Congressional Black Caucus Institute

What Congressional Black Caucus Institute does

The Congressional Black Caucus Institute (CBCI), legally the Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute, is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, nonpartisan social welfare organization incorporated in 2000 and headquartered in a 19th-century Capitol Hill townhouse at 413 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington, DC. The organization is the official political education and leadership institute affiliated with the Congressional Black Caucus and operates with a lean staff of four (Executive Director Andrea S. Lee, Director of Programs & Member Engagement Jazzmine Dowtin, Social Media Manager Krispin Watson, and Administrative Assistant Malika Ali Muhammad), under a board chaired by Congressman Bennie G. Thompson with Congressman James E. Clyburn as Co-Chair. CBCI delivers its programs across five core lines: the Political Leadership Development Program (Boot Camp, established 2002), a 7-day intensive campaign training; the Fannie Lou Hamer Government Relations Fellowship (launched 2022), an 8-week fellowship with corporate placements for HBCU/MSI students; the 21st Century Council, a membership-based policy council producing an annual report reviewed by the President and Congress; the Tunica Mississippi Policy Conference, an annual regional policy event; and the Global African Diaspora Initiative (CBCI-GADI), which holds UN-ECOSOC Consultative Status (since 2017) and sits on the Board of CoNGO. Supporting offerings include an Alumni Association (1,000+ graduates), a Capitol Hill facility rental service, and a Talent Request Service connecting campaigns with trained alumni.

The underlying technology stack is minimal: CBCI describes itself as a "Nonprofit civic engagement and political leadership development platform" with no proprietary technology features disclosed, no AI/ML capabilities, and no mobile or web applications beyond a Wix-based website. Revenue is generated through subscription/recurring 21st Century Council membership fees, Boot Camp program participation fees, and ancillary facility rentals, with no publicly disclosed pricing for core programs. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn @cbcinstitute), email newsletter, and annual in-person convenings (Boot Camp, National Policy Summit since 2018, quarterly 21st Century Council meetings) as primary engagement channels. CBCI's value proposition rests on its formal affiliation with 60+ Congressional Black Caucus members, its UN consultative status, and its 22-year track record producing a 1,000+ alumni pipeline serving as a talent channel for political campaigns and corporate government relations functions.

Name

Congressional Black Caucus Institute

Legal name

Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute

Website

https://cbcinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Congressional Black Caucus Institute (CBCI) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit founded in 2000 and affiliated with the Congressional Black Caucus, training emerging political leaders, HBCU/MSI students, and corporate policy professionals through bootcamps, fellowships, and policy councils.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political Education and Leadership Development

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Civic Participation & Leadership Development (Voting, Advocacy, Community Leadership) (EDAAADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI), Government & Public Sector Conferences (MPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Civic leadership training
• Political education programs
• Policy advocacy councils
• Government relations fellowships
• Nonprofit leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Programs: Revenue generated through membership-based programs including the 21st Century Council membership fees and program participation costs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CBCI delivers political education and leadership development programs for emerging leaders, HBCU/MSI students, and corporate government-relations professionals. Its portfolio includes the Political Leadership Development Boot Camp, the Fannie Lou Hamer Government Relations Fellowship, the 21st Century Council membership-based policy council, the Tunica Mississippi Policy Conference, and the Global African Diaspora Initiative. Programs are delivered through intensive in-person training, fellowship placements, conferences, and policy convenings anchored at its Capitol Hill townhouse in Washington, DC.

Product overview

The Congressional Black Caucus Institute (CBCI) operates as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit political education and leadership organization offering multiple distinct programs. The portfolio includes the Political Leadership Development Program (Bootcamp) for campaign training, the Fannie Lou Hamer Government Relations Fellowship for lobbying sector diversity, the 21st Century Council membership-based policy council, the annual Tunica Mississippi Policy Conference, the Global African Diaspora Initiative (GADI) for UN engagement, an Alumni Association network, facility rental services at their DC townhouse, and a talent request service for campaigns. These programs work together to fulfill CBCI's mission of educating today's voters and training tomorrow's political leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Global African Diaspora Initiative (CBCI-GADI): Empowers African Americans to actively participate in the United Nations system and the global stage, with UN-ECOSOC Consultative Status since 2017.
• Tunica Mississippi Policy Conference
• 21st Century Council
• Fannie Lou Hamer Government Relations Fellowship
• Political Leadership Development Program (Boot Camp)

