African Professionals Network (APNET)
Reach a community that actually shows up
Corporations, foundations, colleges, and small businesses partner with APNET to put their name behind work that reaches thousands of people a year.
apnetcincy@myapnet.org
Start a conversation and we will take it from there
A partnership here buys attention you cannot purchase anywhere else
APNET connects professionals of the African diaspora and their allies across Greater Cincinnati. Our partners are corporations, foundations, financial institutions, colleges, and individuals who want to reach that community honestly rather than through an advertisement.
A partnership puts your organization in front of an audience that is young, professional, entrepreneurial, and notoriously hard to reach through conventional channels. It also puts real money behind scholarships, youth programming, and the cultural events that keep this region connected.
We have been building here since 2010 and have operated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit since 2016. Fifty-four plus organizations currently stand with us. There is room for yours.
Partnering with confidence
Registered 501(c)(3)
Incorporated in 2016 and governed by a volunteer board of directors.
Public accountability
Our organizational profile and filings are published. View our Candid / GuideStar profile.
Fifty-four plus partners
From Fortune 500 companies to member-owned small businesses, listed in full further down this page.
One point of contact
Email apnetcincy@myapnet.org and you reach the team directly.
Four routes in
Tell us which one sounds like you and we will build the rest around it.
Corporate partner
Sponsorship, employee engagement days, and recruiting access to a professional network you are unlikely to reach through a job board.
Foundation or grantmaker
Program funding for scholarships, youth development, and the cultural work that keeps this community connected.
College or institution
Student pipeline, research and outreach collaboration, and a direct line to diaspora families across Greater Cincinnati.
In-kind and small business
Venue space, catering, printing, photography, legal or accounting help. If you would rather give what you make than write a check, we will use it.
What a partnership actually gets you
Visibility where it counts
Your logo on event materials, on this page, and in front of the audience at AfriFest and the annual gala.
A room you cannot buy into
Direct access to professionals, entrepreneurs, students, and community leaders across the African diaspora and their allies.
Business connections
Introductions to member businesses and a presence in the APNET business directory.
Employee engagement
Volunteer days your team will actually want to attend, at events that need the hands.
Reportable impact
Clear numbers you can take back to your board or your CSR report, tied to scholarships and students.
A working relationship
One point of contact, straight answers, and a partnership that gets renewed because it works, not because it is on autopilot.
Published levels for the annual gala
Year-round partnerships are built to fit, so email us and we will put a package together.
The organizations standing with us
Grouped by sector so you can see where your organization would sit.
Corporate and business
Foundations and funders
Colleges and schools
Government and civic
Community and nonprofit
Member businesses and in-kind
From first email to signed package
Four steps, and the first one is the only one you have to start.
Email us
Send a note to apnetcincy@myapnet.org with your organization, who to talk to, and roughly what you have in mind. A sentence is enough to start.
We talk it through
A short conversation about your goals, your budget or in-kind capacity, and which of our programs is the right fit. No obligation.
We put a package together
You get a written proposal covering what you give, what you receive, and the dates involved, so there is nothing to guess at.
We go to work, and report back
Your logo goes up, your team gets involved.
Before you write
The questions partners ask first. Tap any to open.
What does a partnership cost?
It depends entirely on what you want to do. Published gala sponsorships run from $1,000 to $15,000, and year-round partnerships are built around your goals. In-kind support is welcome at any scale.
Can we support one specific program?
Yes. Partners regularly fund a single area such as scholarships, the summer youth program, or AfriFest. Tell us which one matters to your organization and we will build around it.
We are a small business. Is this for us?
Yes. Many of the organizations on this page are member-owned small businesses. Vendor presence, in-kind contributions, and modest sponsorships all count, and they get the same treatment as the large ones.
Is our contribution tax-deductible?
APNET is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so most contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law. Where you receive something of value in return, such as event tickets, the deductible portion is reduced. We are not tax advisors, so please confirm with yours.
How far in advance should we get in touch?
Earlier is better, particularly for AfriFest and the November gala, where printed materials and signage are locked well before the event. Sixty to ninety days ahead gives us room to do it properly.
Can our employees volunteer as a group?
Yes, and it is one of the most requested things we do. Group volunteering works especially well for event setup, the marketplace, and registration.
Will you use our logo correctly?
Send your brand guidelines with your logo files and we will follow them. We ask for a vector or high-resolution file and a link to your website so your listing on this page points back to you.
Who do we talk to?
Email apnetcincy@myapnet.org and it reaches the team handling strategic partnerships and fundraising. A person reads it.
Every partnership here began with one email
Tell us who you are and what you have in mind. No form, no portal, no pitch deck required on your end.
Already a partner and need something updated? Email apnetcincy@myapnet.org with your new logo file or website link.