Southern Economic Advancement Project

What Southern Economic Advancement Project does

The Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP) is a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization founded in 2019 by Stacey Abrams and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (operating from Decatur, GA). Its mission is to bridge gaps between progressive policy and Southern communities across 12 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. SEAP serves nonprofit organizations and grassroots groups, local and state government leaders, movement leaders and policy advocates, and indirectly low-income Southern households. The organization operates as a fiscal project of Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

SEAP's offering mix combines an online community platform, a portfolio of data products, structured programs, and pro bono technical assistance. The SEAP Table community platform, hosted on Hivebrite, brings Southern changemakers together across state lines with closed cohorts for housing, food security, budget equity, and policy entrepreneurship; it had 195 members in 2025. Data products — Visualizing the South (a monthly data storytelling series launched March 2024), State Indicators, Place and Progress (2025), and Tools Transforming Public Data (2025) — are published as interactive Tableau Public dashboards on Southern-specific topics. Structured programs include the SouthStrong Policy Entrepreneurs Program (year-long virtual training), the Local Budget Equity community of practice, the Housing Policy regional collaborative, the Food Security coalition, and the host site role in the federal Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) fellowship. Federal funding access is supported through IRA, BIL, and ARP Toolkits and the Our Dollars, Our Dreams initiative. The Community Voice initiative partners with Propel to distribute surveys reaching more than 10,000 low-income Southerners since 2020. Technical assistance is delivered across three focus areas: Policy (analysis, strategy, briefs, webinars), Data (survey design, dashboard development, data interpretation), and Communications (messaging, storytelling, media outreach coaching).

SEAP's business model is philanthropic grant funding. All services are provided free of charge to qualifying organizations, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. Funding comes from foundations and philanthropic grants, plus select federal pass-through arrangements such as the ERC cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (via IEDC). The team is small — approximately 6 core staff members plus an ERC Fellow — and the organization does not have external venture or equity investors.

Name

Southern Economic Advancement Project

Legal name

Southern Economic Advancement Project

Website

https://theseap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP) is a nonprofit founded in 2019 by Stacey Abrams that provides free policy, data, and communications technical assistance to nonprofits, local governments, and movement leaders across 12 Southern states, functioning as a regional connector, convener, and policy entrepreneur.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Decatur

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Philanthropic Grants: SEAP operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through grants from foundations and philanthropic organizations. The organization has received funding from various sources including government programs like the Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration.
2. Fiscal Sponsorship: SEAP is a fiscally sponsored project of Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which provides administrative and financial infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SEAP provides free policy research, technical assistance, and data tools to Southern nonprofits, local governments, and movement leaders across 12 Southern states. Its core offerings span policy analysis, data services, communications support, training programs, and convenings, delivered through direct engagement, a community platform (SEAP Table), and a suite of interactive data dashboards. The organization also facilitates federal funding access through toolkits and initiatives like Our Dollars, Our Dreams.

Product overview

The Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP) operates as a policy and advocacy organization rather than a traditional technology product company. Its offerings span a platform-plus-programs model: the core SEAP Table community platform (hosted on Hivebrite) serves as a hub for Southern changemakers, complemented by data visualization products including Visualizing the South, State Indicators, Place and Progress, and Tools Transforming Public Data (all published via Tableau Public). SEAP provides technical assistance across policy, data, and communications through both direct services and structured programs including the Policy Entrepreneurs Program, Local Budget Equity, Housing Policy, and Food Security initiatives. Federal funding access is facilitated through the IRA Toolkit, BIL Toolkit, and ARP Toolkit, while Our Dollars Our Dreams provides hands-on grant support. Community engagement is powered through the Community Voice initiative partnering with Propel for survey distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SouthStrong: A collection of Southern organizations and scholars seeking an equitable and people-first response to economic recovery in a post-pandemic South.
• The SEAP Table
• Our Dollars, Our Dreams
• Policy Entrepreneurs Program
• Visualizing the South

