What Community Healing Network does

Community Healing Network (CHN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 and headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut. The organization's mission centers on advancing emotional emancipation and healing for Black people across the African diaspora ('Global Africa'). CHN's primary programmatic offering is the Emotional Emancipation (EE) Circles, a self-help support group model developed in collaboration with the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi). The Circles are operationalized through a standardized toolkit and a train-the-trainer curriculum that enables replication by community members. Ancillary programs include Community Healing Dialogues, the Healing Zone Conference (held biennially), and the Global Circle for Reparations and Healing (GCRH) alliance.

CHN operates as a small organization with 1–10 employees and an extended distributed facilitator network spanning approximately 50 U.S. cities and international locations including the United Kingdom, Cuba, South Africa, Haiti, Ghana, Canada, and the Caribbean. Its revenue model is grant- and donation-funded, supplemented by merchandise sales through an online store. Major institutional funders have included the MacArthur Foundation (via a 100&Change grant), the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund. The organization is governed by a board chaired by Dr. Cheryl Grills, with founder Enola G. Aird serving as President Emerita following the January 2025 appointment of A. Chandra Roxanne as Executive Director.

Business model and go-to-market are characteristic of a nonprofit mission-driven entity rather than a commercial venture: there is no per-seat pricing or recurring subscription revenue, and 'customers' are more accurately described as beneficiaries, donors, and licensed facilitator-partners. Distribution relies on community organizing, academic and clinical partnerships (notably ABPsi), and diaspora networks. The absence of a software platform or technology product means scaling depends on human facilitation capacity, curriculum licensing, and grant-funded program expansion rather than product-led growth.

Name

Community Healing Network

Legal name

Community Healing Network

Website

https://communityhealingnet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Healing Network is a New Haven-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 that develops and disseminates the Emotional Emancipation Circles curriculum and related healing programs for Black communities across the African diaspora, operating in approximately 50 U.S. cities and several international locations through grant and donation funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Racial Healing and Community Mental Health Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)

Keywords

• Emotional emancipation circles
• Racial healing programs
• Community mental health
• Trauma support groups
• Nonprofit healing services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Haven, Connecticut

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization relying on donations from individuals and institutional funders to support operations and program delivery.
2. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce shop selling branded merchandise including mugs ($11-$11.50), phone cases ($16), water bottles ($33), t-shirts ($20-$25.50), sweatshirts ($32-$55), hoodies ($40-$61), and tote bags ($23-$34.83).
3. Grant Funding: Institutional grant funding from foundations including MacArthur Foundation (2021 Equitable Recovery Grant), Kellogg Foundation, and William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Community Healing Network operates Emotional Emancipation Circles (EEC), self-help support groups originated in collaboration with the Association of Black Psychologists, designed to help Black people heal from the trauma caused by the lie of White superiority and Black inferiority. The organization delivers in-person and virtual facilitated circles, facilitator training, annual Community Healing Days celebrations, Rapid Response Ubuntu Healing Circles, the Humanity for Healers program, podcasts, newsletters, and a planned New Haven Model Village. Programs are delivered free or donation-based across nearly 50 U.S. cities and internationally.

Product overview

Community Healing Network operates an integrated ecosystem of emotional healing programs focused on mobilizing Black people across Global Africa to heal from the trauma caused by the lie of White superiority and Black inferiority. The core offerings include Emotional Emancipation Circles (EEC) - self-help support groups developed with the Association of Black Psychologists - which serve as the signature program paired with high-touch Integration Labs. Supporting programs include weekly Emotional Lunch Break sessions, annual Community Healing Days celebrations, the Breathe Baby Breathe Podcast, Rapid Response Ubuntu Healing Circles, the Valuing Black Lives Global Summit, and the emerging Harambee Family Village. The organization recently launched CHN 2.0 with a planned April 2026 relaunch of its signature EE Circle program as an ongoing cultural practice. Additional offerings include the Humanity for Healers program, membership offerings, the Flourishing While Black newsletter, and branded merchandise including mugs, apparel, and accessories through its online shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Breathe, Baby, Breathe Podcast: CHN's original podcast where they engage culture carriers in conversations that light the path to emotional emancipation.
• Flourishing While Black

