Blacks In Government

What Blacks In Government does

Blacks In Government (BIG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1975 by African American federal employees at the Public Health Services in Rockville, Maryland, and incorporated in 1976. Headquartered in the Gerald R. Reed National Headquarters Building at 3005 Georgia Ave NW in Washington, D.C., BIG serves more than 5,800 individual members who are predominantly Black employees across federal, state, and local government agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Centers for Disease Control, the General Services Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The organization's core offerings are member programs rather than software products. Its technology footprint consists of a WordPress-based public website (bignet.org), a gated Member Portal built on WordPress and the reMembers Association Management System, and several Wix-hosted microsites for individual programs. Signature programs include the Darlene H. Young Leadership Academy (DYLA), delivered in partnership with Morgan State University; the Future Leaders in America's Government (FLAG) youth mentorship initiative; the Military Veterans Emphasis Program (MVEP); the NOW Generation Program for members under 40; the AE/EEO advocacy program; and scholarship and assistance vehicles (STACK, MAP, FEEA). The flagship engagement event is the annual National Training Institute (NTI), with the 45th edition held in Tampa, FL in August 2024, supplemented by weekly prayer calls and webinar series.

BIG is governed by a National Board of Directors and National Executive Committee elected by members at the National Delegates Assembly. Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring annual membership dues paid by individuals at national, regional, and chapter levels; a multi-tier corporate sponsorship program with named sponsors including WAEPA (Title), Blue Cross Blue Shield (Platinum), FedChoice Federal Credit Union (Silver), and 4Imprint (Contributor); and individual donations. Membership acquisition is community-led, driven by word-of-mouth referrals, regional chapter activity, advocacy initiatives, and the annual NTI, with no venture capital or private equity ownership.

Name

Blacks In Government

Legal name

Blacks In Government, Inc.

Website

https://bignet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Blacks In Government is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that advocates for equal opportunity and delivers professional development, leadership training, scholarships, and networking for over 5,800 Black federal, state, and local government employees across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association / Government Employee Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Government employee advocacy
• Professional development programs
• Leadership training academy
• Membership association services
• Scholarship and mentorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

S Central Washington Co

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: BIG generates revenue through annual membership dues from regular, lifetime, and associate members at national, regional, and chapter levels. Members include federal, state, and municipal government employees who pay dues to belong to the organization.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: BIG receives financial support from corporate sponsors at various tiers (Title, Platinum, Silver, Bronze, Contributor) who support the organization's mission of equity and professional development in public service.
3. Individual Donations: Individual members and supporters can make donations to support BIG's programs, scholarships, and advocacy initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Blacks In Government (BIG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that delivers advocacy, professional development, leadership training, scholarship programs, and networking services to Black federal, state, and local government employees across the United States. Its signature offerings include the Darlene H. Young Leadership Academy (DYLA) leadership training program, the Future Leaders In America's Government (FLAG) youth mentorship program, the Military Veterans Emphasis Program (MVEP), the NOW Generation young professionals program, the AE/EEO advocacy program, Project BIG Vote civic engagement initiative, scholarship/assistance programs (STACK, MAP, FEEA), and the annual National Training Institute (NTI) conference, supported by a gated WordPress/reMembers AMS member portal and a national chapter/region structure.

Product overview

Blacks In Government (BIG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization — not a software product company. Its offerings consist of member programs, advocacy services, professional development initiatives, scholarship and financial assistance programs, civic engagement tools, and publications. The core member-facing platform is the BIG Member Portal (a gated WordPress/reMembers AMS site providing governance documents, resources, and event access), supplemented by the Project BIG Vote civic engagement platform with voter resources. Signature programs include the Darlene H. Young Leadership Academy (DYLA), a Morgan State University partnership delivering intensive leadership training; the FLAG youth mentorship program; the NOW Generation young professionals program; MVEP for military veterans; and the AE/EEO Program. BIG also administers three scholarship/assistance programs (STACK, MAP, and FEEA), an annual National Training Institute (NTI), and publishes the BIG Reporter magazine and NTI Souvenir Journal. No AI/ML features, public API, or software product integrations are identified.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Darlene H. Young Leadership Academy (DYLA): A leadership training program in partnership with Morgan State University designed to foster excellence in leadership within BIG and develop professional and personal leadership skills.
• Project BIG Vote
• STACK (Scholarship to Acquire Career Keys)
• Future Leaders In America's Government (FLAG)
• Monetary Assistance Program (MAP)

