Foreign Policy Association
The Foreign Policy Association, founded in 1920, operates the Great Decisions program, America's largest nonpartisan discussion program on world affairs, producing annual briefing books, videos, podcasts, and events for adult learners, educators, and policy professionals across U.S. communities and 1,100+ campuses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1920
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Foreign Policy Association does
The Foreign Policy Association (FPA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1920 and headquartered at 551 5th Avenue in New York City. It operates America's largest nonpartisan public education program on international affairs, anchored by the Great Decisions discussion program launched in 1954. FPA's core offering is the annual Great Decisions Briefing Book covering eight foreign policy topics, complemented by Master Class video lectures (DVD and Vimeo streaming), e-book editions distributed through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, and other platforms, plus classroom and teacher packages for educational institutions. Educational reach spans more than 1,100 university and college campuses and a national PBS television series broadcast to 75% of U.S. households.
The organization operates a hybrid go-to-market across three motions: a grassroots community discussion-group model (tens of thousands of participants meet locally using briefing books and videos), direct-to-consumer sales of educational materials through fpa.org, and an event-driven program of over 50 annual speaking events including the World Leadership Forum, which has hosted 60+ heads of government since 2000. Revenue is generated from one-time product sales (briefing books $35, classroom packages $775, DVDs $40), tiered recurring membership dues ($325 Associate, $500 Sponsoring, $1,500 Patrons annually), and tax-deductible donations. The organization is led by President and CEO Noel V. Lateef, with Peter Scaturro as Director of Studies and Jeffrey S. Morton as FPA Fellow. FPA has entered a joint venture with Scholastic Inc. to extend its materials into the middle-school market and produces an annual National Opinion Ballot Report distributed to the White House, Congress, and State and Defense departments.
Foreign Policy Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Foreign Policy Association
- Legal name
- Foreign Policy Association
- Website
- https://fpa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1920
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Foreign Policy Association, founded in 1920, operates the Great Decisions program, America's largest nonpartisan discussion program on world affairs, producing annual briefing books, videos, podcasts, and events for adult learners, educators, and policy professionals across U.S. communities and 1,100+ campuses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Foreign Policy Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civic Education Services
- NAICS
- Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), International Affairs (928120)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Education (EDADALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Development Cooperation & Foreign Aid Administration (BPAIAIAG)
Keywords
Where Foreign Policy Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Foreign Policy Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Sale of Great Decisions briefing books, master class DVDs, streaming videos, e-books, classroom packages, and teacher packages to individuals and institutions.
- Membership Dues: Annual membership tiers (Associate $325, Sponsoring $500, Patrons $1,500) providing access to events, publications, and member-only programming.
- Donations: Tax-deductible donations supporting educational outreach programs and operations. Organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Great Decisions Briefing Book 2026 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Great Decisions 2026 Teacher's Package |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Great Decisions 2026 Classroom Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Master Class DVD 2026 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Peace Through Power Book |
| Subscription | Annual | Associate Member |
| Subscription | Annual | Sponsoring Members |
| Subscription | Annual | Patrons |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Foreign Policy Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Foreign Policy Association (FPA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1920 that runs the Great Decisions program, America's largest discussion program on world affairs. It produces annual briefing books, Master Class videos, podcasts, e-books, and classroom/teacher packages that support community discussion groups, schools, and individual learners exploring foreign policy and global issues.
Product overview
The Foreign Policy Association operates a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on the Great Decisions program - America's largest discussion program on world affairs. The core offering is the annual Great Decisions Briefing Book, which is complemented by video-based Master Class lectures (available on DVD and streaming via Vimeo), e-book editions, and educational packages for classrooms and teachers. Additional delivery channels include the Great Decisions Television Series (PBS), podcast programs (Great Decisions and The World Today), and in-person Discussion Groups facilitated nationwide. The organization also offers membership programs with tiered access to events, lectures (including the World Leadership Forum and Off-The-Record series), and Global Affairs Boot Camps for professional development. Supplementary resources include the National Opinion Ballot Report, Teacher Training Institute, and free High School Program materials.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Great Decisions: America's largest discussion program on world affairs, produced by the Foreign Policy Association. The program involves reading the Great Decisions Briefing Book, watching the video series, and meeting in Discussion Groups to discuss critical global issues.
