Arkansas Public Policy Panel

What Arkansas Public Policy Panel does

The Arkansas Public Policy Panel is a 501(c)(4) statewide nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1963 and headquartered at 1308 West Second Street in Little Rock, Arkansas. Its mission is to achieve social and economic justice by organizing citizen groups across Arkansas, educating and supporting them to be more effective, and linking them through coalitions and networks. The Panel currently organizes groups in fifteen communities in South Arkansas and in counties across the Fayetteville Shale region.

The organization runs four interconnected program lines: direct community organizing and leadership development; the Arkansas Citizens First Congress (CFC) coalition — a multi-issue advocacy coalition it has coordinated since 1998 covering education, economic development, environment, civil rights, government and election reform, public health, and agriculture; policy research and reports (including work on the academic achievement gap, the state tax code, and natural gas impacts); and communications programs such as The Folding Chair podcast (launched February 2020, now in Season 4) and the Friday Noon Webinars series. Notable partners include the Arkansas NAACP, ACLU of Arkansas, Equal Justice Initiative, Just Communities of Arkansas, and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. The Panel is governed by a board and led by Executive Director Bill Kopsky and Policy Director Kymara Seals, with a small staff that also includes a Racial Equity Coordinator, Communications Coordinator, and Federal Relief and Infrastructure Campaign Coordinator.

Its technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a NationBuilder-hosted website and email newsletter, a Squarespace content site, standard social media (Instagram, Facebook), and podcast distribution on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, and Google Podcasts. The organization is funded entirely through charitable donations and foundation grants — it sells no products or services — and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Arkansas Public Policy Panel

Legal name

Arkansas Public Policy Panel

Website

https://arpanel.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Arkansas Public Policy Panel is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit founded in 1963 that organizes citizen groups across Arkansas around social and economic justice issues, coordinates the Arkansas Citizens First Congress coalition, and produces policy research on education, tax, and natural gas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Advocacy and Civic Engagement

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying (BPAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Public policy advocacy
• Community organizing
• Civic education
• Grassroots engagement
• Policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization relies on charitable donations from supporters to sustain its work. The website features a donation page encouraging contributions to help reach more voters, help more communities, and grow the base of people working for shared values.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Arkansas Public Policy Panel is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization that engages Arkansas residents through community organizing, civic education, policy research, and coalition building. It provides free public policy analysis, hosts forums and webinars, and produces educational content such as podcasts and newsletters to inform citizens about state legislative and policy issues.

