Black Farmer Fund
Black Farmer Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that deploys integrated capital (grants, low-interest community notes, and emergency funds) to Black farmers and food-system entrepreneurs across a 9-state Northeast region, governed by a community-led Investment Committee of Black farmers and food entrepreneurs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Black Farmer Fund does
Black Farmer Fund (BFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community investment fund founded in 2017 by Karen Washington and Olivia Watkins and headquartered in New York, NY. Its mission is to nurture Black community wealth and health by investing in Black agricultural systems across a 9-state Northeast region (New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania). The organization deploys integrated capital — a combination of grants ("gifts"), low-interest community investment notes, and emergency rapid-response funding — to Black farmers, herbalists, restaurant owners, caterers, food distributors, and other food-system entrepreneurs. To date, BFF has raised $14M+ and deployed capital to 14 portfolio businesses, with the current BFF Fund 2.0 targeting $20M (of which $11M was raised by 2023).
The underlying technology stack is intentionally lightweight: the organization operates a Squarespace-hosted website, uses PayPal for donations, and runs Mailchimp for newsletters. There is no proprietary investment platform or applicant management system described; capital is deployed through direct, relationship-centered engagement rather than automated underwriting. Governance is community-led, with an Investment Committee of approximately 10–12 Black farmers, food entrepreneurs, and organizers from across the Northeast co-designing the investment process and making funding decisions collectively.
BFF's revenue model is non-commercial. Primary inflows come from charitable donations (individuals and institutions), community wealth-building notes and reparative notes sold to accredited and unaccredited investors, and philanthropic notes. Supplemental revenue is generated through a branded merchandise e-commerce store (t-shirts, hoodies, totes) and paid speaking engagements. The Pilot Fund (2020) oversubscribed at $1.1M against a $500K goal, signaling early demand-side validation for the community-note instrument. As a 501(c)(3) with EIN 84-2310349, BFF operates independently without parent-company ownership, governed by a board of directors that includes leaders from Ballmer Group, Soul Fire Farm, Black Church Food Security Network, and other mission-aligned institutions.
Black Farmer Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Black Farmer Fund
- Legal name
- Black Farmer Fund
- Website
- https://blackfarmerfund.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Black Farmer Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that deploys integrated capital (grants, low-interest community notes, and emergency funds) to Black farmers and food-system entrepreneurs across a 9-state Northeast region, governed by a community-led Investment Committee of Black farmers and food entrepreneurs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Black Farmer Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Development Finance
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funds (FSANAJAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)
Keywords
Where Black Farmer Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Black Farmer Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: BFF operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises donations from individuals and institutions to support Fund 2.0 and general operations. Donations can be made via PayPal or stock transfers.
- Community Investment Notes: BFF Fund 2.0 offers community wealth building notes and reparative notes that allow investors to contribute capital. These are community investment vehicles with varying risk/return profiles, accepting both accredited and unaccredited investors with lived experience in served communities.
- Merchandise Sales: The organization operates an e-commerce store selling branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, crewnecks, and tote bags to generate supplemental revenue while spreading awareness.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Black Farmer Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Black Farmer Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community investment fund that deploys integrated capital — combining low-interest community notes (loans), grants (gifts), emergency rapid response funding, and technical assistance — to Black farmers, land stewards, herbalists, restaurant owners, caterers, food distributors, and other food-related entrepreneurs across nine Northeastern US states. Capital is raised from individual donors and community investors through Community Wealth Building Notes, Reparative Notes, and Philanthropic Notes.
Product overview
Black Farmer Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community investment fund that nurtures Black community wealth and health by investing in Black agricultural systems in the Northeast. The organization operates primarily through its flagship BFF Fund 2.0, a $20 million integrated capital fund combining grants and low-interest loans for Black farmers, food entrepreneurs, and agricultural businesses. Complementing the investment fund are the Rapid Response Fund for emergency assistance, portfolio business showcase of 14 investees, BFF Skillshares & Webinars for education, Community Garden Fund grants, and a merchandise store selling branded apparel. The organization also accepts donations through multiple channels including PayPal, stock donations, and general operational fund contributions, while offering speaking engagements on food justice and community wealth building topics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BFF Fund 2.0 A $20 million integrated capital fund providing low-interest community notes and gifts to Black agricultural businesses across the Northeast. Combines grants and loans to support farmers, herbalists, restaurant owners, caterers, food distributors, and other food-related entrepreneurs.
- Pilot Fund Black Farmer Fund's initial integrated capital fund combining grants and low-interest loans for Black agricultural businesses. Oversubscribed at $1.1M against a $500K goal; succeeded by Fund 2.0.
- Rapid Response Fund Emergency rapid response funds for agricultural or food businesses in crisis situations requiring immediate financial assistance.
- BFF Merchandise Store
- Donations & Stock Giving Program
- Community Work Days
- Speaking Engagements & Event Booking
Quantifiable outcome
- 14 businesses supported through combination of gifts and low-interest loans
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Black Farmer Fund
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Black Farmer Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Black Farmer Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Soul Fire Farm InstitutecoreSoul Fire Farm Institute is a key partner organization. Olivia Watkins, BFF Co-Founder & President, previously worked in several production roles at Soul Fire Farm Institute and currently serves as a board member. The organizations share missions focused on Black food sovereignty and agricultural empowerment.
