black women for wellness

What black women for wellness does

Black Women for Wellness is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1994 by six women (Akua Jita Hadi, Claudie Kiti Bustamante, Moyofune Deas Balewa, Ndoni Forbes, Shquestra Sitawi, and Janette Robinson Flint) in partnership with the Birthing Project, and incorporated as a nonprofit in 1997. Headquartered in Los Angeles with a regional office in Stockton, it serves Black women and girls across Los Angeles County and Northern California through a portfolio of health education, empowerment, and advocacy programs organized into five core areas: Sisters@Eight (monthly roundtables), Sisters in Control Reproductive Justice (maternal/infant health, sex education, breast health, rites of passage, and abortion access), Sisters in Motion (wellness, fitness, nutrition, diabetes prevention), Environmental Justice (beauty justice, oil-drilling phase-out, water quality), and Civic Engagement (voter registration and the Empower 25 campaign for Black male voters). All programs are delivered free of charge to participants.

Name

black women for wellness

Legal name

Black Women for Wellness

Website

https://bwwla.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Black Women for Wellness is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free health education, reproductive justice, environmental justice, and civic engagement programs to Black women and girls across Los Angeles County and Northern California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Family Planning Centers (621410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD), Sexual Health & Relationship Wellness Education (EDAAAHAM)

Keywords

• Community health education
• Reproductive justice advocacy
• Environmental justice
• Civic engagement programs
• Black women wellness

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Black Women for Wellness is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Revenue is generated primarily through tax-deductible donations and grant funding from foundations and government agencies. No commercial product revenue stream exists.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Black Women for Wellness is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers free health education, empowerment, and advocacy programs for Black women and girls in Los Angeles County and Northern California. Its portfolio of programs spans reproductive justice (Sisters in Control Reproductive Justice), wellness (Sisters in Motion), environmental justice, civic engagement, and an Annual Reproductive Justice Conference, all delivered through community workshops, roundtables, conferences, publications, and grassroots organizing.

