Black Mothers Forum

What Black Mothers Forum does

Black Mothers Forum, Inc. is a Phoenix-based nonprofit (founded August 7, 2016 by Rev. Janelle Wood) whose stated mission is to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline affecting Black children in Arizona. The organization operates a portfolio of programs organized around four pillars: Education (BMF Microschools, small-class 5-10 student, 5:1 ratio Pre-K through 12th grade alternative schools that replace "zero tolerance" with "self-management" policies), Prayer/Health/Wellness (weekday intercessory prayer calls and resources), Economic Development (financial literacy, money management, and family continuation planning led by Juanita R. Williams), and Civic Engagement (parent advocacy training, voter education, and the National Mothers Agenda policy platform). Supplementary offerings include the BMF Dinner Table Program (financial literacy taught through shared meals, enrolled via Stripe), a Food & Housing resource directory, the annual Celebrating Brilliance awards event, the National Mothers Rally, and a CSI Research Paper on Arizona public education. The organization has no proprietary technology platform and is supported by a lean team (1-10 employees) plus a governing board chaired by Christina Foster.

Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) individual donations and contributions accepted via PayPal, ActBlue Charities, and Benevity; (2) Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) tuition funding routed from the Arizona Department of Education for microschool enrollment; and (3) paid enrollment in the BMF Dinner Table Program via Stripe. Fiscal sponsorship and grants from partners including VELA Education Fund, New Schools Venture Fund, Chris Paul Family Foundation, Arizona Foundation for Education, Phoenix Suns Charities, Vitalyst Health Foundation, Yass Prize/Stop Award, and Black Philanthropy Initiative provide additional programmatic funding. Distribution is single-country and Phoenix-metro-centric, primarily through community organizing, rallies, prayer calls, microschool direct enrollment, and legislative advocacy.

Name

Black Mothers Forum

Legal name

Black Mothers Forum, Inc.

Website

https://blackmothersforums.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Black Mothers Forum is a Phoenix-based nonprofit founded in 2016 that operates BMF Microschools and advocacy programs for Black families in Arizona, working to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline through small-class alternative education, civic engagement, wellness, and economic development initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Advocacy & Alternative Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Education (Family Literacy, Parenting Skills) (EDAAAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health Education & Parent Coaching (Sleep, Safety, Illness Management) (EDACAMAN)

Keywords

• Community advocacy services
• Alternative education programs
• Microschool operations
• Parent advocacy training
• Financial literacy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts donations through PayPal and credit/debit cards on their website to fund their mission and programs.
2. Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Funding: BMF Microschools accept ESA funds from the Arizona Department of Education for student enrollment in Pre-K-12th grade programs, providing tuition funding for students.
3. Dinner Table Program Enrollment: The BMF Dinner Table Program charges for participation, with enrollment available through Stripe payment processing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Black Mothers Forum operates BMF Microschools (small-class Pre-K-12 alternative education with 5:1 student-teacher ratio) in Phoenix, Arizona, alongside community advocacy, parent training, economic/financial literacy, and prayer/wellness programs. The organization accepts Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) funding for microschool tuition and offers the paid BMF Dinner Table financial literacy program, while sustaining operations through donations and grants from fiscal partners.

Product overview

Black Mothers Forum is a nonprofit advocacy organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs organized around four core pillars: Education (BMF Microschools), Prayer/Health/Wellness, Economic Development, and Civic Engagement. The organization also provides supplementary programs including the BMF Dinner Table family financial literacy program, Food & Housing Resources directory, Celebrating Brilliance awards event, CSI Research Paper publication, and the National Mothers Rally. The primary service is the microschool education program, while community resources, advocacy training, and events support the mission of dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline and creating safe, supportive learning environments for Black children.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BMF Microschools: Microschools creating safe and supportive learning environments for pre-K-12th grade children as a solution to end the school-to-prison pipeline.
• BMF Dinner Table Program

