The Lighthouse Black Girl Project

What The Lighthouse Black Girl Project does

The Lighthouse Black Girl Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2016 and headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi. It operates a consortium of nine interconnected programs serving Black girls, women, and gender non-conforming people across the southeastern United States. Functional pillars include journalism (Black Girl Times/BGX and its training arm BGXU, plus the Alice Dunbar Nelson Senior Fellowship), policy and research (Legislative Report Card, Legislative Tracker, and Black Girl Research Institute), advocacy (Young Women's Policy and Advocacy Council), grantmaking and infrastructure (Barefootin Leadership Consortium and Fiscal Sponsorship), collegiate leadership (Reese|Brooks|Gilbert Collegiate Initiative and Black Girl Projects On Campus), and historic preservation (Unita Blackwell Legacy Monument).

The underlying technology stack is standard nonprofit SaaS rather than a proprietary platform: Wix for the website, Wix Analytics for usage data, Constant Contact for email marketing, GiveButter and GoFundMe Pro for donation processing, and Quorum as an external legislative data provider powering the Legislative Tracker. No proprietary models, APIs, or software products are disclosed.

The organization is funded through individual donations, fundraising campaigns (Be a Black Girl Champion, CSA Sponsorship, Why I BGX, Black Girl Summer, G.R.O.W. Rwanda), and grants from institutional funders including the Mississippi Humanities Council, National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Park Service, Southway Foundation, and the OpenAI Foundation. Beneficiary segments include young Black women ages 16-24, Black college-age women in collegiate leadership cohorts, researchers and community organizers, and Black-led organizations receiving pass-through grants up to $10,000. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the organization holds 11-50 employees and operates a PO Box headquarters in Jackson.

Name

The Lighthouse Black Girl Project

Legal name

The Lighthouse | Black Girl Projects

Website

https://loveblackgirls.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Lighthouse Black Girl Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 in Jackson, Mississippi, operating a consortium of journalism, research, advocacy, grantmaking, and collegiate leadership programs serving Black girls, women, and gender non-conforming people across the southeastern United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Leadership Development

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF), Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

Keywords

• Leadership development programs
• Community advocacy services
• Journalism training fellowships
• Philanthropic grantmaking services
• Policy research initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Jackson

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. Donations and Fundraising: The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization that relies on donations from individuals and institutions. Fundraising campaigns include 'Be a Black Girl Champion,' CSA Sponsorship, Why I BGX, and Black Girl Summer initiatives.
2. Grants and Philanthropic Funding: The Barefootin Leadership Consortium provides grants up to $10,000 to organizations led by Black women and people of color. The organization itself receives grants from entities such as the Mississippi Humanities Council, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and National Park Service.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Lighthouse | Black Girl Projects is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that takes a holistic approach to the leadership development of Black girls and women in the southeastern United States. Its core offerings span a consortium of projects including research (Black Girl Research Institute), advocacy and organizing (Young Women's Policy and Advocacy Council, Legislative Report Card, Legislative Tracker), journalism (Black Girl Times, Black Girl Times University, Alice Dunbar Nelson Senior Fellowship), grantmaking (Barefootin' Leadership Consortium, Fiscal Sponsorship), collegiate education programs (Reese|Brooks|Gilbert Collegiate Initiative, Black Girl Projects On Campus), and historic preservation (Unita Blackwell Legacy Monument). Programs are delivered at no cost to beneficiaries and funded through donations, grants, and fundraising campaigns.

Product overview

The Lighthouse | Black Girl Projects operates as a consortium of interconnected programs serving Black girls and women in the southeastern United States. The organization functions as a platform organization with multiple programmatic pillars including: Black Girl Times (BGX), their news and media platform providing liberatory storytelling; Policy & Research initiatives including the Legislative Report Card and Legislative Tracker; Advocacy & Organizing programs like the Young Women's Policy and Advocacy Council (YWPAC); Grantmaking & Technical Assistance through the Barefootin' Leadership Consortium and Fiscal Sponsorship; Education & Programs including the Reese|Brooks|Gilbert Collegiate Initiative, Black Girl Projects On Campus, and the Black Girl Research Institute; and Historic Preservation through the Unita Blackwell Legacy Monument project. Journalism training is provided through Black Girl Times University (BGXU) and the Alice Dunbar Nelson Senior Fellowship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Black Girl Times (BGX): Online news platform rooted in liberatory storytelling for Southern Black girls, women, femmes, and allies
• Black Girl Research Institute
• Barefootin Leadership Consortium
• Reese|Brooks|Gilbert Collegiate Leadership & Internship Initiative (RBG)
• Black Girl Times University (BGXU)
• Alice Dunbar Nelson Senior Fellowship
• Black Girl Projects On Campus
• Young Women's Policy and Advocacy Council (YWPAC)
• Black Girl Projects x Bolivar Co.