Product overview

Black Women for Wellness is a community-based nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected health education, empowerment, and advocacy programs focused on Black women and girls. Rather than a unified technology product, the organization operates as a platform of programs organized around key focus areas: the Sisters in Control Reproductive Justice (SCRJ) program suite (encompassing maternal health, sex education, breast health, and rites of passage); the Sisters in Motion wellness initiative (including Kitchen Divas, diabetes prevention, and fitness programs); Environmental Justice (including Beauty Justice and Built Environment work); Civic Engagement (voter education and the Empower 25 campaign); and an Annual Reproductive Justice Conference. The programs are complementary, addressing the holistic health needs of the community through education, direct services, advocacy, and policy work, unified by the organization's mission to improve health outcomes for Black women and girls.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sisters@Eight A monthly roundtable bringing information to health professionals, leadership, advocates, and community members to help empower, mobilize, and organize toward advocacy. Forums are held monthly on the 2nd Friday.
• Sisters in Control Reproductive Justice (SCRJ) A program that supports policy, utilizes programs, works with advisory councils, commissions, and boards to secure reproductive justice for women and girls. Includes sub-programs: Black Maternal and Infant Health, Get Smart B4U Get Sexy, Grown & Sexy, Keep in Touch Breast Health Initiative, and Rites of Passage.
• Sisters in Motion A wellness program that works to decrease heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity through regular exercise, physical activity, and movement. Includes sub-programs: Kitchen Divas, Body Matters and Movement, Food Distribution, Wellness Wednesdays, and Diabetes Prevention Program.
• Environmental Justice Program Engages and educates community members to influence local, state, and national policies that regulate chemical safety in cosmetics and personal care products, and addresses negative impacts of neighborhood drilling and climate change. Includes Beauty Justice and Built Environment initiatives.
• Civic Engagement Program Increases electoral and political power of Black women through voter education, registration, and outreach during and between elections (VREAM - Voting Rules Everything Around Me). Includes Empower 25 campaign for Black male voter registration.
• Annual Reproductive Justice Conference Annual conference convening to discuss the reproductive health choices of women and girls, exploring causal factors impacting health and well-being. The 27th annual conference is scheduled for August 13, 2026.
• Beauty Justice Initiative Dedicated to protecting the health and well-being of Black women and girls by addressing systemic inequities in the beauty industry through advocating for regulating harmful chemicals, educating about toxic exposures, and empowering informed choices.
• Black Maternal and Infant Health Program Uses policy and program development to address the high rate of Black maternal and infant mortality in Los Angeles County, advocating for systemic changes that recognize how racism affects health outcomes.
• Get Smart B4U Get Sexy Sex education program providing prevention and intervention resources to youth and young adults, with focus on African American/Black females, those in foster care, and those at high risk of sexually transmitted infections.
• Grown and Sexy Sexual health and education program for women over 40. Events held every 3rd Friday of the month covering topics including science of sex, arousal, aging, beauty, and mental health.
• Rites of Passage (ROP) A 12-week free hybrid after-school program for teenage Black girls ages 14-19 that educates and empowers youth through activities and workshops on social, emotional, spiritual, and physical health. Includes sessions on reproductive justice, financial literacy, and career pathways.
• Diabetes Prevention Program (CYL2) Year-long evidence-based lifestyle coaching program conducted in partnership with Black Women's Health Imperative and CDC, helping pre-diabetic individuals prevent or delay type 2 diabetes through healthy eating and increased physical activity.
• Kitchen Divas Healthy cooking class program with professionally guided educational discussions and peer support, reducing nutrition-related health risks through instruction on healthy cooking, preventive lifestyle practices, eating habits, and physical activity.
• Breast Health Resources / Keep In Touch Program Two-decade program dedicated to inspiring Black women to embrace breast health through education, early detection, and community support. Holds monthly meetings on the 3rd Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.
• Fierce Aunties Campaign A campaign celebrating aunties as support systems and inviting them to join the reproductive justice movement to secure safe and equitable sexual health services, abortions, and reproductive health care for loved ones.
• Empower 25 Campaign Campaign dedicated to registering 25,000 Black male voters by 2025, recognizing Black men as integral to families and communities and providing them a platform to become champions in the reproductive justice movement.
• Built Environment Initiative Addresses environmental burdens in Black and Brown neighborhoods including water quality concerns, air quality issues, and toxic facilities. Campaigns focus on eliminating neighborhood oil drilling, water equity, reducing plastic pollution, and green social housing.
• Abortion Access Resources Provides information and resources on abortion access including legal services, medication abortion (mifepristone and misoprostol), reproductive legal defense fund, and digital safety guidance for researching abortion online.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 community members connected per Black Maternal Health Week event series
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• STAND-LA (Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWW is a member of STAND-LA coalition working to protect the health and safety of Angelenos harmed by urban oil extraction. The coalition has been fighting for over a decade to end oil drilling across Los Angeles, with particular focus on the Inglewood Oil Field in South LA.
• Birthing ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe organization originated as a group of six women who teamed up with the Birthing Project in 1994 as 'sisterfriends' to implement the Shangazi Program, matching pregnant women with mentors throughout pregnancy.
• Occidental CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWW partners with Occidental College on beauty justice research including the Black Hair Care Survey, the Natural Evolutions report on Black women's hair and health, and the Taking Stock study on hair and personal care product use.
