Eisenhower Fellowships

What Eisenhower Fellowships does

Eisenhower Fellowships, founded in 1953 as an independent nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit and headquartered at 250 South 16th Street in Philadelphia, operates as a premier international leadership development organization. Its core offering comprises three fellowship tracks: International Programs bringing 40-50 mid-career leaders from around the world to the United States for a roughly six-week immersive itinerary across 6-8 cities; USA Programs sending 10-12 American leaders abroad for a four-to-five-week customized engagement; and the Eisenhower Global Scholars Program covering full postgraduate study at the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government and IE University's School of Global Public Affairs in Madrid. Admission is highly selective, with Fellows typically aged 32-45 and drawn from government, business, civil society, science, medicine, education, and the arts.

Beyond the fellowship deliverable, EF sustains a lifelong network through 47 formally organized country chapters spanning 60+ countries, eight U.S. regional hubs, the Women's Leadership Network Initiative of nearly 700 members, and the Global Network Council. The organization distributes programming through direct application via efworld.org (powered by SurveyMonkey Apply), runs an Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, and convenes thematic regional events such as Asia Rising 2026 in Vietnam. It carries no proprietary technology stack and operates as a program-and-network organization rather than a software company.

EF is funded almost entirely through private contributions and an endowment built up over decades, with interest from a $5M federal trust fund (established by Congress in 1990 to mark Eisenhower's centennial) covering less than 5% of annual operating budget. Major contributors include the Ford Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, Hovey Foundation, Hess Foundation, the Jeffrey Koo Family, McCabe family, Wagner family, Keith Wheelock, John F. McDonnell, Chevron, and Bain Capital. The organization has earned Charity Navigator's four-star rating for 11 consecutive years. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, and the organization has launched the Eisenhower Fellowships Legacy Society in 2025 as its first formal planned-giving vehicle.

Name

Eisenhower Fellowships

Legal name

Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships, Inc.

Website

https://efworld.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Eisenhower Fellowships, founded in 1953 and headquartered in Philadelphia, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs immersive fellowship programs for 60-70 mid-career leaders annually across 60+ countries, sustaining a lifelong network of more than 2,600 alumni through country chapters, regional hubs, and the Women's Leadership Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development Programs

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Provider-Run International Internship Programs (Multi-Country/Multi-Industry) (EDAIAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Remote/Virtual International Internship Programs (EDAIAFAF), Mobility Grants & Short-Term Study/Travel Awards (EDAIAOAK)

Keywords

• Leadership development programs
• Fellowship programs
• International exchange programs
• Nonprofit professional networking
• Executive education

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Contributions: Eisenhower Fellowships is a 501(c)(3) organization funded almost entirely through private contributions from donors, foundations, and corporations. The organization maintains an endowment accrued over the years.
2. Federal Trust Fund: The U.S. Congress established a federal trust fund in 1990 to honor President Eisenhower's centennial. EF receives the interest on the trust fund, covering less than five percent of annual operating budget.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Eisenhower Fellowships identifies, empowers, and links outstanding leaders from around the world through competitive fellowship programs. It brings international mid-career leaders to the United States for immersive fellowships, sends American leaders abroad, and places recent graduates in postgraduate study at Oxford and IE University, while sustaining a lifelong global network of more than 2,600 Fellows across 119 countries.

Product overview

Eisenhower Fellowships operates as a premier international leadership organization offering multiple fellowship programs: the International Programs bringing global leaders to the United States for six-week immersive experiences, the USA Programs sending American leaders abroad, and the Eisenhower Global Scholars Program sending recent graduates to Oxford and IE University for postgraduate degrees. These core fellowship programs are complemented by the Women's Leadership Network Initiative with nearly 700 members, the Global Network Council advisory body, and regular global/regional events including the Annual Meeting. All Fellows gain lifetime membership in a global network of over 2,600 leaders spanning 119 countries and virtually all professional fields.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eisenhower Global Scholars: Postgraduate fellowship program sending American graduates to Oxford and IE University for Master's degrees
• Women's Leadership Network
• EF Impact Award (Hovey Award)
• Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service

Products and services

• International Programs (Global Fellows)
• USA Programs
• Eisenhower Global Scholars Program
• Women's Leadership Network Initiative
• Global Network Council

Quantifiable outcome

• Akshaya Patra Foundation feeds 2.35 million children daily across 16 Indian states
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 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 core and minor.

• University of Oxford Blavatnik School of GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for Eisenhower Global Scholars Program where Fellows pursue Master of Public Policy degrees.
• IE University School of Global Public Affairs (Madrid)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for Eisenhower Global Scholars Program where Fellows pursue Master in International Relations degrees.
• Aspen InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMid-term seminars introduced at Aspen Institute during mid-1960s program expansion.
• Rockefeller FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Women's Leadership over the Decades panel at their New York headquarters in November 2024.
• National Constitution CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for Annual Awards Dinner celebrating EF's 250th anniversary of the United States.
• Museum of the American RevolutionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for 2026 Distinguished Fellow Award ceremony.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Aspen Institute: Operates the Henry Crown Fellowship and other leadership programs bringing together mid-career leaders for immersive convenings, mirroring EF's model of cultivating influential global networks. Both organizations emphasize values-based leadership development with strong policy and civil society orientation.
• Council on Foreign Relations: Elite membership-based organization cultivating US and international leaders in foreign policy with lifelong engagement, structured programs, and a focus on cross-sector leadership. Operates with a similar member-network DNA as EF though with a narrower foreign policy focus.
• Atlantic Council: International affairs organization with fellowship and leadership programs (GeoEconomics Center, Millennium Leadership Program) targeting rising leaders across regions. Comparable in convening model and international orientation, though more policy/research-heavy than EF.
• Yale World Fellows: Mid-career global leadership fellowship at Yale University, directly comparable to EF's International Programs in targeting emerging leaders aged 32-45 with immersive US-based experiences. Both are highly selective and offer lifetime network membership to Fellows.
• Fulbright Program: US government-sponsored international exchange program sending American scholars abroad and bringing international scholars to the US, directly mirroring EF's bilateral fellowship model. The most prominent comparator for cross-border leadership and academic exchange.

Broad incumbents

• World Economic Forum: Builds and convenes an elite global network of leaders (Young Global Leaders, Global Future Councils) across business, government, and civil society with a fellowship-like selection model. Operates at materially larger scale and is the dominant global leadership convening platform that EF alumni often interact with.
• British Council: International cultural and educational exchange organization operating globally with fellowship, scholarship, and leadership programs. Comparable in mission of building international understanding and cultivating cross-border leadership, though much larger and government-funded.
• Chatham House: International affairs think tank with a membership-based community of leaders and researchers, comparable in cultivating a network of influential global figures. Shares EF's orientation toward convening senior decision-makers around transnational challenges.

Emerging players

• Asia Society: International fellowship and convening organization focused on US-Asia leadership, comparable in running regional fellowship tracks (e.g., Asia 21 Young Leaders) with similar selectivity and lifetime network engagement. Operates in a narrower geographic focus than EF.
• Coro Foundation: Leadership training organization offering fellowships and civic leadership programs for emerging leaders. Comparable in mission of cultivating ethical, cross-sector leadership, though operates at smaller scale and with a primarily US-domestic orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/efstaff
• Facebookfacebook.com/EisenhowerFellowships
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eisenhower-fellowships
• Instagraminstagram.com/eisenhowerfellowships/?hl=de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Eisenhower Fellowships