Products and services
- Great Decisions Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Results of annual ballot tabulations presented to the White House, departments of State and Defense, Members of Congress, and national media
Companies that use Foreign Policy Association
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Foreign Policy Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Foreign Policy Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Scholastic Inc.coreUpcoming joint venture to introduce Great Decisions educational materials to sixteen million middle school students, significantly expanding reach into middle school education market.
- Ford FoundationminorCo-published five books in the South Africa UPDATE Series, providing detailed accounts of South Africa in the 1980s.
- Barnes & NobleminorRetail distribution partner for Great Decisions e-books on Nook platform.
- AmazonminorRetail distribution partner for Great Decisions e-books on Kindle platform.
- Apple BooksminorRetail distribution partner for Great Decisions e-books on Apple platform.
- KobominorInternational retail distribution partner for Great Decisions e-books.
- PBScoreTelevision broadcast partner for Great Decisions television series reaching 75% of U.S. households.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Foreign Policy Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): UK-based international affairs think tank producing the International Affairs journal and convening programming. Operates a parallel mission of educating informed citizens on global policy, with comparable membership and publication streams.
- Atlantic Council: International affairs think tank producing publications, convening events, and policy programming on global issues. Targets overlapping policy professional audience but at a more elite and less grassroots level than FPA.
- Council on Foreign Relations: More elite, membership-driven foreign policy institution producing Foreign Affairs magazine and high-level programming. Addresses a more professional/policy audience but competes for the same donor and policy-engaged mindshare as FPA.
- Aspen Institute: Educational and policy studies nonprofit running dialogue-based programming on civic, foreign policy, and leadership topics. Comparable civic education mission with broader thematic scope than FPA.
- Wilson Center: Congressional-affiliated international affairs research and education center producing scholarship and public programming. Overlaps with FPA's policy education and civic engagement objectives at a broader institutional scale.
Emerging players
- iEarn (International Education and Resource Network): Global K-12 collaborative learning network producing international affairs curriculum and projects. Comparable in educational mission targeting schools and teachers, with potential overlap as FPA expands into middle school via Scholastic.
- Facing History and Ourselves: Nonprofit providing educational resources and teacher professional development on historical and current global issues. Direct peer in the educator-focused civic education market, with comparable classroom packages and teacher training offerings.
Direct peers
- Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs: Nonprofit educational organization producing ethics-focused content on international affairs, including podcasts, publications, and educator resources. Shares FPA's civic education mission and recurring content + events revenue model.
- United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA): Civic engagement nonprofit affiliated with the United Nations Foundation, focused on educating Americans about global issues and policy. Comparable audience of policy-engaged citizens and overlapping programmatic model.
- World Affairs Councils of America: National umbrella for local community-based foreign policy discussion groups across the US. Operates the most directly comparable grassroots civic engagement model to FPA's Great Decisions discussion groups, targeting overlapping audiences of adult learners and educators.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Foreign Policy Association social profiles
Digital presenceForeign Policy Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Foreign Policy Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Foreign Policy Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Foreign Policy Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Foreign Policy Association
What does Foreign Policy Association do?
The Foreign Policy Association (FPA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1920 that runs the Great Decisions program, America's largest discussion program on world affairs. It produces annual briefing books, Master Class videos, podcasts, e-books, and classroom/teacher packages that support community discussion groups, schools, and individual learners exploring foreign policy and global issues.
Is Foreign Policy Association a public or private company?
Foreign Policy Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Foreign Policy Association founded?
Foreign Policy Association was founded in 1920. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Foreign Policy Association based?
Foreign Policy Association is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Foreign Policy Association make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are membership Dues and donations.
Who are Foreign Policy Association's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs), Atlantic Council, Council on Foreign Relations, Aspen Institute and Wilson Center. Emerging players are iEarn (International Education and Resource Network) and Facing History and Ourselves. Direct peers are Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) and World Affairs Councils of America.
Does Foreign Policy Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Foreign Policy Association.
What industry is Foreign Policy Association in?
Foreign Policy Association's product category is Civic Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADALAD, Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Education, with a secondary code of BPAIAIAG, Development Cooperation & Foreign Aid Administration. Its NAICS code is 8133.