• Silent Spring InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in community-based research to understand the problem of toxic chemical exposure in beauty products and create solutions for Black women's health.
• Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWW's Black Maternal and Infant Health Program is a Kindred Partner of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, a national network of Black women-led organizations advancing reproductive justice.
• Los Angeles County African American Infant & Maternal Mortality Community Action TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWW serves on the steering committee of the LA County AAIMM Community Action Team working to address alarmingly high rates of Black maternal and infant mortality in Los Angeles County.
• Expecting JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWW partners with Expecting Justice on the Abundant Birth Project (ABP), which provides guaranteed income to pregnant individuals through unconditional cash payments to help reduce stress and improve birth outcomes.
• EJCAP (Environmental Justice Communities Against Plastic)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWW is part of this California-wide coalition working to uplift community concerns about plastic on the state, national, and global level.
• California Green New Deal CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWW is a member advocating for green social housing - a housing model ensuring permanently affordable and environmentally sustainable housing with democratic resident decision-making power.
• First 5 LAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFirst 5 LA funded the Fierce Aunties citywide billboard campaign in August 2024, raising awareness about Black maternal and infant health and combating discrimination in healthcare for pregnant Black women.
• Breast Cancer Prevention PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy partner in the coalition pushing Johnson & Johnson to halt global sales of talc-based baby powder, alongside Women's Voices for the Earth, WE Act for Environmental Justice, and Until Justice Data Partners.
• UCLA Luskin Center for InnovationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWW served in an advisory role on the UCLA Luskin report examining plastic and its link to fossil fuels/oil drilling, titled 'What Defines a Plastic-Burdened Community.'
• Black Women's Health ImperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWW's Diabetes Prevention Program operates in partnership with the Black Women's Health Imperative and in a cooperative agreement with the CDC's National Diabetes Prevention Program.
• Black Women for Wellness Action ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organization (501c4) working with partners, allies, and the state of California to provide safe space for those seeking abortion services. Operates in coalition with reproductive justice organizations across the Southeast, Texas, California, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and nationally.
• California Department of JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWW participated in Attorney General Bonta's investigation into pregnancy care provider compliance with required implicit bias training, contributing to a groundbreaking CA DOJ report on implicit bias impacts on Black maternal and infant health.
• California Healthy Nail Salon CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWW collaborates with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative on the Stop the Hate program, dedicated to dismantling white supremacy through solidarity and collective action rooted in racial healing and justice.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Black Women's Blueprint: Black feminist organization focused on healing, organizing, and transformative justice for Black women and girls. Overlaps with BWW on sexual health education (Get Smart B4U Get Sexy-style programming), community organizing, and Black women-centered advocacy.
• Black Women's Health Imperative: National nonprofit organization focused on the health and wellness of Black women and girls. BWW partners with BWHI on the CDC-cooperative Diabetes Prevention Program and serves an overlapping constituency on Black women's health advocacy — the most direct comparable peer.
• Communities for a Better Environment: California-based environmental justice organization working on neighborhood drilling, air quality, and toxic exposures in low-income communities of color. BWW co-advocates with CBE-adjacent coalitions (STAND-LA) on Inglewood Oil Field phase-out and built environment work.
• Expecting Justice: San Francisco-based organization working on Black maternal and infant health through guaranteed income (Abundant Birth Project) and policy advocacy. BWW is an explicit partner on the Abundant Birth Project — a directly comparable Black maternal health peer.
• Black Mamas Matter Alliance: National network of Black women-led organizations advancing Black maternal health, rights, and justice. BWW is a Kindred Partner; BMMA directly overlaps on Black maternal and infant health programming, advocacy, and reproductive justice policy — a closely aligned peer.
• SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective: National reproductive justice organization led by women of color. Operates in the same reproductive justice space as BWW's Sisters in Control and Abortion Access programs, with overlapping policy and coalition activity.
• National Birth Equity Collaborative: National nonprofit focused on Black maternal and infant health through research, advocacy, and community-based initiatives. Directly comparable to BWW's Black Maternal and Infant Health program and LA County AAIMM steering committee work.
• Trust Black Women Partnership: National Black women-led partnership focused on reproductive well-being and centering Black women in policy. Operates adjacent to BWW on reproductive justice policy and Black women-centered advocacy.
• In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda: National policy advocacy organization advancing reproductive justice for Black women. Operates in the same policy/advocacy lane as BWW's Action Project (501(c)(4)) and reproductive justice programming.
• Ancient Song Doula Services: Reproductive justice organization providing doula care and sexual/reproductive health education to women of color. Closely comparable to BWW on reproductive justice service delivery and community-based health education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvj8qF6NbQA4Z1cMl-aFmbQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackWomenforWellness
• Instagraminstagram.com/bwwla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-women-for-wellness

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about black women for wellness