What Community Movement Builders does

Community Movement Builders (CMB) is a Black-led, member-based non-profit collective operating across nine US cities, with its national headquarters at 1341 Cleveland Avenue in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Atlanta. Founded with the Detroit chapter in 2019 and now organized into chapters in Atlanta, Dallas, Delaware, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Newark, Sacramento, and Ypsilanti, CMB serves Black working-class and poor Black communities through an integrated stack of survival programs, political education, cooperative enterprise development, and community security. Its programming spans free food and breakfast distribution, a health and wellness clinic, a legal clinic, clothing and essentials provision, cop watch and safety patrols, a K-8 community school (Malcolm X Academy) with an afterschool extension in Dallas, and the biennial National Black Radical Organizing Conference. The organization is also the leading community force opposing the proposed 381-acre Atlanta Public Safety Training Center (Cop City) and operates Grassroots Thinking as an independent news platform.

CMB's commercial and quasi-commercial activities center on cooperative economic development. The flagship initiative is an aquaponics co-op developed in partnership with Pangla Farms (Pangea Farms), based in a shipping container and designed to grow shrimp and produce for wholesale and retail markets. Additional cooperative revenue is generated by the Community Sea Moss cooperative, in which each worker-owner receives a share of profits. The organization also runs a merchandise storefront through the Printful e-commerce platform. Underlying technology is primarily physical (aquaponic systems) rather than software-based; no proprietary software products, APIs, or digital platforms were identified in the source data.

The revenue model is dominated by small-dollar donations collected through the CMB website (preset tiers of $10, $50, and $100 plus custom amounts, with both one-time and monthly recurring options), supplemented by Patreon and CashApp support channels. Merchandise and cooperative enterprise sales contribute secondary transactional revenue. CMB is not a venture-backed entity; the only documented funding event is a 2022 Moore Impact grant with a disclosed value of $0. The organization is led by Founder and National Director Kamau Franklin, supported by a national Operations Manager, a Food Sustainability Director, and a chapter lead for each of the nine cities.

Name

Community Movement Builders

Legal name

Community Movement Builders

Website

https://communitymovementbuilders.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Movement Builders is a Black-led, member-based non-profit collective operating across nine US cities that serves Black working-class and poor Black communities through mutual aid, political education, cooperative enterprises, food sovereignty programs, and advocacy against gentrification and police violence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Organizing and Mutual Aid Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civic Participation & Leadership Development (Voting, Advocacy, Community Leadership) (EDAAADAL), Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ), State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM)

Keywords

• Community organizing
• Mutual aid programs
• Food sovereignty
• Cooperative enterprises
• Political education

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership Contributions: Community Movement Builders relies heavily on donations from supporters. The organization accepts one-time and recurring donations at various levels ($10, $50, $100, or custom amounts) through their website. They also have Patreon and CashApp for ongoing support.
2. Cooperative Enterprise Revenue: CMB generates revenue through cooperative enterprises including a community sea moss business and aquaponics co-op. Worker-owners in cooperatives receive a percentage of the profits they create.
3. Merchandise Sales: CMB operates a merchandise store (CMB Merch) selling branded items through Printful e-commerce platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Community Movement Builders is a Black-led, member-based collective that organizes Black working-class and poor Black communities around anti-gentrification, ending police violence, food sovereignty, and cooperative economic development. It delivers survival programs (food distribution, mutual aid, free health and legal clinics), political education, cooperative enterprises (Community Sea Moss and an Aquaponics Co-op developed with Pangla Farms), and community schools (Malcolm X Academy), operated through nine local chapters in the United States.