Products and services

• BIG Membership Annual, lifetime, and associate membership for federal, state, and municipal government employees, providing access to the gated BIG Member Portal, regional councils, local chapters, programs, and advocacy resources.
• Darlene H. Young Leadership Academy (DYLA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 Blacks In Government members have successfully completed the Darlene H. Young Leadership Academy (DYLA) program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered title sponsor, platinum sponsor, silver sponsor, contributor, individual sponsor and core.

• WAEPAtitle sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerWAEPA (World Alliance for Educational and Personal Advancement) serves as the Title Sponsor for BIG, supporting BIG's mission to empower public servants through advocacy, leadership development, and professional excellence.
• Blue Cross Blue Shieldplatinum sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBlue Cross Blue Shield serves as a Platinum Sponsor, supporting BIG's programs and events while providing health insurance visibility to BIG members.
• FedChoice Federal Credit Unionsilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerFedChoice Federal Credit Union serves as a Silver Sponsor, providing financial services visibility and support for BIG's mission.
• 4ImprintcontributorGTM or Marketing Partner4Imprint serves as a Contributor sponsor, providing promotional products and support for BIG events and programs.
• Opulentia (GEHA)individual sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerOpulentia (operating as GEHA - Government Employees Health Association) serves as an Individual Sponsor providing health-related support for BIG members.
• Morgan State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIG has partnered with Morgan State University to form the Darlene H. Young Leadership Academy (DYLA), a leadership training vehicle to foster excellence in leadership and develop professional and personal leadership skills within the BIG membership.
• Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIG partners with CBCF to promote fellowship programs and internship opportunities for emerging leaders and young professionals. BIG helps share CBCF internship and fellowship opportunities with its membership network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE): A pre-professional and professional society supporting Black engineers and STEM students. Comparable to BIG's youth-development and scholarship programs (e.g., FLAG, STEM competition), with similar mentorship and academic-advancement value propositions.
• National Black MBA Association: A professional association for Black business professionals focused on career advancement, leadership, and education. Comparable to BIG's professional-development pillar but serving the private-sector business community rather than government employees.
• Blacks In Technology: A community and advocacy organization for Black technologists. Comparable to BIG as a community-driven, advocacy-plus-development organization serving Black professionals, though focused on the technology sector rather than government.

Direct peers

• National Urban League: A historic civil rights and economic-empowerment organization with a network of local affiliates. Comparable to BIG in mission (racial equity, workforce advancement), structure (chapter network), and target demographic (Black professionals and communities).
• National Council of Negro Women (NCNW): A council-based organization advancing the status of Black women, families, and communities through advocacy, leadership development, and economic empowerment. Shares BIG's professional-development and advocacy model with a more gender-defined constituency.
• National Action Network (NAN): A leading civil rights organization focused on racial justice and equal opportunity. Comparable to BIG in its advocacy mission for Black Americans, though more activism-led than BIG's professional-development orientation.
• League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC): The largest Hispanic civil rights organization in the U.S. Closest structural analog to BIG: federal/public-sector employee focus, council-based membership, advocacy for equal employment opportunity, and explicit professional development programming.
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP): The largest and most established African American civil rights organization in the U.S. Like BIG, NAACP pursues racial equity, equal-opportunity advocacy, and professional empowerment through a membership-based, chapter-driven model.
• National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE): A membership organization exclusively serving federal employees and retirees. Direct structural peer to BIG in target audience (federal workforce), dues model, advocacy (federal benefits, equal opportunity), and chapter-based engagement.
• Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC): A nonprofit representing Asian American and Pacific Islander federal employees. Direct functional peer to BIG: advocacy, professional development, networking, and leadership training for an underrepresented community within the federal workforce.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BlacksInGovernment
• Xtwitter.com/BigGovt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blacks-in-government

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Blacks In Government