Product overview

The Arkansas Public Policy Panel is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving social and economic justice through community organizing, coalition building, and policy advocacy. The organization operates several interconnected programs: community organizing services that work with groups across fifteen Arkansas communities; the Arkansas Citizens First Congress coalition coordinating advocacy on education, environment, civil rights and other issues; The Folding Chair podcast amplifying racial equity and social justice stories; and regular Friday Noon Webinars educating on policy topics. The Panel serves as a convener, advisor and information clearinghouse for grassroots groups working toward social change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Organizing Programs Grassroots organizing initiatives that mobilize Arkansas residents around state-level public policy issues through community meetings, working groups, and direct civic engagement activities.
• Policy Research and Analysis Nonpartisan research and analysis of Arkansas state legislation and public policy issues, made available to residents, community groups, and policymakers.
• Civic Education Forums and Webinars Public forums, town halls, and webinars designed to educate Arkansas residents about state policy issues and facilitate community dialogue.
• Coalition Building and Advocacy Coordination of coalitions and advocacy networks across Arkansas to advance shared policy priorities and civic engagement goals.
• Podcast and Digital Content Educational podcast and digital media content that explains Arkansas policy issues and civic engagement topics to a broad public audience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mental health prison reform proposals projected to save Arkansas $140 million annually
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arkansas Citizens First CongresscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Since 1998, the Panel has coordinated the Arkansas Citizens First Congress (CFC), a multi-issue advocacy coalition that campaigns for good policies on education, economic development, environment, civil rights, government and election reform, public health and agriculture. CFC is described as the Panel's 'sister organization'.
• Arkansas Opportunity to Learn CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnother coalition supported by the Panel that connects grassroots advocates and established education professionals to work towards research-proven education reforms.
• Just Communities of ArkansasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking in partnership with Just Communities of Arkansas (JCA) and the APJMM Pulaski County Community Remembrance Project on historical marker installation for lynching victim Homer G. Blackwell.
• Equal Justice InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating with the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) on the Racial Justice High School Essay Contest and historical marker ceremonies for lynching victims.
• Arkansas Peace & Justice Memorial MovementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with APJMM on historical marker installation, community remembrance projects, and truth and reconciliation efforts.
• Arkansas Advocates for Children and FamiliesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation advocacy coalition partner, joined forces to push back against school privatization components of Arkansas LEARNS bill.
• Arkansas Education AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation advocacy coalition partner opposing Arkansas LEARNS education bill.
• Disability Rights ArkansasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in education advocacy and opposition to school privatization.
• Arkansas NAACPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in voting rights lawsuit challenging Arkansas's new state House district maps for allegedly diluting Black voter influence. Joint advocacy on voting rights and racial justice issues.
• ACLU of ArkansasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with ACLU of Arkansas on redistricting lawsuit challenging new state House district boundaries.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Missouri Budget Project: Missouri Budget Project is a statewide policy research and advocacy organization producing analysis on tax, education and economic issues for coalition partners — analogous to the Panel's role as information clearinghouse producing policy reports for alliance members.
• New Florida Majority: New Florida Majority is a statewide independent political organization working on voter registration, civic engagement and racial equity organizing — directly comparable to the Panel's voter registration, racial equity, and grassroots mobilization work.
• Center for Community Change: Center for Community Change is a national grassroots organizing and advocacy organization focused on economic and social justice — directly comparable to the Panel's mission to organize citizen groups, build leadership and link coalitions for policy change.
• Texas Organizing Project: Texas Organizing Project is a statewide civic engagement and grassroots organizing coalition focused on racial and economic justice — directly parallel to the Panel's community organizing, coalition building, and multi-issue policy advocacy model.
• State Voices: State Voices is a national network of state-level progressive civic engagement tables that coordinate coalitions across multiple issue areas — directly comparable to the Panel's role as a statewide convener coordinating Arkansas Citizens First Congress across education, civil rights, environment and reform issues.
• North Carolina Justice Center: North Carolina Justice Center is a statewide anti-poverty advocacy and research organization that coordinates coalitions on education, health, economic security and civil rights — closely matching the Panel's multi-issue advocacy, policy report production, and coalition coordination model.
• ProgressNow: ProgressNow runs a network of state-level progressive advocacy organizations with strong digital communications programs (social, video, rapid response). Its model mirrors the Panel's mix of policy advocacy, earned media, podcast/webinar outreach and grassroots mobilization.
• Oklahoma Policy Institute: Oklahoma Policy Institute is a state-level policy analysis and advocacy organization advancing social and economic justice through research and coalition work — directly parallel to the Panel's mission, multi-issue policy advocacy, and statewide convening function.
• Kentucky Center for Economic Policy: Kentucky Center for Economic Policy is a state-level progressive research and advocacy organization producing policy reports and coalition work on tax, budget, education and health — analogous to the Panel's policy research, report production, and Citizens First Congress coalition model.

Regional players

• Arkansas Community Foundation: Arkansas Community Foundation is a statewide community foundation serving Arkansas with grantmaking and civic engagement — comparable because it operates in the same Arkansas geography and engages with the same donor, nonprofit and policy ecosystem as the Panel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/arpanel
• Instagraminstagram.com/arpanel1963
• Xx.com/arpanel1963

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Arkansas Public Policy Panel