Products and services

• Black Girl Times (BGX) Online news platform and blog rooted in liberatory storytelling, providing an online space for Southern Black girls, women, and femmes to share, learn, activate, and engage through news and culture content covering Reproductive Justice, Black Aesthetic, Education, Tech, Healthcare, and other categories.
• Legislative Report Card Policy tracking tool that analyzes Mississippi legislation affecting Black girls and women, assigning letter grades (A-F) to bills based on the organization's Legislative Standards.
• Legislative Tracker Comprehensive tracking tool providing an overview of proposed legislation impacting Mississippi Black girls and women, designed to help constituents understand where elected officials stand on issues.
• Young Women's Policy and Advocacy Council (YWPAC) Youth leadership program bringing together young Black women ages 16-24 from across Mississippi to develop leadership abilities and learn about policies affecting their communities, with participants receiving up to $1,200 in stipends.
• Black Girl Research Institute (BGRI) Research training program equipping aspiring and current researchers and community organizers with tools to conduct ethical research regarding Black and Brown girls and women, including a residency component with field work.
• Reese|Brooks|Gilbert Collegiate Leadership & Internship Initiative (RBG) Two-year fellowship for Black college-aged women named after characters from 'A Different World,' featuring a 10-day Black Girl Summer Cultural Learning Tour, paid summer internships, and a $1,500 stipend per academic year.
• Black Girl Projects On Campus (BGPx) Collegiate leadership and community-building program for Black women at colleges and universities across the South, currently with chapters at Millsaps College, Tougaloo College, and Jackson State University.
• Barefootin' Leadership Consortium Philanthropic arm that awards grants up to $10,000 to groups and individuals developing organizations or programs working toward liberation of Black, Indigenous, women, girls, and gender-expansive persons of color, including the ML Gordon Organizing Grant, Virginia Hamilton Storytelling Grant, and The Walker Fund.
• Fiscal Sponsorship Administrative support service providing technical assistance, fiduciary oversight, and 501(c)(3) status sharing to individuals, groups, and organizations involved in charitable initiatives led by people of color.
• Black Girl Times University (BGXU) News entity that trains, incubates, employs, and deploys emerging and career journalists through a three-month intensive fellowship followed by a 12-month immersive fellowship in the organization's newsroom.
• Alice Dunbar Nelson Senior Fellowship Six-month paid journalism fellowship for experienced writers honoring Alice Dunbar Nelson's legacy, developing strong, impactful writers while emphasizing lived experience in storytelling, with a $7,500 stipend.
• Unita Blackwell Legacy Monument Historic preservation project to restore the Freedom House and Mayoral Home of civil rights icon Unita Blackwell in Mayersville, Mississippi, including rehabilitation as a museum, interpretive space, and community gathering hall.
• Black Girl Projects x Bolivar Co. Post-COVID intervention program providing mental health and wellness advice, economic resources, and community support to Black girls and women in Bolivar County, Mississippi.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Belinda Stewart ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partnered with The Lighthouse | Black Girl Projects for the Unita Blackwell Legacy Project, working on the restoration and rehabilitation of historic properties.
• Jeremiah Blackwell Jr.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnita Blackwell's only child and consistent partner in the Unita Blackwell Legacy Project, collaborating on the restoration of family properties.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Essence Communications: Media and events platform serving Black women and girls — relevant as an adjacent storytelling/editorial peer to Black Girl Times rather than a direct programmatic competitor.

Direct peers

• Black Women's Health Imperative: National health-focused nonprofit advancing the health and wellness of Black women and girls through advocacy, research, and education — directly comparable as a Black women-led multi-program advocacy and research organization.
• Black Women's Blueprint: National Black feminist organization focused on the holistic development of Black women and girls through policy advocacy, leadership development, and community organizing — closely aligned with TL|BGP's mission and program mix.
• Girls For Gender Equity: Brooklyn-based nonprofit advocating for gender justice and centering young people of color in policy, leadership development, and movement-building — a directly comparable youth-of-color-focused advocacy and leadership organization with overlapping program pillars.
• Higher Heights for America: National organization building Black women's political power and leadership through civic engagement, policy advocacy, and leadership development — a near-direct peer in mission and approach, with national rather than regional scope.
• National Black Women's Justice Institute: National nonprofit focused on research, advocacy, and policy to address the conditions of Black women, girls, and femmes — closely overlaps TL|BGP's combination of research, advocacy, and Black women-centered programming.
• The Gathering for Justice: Nonprofit founded by Carmen Perez focused on building a movement to end child incarceration and support girls and women of color through leadership development and advocacy — similar youth-of-color justice and leadership focus.

Broad incumbents

• Ms. Foundation for Women: National women's foundation providing grants, advocacy, and movement-building support — operates broadly in the same space as TL|BGP but as a larger, national grantmaker and convener rather than a regional direct-service organization.
• National Council of Negro Women: Long-established national organization dedicated to advancing Black women's leadership, economic empowerment, and social justice — a larger, older incumbent in the same broad advocacy space with comparable programmatic pillars.
• NAACP: The largest and oldest civil rights organization in the US, with extensive advocacy, legislative tracking, and grantmaking infrastructure that overlaps with TL|BGP's legislative-reporting and advocacy functions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/luvblkgrls
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJyQP4RX9aSYziiXi6t80OA
• Facebookfacebook.com/luvblkgrls
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-lighthouse-black-girl-projects
• Instagraminstagram.com/luvblkgrls

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries7 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 The Lighthouse Black Girl Project