Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI)

What Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) does

CCCADI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1976 and headquartered in East Harlem, New York, that serves African Diasporic and Caribbean communities through exhibitions, performing arts, youth arts education, community archiving, and advocacy for cultural equity. It operates two physical facilities—the CCCADI Firehouse (120 East 125th Street, opened 2016) and CCCADI Ilé Oyin (208 East 126th Street, opened 2024)—and runs a multi-vertical program portfolio including Youth Pathways (For the Culture, Sankofa Young Women's Leadership Program, Sou Sou! Saturdays), the Performing Arts series (Afro Waves, El Nuevo Oro), the New Media & Film program (Nothing About Us Without Us, Afro-Picks), Sacred Traditions, the Community Archiving Lab for Culture and Justice, and signature festivals (Afribembé, AfriCarnaval). Its core technology consists of a digital archiving platform (ARCHIVOS) and a 50-year Living Archive of oral histories, digitized program materials, and cultural documentation that is being progressively digitized through the Archive Lab. CCCADI monetizes through a diversified nonprofit revenue model: foundation grants (Mellon, Ford, Howard Gilman, Pinkerton, Open Society, Warner Music/Blavatnik), government arts funding (NYSCA, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYC Council), individual donations (including the '50 for 50' campaign), a recurring membership program (Archive Lab Circle at $10/month or $96/year), ticketed events ($15–$25), and marketplace merchandise. In 2026, the organization is marking its 50th anniversary with a major exhibition and expanded programming; it also operates the CROSSROADS program extending its work across the Caribbean.

Name

Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI)

Legal name

Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute

Website

https://cccadi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CCCADI is a 50-year-old nonprofit cultural institution in East Harlem that serves African Diasporic and Caribbean communities through exhibitions, performing arts, youth arts education, community archiving, and advocacy, operating two physical venues and the CROSSROADS Pan-Caribbean program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Cultural Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Libraries and Archives (51921), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural, Arts & Humanities Community Education (Museums/Arts Councils) (EDAAAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Cultural Heritage, Arts & Archaeology Service Programs (EDAIAGAH)

Keywords

• Cultural heritage preservation
• Arts education programs
• Community cultural programming
• African Diaspora culture
• Performing arts festivals

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations such as Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Warner Music Group/Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund, Pinkerton Foundation, Ford Foundation, Gilman Foundation, and Open Society Foundations to support programs and operations.
2. Government Funding: Public funding from New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and New York City Council to support cultural programming.
3. Individual Donations: Direct contributions from individuals, including the '50 for 50' campaign celebrating 50 years of service.
4. Membership Programs: Archive Lab Circle membership offering monthly ($10) or annual ($96) subscriptions with access to curated archival content, oral histories, and research toolkits.
5. Ticket Sales: Revenue from event admissions, including concerts, performances, and special programming. Some events are free, others range from $15-$25.
6. Marketplace Sales: Sale of merchandise including t-shirts and cultural products through the CCCADI Marketplace.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CCCADI delivers arts education, exhibitions, performing arts, cultural festivals, and community archiving programs serving Caribbean and African Diasporic communities. Core offerings include youth arts education programs (For The Culture, Sankofa Young Women's Leadership Program, Sou Sou! Saturdays), signature festivals (AfriCarnaval, Afribembé), and the Community Archiving Lab for Culture and Justice with its paid Archive Lab Circle membership providing access to digitized oral histories and research toolkits.

Product overview

CCCADI is a 50-year arts, culture, education, and media organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs centered on cultural equity and racial/social justice for African descendant communities. The organization operates through distinct program verticals: Youth Pathways (For The Culture, Sankofa Young Women's Leadership Program, Sou Sou! Saturdays), Performing Arts (Afro Waves, El Nuevo Oro), New Media & Film (Nothing About Us Without Us, Afro-Picks), Sacred Traditions, and signature festivals (Afribembé, AfriCarnaval). The organization maintains two physical facilities—the CCCADI Firehouse and CCCADI Ilé Oyin—and operates the Community Archiving Lab for Culture and Justice with a membership program (Archive Lab Circle). The CROSSROADS program extends the organization's work to the Caribbean region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jab, J'ouvert, Revelry & Resistance: 50th anniversary exhibition curated by Know Your Caribbean exploring Carnival as resistance, identity, and collective memory
• Afribembé
• For the Culture
• Sankofa Young Women's Leadership Program
• Sou Sou! Saturdays
• Sacred Traditions
• Community Archiving Lab for Culture and Justice
• Critically Black Dialogue Series
• Afro Waves
• AFRO-PICKS
• We Lit!
• Lakay se Lakay
• Nothing About Us Without Us
• Rhythm, Bass and Place
• CROSSROADS
• Youth Pathways
• BYENVENI

