BosNOMA

What BosNOMA does

BosNOMA is the Boston Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 2006 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The organization serves licensed architects, designers, and students from underrepresented backgrounds (Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous, and multi-racial) in the Greater Boston area, with a stated mission of advancing equitable practice and minority leadership in the region's building and design community. Its core programs include a Mentorship Program that matches early-to-mid-career professionals and students with industry leaders, Scholarships & Grants for architectural licensure (ARE/NCIDQ) and higher education, Project Pipeline (a youth architecture summer camp for middle and high school students), a Job Board, professional development events such as the annual Winter Gala, Summer BBQ, firm crawls, and Boston T-Talks, and committees covering communications, career development, outreach, BIPOC firm owners, advocacy and civic leadership, events, marketing, and sponsorship. BosNOMA does not develop proprietary technology; its operational stack consists of Squarespace for the website, Eventbrite for event registration, Google Forms for applications, Google Meet for virtual meetings, and Instagram for member engagement, with the NOMA Connect platform provided by the national organization.

BosNOMA's revenue model is nonprofit and diversified across four streams: corporate chapter sponsorships structured in six tiers ranging from $500 (Community Rider) to $12,000 (Central Station), event ticket sales for galas and special programs, membership dues (largely remitted to NOMA national), and donations supporting scholarships and Project Pipeline. Sponsorship is the primary institutional revenue channel, and the organization is supported by a concentrated set of major architecture firms including CBT, Gensler, Stantec, Perkins&Will, Payette, HDR, Moody Nolan, and Utile, which also host chapter meetings and provide mentors. Strategic partnerships with the Boston Society for Architecture (BSA), the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester, and NOMA National extend the chapter's reach, while governance is provided by a volunteer Executive Board (President, President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, Second Vice President, Immediate Past President) supported by approximately 6 staff or contracted personnel.

Name

BosNOMA

Legal name

BosNOMA

Website

https://bosnoma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BosNOMA is the Boston Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), a 501(c)(6) nonprofit that provides mentorship, scholarships, youth architecture education, and professional development programming to minority architects, designers, and students in the Greater Boston area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture Professional Membership Services

NAICS

Business Associations (81391), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAKAO

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Architecture, Design & Planning Services

SECONDARYBPAGALAC

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Architect mentorship programs
• Architecture licensing scholarships
• Youth design education
• Minority architect advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Chapter Sponsorships: BosNOMA generates revenue through six tiers of corporate sponsorships ranging from $500 (Community Rider/Individual Partner) to $12,000 (Central Station). Sponsors receive recognition on website, social media, newsletters, event acknowledgement, and Project Pipeline camp sponsorship recognition.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales to events such as the Winter Gala, Summer BBQ, and other chapter gatherings. Some events offer free admission for members with promo codes.
3. Membership Dues: Revenue from NOMA membership fees, with membership providing access to events, mentorship, professional development resources, and the NOMA Connect platform. The organization is a 501(c)(6) organization.
4. Donations: The organization accepts donations to support scholarships, grants, and the Project Pipeline youth education program. Donations can be sent to the organization's P.O. Box address.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BosNOMA (Boston Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership organization that supports minority architects, designers, and students in the Greater Boston area. Its core deliverables are the Mentorship Program, Scholarships & Grants for architectural licensure, the Project Pipeline youth design education camp, Professional Development Events (galas, chapter meetings, firm crawls), advocacy for equitable practice, and corporate sponsorship tiers for architecture firms.

