Junior Achievement

What Junior Achievement does

Junior Achievement of Arizona is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 86-0184349) and a licensed local area of the global JA Worldwide network, headquartered at 636 W Southern Ave, Tempe, AZ with a regional office in Tucson. It was founded as part of the Junior Achievement movement that originated in 1919 and delivers free K-12 educational programs in financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship to over 150,000 Arizona students annually. The organization operates in a single U.S. state (Arizona) but participates in a 100+ country global network, with documented activity cited in Cyprus, Hungary, Brazil, and Alabama.

The technology and product portfolio centers on experiential learning delivered through four core programs: JA Inspire (a virtual career exploration and workforce-readiness platform for ages 12–25), JA BizTown (a hands-on simulated town facility where 4th–6th graders operate a student-sized economy), JA Money in Motion (an on-site financial simulation deployed to rural schools for grades 3–12), and 3DE by Junior Achievement (an immersive, case-based re-engineering of the high school instructional model). Supporting these are digital tools including the JA Access Your Future mobile app, JA MyBiz Builder, JA STEMBOT, JA My Way, JA Robo Sellers, and JA Hand in Hand (an American Sign Language accessibility video series), plus a free online resource repository with curriculum for Elementary (K-5), Middle School (6-8), and High School (9-12).

The revenue model is donation- and sponsorship-driven rather than transactional. Core educational programs are provided free to students, educators, and schools, with funding sourced from individual donors, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and signature fundraising events (JA Open Golf Tournament, JA Stock Market Challenge, JA Bowl-a-Thons, JA 18 Under 18 Awards). Distribution is multi-modal: school-based direct partnerships with K-12 districts, the physical JA BizTown facility, the self-serve digital resource repository, virtual career fairs via JA Inspire, and corporate employee volunteer programs. Reported unit economics include $44 per student impacted via donation and $37 per student sponsored through Bowl-a-Thon fundraising. Notable corporate partners include Wells Fargo, Citi Foundation, Edward Jones, Charles Schwab, Voya Financial, RSM International, National Bank of Arizona, Tucson Electric Power, United Bank, and Lidl Cyprus. The organization holds Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, WCAG 2.1 Level AA, U.S. Section 508, and Service Enterprise certifications.

Name

Junior Achievement

Legal name

Junior Achievement Arizona

Website

https://jaaz.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Junior Achievement of Arizona is a nonprofit delivering free K-12 programs in financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship to over 150,000 Arizona students annually through school partnerships, signature events, and 9,500+ corporate volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Financial Literacy Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC), Communication, Collaboration & Conflict Resolution Skills (EDAMAIAF), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), College & Career Exploration Camps (Pre-College Samplers, Pathways) (EDAMALAN), K–12 Core Curriculum Small-Group Tutoring Centers (Math/ELA/Science/Social Studies) (EDANAHAA)

Keywords

• Financial literacy education
• Career readiness programs
• Entrepreneurship education
• Youth workforce development
• Experiential learning programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tempe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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 Sponsorships: Primary funding from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation grants. Corporate partners sponsor specific programs, events, and student participation. Every $44 donation impacts one student's life.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from signature events including JA Open Golf Tournament, JA Stock Market Challenge, JA Bowl-a-Thons, and JA 18 Under 18 Awards. Events include corporate sponsorships, team registrations, and participant fees.
3. Global Market Position: Junior Achievement is identified as a key player in the $3.8B global Financial Literacy Education market (2025), projected to reach $8.6B by 2033 at 10.10% CAGR.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Junior Achievement (JA) of Arizona delivers free, experiential educational programs focused on financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship for K-12 students (and learners through age 25). Programs are offered in person through school partnerships and volunteer-led instruction, through a physical simulation facility (JA BizTown in Tempe), and through free digital tools and online curricula. The organization also runs signature fundraising and recognition events such as the JA Stock Market Challenge and JA 18 Under 18 Awards.

Product overview

Junior Achievement of Arizona offers an integrated portfolio of educational programs focused on financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship for students K-25. The core programs include JA Inspire (career exploration for ages 12-25), JA BizTown (hands-on town simulation for 4th-6th graders), JA Money in Motion (financial simulation for rural schools), and 3DE (immersive high school instructional model). Supporting these are digital tools including JA Access Your Future app, JA STEMBOT game, JA MyBiz Builder, JA My Way, and JA Robo Sellers game. The organization also provides free online resources organized by grade level (Elementary K-5, Middle School 6-8, High School 9-12, Adult learners) plus specialized offerings like the JA Career Speaker Series with videos across 15 career clusters, and recognition programs like the annual JA 18 Under 18 Awards. Programs reach over 150,000 students annually across Arizona through partnerships with schools and over 9,500 corporate volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• JA Inspire Premier career exploration and workforce readiness program that prepares learners ages 12-25 for post-secondary success through virtual career fairs, networking with employers, and career assessments.
• JA Money in Motion On-site financial simulation program for rural schools teaching 3rd-12th grade students how to plan for their financial futures.
• JA BizTown Hands-on program allowing 4th-6th graders to become employees for a day in a student-sized town, where they learn economic concepts and workplace skills.
• 3DE by Junior Achievement Immersive instructional model that re-engineers high school education to create engaging learning environments connecting education to real-world careers through case-based learning methodology.
• JA Complete Programs Online Online repository of full Junior Achievement programs for Elementary (K-5), Middle School (6-8), and High School (9-12), featuring video programs, lesson plans, and age-appropriate activities.
• JA Stock Market Challenge Team-based stock trading competition where teams receive $500,000 to buy mock stock in fictitious companies, competing for the largest portfolio.
• JA 18 Under 18 Awards Annual awards program recognizing exceptional young people in Arizona who demonstrate ingenuity, generosity, and entrepreneurial spirit while making a difference in their communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90%+ of JA Alumni agree that students who participate in JA will be better prepared for the future
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• United BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Bank partners with JA to deliver BizTown Summer Camp in Bay Minette, Alabama. The three-day camp teaches financial literacy to elementary students through hands-on Monopoly-style activities, helping students open savings accounts while learning about business and banking operations. Students tour the United Bank branch and Bay Minette City Hall as part of the curriculum.
• Lidl CyprusflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLidl Cyprus serves as strategic partner for the mind REset educational environmental programme, now in its 5th edition. The program engages students in sustainable business proposals focused on food waste reduction. Over five years, nearly 16,500 students across Cyprus have participated.
• PixacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative marketing agency partner that helped develop the 2025 JA 18 Under 18 booklet. Ted Raymond and the Pixa team contributed creativity and partnership that amplified JA's brand, helping earn the JA Brand Amplification Award.
• Wells FargocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for JA Bowl-a-Thon events, supporting financial literacy education in Arizona. Participates in year-round fundraising events with company teams.
• Tucson Electric Power (TEP)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for JA Bowl-a-Thon events and recipient of 2018 Copper Cactus Award. JA board member Frank Marino, past SAZ board chair, presented the award.
• National Bank of Arizona (NBAZ)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for JA Stock Market Challenge, supporting financial literacy education through this signature fundraising event.
• Edward JonescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for JA Stock Market Challenge, supporting workforce readiness and financial literacy programs.
• Voya FinancialcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for JA Stock Market Challenge, contributing to financial literacy education for Arizona students.
• Charles SchwabcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for JA Stock Market Challenge, supporting career readiness and financial education initiatives.
• RSM InternationalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for JA Stock Market Challenge, supporting youth financial education programs.
• JA 18 Under 18 SponsorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple corporate sponsors support the annual JA 18 Under 18 Awards program recognizing exceptional Arizona students. Sponsors include businesses from various industries supporting youth recognition and entrepreneurship.
• Corporate Bowl-a-Thon SponsorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOver 25 companies sponsor JA Bowl-a-Thons including ADP, Aetna, Alliance Bank, AmTrust, APS, Bank of America, Bank of the West, Caterpillar, Deloitte, Grant Thornton, Hughes Federal Credit Union, Johnson Controls, KPMG, National Bank of Arizona, Pima Federal Credit Union, Toyota, Wells Fargo, and others. Each $37 raised sponsors one Arizona student to receive JA programming.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EVERFI: Edtech company providing K-12 financial literacy, career readiness, and SEL digital curricula to schools at no cost, funded by corporate sponsors. Closest for-profit competitor with parallel delivery model and sponsor base.
• DECA: Student organization focused on career and entrepreneurship education for high school and college students. Overlaps directly with JA's career readiness and entrepreneurship curriculum.
• Council for Economic Education (CEE): National nonprofit focused on K-12 economic and personal finance education. Competes for curriculum adoption, teacher training dollars, and corporate sponsorship in the same school district buyer base.
• Junior Achievement USA: National U.S. federation that coordinates local Junior Achievement areas. Direct sibling organization to JA of Arizona within the JA Worldwide network, sharing brand, curriculum, and mission.
• JA Worldwide: Global parent organization that owns the JA brand and licenses curriculum to 100+ country chapters. Operationally the closest peer as the umbrella under which JA of Arizona delivers programs.
• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): Nonprofit delivering entrepreneurship education to K-12 students, particularly from under-resourced communities. Closely comparable mission, audience, and program delivery model to JA's entrepreneurship track.

Emerging players

• iCivics: Nonprofit founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor providing K-12 civic and financial education. Adjacent curriculum category with shared school-based distribution and corporate sponsorship model.
• BizWorld Foundation: Nonprofit delivering entrepreneurship and financial literacy programs to elementary and middle school students. Smaller-scale peer in the same experiential learning category as JA BizTown.

Broad incumbents

• 4-H (National 4-H Council): Large national youth development organization with overlapping life-skills, career, and STEM programming for K-12. Competes for school partnerships, sponsor dollars, and volunteer engagement.

Regional players

• Take Charge Today (University of Arizona): University-hosted K-12 personal finance curriculum provider operating primarily in Arizona. Directly competes for instructional minutes and teacher adoption within JA of Arizona's core geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JAArizona
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/junior-achievement-of-arizona
• Instagraminstagram.com/jaarizona

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Junior Achievement