Black Environmental Leaders

What Black Environmental Leaders does

Black Environmental Leaders Association (BEL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization incorporated in Ohio in 2020, headquartered at 34194 Aurora Road, #236, Solon, OH. Its stated purpose is to advocate for environmental and economic justice by linking a network of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) leaders across every sector of the green economy and providing a forum for community environmental education covering land, water, air, transportation, and energy issues through the lens of health, diversity, inclusion, and equity. The organization operates through a distinctive shared-leadership model organized into five tribes aligned to Environmental Solutions Areas (Built Environment/Energy, Equitable Clean Energy, Sustainable Transportation, Healthy Neighborhoods, Natural Environment), plus a Debt Reduction/Entrepreneurship tribe and two affinity groups, governed by a Council of Tribes and Council of Allies.

BEL's portfolio consists of membership tiers (individual, group/organization at $10/month to $150/year, and life memberships at $1,500 one-time or installment), volunteer programs (individual, group/project, corporate skills-based), and environmental justice projects and convenings. Notable projects include the CHEERS Partnership (Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resilience Strategy, awarded $985,000 from NFWF's National Coastal Resilience Fund in November 2021 with $1.97M total project value), the Cleveland Comprehensive Environmental Policy Platform developed with 30+ community organizations, advisory participation in the Ohio Climate Justice Fund (which has awarded $470,421 across 18 frontline organizations), and statewide speaker series such as Black Landscapes Matter and Ohio Voices Informing Energy Choices. Revenue is generated through membership dues, tax-deductible donations, planned giving/legacy gifts, and grants from foundations including the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Cleveland Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Energy Foundation, and Joyce Foundation. The organization does not operate proprietary technology beyond a Squarespace website with Square/PayPal payment processing, and is not a technology product business.

Name

Black Environmental Leaders

Legal name

Black Environmental Leaders Association

Website

https://blackenvironmentalleaders.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Black Environmental Leaders Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization, founded in 2020 and based in Solon, Ohio, that links a network of BIPOC leaders across the green economy to advance environmental and economic justice through advocacy, education, member services, and coalition projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy and Community Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL)

Keywords

• Environmental justice advocacy
• Nonprofit membership association
• Community environmental education
• BIPOC green economy network
• Climate justice programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Solon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: BEL operates as a membership organization where individuals and organizations pay dues to join. Membership levels include Black Environmental Leader individual memberships, Group or Organization memberships, and Life Memberships with installment options. The organization collects membership dues and functions as trustees of members' money, using it responsibly for environmental and economic justice causes.
2. Donations and Contributions: BEL is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization that depends on public contributions to fund activities. Donations are tax-deductible to donors. The organization receives donations through its website and specific campaigns including tributes to deceased co-founders.
3. Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: BEL offers planned giving options including life insurance policy donations, bequests through Last Will and Testament, and Living Trust beneficiary designations. These legacy gifts help ensure future financial stability while providing donors with tax benefits.
4. Grants and Foundation Funding: BEL receives grant funding from foundations and government programs. Notable grants include $985,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) National Coastal Resilience Fund for the CHEERS Partnership, with matching funds bringing total project value to $1.97 million. The organization also participates in the Ohio Climate Justice Fund advisory board and receives support from foundations including the George Gund Foundation, Energy Foundation, and Cleveland Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Black Environmental Leaders Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that links a network of BIPOC leaders across the green economy to advocate for environmental and economic justice. It offers tiered memberships, volunteer programs, advocacy projects, and educational speaker series focused on land, water, air, transportation, and energy issues affecting BIPOC communities.

Product overview

Black Environmental Leaders Association (BEL) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization operating as a network linking BIPOC leaders within the green economy. BEL does not offer a unified software product but rather provides a portfolio of membership tiers (individual, group/organization, life, and emerging life memberships at various price points), volunteer programs (individual, group/project, and corporate skills-based volunteering), and environmental justice projects including the CHEERS shoreline resilience initiative, Cleveland Comprehensive Policy Platform advocacy, Ohio Climate Justice Fund advisory, Black Landscapes Matter speaker series, and Ohio Voices Informing Energy Choices speaker series. The organization generates revenue through membership dues, donations, and planned giving programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Black Environmental Leader Membership Individual membership for Americans of Black African descent who work for and/or volunteer in the built or natural environment, including those passionate about the environment, climate change, and environmental justice.
• Group or Organization Membership Membership tier for groups or organizations mission-aligned to BEL that wish to commit to environmental and economic justice work, offered at $10/month, $80/year, or $150/year.
• Life Member Membership Lifetime BEL or BEL Ally membership for individuals who work or volunteer in either the built or natural environment, offered as a one-time purchase for $1,500.
• Emerging Life Member Membership Installment plan to achieve Life Membership for current members, available at $300/year for 5 years or $25/month for 60 months ($1,500 total).