Product overview

Community Movement Builders (CMB) is a Black member-based collective offering a portfolio of community programs rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include Malcolm X Academy (K-8 community school) and its afterschool program; survival programs (Free Food Program, Free Breakfast Program, Health and Wellness Clinic, Legal Clinic, Neighbor Needs); political education (Community Learning, Book Club, Neighbor Newspaper, NBROC conference); economic programs (Aquaponics Co-op, Community Sea Moss cooperative); and community security (Safety Patrols & Cop Watch). Programs are operated through local chapters in Atlanta, Dallas, Delaware, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Newark, Sacramento, and Ypsilanti. CMB also maintains Grassroots Thinking as an independent news platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Malcolm X Academy (MXA) A full-time K-8 community school founded by CMB Sacramento offering education rooted in Black history, culture, and experiences. Curriculum includes farming, cooking, Swahili language, self-defense, mindfulness, art, music production, and acting, designed for Black working-class and poor Black families seeking culturally grounded education.
• Community Sea Moss Cooperative Community-driven cooperative business offering a range of sea moss health products through communityseamoss.com. Each worker-owner is entitled to a percentage of the profits they create, structured to avoid exploitation.
• Aquaponics Co-op Container-based aquaponics system developed in partnership with Pangla Farms to support shrimp production for wholesale sales and a variety of produce for market, advancing food sovereignty and cooperative economic development.
• CMB Merch Branded merchandise storefront operated through the Printful e-commerce platform, selling apparel and goods that support CMB's programs and movement visibility.
• Grassroots Thinking Independent news source operated by CMB providing movement updates, analysis, and editorial content for supporters and the broader racial-justice audience.
• National Black Radical Organizing Conference (NBROC) Bi-annual national conference endorsed by CMB and other organizations that provides strategy sessions, organizing tactics, community care, and actionable campaign strategies for Black radical organizers and movement allies.
• Safety Patrols & Cop Watch Security cooperative that trains local residents on providing community security through safety patrols and cop watches, including first aid, conflict resolution, and investigations.
• Free Food Program Survival program that distributes groceries four days a week to combat food apartheid in the Sacramento area, serving residents facing food insecurity.
• Dr. Mutulu Shakur Health and Wellness Clinic Free health and wellness resources, workshops, and services offered to community members through the Shakur Center in Sacramento.
• Afeni Shakur Legal Clinic Free legal resources, workshops, and services for community members, supporting access to legal aid and political education around legal rights.
• Assata Shakur Freedom Farm Food sovereignty and land stewardship project designed to teach community members how to grow healthy food on community-controlled land.
• BPP Veterans Mutual Aid Fund Mutual aid fund supporting Black Panther Party veterans with basic needs including medical care, rent, groceries, and daily necessities.
• Love, Land & Liberation National project focused on food sovereignty and community land initiatives, including the Assata Shakur Freedom Farm and broader land-stewardship work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Unarmed Black people in the US are 3x more likely to be shot by police than white people
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

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

One partnership is on record.

• Pangla FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMB is developing an aquaponics co-op in partnership with Pangla Farms. The system is based in a shipping container and will support the growth of shrimp for wholesale sales as well as a variety of produce for market. This partnership advances CMB's food sovereignty and cooperative economic development goals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BYP100 (Black Youth Project 100): Black, queer, feminist youth organizing collective with chapters across the US. Directly comparable to CMB as a member-based, chapter-driven, Black-led organization focused on radical organizing and policy reform.
• Dream Defenders: Florida-based Black-led organization formed after Trayvon Martin's killing, focused on ending police violence, voter registration, and political education. Comparable to CMB in mission, structure, and radical organizing approach.
• Ella Baker Center for Human Rights: Bay Area-based nonprofit working on racial justice, criminal justice reform, and community organizing. Comparable to CMB in centering community organizing, anti-gentrification, and cooperative economic alternatives.
• Movement for Black Lives: A coalition of Black-led organizations coordinating policy, advocacy, and organizing across the US. Highly comparable to CMB as a national network advancing Black community self-determination, anti-gentrification, and police-violence abolition.
• Assata's Daughters: Chicago-based Black women-led organization inspired by Assata Shakur, organizing against police violence and providing mutual aid. Closely comparable to CMB in mutual aid, political education, and Black radical organizing.
• Black Panther Party Legacy Organizations (e.g., Huey P. Newton Gun Club, Original Black Panther Party): Continuing Black Panther Party-aligned organizations inspired by BPP programs of self-determination and mutual aid. Directly comparable to CMB, which already supports BPP veterans and adopts BPP-aligned programs.
• We The People Detroit: Detroit-based Black-led organization focused on water rights, anti-gentrification, and community land rights. Strongly comparable to CMB in anti-displacement work, food sovereignty, and Black community self-determination.

Broad incumbents

• Southern Poverty Law Center: Large civil rights organization with national reach and broader scope of work. Comparable to CMB as a civil rights advocacy organization, though significantly larger and more litigation-focused.
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP): Oldest and largest US civil rights organization with extensive chapter network. Comparable to CMB as a multi-chapter Black-led organization, though established in 1909 with significantly more institutional scale.
• Black Lives Matter Global Network: The largest Black-led US movement organization focused on ending police violence. Comparable to CMB as a Black-led mass-movement organization, though significantly larger and more broadly recognized.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CommunityMvt
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityMvt
• Instagraminstagram.com/communitymovementbuilders

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Community Movement Builders