Close Up Foundation

What Close Up Foundation does

Close Up Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan civic education organization founded in 1971 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It delivers experiential student travel programs in Washington, D.C., and multi-city itineraries (New York, Philadelphia, Williamsburg, Mount Vernon) for middle and high school students, supplemented by the Current Issues Resource Library, curriculum consulting, professional development for educators, and the Civil Discourse Credential. Specialty programs target distinct cohorts including Indigenous youth (via USET and NCAI summits), immigrant and migrant students (New Americans Program), and first-time voters (NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026). The underlying technology stack is content-driven rather than software-driven: C3 Framework-aligned lesson plans, nonpartisan primary sources updated monthly, structured deliberation methodologies co-developed with the Stanford University Deliberative Democracy Lab, and research collaborations with the Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions and Generation Lab. The organization operates domestically across all 50 states with no global footprint claim.

Close Up generates revenue through a hybrid model combining per-student travel program fees (one-time bundled pricing covering transportation, lodging, meals, and curriculum), school-wide subscriptions to the Current Issues Resource Library (annual recurring), professional services for educator training and district curriculum consulting, federal and state funding facilitation (ESSER, Title funds, state grants), and philanthropic donations. GTM is enterprise field sales to school administrators and district decision-makers, augmented by event-driven enrollment through the NNSP Annual Conference, free webinars (Close Up Conversations), and channel partnerships with NAIS, ICGS, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. In July 2023, Close Up merged with the National Network of Schools in Partnership (NNSP), which now operates as a wholly-owned division. Leadership was restructured in March 2023 with Mia Charity elevated to President and Stephanie Stargell to CFO/COO. The organization is COPPA-compliant for participants under 13, holds the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency, and is registered as a seller of travel in California.

Name

Close Up Foundation

Legal name

Close Up Foundation

Website

https://closeup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Close Up Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1971 that delivers experiential civic education programs, primarily D.C.-based student travel, curriculum resources, and educator professional development, to middle and high school students and school districts nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI)

Keywords

• Civic education programs
• Student travel programs
• Professional development
• Curriculum consulting
• Classroom resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Travel Programs: Fee-based experiential programs in Washington, D.C. for middle and high school students, including all-inclusive travel, lodging, meals, and curriculum-based activities. Programs include Washington D.C. trips, multi-city combinations (D.C. + New York, Philadelphia, Williamsburg, Mount Vernon), and specialty programs (New Americans Program, Indigenous Youth Programs, Election Week Program).
2. Professional Development Services: Professional development trainings for educators on framing controversial issues, integrating classroom resources into curriculum, media literacy, and community-engaged classrooms. Includes Civil Discourse Lab for Educators.
3. Classroom Resources Subscription: School-wide subscriptions to the Current Issues Resource Library providing comprehensive access to lesson plans, primary sources, and structured discussion guides. Schools can purchase site-wide access for all classrooms.
4. Curriculum Consulting: Customized curriculum design and consulting services for districts seeking to develop civic engagement curricula aligned with state standards and C3 Framework requirements.
5. State and Federal Funding Programs: Acceptance of ESSER funds, Title funds, state grants, and other federal educational funding to cover program costs for participating schools and districts.
6. Donations: Philanthropic contributions from individual donors, foundation partners, and corporate sponsors supporting student participation through scholarships and program expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Close Up Foundation delivers experiential civic education through Washington D.C. travel programs for middle and high school students, professional development workshops for educators, and a nonpartisan Current Issues Resource Library of classroom materials. The organization also provides customized curriculum consulting and assists schools in leveraging state and federal education funding for civic programs.

Product overview

Close Up Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic education organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of experiential programs, professional development, and curriculum resources. The core offerings include Middle School Programs and High School Programs (Washington D.C. travel experiences), the Teacher Program, and the Current Issues Resource Library. These are supplemented by specialized programs such as NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026, Civil Discourse Lab, America 250 Program, Indigenous Youth Programs (including Native Youth Summit), New Americans Program, and Election Week Program. The organization also provides Professional Development workshops, Curriculum Consulting services, and maintains a free Current Issues Blog. Following a July 2023 merger, the National Network of Schools in Partnership (NNSP) operates as a division of Close Up. The company also assists schools with ESSER and federal funding for civic education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Network of Schools in Partnership (NNSP): A division of Close Up Foundation focused on network support for schools through partnership programs, professional development, and civic engagement initiatives for students and educators.

Products and services

• Middle School Programs Experiential Washington D.C. field trip programs for middle school students featuring visits to monuments, museums, memorials, and structured discussions about current issues and historical events.
• High School Programs Washington D.C. travel programs for high school students including six-day programs, four-day programs, and specialized tracks such as America 250, Civil Discourse Lab, and Election Week.
• Teacher Program Professional development programs for educators including workshops on civil discourse, curriculum integration, media literacy, and community-engaged classrooms.
• NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026 Large-scale deliberation program convening first-time voters nationwide to discuss key policy issues ahead of America's 250th anniversary and the 2026 midterm elections, hosted in partnership with Stanford University Deliberative Democracy Lab.
• Current Issues Resource Library Subscription-based library of nonpartisan lesson plans and classroom resources covering debatable current issues with multiple perspectives, aligned to C3 Framework, with school-wide use licenses available.
• Professional Development Onsite professional development workshops for educators covering civil discourse, controversial issues framing, media literacy, and community-engaged classrooms.
• Curriculum Consulting Customized curriculum design and consulting services for schools and districts to meet civic education and literacy goals aligned with state standards and the C3 Framework.
• ESSER and Federal Funding Services Assistance for schools and districts in using state and federal funding including ESSER funds for civic education programs, professional development, and curriculum resources.
• National Network of Schools in Partnership (NNSP) Division of Close Up Foundation focused on school partnerships, annual conferences, and membership programs for civic engagement, merged with Close Up in July 2023.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research shows deliberative strategies used by Close Up can help reduce partisan divisions among students
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.

