Sowega Rising Inc

What Sowega Rising Inc does

SOWEGA Rising Inc is a non-profit, non-partisan community organizing coalition headquartered in Albany, Georgia, that mobilizes people and resources to improve the well-being, quality of life, and political power of marginalized residents of Southwest Georgia. Founded in 2019, the organization operates across 14 counties with a coalition of 850 volunteers serving 32,458 program participants, structured around 8 core initiatives: Civic Engagement, Rural Health, Climate/Environmental Justice, Food Justice & Security, Economic Justice, Criminal Justice Reform, Racial Equity, and Historic/Cultural Heritage preservation. Its programmatic surface includes the High School Youth Organizing Institute (delivered through local public school systems), the Albany State University Youth Organizing Institute (delivered through a university partnership), organizing trainings for community leaders, and the Rising Voices community leader recognition program.

The organization is governed by a board of directors led by Board Chair Michael Harper, Board Treasurer Clinton Banks-Vicks, and Co-founder/Chair Emeritus Amna Farooqi, with day-to-day operations led by Co-founder and Executive Director Sherrell Byrd, Deputy Director Shon Houston, and Associate Director of Programs Cortney King. Supporting staff includes a Civic Power Manager, Communications Manager, Legislative and Policy Organizer, Civic Engagement Organizer, RISE Organizer, Healing Justice Organizer, Digital Media Specialist, and Data Specialist. The board also includes Dr. Bambie Hayes-Brown, Cierra Franklin, Chyteal Jones, Tony Ray, and Dr. Kizzie Donaldson-Richard.

The revenue model is donation-based, accepting tax-deductible contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations through the Donorbox online giving platform. Revenue sources include the Hive Fund as a grant-making partner. The organization is not a technology company; it has no proprietary software products, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities, and its competitive position rests on coalition membership, place-based community relationships, institutional partnerships, and 6 years of accumulated organizing infrastructure and brand reputation in Southwest Georgia.

Name

Sowega Rising Inc

Legal name

SOWEGA RISING INC

Website

https://sowegarising.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SOWEGA Rising is a Southwest Georgia non-profit coalition that mobilizes volunteers and partners across 14 counties to advance environmental justice, food security, youth empowerment, civic engagement, and racial equity through community organizing programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Advocacy and Organizing Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI), Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI), Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)

Keywords

• Community organizing services
• Civic engagement programs
• Youth empowerment programs
• Environmental justice advocacy
• Food security initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Albany

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: SOWEGA Rising generates revenue through tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The organization operates a Giving Campaign accepting contributions of any size to support their programs in Southwest Georgia. Donations can be made through their Donorbox platform (donorbox.org/5-year-sowega-rising-2024).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SOWEGA Rising Inc operates as a non-profit, non-partisan community organizing coalition delivering 8 Core Initiatives (Civic Engagement, Rural Health, Climate Justice, Food Justice & Security, Economic Justice, Criminal Justice Reform, Racial Equity, and Historic and Cultural Heritage) across 14 counties in Southwest Georgia. The organization runs paid and free community programs including the High School Youth Organizing Institute, the Albany State University Youth Organizing Institute, Organizing Trainings, and advocacy campaigns supported by a network of 850 volunteers. Impact areas focus on Environmental Justice, Food Security, and Youth Empowerment.