Products and services

• SEAP Table An online community platform that brings Southern changemakers together across state lines and policy areas to connect, share resources, and grow their work. Includes closed groups for various cohorts and communities of practice.
• SouthStrong Policy Entrepreneurs Program A specialized virtual training program that empowers participants in policy-making and advocacy through a year-long curriculum covering policy agenda setting, mobilization techniques, data in policy formation, regulatory compliance, and trauma-informed leadership.
• Visualizing the South A monthly data storytelling series that uses federal data to map and explore the Southern region through interactive dashboards covering disaster risk, healthcare access, industries powering economies, nonprofit density, and demographic indicators.
• State Indicators A data hub containing demographic and economic information about Southern states, tracking indicators across demographics, health, education, housing, and employment. Updated in real-time as public data sources are updated.
• Place and Progress A data project that combines Community Needs Indicators with Federal Funding Data to amplify local efforts. Enables users to create nuanced views of their community based on county-level data to build narratives balancing community needs and strengths.
• Tools Transforming Public Data A repository cataloging tools and dashboards using federal datasets, listing hosting organizations and providing information on how to access data for various uses.
• Inflation Reduction Act Toolkit A resource guide helping Southern communities understand and access Inflation Reduction Act investments, including guidance on defining disadvantage for Justice40, technical assistance programs, clean energy funds, and tax credits for nonprofits and houses of worship.
• Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Toolkit Resources helping communities access Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for clean water, broadband, transportation, climate co-benefits, and resilience projects across the South.
• American Rescue Plan Toolkit Resources promoting equity and community engagement for ARP recovery funding, including policy briefs, community engagement guides, funding trackers, success stories, and activist playbooks for local leaders and advocates.
• Technical Assistance Capacity-building support across three focus areas: Policy (analysis, strategy support, policy briefs, research, webinars, and training); Data (survey development, data production, interpretation, dashboard development, and data source discovery); and Communications (collateral production, messaging, storytelling, and media outreach coaching).
• Community Voice Community-centered data collection initiative partnering with Propel to survey low-income Southern households. Since 2020, SEAP has conducted nine surveys reaching over 10,000 low-income Southerners on food security, Medicaid, and federal recovery funds.
• Local Budget Equity Program that brings budget advocates together to learn, share strategies, and build supportive networks for lasting change. Includes a community of practice with about 50 advocates from 33 organizations meeting bimonthly, and convenings for local budget advocates.
• Housing Policy Initiative convening, supporting, and amplifying a practitioner community of practice that shifts housing systems toward racial equity across the South. Includes regional housing collaboratives, communications support for housing coalitions, and virtual community on SEAP Table.
• Food Security Program investing in community-level data and research and supporting coalition work to champion food policy efforts. Includes WIC improvement initiatives, Summer EBT/SUN Bucks advocacy, and support for food security coalitions across Southern states.
• Economic Recovery Corps Fellowship SEAP serves as a host community for the Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) fellowship program, connecting 65 Fellows with host sites across 44 states. SEAP's fellowship focuses on advancing economic development through initiatives including Our Dollars Our Dreams and clean energy projects.
• Our Dollars, Our Dreams Initiative helping Southern communities access federal investments from the Inflation Reduction Act and other programs. Offers tailored technical assistance including grant writing, partner development, research support, and direct application assistance for programs like the EPA's Community Change Grant Program.
• Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Directory Directory of resources helping communities navigate and access Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund opportunities under the Inflation Reduction Act.
• SEAP Reads A quarterly book club featuring books, articles, podcasts, and videos around a quarterly theme, with online discussion on SEAP Table and quarterly meetings for Southern changemakers.

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and supporting.

