The Explorers Club

What The Explorers Club does

The Explorers Club is a New York-based, not-for-profit multidisciplinary membership society founded in 1904 and incorporated in 1905, dedicated to advancing field research, scientific exploration, and resource conservation. It serves approximately 4,000 members across 37 chapters in more than 90 countries, with a roster spanning polar exploration, diving, aerospace, archaeology, zoology, oceanography, astronomy, ecology, geology, paleontology, conservation, mountaineering, and speleology. Women were admitted as members in 1965 following Carl Sagan's advocacy. The Club is governed by a Board of Directors and operates from its headquarters at 46 East 70th Street, New York (occupied since 1925).

Its product portfolio is centered on tiered professional membership (Fellow, Member, Term Member, Student Member, and Friend classifications with tiered dues from $50 to $985 annually), the quarterly Explorers Journal, the EC50 annual recognition program (now in its fifth year with 250+ honorees from 55+ countries), and three externally sponsored grant programs: Fjällräven Field Grants ($5,000 awards), Kensington Conservation Grants ($10,000 awards, part of a $1M initiative), and the Rolex Explorers program under the Perpetual Planet Initiative. The Club also maintains a portfolio of prestigious awards (Explorers Medal, Sweeney Medal, Citation of Merit, Lowell Thomas Award, Legendary Explorer Medal, Finn Ronne Memorial Award, Buzz Aldrin Space Exploration Award, Tenzing Norgay Award, William Beebe Award, Communication Award, New Explorer Award, and Honorary Membership capped at 20 living members).

The business model relies on recurring annual membership dues, corporate sponsorship underwriting the grant programs, venue rentals and private events at the NYC headquarters, merchandise sales (including a 2026 Tory Burch 'Women in Exploration' capsule), and donations from individual supporters. Go-to-market is community-led and gated: prospective members must secure two sponsorships from existing Fellows, survive a 30-day posting period, and receive Board of Directors approval. Geographic operations explicitly exclude China. The Club has no external institutional investors, no parent company, and no subsidiaries; operating geographies span the United States, United Kingdom, India, Tanzania, Kenya, Norway, Canada, Romania, Spain, Colombia, Portugal, Monaco, and Puerto Rico.

Name

The Explorers Club

Legal name

The Explorers Club

Website

https://explorers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Explorers Club, founded in 1904 and headquartered in New York, is a not-for-profit multidisciplinary membership society serving approximately 4,000 scientists and field explorers across 37 chapters in more than 90 countries through tiered membership, sponsored grant programs, the EC50 recognition initiative, and publications including The Explorers Journal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Exploration Membership Society

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Faculty-Led & Research/Field Study Expeditions (THAKAGAK)

Keywords

• Scientific exploration society
• Field research membership
• Exploration grant programs
• Member-based nonprofit
• Expedition support organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Newyork

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from Fellows, Members, Term Members, Student Members, and Friends of The Explorers Club, with tiered pricing based on geographic designation (Resident, National, International).
2. Grants and Foundation Support: The Club receives funding support from corporate partners including Rolex (Perpetual Planet Initiative), Fjällräven, and Kensington Tours for grant programs supporting field research.
3. Event Rentals and Private Events: The Club generates revenue through venue rentals and private events at its headquarters location.
4. Store Sales: Revenue from the Club's online store selling merchandise and publications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Explorers Club is a not-for-profit multidisciplinary membership society founded in 1904 that serves approximately 4,000 field scientists, explorers, and researchers across 37 global chapters in more than 90 countries. Its offerings include tiered membership (Fellow, Member, Term Member, Student Member, Friend), grant programs funded by corporate partners (Rolex, Fjällräven, Kensington), flagship publication The Explorers Journal, the EC50 annual recognition program, awards (Explorers Medal, Lowell Thomas Award, etc.), and event programming such as Dispatches from the Field lectures and headquarters events.