Product overview

BosNOMA (Boston Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects) is a professional membership organization, not a technology product company. The organization's offerings consist of community programs and member services including: the Mentorship Program for professional development, Scholarships & Grants for architectural licensure support, Project Pipeline architecture camp for youth education, a Job Board connecting members with employers, and Professional Development Events (galas, chapter meetings, workshops, networking events). These programs are delivered through a standard organizational website platform and are designed to advance diversity, establish strategic partnerships, and invest in the next generation of minority design professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mentorship Program A mentorship initiative connecting early to mid-career architecture professionals and students with industry leaders for professional growth, career guidance, and licensure support within the Greater Boston minority design community.
• Scholarships & Grants Financial aid program for minority architects and students covering professional exam fees (ARE, NCIDQ, PE) and higher education costs, including the BosNOMA Professional Exam Scholarship for exam fees and study materials.
• Project Pipeline A summer architecture camp exposing middle and high school students from underrepresented communities to architecture and design through drawing, modeling, and design thinking activities to empower youth to effect change in their built environments.
• Professional Development Events Chapter meetings, workshops, panels, networking events, and galas (including the annual Winter Gala and Summer BBQ/Mixer, Boston T-Talks series, and firm crawls) supporting career advancement, licensure preparation, and networking for minority architects and designers in the Greater Boston area.
• Chapter Sponsorship Program Annual sponsorship program with six tiers for architecture firms and partners (Community Rider $500 Individual Partner, Journey Conductor $1,000 Friend of the Chapter, Platform $2,500 General Partner, Hub Stop $5,000 Supporting Partner, Local Station $10,000 Connecting Partner, Central Station $12,000) providing brand visibility, event recognition, Project Pipeline camp sponsorship credit, NOMA membership reimbursements, and event tickets.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boston Society for Architecture (BSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBosNOMA partners with the Boston Society for Architecture for events, meetings, and collaborative programming. Chapter meetings are held at BSA Space, and the organizations co-host events like the Boston T-Talks series. The BSA Space hosts the 'BosNOMA at 20: Stops Along the Journey' legacy exhibit.
• Moody NolancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoody Nolan hosts the 2026 Project Pipeline Summer Camp at their Boston office location (160 State Street, 10th Floor, Boston, MA 02109). Architecture and design professionals from the firm serve as mentors for the youth program.
• GenslercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGensler Boston hosts chapter meetings and participates in the Mentorship Program's Professional Firm Crawl, opening their office for presentations, tours, and Q&A sessions for BosNOMA members.
• Perkins&WillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerkins&Will hosts BosNOMA General Meetings at their Boston office (225 Franklin Street Suite 700, Boston, MA 02110) and participates in mentorship events.
• Utile DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUtile Design partners with BosNOMA for community events including the Black History Month Gathering hosted at The Cloud @ Utile. The firm also hosts artist talks and presentations.
• Reflex Lighting GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReflex Lighting Group hosts the 4th Annual Winter Gala at their venue (280 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210) as a key event sponsor for BosNOMA's 20th Anniversary celebration.
• Boys and Girls Club of DorchestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBosNOMA partners with the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester for the inaugural Project Pipeline: UPCYCLE Workshop, providing hands-on design-build skills and teamwork activities for children ages 10+ at the Savin Hill Campus.
• NOMA NationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBosNOMA is the Boston Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). The national organization provides resources, annual conferences, awards programs, the NOMA Future Faces Fellowship, and the NOMA Connect platform.
• CBT ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBT Architects hosts BosNOMA chapter meetings and has an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Task Force that participates in panel discussions with the chapter.
• PayettecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPayette participates in BosNOMA's Mentorship Program's Professional Firm Crawl, opening their office for presentations, tours, and Q&A sessions.
• HDRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDR participates in BosNOMA's Mentorship Program's Professional Firm Crawl and hosts the networking happy hour at the conclusion of the firm tour event.
• Dorchester Brewing CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDorchester Brewing Company (1250 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02125) hosts the 4th Annual Summer BBQ/Mixer event celebrating BosNOMA's 20th anniversary.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Association for Community Design: A national nonprofit network of community-based design organizations, similar in mission to BosNOMA's outreach and community-development focus, supporting design as a tool for equitable community outcomes through a membership and practitioner network.
• NYNOMA (NYC Chapter of NOMA): NYNOMA is the New York City chapter of NOMA, structurally identical to BosNOMA: a regional, volunteer-led nonprofit chapter serving minority architects, running mentorship, scholarships, Project Pipeline, and chapter events in another major U.S. metro.
• National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA): NOMA is the national parent organization of BosNOMA and operates the same mission-advancing minority architects-at a national scale, providing resources, the NOMA Connect platform, conferences, and the Future Faces Fellowship that BosNOMA members access.

Others

• National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB): NCARB is the national body overseeing architecture licensure, intersecting with BosNOMA's mission through professional exam support (ARE scholarships, study groups). It is not a member-recruiting peer but a complementary ecosystem participant for minority architects pursuing licensure.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI): ULI is a global research and education nonprofit for real estate and land use, overlapping with BosNOMA's design and built-environment community. It engages many of the same architecture firms as members and partners, but at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA): ACSA is a nonprofit membership association for architecture schools and programs, intersecting with BosNOMA through the architecture-student pipeline (NOMAS chapters) and licensure education. It is an ecosystem peer rather than a competing organization.

Regional players

• AIA New York: AIA New York is the regional AIA chapter serving New York City architects, structurally parallel to BSA but in a different metro. It offers programming, events, and advocacy that overlap with the local-chapter service model BosNOMA runs for minority architects in Boston.
• Boston Society for Architecture (BSA): BSA is the regional professional architecture association for the Boston area, serving a similar member base of architects and design professionals. It is a current BosNOMA partner (hosts BosNOMA at 20 exhibit, T-Talks series) but addresses a broader audience without a minority-focused mission.

Broad incumbents

• AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts): AIGA is the largest U.S. professional association for designers, structurally similar to BosNOMA as a community-led nonprofit running events, mentorship, and advocacy. It operates in a broader design discipline rather than architecture specifically.
• American Institute of Architects (AIA): AIA is the largest national professional association for licensed architects, offering membership, advocacy, and continuing education comparable to what BosNOMA offers for its narrower minority-architect segment. It operates at much greater scale and across the full profession.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/bosnomaorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bostonnoma

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 BosNOMA