African Voices

What African Voices does

African Voices Communications, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 1992 by Carolyn A. Butts and headquartered in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. The organization publishes African Voices Magazine — a triannual literary periodical (two print issues and one digital issue per year) featuring fiction, poetry, visual art, and essays by artists of color from the African diaspora. Beyond the magazine, African Voices operates the AV Gallery (online and pop-up exhibitions in Brooklyn), the Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series (the first Academy Qualifying Film Festival for Shorts devoted to women filmmakers), and The Harvest Podcast. Core technology is standard publishing infrastructure: Submittable for submission management, Payhip for digital downloads, PayPal and Butter for fundraising, plus active social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and X. The Spelman College partnership (2022) preserves the organization's 30+-year archive of work by 4,000+ writers and visual artists.

The organization's business model is diversified across nonprofit revenue streams. Magazine sales generate $7-$10 per issue. Workshops and educational events (scriptwriting, painting, film financing) charge $20-$225 per attendee. An annual membership program offers exclusive event access and curated content. The largest funding channels are donations and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts ($100K American Rescue Plan grant in 2022 with active matching campaign), New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, West Harlem Development Corporation, New York Community Trust, Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, Roy Wilkins Foundation, CLMP, Amazon Literary Partnerships, and NYC Council members. African Voices targets emerging and established writers, poets, visual artists, and filmmakers from the African diaspora and communities of color, plus readers and supporters of African diasporic literature and art. The organization serves 5,000+ artists annually in NYC and tri-state area and has presented 10,500+ community programs over its history.

Name

African Voices

Legal name

African Voices Communications, Inc.

Website

https://africanvoices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

African Voices is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 1992 that publishes a literary magazine and hosts community programs serving emerging and established artists of color from the African diaspora across NYC and the tri-state area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Arts & Cultural Nonprofit

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAHAK

Literary Arts & Writing Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAHAJ

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAHAD

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

Keywords

• Literary magazine publishing
• Nonprofit arts organization
• Cultural arts programming
• Creative writing workshops
• African diasporic arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine Sales: Sale of print and digital issues of African Voices magazine. Issues are available for purchase through Payhip (digital downloads) and potentially other sales channels. Pricing varies by issue.
2. Membership Program: Annual membership program offering exclusive access to special events, curated content, and a network of artists and enthusiasts. Members support the flourishing of Black art and culture.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. The organization is a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 13-3687018). Active fundraising campaign to match a $100K NEA American Rescue Plan grant for Spelman Archives partnership.
4. Workshop Fees: Revenue from educational programming including scriptwriting workshops (Master Class on Writing Strong Female Characters at $225), scriptwriting series, and other skill-building programs.
5. Government and Foundation Grants: Support from public funding bodies including National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and private foundations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

African Voices is a nonprofit arts organization that publishes African Voices Magazine, a print and digital literary magazine (three issues annually) featuring fiction, poetry, essays, and visual arts by artists of color. The organization also operates The Harvest Podcast, the Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival, the AV Gallery (online and pop-up), scriptwriting workshops, and community arts programs serving 5,000+ artists annually in NYC and the tri-state area.

Product overview

African Voices Communications, Inc. is a non-profit arts organization founded in 1992 that operates primarily through its core product, African Voices Magazine — a print and digital literary publication (2 print issues + 1 digital issue annually) featuring fiction, poetry, visual arts, and essays by artists of color. The organization supplements its magazine with The Harvest Podcast (interviews with cultural leaders), the AV Gallery (online and pop-up art exhibitions), Reel Sisters Film Festival (Academy-qualifying festival for women filmmakers), and an online presence featuring Art & Photo Essays, Book Reviews, and Writing sections. Additional offerings include membership programs and community arts programs serving 5,000+ artists annually in NYC and tri-state area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Harvest: A limited podcast series by African Voices featuring interviews with filmmakers, writers, museum curators, musicians, and cultural leaders.
• Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series

