National History Day

What National History Day does

National History Day, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization headquartered at 4511 Knox Road, Suite 205, College Park, Maryland, founded in 1974. Its core program is an annual historical research competition for students in grades 6–12, in which participants conduct original research and present findings through five formats — documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. The competition funnels through a network of 46+ state and local affiliates in the United States (plus NHD International, NHD Korea, NHD China, and American Samoa), with top entries advancing to the National Contest hosted at the University of Maryland at College Park. Student projects are showcased at Smithsonian museums (National Museum of American History, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of African American History and Culture), the National Archives Foundation, and the White House Historical Association. The organization reports engaging more than 500,000 students annually and supports the program with teacher resources, in-person and virtual professional-development institutes, and a registered Silent Heroes® veterans'-storytelling program.

Supporting products and platforms include the nhd.org website (available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic), an online contest-registration and results system, a student forum, an email newsletter, and a Shopify storefront (national-history-day.myshopify.com) selling NHD-branded merchandise and educational resources. Trademarks held include National History Day®, Silent Heroes®, and The Normandy: Sacrifice for Freedom™. The organization operates with a small HQ staff (reported as 1–10 employees) under Executive Director Cathy Gorn and distributes much of its program through the affiliated network.

NHD's business model is donation- and grant-driven rather than transaction-priced. Revenue streams comprise individual donations and charitable contributions (with a Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency), foundation and corporate sponsorships (Bezos Family Foundation, Joyful Noise Charitable Foundation, Better Angels Society, Dr. Scholl Foundation, Behring Global Educational Foundation, etc.), federal sponsorships (National Endowment for the Humanities, Library of Congress, National Park Service, National Cemetery Administration), earned revenue from merchandise sales through the Shopify storefront, and in-kind venue support from partner cultural institutions. There is no public pricing for contest participation; the organization's website and partnership network serve as the primary distribution channels.

Name

National History Day

Legal name

National History Day, Inc.

Website

https://nhd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

National History Day, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating an annual historical research competition for grades 6-12, with a 46+ affiliate network spanning U.S. states and select international locations, funded by foundation, federal, and individual donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Competition Programs

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Fair Competitions (Science Fairs, Research Symposiums) (EDAMAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Education, Research & Academic Congresses (THAHAJAD)

Keywords

• History education programs
• Student research competitions
• Teacher professional development
• Educational nonprofit services
• K-12 curriculum resources

Headquarters

HQ city

College Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, National History Day relies heavily on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The organization displays donor logos on its website and maintains transparency through the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization operates an online shop (national-history-day.myshopify.com) selling merchandise including contest materials, apparel, and educational resources.
3. Sponsorships and Foundation Grants: NHD receives partial sponsorship from organizations including Joyful Noise Charitable Foundation, The Better Angels Society, Bezos Family Foundation, Library of Congress, Dr. Scholl Foundation, Behring Global Educational Foundation, National Park Service, and National Endowment for the Humanities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

National History Day operates an annual historical research competition for students in grades 6-12, in which participants conduct original research and present findings in five formats: documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. The organization supports this core contest with teacher professional development (courses and institutes), classroom resources, and curated guides for student research and historical argumentation. Additional programs include the Silent Heroes initiative documenting veterans' stories and an e-commerce merchandise shop.

Product overview

National History Day operates a single unified educational program centered on an annual historical research competition for students in grades 6-12. The core offering is the NHD Contest, where students conduct original research and present findings in five formats: documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. The organization supports this with teacher resources including classroom tools, courses, institutes, and research skill guides. Additional supporting services include an online registration system, student forum/bulletin board, newsletter subscription, merchandise shop, and the Silent Heroes program documenting veterans' stories. Projects compete first at local and affiliate levels before advancing to the national contest held at the University of Maryland at College Park.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National History Day Contest Annual historical research competition for students in grades 6-12 where participants conduct original research on an annual theme and present findings as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete at local, affiliate (state), and national levels, with the National Contest held at the University of Maryland at College Park.
• Teacher Professional Development (Courses and Institutes) Professional development program for K-12 educators advising NHD students, comprising courses, in-person and virtual institutes, classroom tools, and teaching-research-skills guides. Designed for teachers who integrate NHD into their curriculum and mentor student research projects.
• Silent Heroes Program NHD initiative in which students document personal stories of U.S. military veterans and service members, producing published profiles on the Silent Heroes website. The registered Silent Heroes® trademark covers this veterans' oral-history documentation program.
• NHD Shop (Merchandise) E-commerce store selling National History Day-branded merchandise including apparel, contest materials, and educational resources, operated through Shopify at national-history-day.myshopify.com.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 500,000 students engage in NHD programs annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and moderate.

• National Archives FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026New partnership for 2026 where the National Archives Foundation presents student websites featuring primary sources from National Archives catalogs. Students have opportunities to tour Archives Museum exhibits and meet with museum curators.
• Smithsonian Institution (National Museum of American History, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of African American History and Culture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership where Smithsonian museums serve as venues for student project showcases during the annual National Contest. Students present exhibits, performances, and documentaries at these prestigious cultural institutions, providing unique educational experiences and public recognition for their research work.
• White House Historical AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership includes paper showcases featuring student research on White House history or presidential topics, writing workshops at The People's House: A White House Experience, and collaborative educational programs for students.
• National Park ServicemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing support and resources for NHD educational programs, including participation in the 2023 Theme Q&A session.
• 400 Years of African American History CommissionmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommission partner supporting NHD's educational programs focused on African American history.
• University of Maryland at College ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for the annual National History Day National Contest, providing facilities and organizational support for the competition.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: National history education nonprofit offering teacher professional development, student programs, and resources. Comparable mission and educator-focused programming, with a broader portfolio beyond competition.
• National Council for the Social Studies: Professional association supporting social studies and history educators nationwide. Comparable stakeholder base (teachers, schools) and education mission, but operates through membership and conferences rather than student competitions.
• Smithsonian Institution: National museum and education complex and a key NHD partner. Comparable in mission of advancing historical/cultural education, but operates at vastly larger scale and as a federal institution.
• National Geographic Society: Large nonprofit advancing exploration, science, and education including student programs and grants. Comparable as a major nonprofit education platform, though its focus is broader than history.

Direct peers

• National History Bowl: Quiz-bowl-style history competition for middle and high school students with regional and national rounds. Closely comparable as a student-targeted history competition nonprofit.
• National Council for History Education: Nonprofit supporting history educators through professional development, conferences, and student programs. Comparable mission and educator/student audience to NHD.
• National Science Olympiad: A nationwide K-12 academic competition nonprofit running project- and event-based contests that culminate in a national tournament. Closely comparable to NHD's structure of affiliate-fed regional contests feeding a national finals at a host university.
• Destination Imagination: Nonprofit running project-based team competitions for K-12 students with regional-to-national structure. Comparable to NHD in its project-format flexibility (performance, design, etc.) and affiliate-driven delivery.
• We the People (Center for Civic Education): Civic and history-focused academic competition for secondary students culminating in a national finals. Directly comparable to NHD in mission, target audience, and competition format.

Emerging players

• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): K-12 STEM competition nonprofit with regional-to-national structure. Comparable affiliate/competition architecture, though focused on STEM rather than history.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NationalHistory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National History Day