• Tides CentercoreOthers · 1 January 2019SEAP is a fiscally sponsored project of Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tides Center provides administrative and financial infrastructure, allowing SEAP to operate with programmatic independence while benefiting from Tides' nonprofit status and back-office support.
• PropelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPropel is a benefits management app used by SNAP-eligible families. SEAP partners with Propel to conduct surveys of low-income households, gathering insights about needs, priorities, and how public dollars can help families thrive. Since 2020, SEAP has performed seven surveys on the Propel app reaching over 10,000 low-income Southerners.
• Feeding AlabamakeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to survey WIC participants in Alabama. SEAP and Feeding Alabama conducted a survey of 429 mothers from across the state to understand program effectiveness and improvement opportunities for WIC.
• Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEAP partnered with FRAC to create a Summer EBT resource aimed at educating states on resources USDA provides to ease administrative burden of implementing Summer EBT, with goal of all Southern states opting in for 2025.
• Springboard to Opportunities (Mississippi)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2024, SEAP and Springboard to Opportunities worked together to form a coalition of Mississippi food security advocates working to educate state government on SUN Bucks adoption.
• HousingLOUISIANAkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted regional housing convening in May 2025 with state and local housing organizers from 9 states, including workshops on coalition-building, local government wins, legislative strategy, and narrative strategy.
• North Carolina Housing CoalitionkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted regional housing convening 'For Our Neighbors and Our Communities' in May 2025 for Southern housing advocates, with skill-building, field-building, and rest and rejuvenation focus.
• Housing for All TennesseekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEAP partnered with newly formed coalition to create logo and new website. Also assisting housing coalitions in Mississippi, South Carolina, and Virginia.
• The New School's Institute on Race, Power and Political EconomykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEAP partnered to create a local budget equity community of practice where equity-centered advocates and government officials learn together about aligning local government dollars with visions of thriving communities. Co-hosted Local Budget Equity Convenings in 2024 and 2025.
• Mobility AlliancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with SEAP and New School to host the first Local Budget Equity Convening in Austin, TX in Summer 2024, providing networking and skill building to local budget advocates.
• Urban InstitutesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided support for the 2025 Local Budget Equity Convening in Phoenix, AZ, helping budget advocates and local government leaders share strategies for transparent, equitable budget processes.
• National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerReleased joint report highlighting participatory climate action planning excellence in Southern cities including Richmond (VA), Charlotte (NC), Louisville (KY), and Sarasota (FL).
• Southern Environmental Law CenterkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to host Southern Data Centers Research and Policy Convening to start regional conversation on supporting communities navigating data center proposals on their own terms.
• WorkshopkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted Southern Data Centers Research and Policy Convening addressing systems-level disruption of energy systems, economy, and democratic governance by data center expansion.
• Young Gifted & GreenkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted Southern Data Centers Research and Policy Convening addressing environmental and community impacts of data center expansion in the South.
• Building Equity Collaborative in New OrleanskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEAP supported the inaugural Our Dollars, Our Dreams community for over a year, assisting in researching and refining an equity rubric and checklist for local infrastructure projects funded through federal resources.
• International Economic Development Council (IEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIEDC leads the Economic Recovery Corps program launched in 2023 through a $30 million cooperative agreement with U.S. Department of Commerce's EDA. SEAP was selected as a host community for the first ERC cohort.
• Center on Rural Innovation (CORI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerERC partner coalition member lending expertise to fellow and host participants on rural economic development.
• International City/County Management Association (ICMA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerERC partner coalition member providing expertise and coaching to ERC fellows and host communities.
• National Association of Counties Research Foundation (NACo RF)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerERC partner coalition member contributing expertise on county-level economic development.
• National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation (NADO RF)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerERC partner coalition member providing expertise on regional economic development organizations.
• National League of Cities Institute (NLCI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerERC partner coalition member contributing municipal expertise to ERC program.
• RAIN CatalystssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerERC partner coalition member providing expertise and coaching to fellows and hosts.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Talent for Good coalition facilitating equity-focused workforce strategies connecting talent to opportunity. ERC coalition efforts led to 500+ organizations applying to host fellows.
• New Disabled SouthkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerReleased joint ARP in Action for the Disability Community success stories highlighting how local leaders allocate ARP funds to create fair and inclusive communities.
• Louisiana Public Health InstitutekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted webinar on the state of Southern data ecosystem. Webinar summarized key insights alongside perspectives from experts and practitioners working to strengthen data systems.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Center for American Progress: National progressive policy think tank producing research, policy analysis, and advocacy. Comparable to SEAP in progressive policy orientation and research-driven advocacy, but operates at national scale rather than Southern regional focus.
• Aspen Institute: Nonprofit leadership and policy organization running multiple fellowship programs (including the BIG Ideas Festival in which SEAP's ED is a fellow). Comparable through policy-entrepreneur training programs and convening leadership across regions.
• Southern Poverty Law Center: Large Southern-focused civil rights and policy organization. Comparable to SEAP in Southern US geographic focus and progressive policy orientation, though with a litigation and broader civil-rights mandate rather than direct technical assistance.

Emerging players

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Community development financial institution supporting equitable economic development in under-resourced communities. Already an SEAP ERC coalition partner; comparable in housing and economic development support to Southern nonprofits and local governments.
• Faith in Public Life: Progressive faith-rooted advocacy organization providing training and strategic support to faith leaders. Comparable to SEAP in advocacy training, network-building, and emphasis on community voice in policy processes.

Direct peers

• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: National policy organization focused on budget, tax, and anti-poverty policy with strong state-level technical assistance to advocates. Comparable to SEAP in budget equity, antipoverty, and federal-funding navigation work for state and local advocates.
• Roosevelt Institute: Progressive economic policy think tank producing research and convening networks to advance racial and economic equity. Comparable to SEAP in mission orientation (economic equity, racial equity), data storytelling, and network-building approach.
• Economic Policy Institute: Progressive economic policy research organization producing data-driven analysis on labor, wages, and equity. Comparable to SEAP in data-publishing orientation and economic-equity policy focus, with overlapping audiences among Southern advocates.
• PolicyLink: National research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity through policy. Comparable to SEAP in equity-centered policy research, data storytelling (including equity indexes), and capacity-building support for community-based organizations.
• State Innovation Exchange (SiX): Progressive state legislator network supporting state lawmakers across multiple states with policy, data, and communications assistance. Directly comparable to SEAP in cross-state progressive policy support model and similar service categories (policy analysis, data, communications technical assistance).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@seapnews
• Facebookfacebook.com/seapnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seapnews
• Instagraminstagram.com/seapnews

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 Southern Economic Advancement Project