Product overview

The Explorers Club is a multidisciplinary membership society (founded 1904) headquartered in New York with approximately 4,000 members across 37 global chapters. The organization operates as a platform supporting field research and scientific exploration through multiple interconnected programs: membership services providing credentials and networking for explorers; The Explorers Journal as its flagship publication; the EC50 annual recognition program; grant programs including the Fjällräven Field Grant ($5,000 awards), Kensington Conservation Grant ($10,000 awards), and Rolex Explorers partnership; event programming including Dispatches from the Field digital sessions and the Yachting Student Fair; and prestigious awards including The Explorers Medal, Sweeney Medal, Citation of Merit, and Lowell Thomas Award. The organization unites explorers across polar exploration, diving, aerospace, archaeology, zoology, oceanography, geology, paleontology, conservation, mountaineering, and speleology disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Explorers Club Membership Professional membership society for explorers and field scientists, providing access to a global network of approximately 4,000 members across 37 chapters in more than 90 countries. Includes Fellow, Member, Term Member, Student Member, and Friend classifications with initiation fees and recurring annual dues.
• The Explorers Journal The Club's official quarterly publication offering first-hand reporting from explorers pushing the limits of knowledge and human endurance, covering ocean depths to outer space frontiers.
• EC50 (The Explorers Club 50) Annual recognition program honoring 50 individuals doing remarkable work in science and exploration across rainforest regeneration, climate research, wildlife conservation, coral reef restoration, and planetary science. Recipients receive five years of complimentary membership, network access, global lecture opportunities, and features in dedicated publications.
• Fjällräven Field Grant Annual partnership grant program with Fjällräven awarding $5,000 to graduate/post-graduate students and early-career scientists conducting fieldwork in natural sciences, with focus on conservation, environmental understanding, climate change, and wildlife interconnectivity.
• Kensington Conservation Grant Annual grant program awarding $10,000 each to graduate students, post-graduate researchers, early-career scientists, and independent explorers for on-the-ground conservation projects with emphasis on storytelling and impact potential.
• Explorers Club Awards Program Multi-tiered annual award programs including The Explorers Medal (highest honor for extraordinary field contributions), Sweeney Medal (club welfare), Citation of Merit (exploration achievements), Lowell Thomas Award (thematic excellence), Legendary Explorer Medal, Finn Ronne Memorial Award, Buzz Aldrin Space Exploration Award, Tenzing Norgay Award, William Beebe Award, President's Award categories, Communication Award, and New Explorer Award.
• Rolex Explorers Program Partnership program with Rolex under its Perpetual Planet Initiative supporting explorers through grants, recognition as annual Rolex Explorer honorees, and complimentary five-year EC50 membership benefits.
• Headquarters Venue and Event Rentals Venue rental services at The Explorers Club headquarters at 46 East 70th Street, New York, hosting private events, lectures, symposia, and the annual ECAD awardee symposium.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Lusitania NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2026The Lusitania Network partnered with The Explorers Club and The Portugal News for the Empowered Voices of the Sea Podcast launch, representing the first official joint venture between the three organizations as a collaborative storytelling initiative.
• The Portugal NewsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 July 2026The Portugal News partnered with The Explorers Club and Lusitania Network for the Empowered Voices of the Sea Podcast, a collaborative storytelling initiative.
• Yacht Club de MonacoflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2026Yacht Club de Monaco hosted a four-day event from March 21-24, 2026, in partnership with The Explorers Club of New York. The event brought together explorers, captains, scientists, and engineers to discuss maritime innovation and environmental transition under the theme 'Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting.' Programs included a student fair, Explorer Dock, Day of Exploration, the 30th Captains' Forum, and the 6th YCM Explorer Awards.
• OceancominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 March 2026Oceanco is listed as an industry partner for the Yacht Club de Monaco four-day event organized in partnership with The Explorers Club.
• MB92 GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 March 2026MB92 Group is listed as an industry partner for the Yacht Club de Monaco four-day event organized in partnership with The Explorers Club.
• ICON YachtsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 March 2026ICON Yachts is listed as an industry partner for the Yacht Club de Monaco four-day event organized in partnership with The Explorers Club.
• UBSminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 March 2026UBS is listed as an industry partner for the Yacht Club de Monaco four-day event organized in partnership with The Explorers Club.
• Tory BurchminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 March 2026The Explorers Club and Tory Burch introduced a 'Women in Exploration' patch with a new capsule collection, a collaboration aimed at promoting women in exploration.
• Colombia's Tourism BoardminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Colombia's tourism board joined The Explorers Club and Coralina in piloting new environmental RNA (eRNA) technology to detect stress in marine ecosystems. The pilot conducted across more than 20 sites in the San Andrés archipelago collected samples from coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds.
• CoralinaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Coralina, the local environmental authority of San Andrés, partnered with The Explorers Club and Colombia's tourism board in piloting eRNA technology to detect stress in marine ecosystems before visible damage occurs.
• Rolex (Perpetual Planet Initiative)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2025Rolex partners with The Explorers Club as part of its Perpetual Planet Initiative, supporting the EC50 program. The partnership provides five years of complimentary Explorers Club membership to honorees, access to the organization's network, global lecture opportunities, and features in dedicated publications.
• OceanGate (Task Force)minorOthers · 30 June 2023Following the Titan submersible implosion disaster, The Explorers Club created a task force to help coordinate emergency responses in extreme environments in the wake of the OceanGate incident.
• FjällrävencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish-based outdoor gear and clothing company Fjällräven partners with The Explorers Club to create the Fjällräven Field Grant, promoting excellence in field exploration through scientific research. Awards of $5,000 support exploration and research to better understand the environment, changing climate, and interconnectivity of wildlife and civilizations. Shared values of conservation, education, community, and preserving the instinct to explore guide the partnership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science): Largest US general scientific society with membership, journals (Science), and grants — broader but highly comparable membership society model serving scientific communities across disciplines similar to The Explorers Club.
• National Geographic Society: The largest, best-funded exploration and science nonprofit with global membership, grant programs, and a renowned journal — directly comparable mission to The Explorers Club but vastly larger scale, broader educational remit, and media production capability.