Products and services

• Political Leadership Development Program (Boot Camp) A 7-day intensive summer training program for aspiring political candidates and campaign staff, covering leadership, communication, fundraising, voter engagement, and culminating in a campaign simulation. Targets emerging political leaders seeking to run for office or manage campaigns.
• Fannie Lou Hamer Government Relations Fellowship An 8-week fellowship program designed to improve diversity in corporate government relations and lobbying sectors. Combines educational curriculum from the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics with hands-on corporate office placements. Targets students from HBCUs and Minority-Serving Institutions.
• 21st Century Council A membership-based business council of government relations and policy professionals from major corporations that drafts policy recommendations for major issues affecting industries and the nation. Produces an annual report reviewed by the President and Congress and holds quarterly convenings.
• Tunica Mississippi Policy Conference An annual conference bringing together business leaders, activists, elected officials, and academics to generate actionable solutions to barriers hindering upward mobility in minority communities.
• Global African Diaspora Initiative (GADI) A program empowering African Americans to participate in the United Nations system and global stage, operating under UN-ECOSOC Consultative Status since 2017 and supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals. Includes a seat on the Board of Directors of CoNGO.
• CBCI Alumni Association A network for more than 1,000 graduates of CBCI programs, providing ongoing connection through networking, job opportunities, and events throughout the year.
• Facility Rental at Capitol Hill Townhouse Rental of CBCI's 19th century Capitol Hill townhouse at 413 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington, DC, accommodating up to 40 people with a full-sized kitchen; available for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, receptions, trainings, workshops, book signings, and meetings.
• Talent Request Service A service connecting political campaigns and organizations with trained Boot Camp alumni prepared to run and manage successful political campaigns.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000+ graduates utilizing skills on campaigns and as community leaders since program inception
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Institute for Lobbying and EthicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership provides curriculum elements for the Fannie Lou Hamer Government Relations Fellowship program, combining ethical lobbying education with hands-on placement opportunities
• Corporate Partners (through 21st Century Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partners provide hands-on office placements for Fannie Lou Hamer Fellowship participants; engage with 21st Century Council for policy discussions and industry-specific quarterly sessions
• Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (CoNGO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBCI-GADI sits on the global Board of Directors of CoNGO that represents NGOs worldwide; enables African diaspora voices to be central in global decision-making

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EMILY's List: Trains and supports pro-choice Democratic women candidates through campaign training, recruitment, and PAC support. Overlaps with CBCI on candidate development pipeline and political fundraising infrastructure.
• Victory Institute: Trains, supports, and elects LGBTQ leaders through candidate pipelines, fellowships, and training programs. Operates a similar political leadership development model as CBCI but for a different constituency.
• Running Start: Trains young women to run for office and lead politically. Comparable in target demographic focus (emerging diverse leaders) and in delivering intensive leadership boot camps and fellowships.
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI): The mirror organization for the Hispanic community, CHCI is the official educational arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. It runs comparable fellowship, internship, and leadership development programs, making it the single most structurally analogous peer to CBCI.
• National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL): Represents Black state legislators and runs leadership/policy programming for Black elected officials at the state level. Structurally similar to CBCI in connecting elected officials with policy development and pipeline programs.
• re:power (formerly Wellstone Action): A political training and leadership development organization focused on building progressive political power through candidate and campaign training — directly comparable to CBCI's Political Leadership Development Boot Camp model.

Emerging players

• New Leaders Council: Trains progressive political entrepreneurs and civic leaders through a fellowship program with local chapters. Comparable in providing intensive leadership training to emerging leaders, though broader in ideological scope.
• Higher Heights for America: Builds Black women's political power through leadership development and voter engagement. Directly comparable mission to CBCI's pipeline programs but focused on a narrower demographic within the broader constituency.

Broad incumbents

• National Urban League: One of the largest and oldest civil rights/civic engagement organizations in the U.S. Overlaps with CBCI on civic engagement, leadership development, and policy advocacy for African Americans, but operates at much greater scale and breadth.
• NAACP: The nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization with overlapping policy advocacy, civic engagement, and leadership development missions for the African American community, though operating at vastly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CBCInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cbc-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/cbcinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Congressional Black Caucus Institute