Products and services

• For The Culture
• Sankofa Young Women's Leadership Program (SYWLP)
• Sou Sou! Saturdays
• Community Archiving Lab for Culture and Justice
• Archive Lab Circle
• Afro Waves
• El Nuevo Oro
• Afribembé
• AfriCarnaval
• Sacred Traditions
• BYENVENI
• CROSSROADS
• Jab, J'ouvert, Revelry & Resistance

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 years of continuous operation serving African Diasporic communities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Know Your CaribbeancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Curated the landmark 50th anniversary exhibition 'Jab, J'ouvert, Revelry & Resistance' exploring Carnival as resistance, identity, and collective memory.
• Lincoln Center for the Performing ArtsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 1979Long-standing collaboration dating back to September 1979 when CCCADI presented the Caribbean Expressions Festival. Over 20 joint concerts, film screenings, festivals and conferences have been produced. Current collaboration includes AfriCarnaval 2026 as part of Lincoln Center's Summer for the City program, celebrating Carnival traditions of Brazil and Trinidad & Tobago.
• PMCA (Harlem Place, Memory & Culture Archive)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenting community digitization events and archiving initiatives. Partnership supports the Place, Memory, and Culture Incubator at Spitzer School of Architecture funded by Mellon Foundation.
• Ashé Cultural Arts CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for the 'Jab, J'ouvert, Revelry & Resistance' exhibition.
• The Feminist InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner hosting digitization station at Harlem Community Digitization Day.
• Maysles Documentary CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner hosting digitization station at Harlem Community Digitization Day.
• XFR CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner hosting digitization station at Harlem Community Digitization Day.
• Corporación Cultural CabildocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner based in Cartagena, Colombia as part of the CROSSROADS program advancing Pan-Caribbean connections.
• Escuela Kalalú DanzacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in the Dominican Republic as part of the CROSSROADS program for Caribbean cultural sustainability.
• Metropolitan Museum of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for youth programming - For the Culture cohort visited the Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism exhibition.
• Mercado Cultural CaribeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarketplace event in Cartagena where CCCADI staff served as panelists on Caribbean cultural sustainability.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: NYPL research center in Harlem preserving Black history and culture through archives, exhibitions, and public programs. Strong overlap with CCCADI's archiving, exhibition, and African Diasporic education mandate.
• El Museo del Barrio: East Harlem–based cultural institution serving Latino and Caribbean diaspora communities through exhibitions, education, and public programs. Highly comparable to CCCADI in mission, geography, nonprofit structure, and audience.
• Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture: Mid-sized African American history museum with exhibitions, education programs, and community programming. Comparable as a regionally focused African Diasporic cultural and educational nonprofit.
• The Studio Museum in Harlem: Harlem-based nonprofit museum dedicated to artists of African descent, with exhibitions, artist-in-residence programs, and community education. Closest direct peer in focus on African Diasporic visual arts and Harlem footprint.
• Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD): San Francisco nonprofit museum focused on African Diaspora art, culture, and history through exhibitions and public programming. Directly comparable in scope and audience to CCCADI's exhibition and education mission.
• The Africa Center: NYC-based cultural institution focused on contemporary African and African Diasporic art, culture, and policy. Comparable in mission, programming verticals (exhibitions, performances, dialogue), and New York audience.

Broad incumbents

• Brooklyn Museum: Large NYC museum with major African art collections and active African Diasporic programming including the African Arts programming stream. Overlaps with CCCADI on exhibition, education, and diaspora programming.
• National Museum of African American History and Culture: Smithsonian national museum dedicated to African American life, history, and culture. Larger and federally chartered, but operates with comparable mission scope covering African Diasporic exhibitions, education, and preservation.
• National Museum of African Art (Smithsonian): Smithsonian museum dedicated to African art and culture with exhibitions, education, and outreach. Overlaps with CCCADI's African Diasporic curatorial and educational programming.

Regional players

• La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club: Long-running NYC nonprofit supporting experimental performance, particularly by artists of color and immigrant communities. Comparable in performing-arts programming for African Diasporic audiences, though broader in artistic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/cccadimedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/cccadi
• Instagraminstagram.com/cccadi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caribbean-cultural-center-african-diaspora-institute-cccadi-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI)