Council for Economic Education

What Council for Economic Education does

The Council for Economic Education (CEE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1949 and headquartered in New York City, focused on K-12 economics and personal finance education in the United States. It delivers curriculum, teacher training, and student competitions through a network of over 180 state affiliates operating in all 50 states, supplemented by the EconEdLink free online portal (approximately 450,000 annual users) and direct digital channels. Core programs include the National Economics Challenge, the National Personal Finance Challenge, the Invest in Girls initiative, and the biennial Survey of the States, which tracks K-12 financial education mandates nationwide. CEE also publishes standards-aligned AP Economics Teacher Guides and a turnkey Full-Semester Personal Finance Course through its online bookstore.

CEE's revenue model is a hybrid of philanthropic donations, corporate sponsorships, earned product sales, and event ticket revenue. It runs an annual Diamond Gala (raising a record $811,000 in 2024), the Visionary Awards Benefit, and a $125 annual Educator Conference. Major corporate partners include Visa (co-founder of the FinEd50 coalition), Voya Financial (NPFC sponsor), Charles Schwab Foundation, Synchrony, Chime, Morgan Stanley, and the College Board (endorsement of the new AP Business with Personal Finance course). The organization reports reaching 2 million+ students and 40,000+ teachers annually, with 39 states now requiring personal finance courses for high school graduation (up from 12 in 2022), and 28 states requiring economics coursework. CEE is governed by an independent board chaired by Rebecca Patterson (Bridgewater Associates) and led by CEO Steve Bumbaugh, with no parent company and no publicly disclosed financials.

Name

Council for Economic Education

Legal name

Council for Economic Education

Website

https://councilforeconed.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Council for Economic Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers K-12 economics and personal finance curriculum, teacher training, and national student competitions through a network of over 180 state affiliates serving more than 2 million students and 40,000 teachers annually in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Financial Literacy Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic & Consumer Market Literacy (Inflation, Interest Rates, Cost of Living) (EDAAAJAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Investing Fundamentals (Stocks, Bonds, Funds, Risk) (EDAAAJAH), Financial & Consumer Literacy (Banking, Credit, Contracts) (EDAAAAAG), Education Professionals (Teacher/Administrator CE, CPD) (EDAAALAE)

Keywords

• K-12 financial literacy education
• Economics curriculum programs
• Teacher professional development
• Personal finance challenges
• Educational nonprofit initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Contributions: CEE operates as a nonprofit and relies heavily on donations from foundations, corporations, and individual supporters. The 2024 Diamond Gala raised $811,000 in a single evening, and the organization runs a $7.5M for 75 Years Campaign to fund its programs.
2. Product Sales (Books and Curriculum): CEE sells educational materials including AP Economics Teacher Guides and Student Workbooks, personal finance course books, and other curriculum resources through its online bookstore at store.councilforeconed.org.
3. Conference and Event Tickets: CEE charges for attendance at its annual Financial Literacy & Economic Education Conference, with tickets priced at $125 for two full days of sessions, roundtables, and networking.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Council for Economic Education (CEE) delivers K-12 economics and personal finance education through a portfolio of student competitions, teacher curriculum materials, and educator training programs. It sells AP Economics textbooks and a full-semester personal finance course through its online bookstore, while providing free lessons and resources via the EconEdLink online portal and a nationwide network of over 180 state affiliates.

Product overview

The Council for Economic Education (CEE) operates as a comprehensive educational platform focused on K-12 financial and economic literacy. The organization offers a portfolio of products centered around student competitions (National Economics Challenge and National Personal Finance Challenge), the Invest in Girls program, the EconEdLink online lesson portal, and research publications (Survey of the States). Supporting these core offerings are curriculum materials including AP Economics Teacher Guides and a Full-Semester Personal Finance Course, professional development through the Annual Educator Conference, and advocacy initiatives like the FinEd50 Coalition and EconEdMonth. The organization leverages a nationwide network of over 180 state affiliates to deliver programs to teachers and students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EconEdLink: Free online educator gateway for economic and personal finance lessons, attracting approximately 450,000 users annually
• Invest in Girls
• National Economics Challenge
• National Personal Finance Challenge
• Survey of the States

