Peer advisory · CEO groups · Business owners
C12
Christian chief executives, business owners and executives of growth-stage companies with at least ten employees and more than US$2 million in annual revenue.
A profile page holds what the organization publishes and what named sources report: who it admits, what it costs, how it is structured, where it operates, and how it has changed. Every figure carries the date it was checked. A dash means the organization does not publish that fact.
Founding: Founded in October 1992 by Buck Jacobs, reportedly in Florida, to bring Christian business owners and chief executives together in small peer groups.
C12 is a peer-advisory organisation for Christian chief executives and business owners, founded in October 1992 by Buck Jacobs and now describing 4,900 members across five continents, more than 160 metropolitan areas and over 250 full-time Chairs. Its structure is a monthly, in-person, invitation-only Forum of business leaders led by a Chair, paired with a monthly one-to-one coaching session C12 calls FOCUS60. Work in the Forum is organised around a proprietary framework, the 5-Point Alignment Matrix, which treats business strategy and the member's faith commitments as a single subject rather than separate ones. Membership carries an explicit covenant: members must attend at least ten of twelve Forums in a calendar year, never miss two consecutive months, affirm C12's doctrinal statement and refrain from divisive behaviour. Eligibility is set at ten or more employees and more than US$2 million in annual revenue. Dues are paid monthly and set locally by market rather than published centrally. C12 also runs Key Player Forums for senior executives below CEO level at member companies.
How it works
Members are invited into a local Forum led by a full-time C12 Chair. The Forum meets monthly in person, and each member also has a one-hour monthly coaching session with the Chair. C12 states the total commitment is under 100 hours a year. Dues are billed monthly and include meetings, materials and the coaching session.
Typical member
Members are Christian CEOs, owners, presidents, managing partners, executive directors and business-unit general managers. C12 reports an average member tenure of five to seven years, with some members of several decades' standing.
Membership requirements
Requirements in detail, with history →Requirements are the tests the organization itself publishes: an age ceiling, a company-revenue floor, a net-worth minimum, a role. Where a figure straddles a range, the organization's own assessment decides. Local chapters can apply stricter tests than the published standard.
| Criterion | Published requirement | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum employees | 10 or more employees | Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗ |
| Minimum company revenue | Greater than US$2,000,000 in annual revenue | Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗ |
| Role or title | CEO, business owner, president, managing partner, executive director or business-unit general manager | Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗ |
| Other criterion | Must affirm the C12 doctrine statement and refrain from divisive behaviour | Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗ |
| Invitation | Membership is available on an invitation-only basis | Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗ |
| Other criterion | Covenant to attend at least 10 of 12 Forums in a calendar year and never miss two consecutive months, plus monthly FOCUS60 meetings with a C12 Chair | Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗ |
Published criteria as verified on the dates shown. Final eligibility and admission decisions belong entirely to C12. See how you compare against these criteria →
Initiation fees are paid once on joining; dues recur. Chapter dues, retreats, travel and events are usually additional and are listed separately when the organization discloses them. Figures are as published or reported on the date shown, not quotations.
| Cost | First year | Three years | Provenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly dues | Not publicly disclosed. C12 states it is "a dues-based membership paid monthly" and that "dues amounts are determined locally based on market economics and dynamics". Dues cover monthly meetings, materials and one individual coaching session. | Source ↗ | |
Structure and programming
Independent context
C12 is the most explicitly value-aligned organisation in this batch, and that is the point rather than a footnote: members affirm a doctrinal statement, and the framework applied to business problems is inseparable from it. For anyone outside that commitment, the fit question is settled before the financial criteria matter. Its entry bar of ten employees and US$2 million in revenue is modest, close to EO's and below Vistage's, so the differentiator is the shared basis rather than company scale. The attendance covenant is stricter than most, requiring ten of twelve meetings with no two consecutive absences, and C12 claims the highest retention in the category, with average tenure of five to seven years. Dues are set locally and not published anywhere, so cost cannot be established without contacting a Chair.
Editorial analysis by Peer Group Guide editors. It is separated from the record above and follows the editorial policy.
Similar organizations
Alternatives, grouped by need →History and changes
Site-wide change log →- milestoneFounded by Buck Jacobs to bring Christian business owners and CEOs together in small peer groups. ↗
- milestoneC12 Group marked twenty years and launched six new C12 groups across the United States. ↗
- milestoneMarked 30 years of operation. ↗
Milestones as published by the organization or reported by a named source. “Record” entries are changes to this site’s own record of the organization, kept in the public change log rather than overwritten.
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Sources
- Christian Business Leadership Coaching — C12 Business Forums, C12 Business Forums. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
- Learn About C12 Forums for Christian Business Leaders, C12 Business Forums. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
- C12 Celebrates 30 Years of Business with Christian CEOs, C12 Business Forums. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
- FAQ about C12 Business Forums, C12 Business Forums. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 2
- How to Join a C12 Christian Business Leadership Forum, C12 Business Forums. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 3
- C12 Group Celebrates 20 Years and Launches Six New C12 Groups Across the US, River Cities' Reader, January 2012. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 8
Source tiers follow the published hierarchy: 1 official site · 2 official membership materials · 3 application documents · 4 annual reports · 5 government filings · 6 reliable business publications · 7 credible interviews · 8 other reputable secondary sources. Sources and data policy.
Is something wrong or out of date?
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