Products and services

• African Voices Magazine Print and digital literary magazine publishing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and visual arts by artists of color, published three times annually (2 print issues and 1 digital issue) and distributed throughout the United States and abroad.
• The Harvest Podcast Limited podcast series featuring interviews with filmmakers, writers, museum curators, musicians, and cultural leaders from the African diaspora.
• Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival The first Academy Qualifying Film Festival for Shorts devoted to women filmmakers, founded by Carolyn A. Butts and operated by African Voices, with annual festival held in Brooklyn.
• AV Gallery Online gallery and pop-up gallery in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn showcasing African diasporic art, photography, and visual storytelling from emerging and established artists.
• Membership Program Annual paid membership offering exclusive access to special events, curated content, and a network of artists and enthusiasts dedicated to celebrating African diasporic creativity.
• Scriptwriting Workshops Educational workshops on scriptwriting including Scriptwriting Essentials and Master Class on Writing Strong Female Characters for Film & TV, presented in partnership with Reel Sisters and BRIC.
• Fiction Submissions Program Annual open fiction submissions with payment of $150-$300 for original short stories and plays. Accepts 1-3 act plays and novel excerpts.
• Poetry Submissions Program Annual open poetry submissions with payment of $25-$150 for original poems plus contributors copies. Accepts up to 5 poems per submission.
• Art Submissions Program Open art submissions for visual artists from African diaspora and people of color. Artists paid in contributors copies when featured. Accepts 3-5 pieces of original artwork.
• Community Arts Programs Over 10,500 community programs provided to expand access to the arts, including exhibitions, workshops, screenings, and community celebrations, serving 5,000+ artists of color and young people annually in NYC and tri-state area.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,500+ emerging artists of color published
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Spelman CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpelman College, one of the nation's oldest Black women universities, has acquired African Voices' arts collection. This partnership ensures the preservation of vital cultural stories and empowers the next generation of Black artists and storytellers through archival stewardship.
• BRICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRIC, the leading presenter of free cultural programming in Brooklyn, co-presents scriptwriting workshops and symposia with African Voices and Reel Sisters. The organization is a key venue partner for workshops.
• Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrican Voices founded Reel Sisters, the first Academy Qualifying Film Festival for Shorts devoted to women filmmakers. African Voices continues to sponsor and support this initiative.
• Council of Literary Magazines & Presses (CLMP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiterary press organization providing support and partnerships including Amazon Literary Partnerships.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Hyperallergic: A Brooklyn-based arts publication covering art, culture, and politics with a strong focus on underrepresented voices and diasporic artists. Comparable in its arts journalism, Brooklyn base, and nonprofit-ish editorial stance, though broader in scope.
• The Root: A digital media platform covering news, culture, and politics from an African American perspective. Comparable in its focus on Black creative and cultural storytelling, though it operates as a larger digital media outlet rather than a literary magazine.
• Frieze: A leading global art magazine and media company covering contemporary art and visual culture. Comparable in arts publishing and gallery programming, though it operates at a much larger commercial scale than African Voices.

Direct peers

• Bomb Magazine: A nonprofit arts magazine featuring interviews and original work by artists, writers, and filmmakers across disciplines. Comparable in its nonprofit literary/arts publishing model, Brooklyn base, and interdisciplinary arts coverage.
• Guernica Magazine: An award-winning online magazine publishing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and art with a focus on social justice themes. Comparable as an independent nonprofit literary magazine publishing diverse voices and building multi-format content.
• Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora: A literary and arts journal focused on Black creativity across the African diaspora, publishing fiction, poetry, criticism, and visual art. Directly comparable in mission, content mix, and target community to African Voices Magazine.
• Callaloo: A peer-reviewed literary journal founded in 1976 and published by Texas A&M University that publishes creative writing and critical work by and about people of African descent worldwide. Directly comparable to African Voices as one of the longest-running African diasporic literary publications in the U.S.
• Kweli Journal: A New York-based literary journal that publishes writing by emerging and established writers of color, particularly Black writers. Closely comparable in its community-focused, color-centered editorial mission and tri-state area roots.
• A Public Space: An independent nonprofit literary magazine and book publisher that publishes fiction, essays, and poetry, and runs a fellowship program for emerging writers. Comparable as a mission-driven literary publisher combining magazine, books, and writer development.
• Tidal Magazine: A literary magazine dedicated to publishing work by Black writers and artists, featuring fiction, poetry, essays, and visual art. Directly comparable in its focus on African diasporic creative work and indie literary publishing model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/africanvoices
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@africanvoices8148
• Facebookfacebook.com/africanvoicesmag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/african-voices-communications-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/africanvoices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 African Voices