Quantifiable outcome

• Awarded $985,000 from NFWF NCRF with matching bringing total to $1.97 million for Cleveland shoreline resilience project
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global Shapers Cleveland HubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Global Shapers Cleveland Hub and BEL announced a formal partnership in 2021 to incubate, empower, and support a diverse group of leaders and professionals within the sustainability and policy field across Northeast Ohio. The partnership, part of the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers Community network of over 400 city-based hubs, aims to leverage the passion of young leaders to create local change through a global lens. Both organizations are committed to reclaiming a heritage where youth and elders are respected, honored, and valued, with the partnership holding potential to become a model of collaboration and intergenerational leadership development.
• City of ClevelandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021City of Cleveland is a project partner in the CHEERS (Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resilience Strategy) Partnership, collaborating on the transformative shoreline project on Cleveland's East Side. The project includes shoreline expansion north and east of E. 55th Street and the extensive outer structure to protect the proposed Isle, a 36-acre off-shore island north of the lakefront.
• Port of ClevelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Port of Cleveland is a project partner in the CHEERS Partnership, collaborating on the design and engineering of the Cleveland shoreline resilience project. The partnership received $985,000 from NFWF with matching bringing total project value to $1.97 million.
• Ohio Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio Department of Transportation is a project partner in the CHEERS Partnership, contributing to the design and engineering of the Cleveland shoreline resilience project.
• Ohio Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio Department of Natural Resources is a project partner in the CHEERS Partnership, contributing to the design and engineering of the Cleveland shoreline resilience project.
• Alliance for the Great LakescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Alliance for the Great Lakes partnered with BEL and over 30 community organizations to develop the Cleveland Comprehensive Environmental Policy Platform in 2021, aimed at addressing the city's water affordability crisis and ensuring water equity.
• Ohio Climate Justice FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBEL participates as a member of the OCJF advisory board, which advises and guides investments in BIPOC organizations in Ohio working at the intersection of racial justice and climate action. The fund was launched with seed funding from the George Gund Foundation, Energy Foundation, and Cleveland Foundation.
• The Center for Community SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Center for Community Solutions partnered with BEL, Cleveland Foundation, and George Gund Foundation on the Environmental Justice Local Journalism Collaborative to support information collaborations that lift up environmental justice narratives led by BIPOC leaders.
• Western Reserve Land ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern Reserve Land Conservancy partnered with BEL on multiple initiatives including the CHEERS project and the Jacquie Legacy Mural dedication in Fall 2022. Jacqueline Gillon, BEL co-founder, served with the Conservancy's Thriving Communities program.
• Henry's CleanersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHenry's Cleaners collaborated with BEL, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, and the Gillon Family to commission a Legacy Mural in honor of co-founder Jacqueline Gillon. The mural is located on the East facing wall of Henry's Cleaners at 11601 Kinsman Road in Cleveland Ohio.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• WE ACT for Environmental Justice: A BIPOC-led environmental justice organization founded in 1988, focused on health, climate, and equity in communities of color. Highly comparable to BEL's mission of linking BIPOC leaders and advocating environmental/economic justice, though operating at significantly larger scale in New York.
• National Black Environmental Justice Network: A national network advancing Black leadership in the environmental justice movement, focused on capacity building and policy advocacy. Directly comparable as a network-orchestrating BIPOC environmental justice organization, though broader in geographic scope than BEL.
• Deep South Center for Environmental Justice: A BIPOC-led environmental justice center focused on Gulf Coast communities, addressing pollution, climate, and racial equity through community organizing, training, and policy. Closely comparable in mission and community-organizing model, with regional rather than statewide focus.
• Green For All: An environmental and economic justice initiative (now part of Dream Corps) focused on building an inclusive green economy for BIPOC and low-income communities. Highly comparable focus on green-economy opportunity and BIPOC leadership, operating nationally rather than regionally.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club Foundation: One of the oldest and largest U.S. environmental organizations, with broad conservation, climate, and justice programming. Comparable as an environmental advocacy/grantmaking organization but vastly larger and not BIPOC-led.
• National Wildlife Federation: A large national conservation organization working on wildlife, habitat, and resilience issues including coastal resilience funding (similar to NFWF). Comparable in environmental mission and grantmaking role, though much broader in scope than BEL's community-justice focus.
• Natural Resources Defense Council: A major environmental advocacy organization working on climate, energy, water, and equity issues. Comparable in environmental advocacy and policy work but operates nationally with significantly larger staff and budget than BEL.
• Earthjustice: A leading environmental law organization using litigation to advance climate, clean energy, and environmental justice causes. Comparable as an environmental advocacy organization but focuses on legal action rather than BEL's community-organizing model.

Regional players

• Alliance for the Great Lakes: A regional nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring the Great Lakes. Already a partner of BEL on the Cleveland Comprehensive Environmental Policy Platform; comparable in Great Lakes/water-equity focus but operates regionally across multiple states.
• Western Reserve Land Conservancy: A Northeast Ohio land conservation organization and BEL partner on the CHEERS project and Jacquie Legacy Mural. Comparable as a regional Ohio environmental/conservation organization, though focused on land stewardship rather than community organizing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blkenviroleader

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Environmental Leaders