African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council

What African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council does

The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC) is a public health education and advocacy organization operating as a program of The URSA Institute, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit with EIN #51-0138569. Headquartered at 1796 18th Street Suite C in San Francisco, California, the organization is dedicated to combating the tobacco industry's targeted marketing of menthol cigarettes to Black communities since the 1950s. Its work spans grassroots community education, coalition building across national and local organizations, policy advocacy at city, county, and state levels, and litigation including a lawsuit against the FDA to compel removal of menthol-flavored tobacco products from the national market. The organization is led by Dr. Phil Gardiner and has helped pass legislation ending menthol-flavored tobacco sales across multiple U.S. jurisdictions.

AATCLC delivers a portfolio of advocacy programs rather than a unified product platform. Key offerings include the Quantum Leap Leadership Program (a fellowship training cohort, with Cohort 5 running April 7, 2025 through June 14, 2026), the Let's Finish the Fight! advocacy campaign supporting End Game tobacco ordinances, the AMPLIFY! initiative (amplify.love), the annual No Menthol Sunday campaign, the Spiral Up Lite App - EBT digital resource, and downloadable fact sheets and toolkits. There is no proprietary technology platform; distribution occurs through the savingblacklives.org website, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter), speaker engagements, the documentary film Black Lives / Black Lungs, and grassroots events.

The organization's revenue model is donation-based: AATCLC does not sell products or services and operates entirely on tax-deductible contributions processed through its fiscal sponsor The URSA Institute. It does not disclose revenue figures, headcount, or fundraising totals in available sources. Its served population is African American communities disproportionately affected by tobacco-related health disparities, with no traditional paying customers. Geographic reach is national, evidenced by legislative wins across the East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast.

Name

African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council

Legal name

African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council

Website

https://savingblacklives.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) public health advocacy organization combating tobacco industry targeting of Black communities with menthol cigarettes through grassroots education, coalition building, legislative advocacy, and litigation against the FDA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Substance Use Public Health Programs (BPAIAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Non-Communicable Disease Prevention & Chronic Disease Programs (BPAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Tobacco control advocacy
• Public health education
• Menthol ban advocacy
• Community coalition building
• Health equity

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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 Contributions: The AATCLC operates as a program of The URSA Institute, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible. The organization generates revenue through public donations to support advocacy work, coalition building, education initiatives, and legal action against the tobacco industry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC) is a public health education and advocacy organization that combats the tobacco industry's targeted marketing of menthol cigarettes to Black communities. It builds grassroots coalitions, educates communities across the country, advocates for and helps pass legislation banning menthol-flavored tobacco products at city, county, and state levels, and pursues litigation (including a lawsuit against the FDA) to drive national policy change.

Product overview

The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC) is a public health advocacy organization operating as a program of The URSA Institute. Rather than a unified software product, AATCLC offers a portfolio of advocacy programs, leadership development initiatives, and educational resources. Key offerings include the Quantum Leap Leadership Program (a fellowship training community advocates in tobacco control policy), the 'Let's Finish the Fight' advocacy campaign (encouraging organizations to support End Game tobacco ordinances), the AMPLIFY! initiative for community engagement, the annual No Menthol Sunday campaign, Spiral Up Lite App for EBT resources, and comprehensive fact sheets and toolkits. The organization focuses on eliminating menthol-flavored tobacco products and addressing tobacco-related health disparities in African American communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Quantum Leap: A leadership program developing tobacco control advocates and leaders
• Finishing the Fight!
• AMPLIFY!

Products and services

• Quantum Leap Leadership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Has helped pass legislation ending menthol-flavored tobacco product sales in cities, counties, and states across the country

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The URSA InstitutecoreOthersThe AATCLC operates as a program of The URSA Institute, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The URSA Institute serves as the fiscal sponsor, providing administrative infrastructure including EIN #51-0138569 for tax-deductible donations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Center for Black Health & Equity: Health-equity-focused nonprofit addressing tobacco, food access, and chronic disease in Black communities. Highly comparable to AATCLC in centering African American health disparities and running culturally tailored tobacco-control advocacy.
• American Lung Association: Major voluntary health organization actively advocating for tobacco control, smoke-free laws, and flavored/menthol restrictions. Comparable in policy advocacy footprint and grassroots coalition work, though broader in scope (all lung health).
• Truth Initiative: Leading nonprofit public health organization dedicated to tobacco prevention, including flavored products and menthol. Comparable to AATCLC in running national anti-tobacco education, research, and policy advocacy, with strong brand and multi-channel outreach.
• Action on Smoking and Health (ASH): Long-standing national nonprofit that litigates and advocates against the tobacco industry, including on menthol and flavored products. Comparable to AATCLC in using legal action and federal regulatory advocacy to drive tobacco-control policy.
• Public Health Law Center: Legal and policy resource center supporting tobacco control and chronic disease prevention, frequently cited in AATCLC's own impact map. Directly comparable in using litigation, regulatory action, and policy analysis to advance menthol/flavored tobacco restrictions.
• Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: National advocacy organization focused on reducing tobacco use, especially among kids, through policy campaigns and lobbying. Directly comparable to AATCLC in mission, federal/state policy advocacy, and legislative track record around menthol and flavored tobacco.
• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN): Advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society that lobbies for tobacco control, including menthol bans. Comparable to AATCLC in federal/state lobbying, coalition mobilization, and cancer-prevention policy focus.
• Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights: Advocacy group focused on smoke-free air laws and reducing tobacco use, with deep involvement in menthol and flavored tobacco bans. Highly comparable to AATCLC in legislative strategy and coalition building at city/state level.

Emerging players

• Parents Against Vaping e-cigarettes (PAVE): Grassroots advocacy organization focused on youth e-cigarette and flavored tobacco prevention. Partial overlap with AATCLC on flavored/menthol tobacco advocacy, with a more youth- and parent-led framing.

Others

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Major philanthropic funder of public health and health equity initiatives, including tobacco control. Not a direct competitor, but a likely funding ecosystem participant whose priorities shape the operating environment for orgs like AATCLC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aatclc
• Facebookfacebook.com/AATCLC
• Instagraminstagram.com/aatclc_savingblacklives
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aatclc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 American Tobacco Control Leadership Council