The Beautiful Project
The Beautiful Project is a Durham, North Carolina-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering arts education, exhibitions, and wellness programming for Black girls, women, and gender-expansive youth, funded by grants, donations, online courses, and merchandise sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersDurham, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Beautiful Project does
The Beautiful Project is a Durham, North Carolina-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2005 that delivers arts education, exhibitions, and wellness programming centered on Black girls, women, and gender-expansive youth. The organization runs direct in-person programs at community partner sites in North Carolina, including Youth Apprenticeship (AAYA), Nikki's Table poetry program, Fellowship, Encounter the Arts workshops, Artist In Residence, and Youth Leadership, and has exhibited youth- and artist-generated photography, film, and writing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2019), the North Carolina Museum of Art (2021-2022), and Artspace Raleigh (2025), reaching an audience of over 250,000 people.
Its productized offerings are organized around three lines: TBP Online Studios, a digital learning platform launched in 2023 offering self-paced and live 4-8 week courses in curation, filmmaking, and art for radical healing for learners aged 14 and up globally; Shop Beautiful, a direct-to-consumer merchandise storefront with apparel and accessories priced $8-$85, with proceeds funding free youth programs; and a publications line including the TBP Journal, blog, newsletter, and the Her Testimony campaign. The underlying technology stack is built on creative-practice media (photography, poetry, filmmaking, visual arts) rather than proprietary software, and there is no disclosed API, app, or AI component.
The business model is a nonprofit hybrid: institutional grants (Poetry Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Grantmakers for Girls of Color, South Arts, Ms. Foundation for Women, Tides Foundation) plus individual donations provide the funding base, while tuition-equivalent online course revenue and merchandise sales contribute earned income. Governance is run under a co-executive directorship held by Erin Stephens and Khayla Deans since January 2022, with a four-day work week, unlimited leave, and equal pay structure adopted as part of an organizational care framework.
The Beautiful Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Beautiful Project
- Legal name
- The Beautiful Project, Inc.
- Website
- https://thebeautifulproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Beautiful Project is a Durham, North Carolina-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering arts education, exhibitions, and wellness programming for Black girls, women, and gender-expansive youth, funded by grants, donations, online courses, and merchandise sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Beautiful Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts Education and Community Cultural Programs
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161), Museums (71211), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA), Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ), Personal Enrichment & Creative Arts Programs (EDAAAEAG)
Keywords
Where The Beautiful Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Beautiful Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization relying on individual donations, monthly giving, employer matching, donor-advised funds, and institutional grants
- Merchandise Sales: E-commerce shop selling apparel, accessories, and prints with proceeds supporting free wellness and arts education programs for youth
- Online Courses: Self-paced and live online courses for learners ages 14 and up, ranging from 4-8 weeks in duration
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Apparel and accessories with prices ranging from $8-$85 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Online courses ranging from 4-8 weeks |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Beautiful Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Beautiful Project is a 501(c)(3) arts nonprofit that delivers arts education, wellness, and exhibition programming for Black girls, women, and gender-expansive youth. Its sellable offerings include paid online courses under TBP Online Studios (curation, filmmaking, radical healing), merchandise sold through the Shop Beautiful storefront, and contracted/free workshop and apprenticeship programs delivered at schools and community centers.
Product overview
The Beautiful Project is an arts education non-profit offering a platform of programs and publications focused on recognizing, affirming, and uplifting the inherent beauty of Black girls and women. The core offerings include TBP Online Studios (self-paced and live courses in curation, filmmaking, and radical healing), Shop Beautiful (merchandise store supporting the mission), and programs including Encounter the Arts workshops, Artist In Residence, Youth Apprenticeship, Fellowship, Youth Leadership, and Nikki's Table poetry program. The organization also produces exhibitions shown at major institutions and publishes a Journal, Blog, Newsletter, and Her Testimony campaign.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TBP Online Studios: Online learning platform offering self-paced courses in curation, filmmaking, and art for radical healing for learners ages 14 and up.
- Shop Beautiful
- The Beautiful Project Journal
- #HerTestimony Campaign
Products and services
- Shop Beautiful Merchandise Storefront
Quantifiable outcome
- Exhibited work to over 250,000 people through major museum exhibitions
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Beautiful Project
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Beautiful Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Beautiful Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Metropolitan Museum of ArtflagshipIn 2019, TBP's Pen, Lens & Soul exhibit launched at The Met, featuring photography and stories from Black girls aged 8-15. First major exhibition at a major institution.
- North Carolina Museum of ArtflagshipSecond major multi-media exhibition 'Memory is Ritual: A Remembrance of Ourselves' opened September 2021 - February 2022 as part of NC Artist Connections exhibition series. Featured original choreography by NCCU Dance Company.
- Artspace (Raleigh)coreHost venue for Foremothers exhibition (April-May 2025) featuring Kennedi Carter's work on Black motherhood and community memory. Also hosting Fall 2025 20th anniversary exhibition.
- North Carolina Central University Dance CompanyminorDancers from NCCU performed original choreography exploring rituals of lament, release, and hope, inspired by Memory is Ritual exhibition.
- Durham Arts CouncilcoreHost venue for (Re)clamation exhibition at The Semans Gallery. Supported by Durham Arts Council's Exhibit Program, a division of Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
- Dr. Brittney M. Cofield-Poole / YAA Wellness CollectivecoreWellness practitioner provided mental health support for 2023-24 AAYA apprentices, integrating radical mental wellness practices into the Reclamation exhibit creation process.
- Black Girls in Art SpacesminorDurham/Raleigh chapter hosted special tour of Foremothers exhibition, community dedicated to connectivity, accessibility, and education in the arts.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Beautiful Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Black Girls in Art Spaces: Named partner of TBP (hosted a special tour of Foremothers) with a closely aligned mission of supporting Black women and girls in arts through community, education, and access — directly comparable in audience and approach.
- The Black School: Black art and design school providing experiential art and design education rooted in Black histories and futures; highly comparable mission, target demographic, and instructional model to TBP's AAYA apprenticeship and Encounter workshops.
- Project Row Houses: Houston-based arts nonprofit combining community programming, residencies, and exhibitions centered on Black cultural expression; comparable as a community-rooted arts organization producing exhibitions and artist-development programs.
- The Laundromat Project: NYC arts nonprofit embedding artists in community settings to drive local creative engagement; comparable as a community-arts nonprofit that combines creative practice, identity affirmation, and place-based programming.
- Free Arts NYC: Youth arts education nonprofit providing underserved young people with arts programming and mentorship; comparable mission of using arts for identity development in marginalized youth communities.
- Urban Bush Women: Black women-led dance and arts organization integrating performance, community engagement, and cultural work; comparable as a Black-women-centered arts organization with deep community programming.
Broad incumbents
- National Black Arts Festival: Long-running Atlanta-based Black arts festival and programming organization; broader and more established than TBP but highly comparable mission of presenting and developing Black artists across disciplines.
- Black Art Futures Fund: Fund and community supporting emerging Black arts leaders and organizations; comparable ecosystem participant that channels resources to Black-led arts groups similar to TBP.
Emerging players
- Youth FX: Albany-based youth media arts organization offering filmmaking and media education to BIPOC youth; overlaps with TBP's filmmaking courses and Your Story on Film curriculum.
- BlackRock (Artist Residency): Black artist residency program in Senegal; comparable in supporting Black artists' creative practice, though operating internationally and as a residency rather than education organization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Beautiful Project social profiles
Digital presenceThe Beautiful Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Beautiful Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
The Beautiful Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Beautiful Project 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 The Beautiful Project
What does The Beautiful Project do?
The Beautiful Project is a 501(c)(3) arts nonprofit that delivers arts education, wellness, and exhibition programming for Black girls, women, and gender-expansive youth. Its sellable offerings include paid online courses under TBP Online Studios (curation, filmmaking, radical healing), merchandise sold through the Shop Beautiful storefront, and contracted/free workshop and apprenticeship programs delivered at schools and community centers.
Is The Beautiful Project a public or private company?
The Beautiful Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Beautiful Project founded?
The Beautiful Project was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Beautiful Project based?
The Beautiful Project is headquartered in Durham, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Beautiful Project make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales and online Courses.
Who are The Beautiful Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Black Girls in Art Spaces, The Black School, Project Row Houses, The Laundromat Project, Free Arts NYC and Urban Bush Women. Broad incumbents are National Black Arts Festival and Black Art Futures Fund. Emerging players are Youth FX and BlackRock (Artist Residency).
Does The Beautiful Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Beautiful Project.
What industry is The Beautiful Project in?
The Beautiful Project's product category is Arts Education and Community Cultural Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAC, Arts Education & Community Arts Programs, with a secondary code of EDAMAAAA, Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture). Its NAICS code is 61161 and its SIC code is 7330.