Products and services

• Emotional Emancipation Circles (EEC) Self-help support groups designed to help heal the trauma caused by the lie of White superiority and Black inferiority through sharing stories, learning emotional wellness skills, and deepening understanding of self-worth, for Black people across Global Africa.
• Emotional Lunch Break Weekly virtual 60-minute gatherings held every Tuesday at 12pm EST for Black community members to discuss topics affecting the community and practice rest and resilience.
• Community Healing Days Annual celebration held on the third weekend of every October, inspired by Dr. Maya Angelou, designed to prioritize time for healing, celebrate resilience, and bolster solidarity among Black communities.
• Breathe, Baby, Breathe Podcast Original podcast engaging culture carriers in conversations that light the path to emotional emancipation, distributed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• Rapid Response Ubuntu Healing Circles Healing spaces for Black people to come together and heal in times of real crises for the community, providing love, empathy, safety, and strength during acute need.
• Humanity for Healers Six-week program designed to create a safe and brave space for healers including Social Workers, Psychotherapists, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Doctors, Nurses, and Case Managers to connect, reflect, and acknowledge challenges in their own healing journeys.
• CHN Membership Membership providing access to the courageous community of dedicated practitioners with exclusive content and engagement opportunities.
• 7 Keys to Emotional Emancipation Affirmations and framework for the work required to free ourselves from the psychological and emotional bondage of centuries of racism, developed in collaboration with the Association of Black Psychologists.
• Flourishing While Black Newsletter Monthly newsletter subscription that keeps subscribers rooted in community, connected to the growing village, and informed about paths to flourishing.
• Community Healing Days 2024 Merchandise Branded merchandise including mugs ($11-$11.50), phone cases ($16), water bottles ($33), sweatshirts ($32-$55), t-shirts ($20-$25.50), hoodies ($40-$61), and tote bags ($23-$34.83) celebrating Community Healing Days.

Quantifiable outcome

• EECs planted in nearly 50 U.S. cities and internationally in Cuba, UK, South Africa, Haiti, Ghana, Canada, Caribbean
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Global Circle for Reparations and Healing (GCRH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CHN has deepened its alliance with GCRH. Founder Enola G. Aird serves as Co-Lead of the Healing Cohort of the MacArthur Foundation-supported GCRH, advancing an international agenda for organizing, engagement, and advocacy for Africa and its Diaspora. GCRH is organizing the groundbreaking March 26-28, 2025 Accra II Summit on Centering Healing.
• International Civil Society Working Group for the UN Permanent Forum of People of African DescentsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CHN works with this international NGO body on advancing the global agenda for people of African descent.
• Africa-America InstituteminorOthers · 1 January 2021Current CHN President Felicia Appenteng previously worked as Program Architect at the Africa-America Institute, designing programs across AAI's impact pillars.
• Loyola Marymount University - Psychology Applied Research CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Dr. Cheryl Tawede Grills, Vice Chair of CHN's Board, is Founder and Director of LMU's Psychology Applied Research Center and serves on the CA Reparations Taskforce and National African American Reparations Commission.
• The Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006CHN originated Emotional Emancipation Circles in collaboration with ABPsi. Dr. Cheryl Grills (ABPsi Past President) co-designed the racial stress and trauma EE Circles—a community self-help model established by CHN and implemented in partnership with ABPsi. Together they present the Valuing Black Lives Global Summit.
• National Association of Black Social WorkerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as collaborator organization on CHN's About page.
• National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (NCOBRA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as collaborator organization on CHN's About page.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health) Collective: Black-led mental health nonprofit focused on education, training, advocacy, and the creative arts to promote emotional wellness in Black communities; highly comparable in mission and target population to CHN's Emotional Emancipation work.
• Loveland Foundation: Provides therapy support for Black women and girls through therapy vouchers and access programs; directly comparable as a culturally-specific mental health access nonprofit with similar community-building and grant-funded model.
• The Steve Fund: Focused on mental health and emotional well-being of students of color, especially young people; comparable as a culturally-tailored mental health nonprofit with foundation funding and a community/peer-support orientation.
• Black Emotional Wellness Foundation: Provides resources and education on Black emotional wellness and mental health; directly comparable to CHN's mission of advancing emotional wellness in Black communities through culturally informed programming.
• The Confess Project of America: Trains barbers to be mental health advocates for Black men and boys; comparable in leveraging community-based cultural touchpoints and culturally-specific mental health support for Black communities.
• Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation: Mental health nonprofit focused on Black communities, working to remove the stigma around mental health and provide access to culturally competent therapy - directly comparable to CHN's emotional healing mission for Black populations.
• Therapy for Black Men: Directory and access platform connecting Black men with culturally competent therapists; comparable as a Black-community-focused mental health nonprofit with similar mission-specific positioning.

Others

• National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC): Reparations-focused organization where CHN's founder first defined "emotional reparations"; comparable as an allied organization in the reparations and racial healing movement but focused on policy advocacy rather than direct healing program delivery.
• National Association of Black Social Workers: Professional association for Black social workers; comparable in serving Black communities through culturally informed practice but functions as a professional membership organization rather than direct service provider like CHN.

Broad incumbents

• Mental Health America: Largest and oldest community-based mental health nonprofit in the U.S.; comparable in mental health mission and nonprofit structure but operates broadly across populations rather than CHN's focused Black-community specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CHNWorld_
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Community-Healing-Network-Inc/77468391505
• Instagraminstagram.com/chnworld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-healing-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Community Healing Network