Annual Memberships

We lead with respect and kindness. We honor everyone and acknowledge that some voices have been silenced. BEL welcomes all people and supports human rights for everyone, without discrimination based on race, color, sex, language, religion, politics, origin, property, birth, disability, age, family or marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, health, residence, or economic and social status.

Black Environmental Leader

Individual Membership: A Commitment to Leadership

This is the professional home for Black leaders driving the future of the environmental movement. Membership is for the professionals, advocates, and community volunteers on the front lines of environmental and economic justice.

As a BEL Member, this is your platform to:

Connect with an Influential Network: Build relationships with peers, mentors, and collaborators across the Great Lakes region.
Shape the Regional Agenda: Lend your voice and expertise to our campaigns and policy priorities.
Build Your Professional Skills: Access opportunities for leadership development, public speaking, and strategic advocacy.
Lead the Movement: Stand with a collective of powerful leaders working to build a just, equitable, and sustainable future.

Your membership is a commitment to collective action and a declaration of your leadership in this vital work.

Organizational Member

An Invitation to Partner: Become an Organizational Member

Lasting change requires institutional commitment. Our Organizational Membership is for partners who are ready to move beyond statements and into sustained action.

This is an invitation to join BEL as a key partner in building a just and equitable future and includes 2 representatives from your organization.

It is a commitment to:

Be in solidarity: Support us through advocacy and lend your organization's voice to our aligned campaigns.
Collaborate on Solutions: Work alongside us to shape policy, direct resources, and build community-led initiatives.
Upholding Shared Principles: Commit to the principles of equity, shared power, and centering frontline communities in all our collective work.

This partnership is for organizations that understand that justice is not a project, but a practice.

Together, we are building the lasting infrastructure that our communities deserve.

$80 (Annual)

$150 (Annual)

Ally Member

The Ally Partnership: Moving in Solidarity

Allyship is action. Join as an Ally Member to actively and consistently support Black environmental leaders and help build a stronger, more inclusive movement.

Forward movement for environmental and economic justice requires a broad and powerful coalition. We invite our friends, colleagues, and fellow advocates to join us as Ally Members.

As an Ally Member, you agree to:

Listen carefully and learn from our community’s leaders, historians, and lived experiences.
Use your platform and resources to amplify the work of advocating for fair and equitable solutions.
Identify and provide ongoing financial and strategic support to help sustain and grow the mission.

This is more than a donation. Your membership funds critical work and propels campaigns that shape the environmental movement’s future. You are a important partner in creating lasting change.

Join us and help power positive forward movement.

$80 (Annual)

Life Memberships

Life Member

A one-time gift of $1,500 secures your membership for life and provides critical, long-term support for our mission. Life Members are recognized for their extraordinary commitment to building a powerful, equitable, and just environmental movement. This is your opportunity to make a lasting investment in the future of Black leadership.

Life Membership: $1,500

Emerging Life Member

The Pathway to Lifetime Leadership

We believe that a deep commitment to our mission should be accessible to everyone. The Emerging Life Membership is a flexible installment plan designed to help you reach full Life Membership at your own pace.

Through our convenient autopay plan, you'll make 60 automatic monthly $25 installments. It's the most accessible way to build your legacy and make a foundational $1,500 investment in our future, one month at a time.

It is the perfect path for dedicated members who wish to make a foundational investment in our future. While making your payments toward the lifetime commitment, you are considered a full, active member of BEL with access to all member benefits.

Once your commitment is complete, you will automatically be elevated to our Leadership Circle, securing your status as a Life Member and a permanent pillar of our community.