Products and services

• BMF Microschools Alternative education program providing small-class microschools (5-10 students, 5:1 student-teacher ratio) for Pre-K through 12th grade in Phoenix, Arizona, using personalized and individualized academic instruction to create safe and supportive learning environments; accepts Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) funding.
• Prayer, Health & Wellness Community wellness initiative offering weekday intercessory prayer calls, women's national prayer calls, and downloadable resources supporting spiritual, mental, and physical health for community members.
• Economic Development Program Financial empowerment program providing financial literacy education, money management guidance, and resources for women and families including funeral planning, tax deductions, and family continuation planning.
• Civic Engagement Program Advocacy and legislative action program providing parent advocacy training, community organizing, voter education, and resources to address issues impacting the Black community and dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline.
• National Mothers Agenda Policy advocacy platform advocating for school choice, parental rights, equitable learning environments, and K-12 students' access to safe and supportive education options.
• BMF Dinner Table Program Paid family engagement program bringing students, families, and coaches together for meals and meaningful conversations, teaching financial literacy through dinner table economy, value creation, budgeting, and saving. Enrollment available through Stripe payment processing.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• National School Choice WeekflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Sponsor of Rally 2025. National School Choice Week informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover K-12 education options while generating widespread public awareness of the importance of opportunity in K-12 education.
• Black Minds MatterflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Sponsor of Rally 2025. Organization focused on protecting Black lives by nurturing Black minds.
• American Federation for ChildrenflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Sponsor of Rally 2025. AFC advocates for educational freedom and school choice, empowering families especially lower-income families to choose the best K-12 education for their children.
• Padres Unidos AZcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Sponsor of Rally 2025. Padres Unidos enhances parental rights by providing resources enabling informed decisions to benefit children's future. Denise (Bella) Ceballos-Viner serves as Mistress of Ceremonies.
• OutschoolflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Outschool sponsored the SXSW EDU 2024 panel discussion featuring Janelle Wood on school choice and the significance of parents. Partnership for educational advocacy and visibility.
• Grassrootz Bookstore & Juice BarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Arizona educational resource partner providing books and learning materials for BMF microschools.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Prenda: Prenda operates a microschool-in-a-box model enabling adults to launch small, in-home microschools for students. It is a direct peer to BMF Microschools given both run small-class (5-10 student) alternative education programs with individualized instruction for K-12 students.
• KaiPod Learning: KaiPod Learning partners with educators to launch and operate microschools, providing curriculum, training, and operational support. Comparable to BMF Microschools as both operate small, personalized learning environments often leveraging ESA funding in Arizona.
• Black Minds Matter: Black Minds Matter is an organization focused on protecting Black lives by nurturing Black minds through education advocacy. It is a Rally 2025 sponsor and a direct peer given the shared mission of advancing education outcomes for Black children.

Broad incumbents

• National Parents Union: National Parents Union is a national network of parent advocacy organizations pushing for school choice and parental rights. Comparable to BMF as both mobilize parent voices to influence K-12 education policy and dismantle barriers to school choice.
• American Federation for Children: AFC advocates for educational freedom and school choice policy at the state and federal level. It is a Rally 2025 sponsor and a policy peer to BMF's National Mothers Agenda, both pushing for expanded ESA and parental choice programs.
• National School Choice Week: National School Choice Week is a flagship awareness organization promoting K-12 education options including microschools, charter schools, and ESAs. It is a peer and current sponsor of BMF's Rally 2025, sharing the school choice advocacy mission.
• KIPP Public Schools: KIPP operates a national network of college-preparatory charter public schools serving underserved communities. It is comparable to BMF given both operate K-12 alternative education programs explicitly targeting underserved and minority student populations.
• National Heritage Academies: National Heritage Academies operates a large network of public charter schools serving K-12 students with a focus on moral focus curriculum. Comparable to BMF Microschools as both operate alternative K-12 schools outside traditional public school systems.

Emerging players

• Parent Revolution: Parent Revolution empowers low-income families and communities of color to organize for better public schools through the parent trigger policy. It is comparable to BMF given both focus on parent-led advocacy and community organizing to transform education for underserved children.
• EdChoice: EdChoice is a nonprofit organization that conducts research and advocacy for school choice programs including ESAs and vouchers. Comparable to BMF given both advocate for parental school choice and produce research/policy papers on education reform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/forummothers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Black Mothers Forum