Direct peers

• Royal Geographical Society: The UK's chartered learned society for geography and exploration with fellowship structure, research grants, journals, and public lectures — nearly identical operating model to The Explorers Club and the most direct international peer.
• The Linnean Society of London: Historic UK learned society (est. 1788) for natural history scientists with fellowship, publications, and grants — directly comparable model of an elite, multidisciplinary scientific fellowship society with centuries of heritage.
• Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society: Long-standing US-based scientific research society with membership selection, research grants, journals, and chapter structure — directly comparable membership-gated learned society serving scientists across disciplines.
• American Alpine Club: US-based membership society for climbers and mountaineers offering grants, publications, and a nationwide chapter network — directly comparable model of a discipline-specific fellowship society providing research grants and member-led expeditions.
• American Geographical Society: US-based fellowship society for geography and exploration founded 1851, with membership programs, scholarly publications, and grantmaking — directly comparable membership-driven scientific society serving overlapping disciplines and members.

Emerging players

• OceanX: Mission-driven ocean exploration nonprofit combining research, media, and corporate sponsorship (Rolex ties) — comparable model of a foundation-supported nonprofit that translates exploration into partnered programming for science and storytelling.
• The Planetary Society: Member-supported nonprofit advancing space exploration with grants, publications, and a member community — comparable mission-driven nonprofit model focused on a specific exploration discipline (space) overlapping with the Club's aerospace exploration membership.
• Society for Exploration Geophysicists (SEG): International membership society for geophysicists providing grants, publications, and global conferences — comparable professional fellowship model supporting field researchers and explorers working in a specific scientific domain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ExplorersClub
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnX6fJW3ndt2bJWnIpLIqbA
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheExplorersClubNYC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-explorers-club
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_explorers_club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Explorers Club