Products and services

• National Economics Challenge (NEC) Annual nationwide competition for high school students testing micro and macroeconomic principles and the world economy, with two divisions (Adam Smith for advanced students, David Ricardo for first-time competitors).
• National Personal Finance Challenge (NPFC) Nationwide competition testing high school students on personal finance concepts including earning income, spending, saving, investing, managing credit, and managing risk.
• Invest in Girls Program for high school girls providing finance education through girls-only classes, career exploration, mentoring, and supportive community to build confidence and knowledge about personal finance.
• EconEdLink Free online educator gateway providing economic and personal finance lessons, attracting approximately 450,000 users annually.
• AP Economics Teacher Guides & Student Workbooks 5th Edition AP Macro and Micro economics teaching materials written by AP teachers, designed to work with AP-level textbooks and aligned to College Board course descriptions.
• Full-Semester Personal Finance Course Turnkey course created by teachers for teachers, designed for immediate classroom implementation with student workbooks.
• Survey of the States Biennial comprehensive report tracking the state of K-12 financial and economic education across all 50 states and DC, serving as a benchmark for progress since 1998.
• Annual Educator Conference Nation's premier K-12 educator conference for integrating personal finance and economics into classrooms, featuring workshops, roundtables, and networking. Ticket priced at $125 for a two-day pass.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 Million+ students reached annually through CEE programs and teachers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ChimecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026Chime announced a national partnership with CEE to bring wealth-building curriculum into classrooms starting in New Jersey, expanding the program beyond live events. The partnership includes training New Jersey teachers on financial literacy as part of Chime's Compound Combine financial education series.
• College BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026CEE has endorsed the new AP Business with Personal Finance course launched by the College Board for fall 2026. The course merges entrepreneurship with financial capability and is designed to meet state requirements for high school personal finance classes. CEE sets national standards for personal finance education.
• SynchronyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 April 2026Synchrony committed $2 million in grants and in-kind donations to support K-12 public school teachers in delivering personal finance education, including opening Synchrony Financial Literacy Labs at 10 public high schools. Commitment includes $1 million for teacher development and training.
• VisacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2022Visa and CEE partnered to launch FinEd50, a nationwide coalition of nonprofits, community leaders, and corporate partners dedicated to improving access to quality financial education for students in the United States. Visa is a cofounding partner committed to over 30 years of financial education support.
• Voya FinancialcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVoya Financial sponsors CEE's National Personal Finance Challenge (NPFC) as part of its mission to make secure financial futures possible. Voya Foundation supports programming that prepares students for the workforce and helps them manage future income through retirement. The NPFC has been sponsored by Voya for multiple years.
• Morgan StanleyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMorgan Stanley provides support for CEE's National Economics Challenge (NEC) finals, helping fund the competition and recognize outstanding high school economics students.
• SKT EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSKT Education is CEE's exclusive international partner in China, managing the NEC: International program where 4,000 Chinese students participate in the Challenge with 192 advancing to worldwide finals. Mount Hebron High School competed against Chinese teams in the international quiz bowl.
• Federal Reserve Bank of AtlantacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta hosted the 2026 and 2025 National Economics Challenge finals in Atlanta, GA. Raphael Bostic, President and CEO of the Atlanta Fed and CEE board member, welcomed students and spoke about the importance of economic education.
• Invest AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvest America partnered with Chime and CEE on the Compound Combine financial education community event series in Jersey City, NJ, designed to teach families about wealth-building.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy: Jump$tart is a coalition-based nonprofit advancing K-12 financial literacy through research (National Standards), policy advocacy, and educator resources, mirroring CEE's standards-setting and coalition-building role in the financial education ecosystem.
• Junior Achievement USA: Junior Achievement is the most directly comparable peer: a long-standing 501(c)(3) delivering K-12 financial literacy, work-readiness, and entrepreneurship education through classroom curriculum, teacher training, and student programs, overlapping heavily with CEE's mission and beneficiary base.
• Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF): NGPF is a leading nonprofit providing free K-12 personal finance curriculum, professional development for teachers, and student competitions, competing head-to-head with CEE for state adoption and educator mindshare as states mandate personal finance courses.
• EVERFI: EVERFI provides digital, interactive K-12 financial literacy and other life-skills curricula to schools via corporate sponsorships, competing directly with CEE's EconEdLink portal for teacher adoption and corporate-funded classroom deployments.
• FoolProof Financial Education: FoolProof is a K-12 financial literacy curriculum provider sponsored by credit unions and banks, serving the same teacher and student segments as CEE with an alternative, often free, digital curriculum.
• National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE): NEFE is a foundational nonprofit focused on financial literacy research, resources, and policy advocacy; it complements CEE's teacher-facing approach with a research-and-advocacy orientation, making it a near-peer in mission and stakeholder community.

Emerging players

• Take Charge Today (University of Arizona): Take Charge Today is a university-based K-12 personal finance curriculum and teacher training program offering free resources; it overlaps with CEE's educator development mission and competes in state-level adoption discussions.
• Khan Academy (Personal Finance & Economics): Khan Academy offers free, widely adopted personal finance and economics video lessons and exercises for students and teachers; as a major free digital alternative, it is an emerging competitor for student and educator engagement in the same subject matter.

Broad incumbents

• Federal Reserve Education (Federal Reserve System): The Federal Reserve's education portal provides free economics and personal finance resources for K-12 teachers and students, intersecting with CEE's EconEdLink offerings and serving as both a content ally and partial substitute for CEE curriculum.
• Visa Financial Education / Practical Money Skills: Visa's Practical Money Skills is a global corporate financial education initiative offering free K-12 and consumer resources; it is a CEE partner via FinEd50 but also an overlapping provider that competes for the same educator audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/council4econed
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnB7R6aAGq0cYD0-vPQc0OA
• Facebookfacebook.com/councilforeconed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/council-for-economic-education

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Council for Economic Education