- Sweet Freedom FarmminorRhyston Mays, BFF Board Member, co-leads vegetable production at Sweet Freedom Farm in Germantown, NY - a Black-led farm growing culturally relevant foods for communities impacted by food apartheid.
- The Carrot ProjectcoreMyra Marcellin, BFF Investment Director, previously served as Executive Director of The Carrot Project, which advances equitable access to capital in the agriculture and food sectors.
- Black Church Food Security NetworkcoreRev. Dr. Heber M. Brown III, BFF Board Member, founded the Black Church Food Security Network which partners with nearly 300 Black congregations and Black farmers across the country to co-create resilient community-anchored Black food ecosystems.
- Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA)minorMyra Marcellin serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors at CISA, a regional organization supporting local agriculture in Massachusetts.
- Norcross Wildlife FoundationminorMyra Marcellin serves as a director at Norcross Wildlife Foundation, which supports wildlife conservation efforts.
- Together for West PhiladelphiaminorChinwe Onyekere, BFF Board Member, is co-founder and President Emerita of Together for West Philadelphia, an organization facilitating collaboration in West Philadelphia around health, education, food access and opportunity.
- Boston Ujima ProjectminorBoston Ujima Project is a community-led investment fund in Boston referenced for their Personal Finance Worksheet that BFF recommends to potential investors.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Black Farmer Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Kiva: A global nonprofit crowdfunding platform enabling crowdfunded microloans to underserved entrepreneurs. Comparable model of pooling small-dollar community capital, though focused on micro rather than integrated ag-finance.
- Farm Credit East: A cooperative Farm Credit System lender serving Northeast agriculture. Comparable loan products and geography; BFF's Investment Director previously served as VP/Senior Loan Officer here, indicating institutional overlap and competitive contrast (commercial vs. mission-driven).
- RSF Social Finance: A nonprofit financial intermediary offering loans, grants, and investments to food/agriculture and social enterprises nationally. Broader incumbent offering pooled capital notes and patient capital, but not community-led or Black-specific.
Direct peers
- Slow Money NYC: Local chapter of the Slow Money movement connecting investors to small food and agriculture enterprises. Direct peer offering community-supported loans to Northeast food businesses, though without racial-equity focus.
- Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF): A nonprofit CDFI supporting cooperatives and small businesses owned by low-income, immigrant, and people-of-color entrepreneurs in the US Northeast. Direct peer offering patient loans and integrated support to underrepresented enterprises in the same region.
- Boston Ujima Project: A Boston-based community-led investment cooperative pooling capital to support Black and brown-owned local businesses. Most direct comparable as a community-led pooled fund with a regional/northeast footprint investing in marginalized entrepreneurs.
- Soul Fire Farm Institute: A Black-led farm and education organization in upstate New York advancing food sovereignty. Direct peer in Black agricultural empowerment with overlapping leadership and shared Northeast geographic focus on reparative food systems.
- The Carrot Project: A nonprofit advancing equitable access to capital and business assistance for agriculture in the Northeast. Direct peer offering integrated capital and technical assistance to small/beginning farmers, with formal partnership overlap through BFF's Investment Director.
- Native American Agriculture Fund: The largest Native American-focused agricultural fund in the US, providing grants and business assistance to Native farmers and ranchers. Most direct comparable by mission, structure (community-led trust), and integrated-capital deployment approach.
Emerging players
- Food Angels / Freedmen Heirs Foundation: A newer reparative-capital vehicle focused on returning agriculture and capital to descendants of formerly enslaved Black Americans. Emerging peer operating in adjacent reparative-capital space with similar racial-equity intent in agriculture.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Black Farmer Fund social profiles
Digital presenceBlack Farmer Fund compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Black Farmer Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Black Farmer Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Black Farmer Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Black Farmer Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Black Farmer Fund
What does Black Farmer Fund do?
Black Farmer Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community investment fund that deploys integrated capital — combining low-interest community notes (loans), grants (gifts), emergency rapid response funding, and technical assistance — to Black farmers, land stewards, herbalists, restaurant owners, caterers, food distributors, and other food-related entrepreneurs across nine Northeastern US states. Capital is raised from individual donors and community investors through Community Wealth Building Notes, Reparative Notes, and Philanthropic Notes.
Is Black Farmer Fund a public or private company?
Black Farmer Fund is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Black Farmer Fund founded?
Black Farmer Fund was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Black Farmer Fund based?
Black Farmer Fund is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Black Farmer Fund make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are community Investment Notes and merchandise Sales.
Who are Black Farmer Fund's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Kiva, Farm Credit East and RSF Social Finance. Direct peers are Slow Money NYC, Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF), Boston Ujima Project, Soul Fire Farm Institute, The Carrot Project and Native American Agriculture Fund. Food Angels / Freedmen Heirs Foundation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Black Farmer Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for Black Farmer Fund.
What industry is Black Farmer Fund in?
Black Farmer Fund's product category is Community Development Finance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAJAE, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funds, with a secondary code of BPADAOAB, Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors). Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 6159.