• A Starting PointsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2024Partnership with A Starting Point (ASP) to bring students for White House Q&A discussions with administration officials about youth civic engagement and policy priorities relating to energy, environment, and economy.
• Stanford University Deliberative Democracy LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Research partnership for deliberative democracy initiatives including America in One Room: The Youth Vote and NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026. The Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab conducts research about democracy and public opinion obtained through Deliberative Polling, a method used in over 50 countries.
• Generation LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Data intelligence partner studying young people and trends that shape the future. Generation Lab translates youth views and behavior for media, academia, businesses, government, and the American public for civic engagement research and programming.
• Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner for NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026 focusing on studying reasons behind the crisis in trust facing American institutions and policy recommendations to rebuild trust and increase effectiveness.
• Arizona CardinalssecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Civics Matters Arizona partnership with the Arizona Cardinals and Greater Phoenix Leadership (GPL) providing annual civics-centered programming for Arizona students, now in its third year.
• Greater Phoenix LeadershipsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with Greater Phoenix Leadership (GPL) alongside Arizona Cardinals for Civics Matters Arizona program supporting student civic engagement in Arizona.
• National Network of Schools in Partnership (NNSP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023NNSP merged with Close Up Foundation effective July 1, 2023, becoming a division of Close Up. The merger brings additional student and educator programming under Close Up's umbrella, overseen by NNSP's longtime executive director Blake Kohn.
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus InstitutesecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023CHCI sponsors Hispanic high school students to participate in Close Up programs in Washington D.C., providing pathways for civic engagement among Latino youth.
• NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNAIS Partnership Programs offering Close Up programs specifically designed for independent school communities.
• ICGS (Independent School Associations)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorICGS Partnership Programs providing Close Up civic education programming to member independent schools.
• USET (United South and Eastern Tribes)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSET Impact Week Youth Summit partnership engaging tribal youth from USET Member Tribal Nations with Tribal Leaders and the USET Council on key issues affecting their communities and homelands.
• NCAI (National Congress of American Indians)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNative Youth Summit partnership empowering Indigenous youth to identify concerns for their communities, build advocacy skills, and become advocates for issues impacting Indian Country.
• NCSS (National Council for the Social Studies)secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial organizational partnership with NCSS, the leading professional association for social studies educators, providing mutual promotion and alignment with social studies education standards.
• School Districts NationwidecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnerships with school districts nationwide including Broward County Public Schools, Lee County Public Schools, and other districts to deliver civic education programs and utilize federal funding.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• iCivics: iCivics is a leading nonprofit providing K-12 civic education curriculum, games, and teacher resources, and is the closest direct competitor to Close Up's classroom resource and curriculum offerings. Both organizations serve districts and educators nationwide with nonpartisan civic-ed content.
• Facing History & Ourselves: Facing History & Ourselves provides social studies and civic education curriculum, professional development, and resources to K-12 schools. It competes most directly with Close Up's Current Issues Resource Library and PD business in the civics/social studies category.
• Generation Citizen: Generation Citizen runs action-oriented civics programs for middle and high school students, including classroom-based deliberation and advocacy projects. It is comparable in target audience and civic-engagement methodology to Close Up's experiential programming.
• Street Law, Inc. Street Law provides law-related and civic education curriculum and teacher PD for K-12 schools, including deliberation and Mock Trial-style programs. It overlaps with Close Up's Mock Congress, Civil Discourse Lab, and teacher PD offerings.
• Mikva Challenge: Mikva Challenge is a Chicago-based civic education nonprofit that engages youth in deliberation, elections, and action civics, with both school-based and citywide programs. It is comparable in mission, youth civic engagement programming, and teacher PD.

Broad incumbents

• Newsela: Newsela provides leveled current-events and social studies content to K-12 schools via district subscriptions. It overlaps directly with Close Up's Current Issues Resource Library and competes for the same school-wide subscription budgets.
• Junior Achievement USA: Junior Achievement is a large, established K-12 nonprofit offering work-readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship programs with civic components. It is comparable in scale and district reach but operates a broader portfolio than Close Up's civic-only focus.
• Discovery Education: Discovery Education is a large K-12 digital content provider with subscription-based social studies resources reaching most U.S. districts. It is a broader incumbent competing for the same district curriculum and PD budget that Close Up's Current Issues Resource Library targets.

Emerging players

• National Constitution Center: The National Constitution Center is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit offering constitutional education programs, exhibits, and digital resources for students and educators. It overlaps with Close Up's constitutional and civics curriculum and its multi-city programming in Philadelphia.
• Constitutional Rights Foundation: Constitutional Rights Foundation provides civic and law-related education resources, simulations, and PD to schools nationwide. It is comparable in K-12 civic curriculum and teacher training, though smaller in experiential travel programming than Close Up.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CloseUp_DC
• Facebookfacebook.com/CloseUpWashingtonDC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/close-up-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/closeup_dc
• TikToktiktok.com/@closeup_dc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Close Up Foundation