About Us
The National Organization of Black County Officials, Inc. (NOBCO) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3 founded in 1982 in order to provide resources to empower and transform populations into more sustainable communities. NOBCO supports the service to counties and communities of elected and appointed county officials throughout the United States by providing education, training and a clearinghouse of best practices in government. The primary focus areas of NOBCO are health equity, civil rights, economic development, public safety, and environmental justice.
The National Organization of Black County Officials (NOBCO) is a 501(c) 3 corporation, established in 1982, representing a coalition of black elected and appointed officials within county government throughout the United States. The NOBCO, corporation has its roots in the National Association of Black County Officials (NABCO) which was founded in 1975 as a membership association to bring focus to the nation's communities led by African American elected and appointed representatives. NOBCO concentrates on issues of our NABCO members and solutions by providing a host of resources ranging from our annual conference to position papers, technical assistance, and an information clearinghouse. Both organizations are affiliates of the National Association of Counties (NACo), the only advocacy organization representing the 3,069 counties in America founded in 1935.
NOBCO serves more than 3,000 black elected and appointed county officials in America. As local decision-makers, the policies enacted by black county officials either support or detract from a community's attempts to create a sustainable economy and environment. Our efforts are to assist them in making informed decisions focused on sustainability and growth.
The NOBCO also provides education and training to black county officials, others in government service, representatives from community based organizations, and concerned citizens. Current program areas of focus include, but are not limited to: Health Disparities; Tobacco Prevention, Pension Liability and Reform; Economic Growth and Viability; Community Development; and Social and Environmental Justice issues. NOBCO provides services as an information clearinghouse for organizational concerns and provides a programmatic and project structure to educate, train and assist government officials and community leaders.
Historically, NOBCO has provided and produced contract services, conferences, publications, educational workshops and technical assistance to county officials. As a recipient of funding through foundation and philanthropic grants and federal funding through government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), US Department of Housing (HUD), Department of Commerce/Economic Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we have been able to accomplish our mission.
The National Organization of Black County Officials, Inc. (NOBCO) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1982. We seek to serve vulnerable populations through education, training, outreach and advocacy. Our mission is to promote education and training, raise awareness, serve as a catalyst and a clearinghouse that offers an array of resources to assist elected/appointed officials with legislation and public policy issues, which may impact their respective areas of governance. NOBCO provides resources to empower and transform communities into more sustainable environments to support a stronger and more viable America. Our primary focus is on health and health disparities; economic stability; public safety; environmental matters; and social justice issues.