, career advancement, and education for Black professionals. Comparable scholarship and leadership programming model targeting African American professionals, organized through regional chapters.
• 100 Black Men of America: National network of chapters providing mentoring, education, and economic empowerment to African American youth and professionals. Operates via local chapters similar to BPACF's regional Cleveland focus, with comparable scholarship, mentorship, and leadership development programming.
• The Links, Incorporated: National African American professional women's service organization with chapters providing scholarships, programming for youth, and community service. Comparable to BPACF in serving the Black professional community through local chapters with intergenerational programming and scholarship delivery.
• College Now Greater Cleveland: Cleveland-based college access and success organization providing advising, scholarships, and mentoring to Greater Cleveland students. BPACF Board President Michele Scott Taylor represents College Now, evidencing partnership overlap; programs directly compete for similar LMI scholarship recipients.
• Jack and Jill of America: National African American family organization with local chapters providing programming for children and young professionals including scholarships, leadership development, and community service. Similar chapter-based structure serving the Black professional and youth demographic.

Emerging players

• National Society of Black Engineers: Student and professional organization supporting Black engineers with scholarships, professional development, and career programming. Comparable in mission but specialized in STEM fields, whereas BPACF serves all industries.

Regional players

• Say Yes Cleveland: Cleveland scholarship and college support initiative providing tuition assistance and wraparound services to Cleveland Metropolitan School District graduates. Operates in BPACF's same geography with overlapping scholarship and student success missions; represented on BPACF's board.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/bpacf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpVbHUO_7bfsxrPrtrcR18Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/bpacf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-professionals-association-charitable-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/bpacf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation