Institute for Youth in Policy

What Institute for Youth in Policy does

The Institute for Youth in Policy (YIP), founded in 2020 and headquartered in San Francisco, is a US non-profit organization (FEIN 85-3339422, Ohio-registered) focused on youth civic education, policy research, and leadership development. Its core offerings include an eight-week Fellowship Program that culminates in capstone projects, a library of nonpartisan Policy Briefs, 600+ Op-Eds, a Capstone Projects publication track, and an 800+ page Education Curriculum. The organization also operates two programmatic units: the PIVOT Center, a youth-led hub for cross-border policy reform, and Civic Growth, an initiative incubator for civic improvement projects. In 2024 YIP acquired the Branden Center, a US-East Asia relations policy organization originally founded in 2021 by Benjamin Ian Chen, and separately acquired an international news organization also founded by Chen, expanding its footprint into international relations and media.

YIP's customers are primarily young innovators, policy enthusiasts, and general readers seeking nonpartisan policy information, with a secondary stakeholder group around US-East Asia diplomatic and policy topics. The organization is community-led, recruiting fellows through its website (yipinstitute.org) and amplifying content via Instagram, LinkedIn, and its owned publications. It operates on a donation-based revenue model, with giving routed through Givebutter, and does not charge fees for its fellowship or educational programs. No pricing model, enterprise customers, or commercial revenue streams are disclosed, and no funding rounds have been reported. Distribution is entirely digital and self-serve via the website, with reported scale metrics of 1000+ fellowship graduates and 10M+ reads of research content.

Name

Institute for Youth in Policy

Legal name

Institute for Youth in Policy

Website

https://yipinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Institute for Youth in Policy is a US non-profit that educates and engages young adults in policy-making through an eight-week fellowship, nonpartisan policy briefs, op-eds, an 800+ page curriculum, and the PIVOT Center and Branden Center sub-brands, funded primarily by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Education and Policy Research

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intergovernmental Education Cooperation & Bilateral/Multilateral Programs (EDADALAA), Model UN & Parliamentary Procedure Programs (Oratory-Focused) (EDAMAOAG)

Keywords

• Policy education programs
• Civic engagement initiatives
• Youth fellowship programs
• Nonpartisan policy research
• Policy brief publications

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: YIP operates primarily through donations, with a visible 'Donate' button linking to givebutter.com/OsQ6em. The organization is registered as a nonprofit (FEIN: 85-3339422) and appears to rely on charitable contributions for funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Institute for Youth in Policy (YIP) operates a nonpartisan policy education and civic engagement platform targeting young adults. It delivers an eight-week fellowship program with capstone projects, publishes policy briefs and op-eds, and offers an 800+ page education curriculum, while housing the Branden Center for US-East Asia relations and the PIVOT Center for cross-border policy reform.

Product overview

The Institute for Youth in Policy (YIP) is a policy education and civic engagement organization that operates as a unified platform combining multiple programs. The core offerings include an intensive eight-week Fellowship Program with capstone projects, Policy Briefs (nonpartisan research summaries), Op-Eds and Articles (opinion content from members), and an 800+ page Education Curriculum. The organization also houses the Branden Center (specializing in US-East Asia relations, acquired in 2024), the PIVOT Center (youth-led cross-border policy reform), and Civic Growth initiatives that incubate societal improvement projects. Together, these products serve to educate, engage, and empower young people in civic leadership and policy discourse.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Branden Center: Center specializing in US-East Asia relations, acquired by YIP in 2024
• PIVOT Center

Products and services

• Fellowship Program An intensive eight-week fellowship program for young adults culminating in capstone projects where fellows apply insights to address real-world policy problems.
• Policy Briefs Nonpartisan policy research briefs providing clear, concise summaries of key national issues and proposed policies for a broad audience.
• Op-Eds and Articles Opinion pieces and articles from the Institute's General Body Membership offering thought-provoking content to foster diverse dialogues.
• Education Curriculum An 800+ page curriculum blending innovative learning with practical dialogues on policy and civic topics.
• Branden Center A center specializing in US-East Asia relations, fostering collaborative dialogue through research, policy analysis, and educational initiatives.
• PIVOT Center A youth-led hub for cross-border policy reform, providing a platform for sharing ideas on international policy issues.
• Civic Growth An initiative incubator supporting inventive ideas targeted at enhancing societal and political conditions through project pitching and development.
• Capstone Projects Research and policy analysis projects completed by fellows at the conclusion of the fellowship program, addressing real-world challenges with innovative solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ Fellows graduated from the program
• +3 more outcomes

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

One partnership is on record.

• Branden CentercoreOthers · 1 January 2024The Branden Center was founded by Benjamin Ian Chen in 2021 with a vision to bridge understanding between the United States and East Asia. It was acquired by YIP in 2024 and specializes in fostering collaborative dialogue through research, policy analysis, and educational initiatives on US-East Asia relations. The center aims to enhance diplomatic ties and promote mutual understanding.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Generation Citizen: Nonprofit running action-based civics programs for college and high school students, with a fellowship-like volunteer model. Closely mirrors YIP's fellowship-plus-classroom approach to youth civic engagement.
• National Speech & Debate Association: National organization running student speech, debate, and Model UN competitions with a curriculum backbone. Comparable to YIP on the discourse/oratory and Model UN dimensions of its programming.
• Mikva Challenge: Civic-engagement nonprofit giving youth hands-on experience with policy-making, elections, and civic leadership. Strong overlap with YIP's fellowship, capstone, and civic-growth programming.
• East-West Center: US-based institution promoting understanding between the US and Asia-Pacific through research, education, and dialogue. Directly comparable to YIP's Branden Center for US-East Asia relations programming.
• Close Up Foundation: Nonpartisan civic education nonprofit delivering in-person and virtual programming on policy and government for middle and high school students. Comparable scale, audience, and nonpartisan civic-education mission.
• iCivics: Nonpartisan civic education provider producing curriculum, games, and resources used widely in US schools. Comparable to YIP as a youth civic education organization with curriculum products and broad reach.
• Roosevelt Institute: Youth- and student-driven progressive think tank producing policy research, briefs, and a network of campus-based fellows. Directly comparable to YIP in its youth policy-education model and emphasis on student-led research output.
• Junior State of America Foundation: Student-run political engagement and debate organization serving high schoolers with conventions, Model UN, and writing programs. Overlaps with YIP on Model UN/oratory discourse and youth policy debate programming.

Broad incumbents

• Asia Society: Established nonprofit focused on US-Asia policy dialogue, education, and cultural exchange. Comparable to Branden Center and PIVOT Center as an international affairs and policy-education organization.
• Brookings Institution: Large, well-endowed think tank producing policy research, briefs, and youth/education programs. Comparable product type (policy briefs) at vastly larger scale; sets the bar YIP must clear on credibility.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yipinstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/yipinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 Institute for Youth in Policy