Product overview

Sowega Rising Inc is a non-profit, non-partisan community organization operating as a single unified organization rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization delivers its mission through 8 Core Initiatives covering Civic Engagement, Rural Health, Economic Justice, Criminal Justice Reform, Racial Equity, Food Justice & Security, Environmental & Climate Justice, and Historic and Cultural Heritage. Its primary programs include the High School Youth Organizing Institute, Albany State University Youth Organizing Institute, and Organizing Trainings. The organization also runs Rising Voices, a community leader recognition program. Impact areas focus on Environmental Justice, Food Security, and Youth Empowerment. This is not a technology product company — all offerings are community service programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• High School Youth Organizing Institute A curriculum administered in local public school systems or after school that educates and mobilizes young students in Southwest Georgia on community organizing.
• Albany State University Youth Organizing Institute A version of the youth organizing curriculum designed for ASU students to foster a deeper sense of community between the university and the rest of Albany.
• Organizing Trainings Trainings for organizations and leaders on basic community organizing theories and skills, including story-telling, one-on-ones, leadership development, racial justice, strategy, and tactics.
• Civic Engagement Initiative Program focused on boosting civic engagement, voter education, and democratic participation among Southwest Georgians.
• Rural Health Initiative Program addressing rural health access and oral health in Southwest Georgia communities.
• Climate, Utilities, and Environmental Change Initiative Program focused on environmental and climate justice advocacy, including clean air and water promotion through community education.
• Food Justice & Security Initiative Program ensuring access to healthy, affordable food for all residents in Southwest Georgia.
• Youth Empowerment Program Program engaging young people in leadership development and community service across Southwest Georgia.
• Rising Voices A blog series and nomination program celebrating community leaders of Southwest Georgia, featuring profiles of local leaders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 32,458 consumers served by programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Albany State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlbany State University (ASU) is a key educational partner supporting the Albany State University Youth Organizing Institute - a version of the curriculum designed to foster a deeper sense of community between the university and the rest of Albany.
• City of Albany GAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner supporting SOWEGA Rising's community initiatives in the City of Albany, Georgia.
• NAACPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association for the advancement of colored people - civil rights partner collaborating on racial equity initiatives and social justice advocacy in Southwest Georgia.
• Local Public School SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local public school systems to administer the High School Youth Organizing Institute curriculum, educating and mobilizing young students.
• SOWEGA Rising Coalition MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe organization is comprised of member citizens and organizations which support the coalition's mission of facilitating Southwest Georgia's rise through community organizing and advocacy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Southerners on New Ground (SONG): Southern LGBTQ+ and racial justice organizing network operating across multiple states with a community-organizing model similar to SOWEGA Rising's coalition approach.
• Black Voters Matter: National nonprofit expanding voter registration and civic participation in Black communities across the South — comparable grassroots mobilization model and overlapping racial-equity framing to SOWEGA Rising.
• New Georgia Project: Georgia-based civic engagement and voter mobilization nonprofit focused on registering and engaging Black, brown, and young voters — directly comparable to SOWEGA Rising's Civic Engagement initiative and Southwest Georgia base.

Broad incumbents

• Faith in Action: Large national faith-based community organizing network with overlapping grassroots mobilization, civic engagement, and racial justice programming — relevant as a broader-incumbent peer with similar issue mix.
• Southern Poverty Law Center: Major civil rights organization with deep Southern presence and work spanning criminal justice reform, racial equity, and voting rights — comparable issue verticals but much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Movement for Black Lives: National coalition of Black-led racial justice organizations — comparable in coalition structure, racial-equity framing, and multi-initiative scope to SOWEGA Rising's 8-issue platform.
• Center for Popular Democracy: National network of community organizing affiliates advancing racial, economic, and climate justice through local chapters — structurally similar to SOWEGA Rising's coalition-of-organizations model.

Others

• Hive Fund: Climate-and-equity-focused funder and known financial partner of SOWEGA Rising — included as an ecosystem/funder peer signaling the funding ecosystem in which SOWEGA Rising operates.

Regional players

• Georgia Equality: Georgia statewide advocacy organization working on civil rights and equity — comparable state-level organizing footprint and overlapping civil rights/civic engagement work.

Emerging players

• Rural Georgia Scholarship Fund / Power Lines (community organizing): Organization supporting rural community organizing and leadership development in the South — comparable rural-focused youth and community leadership development model to SOWEGA Rising's Youth Organizing Institutes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/wix
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sowega-rising

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Sowega Rising Inc