Young America's Foundation

What Young America's Foundation does

Young America's Foundation (YAF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservative youth organization founded in 1969 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia. It operates as the leading organization for young conservatives in the United States, with stated presence on more than 2,000 high school and college campuses and a vertically integrated age pipeline spanning middle school (grades 6-8), high school, college, and alumni engagement. Its core offerings include free Young Americans for Freedom student membership; a national campus lecture program that books and funds conservative speakers at schools; the National Journalism Center, a 12-week paid journalism internship ($10,000 compensation package) in Washington, D.C.; the Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise (CEFE); a free-speech legal defense program for students; and digital content production through YAF TV, a YouTube channel with 1.7M+ subscribers and 1.57B+ lifetime views. YAF also owns and operates two unique Reagan presidential properties — Rancho del Cielo (acquired 1998) and the Reagan Boyhood Home in Dixon, Illinois (acquired 2020) — which serve as conference venues and heritage educational sites.

YAF's underlying technology is a digital media production and distribution platform rather than a software product: the core stack centers on YAF TV for video, the yaf.org website and The New Guard publication for written content, and social media presence across YouTube, X, Instagram, and Facebook for amplification. No API, SDK, or AI/ML components are offered; the technology serves content distribution, donor/member enrollment, conference registration, and chapter resource delivery. Annual flagship programs include the National Conservative Student Conference (NCSC, now in its 48th year, 800+ student attendees), high school conferences at the Reagan Boyhood Home and in Philadelphia, middle school expeditions at three locations, the Freedom Conference at the Reagan Ranch, and the Freedom at 250 national rally series launching in 2026 in partnership with The Daily Wire.

YAF's business model is donation-driven as a non-profit, with student-facing programs priced below cost to maximize participation. Conference fees range from $25 to $100 per student, and memberships are free, making program-fee revenue negligible relative to the operating budget. Revenue is dominated by individual donations and foundation grants (e.g., a documented $100,000 grant from the Dao Fend & Angela Foundation for the Dao Prize), supplemented by tax-deductible student sponsorships at $1,000-$2,500 per student and event partnerships. The organization is led by President Scott Walker (former Wisconsin governor) and governed by a Board of Directors, with no parent company, external investors, or PE/VC ownership.

Name

Young America's Foundation

Legal name

Young America's Foundation

Website

https://yaf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Young America's Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that recruits, trains, and mobilizes young conservatives through free membership, campus lectures, conferences, journalism internships, and digital media, while operating two Reagan presidential historic properties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Political Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH), Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK), Education, Research & Academic Congresses (THAHAJAD), Educational & Instructional Nonfiction (MPADADAL), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Conservative youth education
• Student political programs
• Campus lecture programs
• Journalism internship training
• Conservative event services

Headquarters

HQ city

Reston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: YAF operates as a nonprofit organization primarily funded through donations from supporters. The organization receives contributions from individuals who support conservative youth education and activism.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue generated from student conference and program registrations. Conferences range from $25 to $100 for students with travel and tuition assistance available.
3. National Journalism Center Stipends: The NJC provides a $1,500 monthly tax-free stipend plus fully paid housing scholarships totaling $10,000 compensation package for qualified applicants, funded through the organization's operating budget.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Young America's Foundation is a non-profit conservative youth organization that recruits, trains, and mobilizes conservative middle school, high school, and college students through a free membership program, a national campus lecture series, multi-tier annual conferences (NCSC, high school, and middle school programs), a paid journalism internship (National Journalism Center), free speech legal defense on campus, and the preservation of two Ronald Reagan historic properties used as educational venues. Its digital arm, YAF TV (YouTube), distributes conservative educational video content to over 1.7 million subscribers, while donations and event fees fund operations.

Product overview

Young America's Foundation (YAF) is a non-profit conservative youth organization operating as a single unified organization—not a modular software platform. Its portfolio consists of programs and properties centered around recruiting, training, and mobilizing young conservatives. Core offerings include: the Young Americans for Freedom membership program; a national campus lecture program placing conservative speakers at high schools and colleges; the National Journalism Center (NJC), a paid journalism internship in Washington, D.C. with Dao Prize for investigative journalism; the Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise (CEFE); a network of Young Americans for Freedom Chapters; the student free speech legal defense program; and YAFTV, a YouTube channel with over 1.8 million subscribers. YAF also operates and preserves two historic Presidential properties—the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, CA and the Reagan Boyhood Home in Dixon, IL—both serving as venues for student conferences. Annual conferences include the National Conservative Student Conference (NCSC) in Washington, D.C., high school conferences at the Reagan Boyhood Home and in Philadelphia, and the Freedom Conference at the Reagan Ranch. Middle School Expeditions take place at three locations. The Freedom at 250 Rally at Mount Vernon is a flagship event of the YAF x Daily Wire national tour celebrating America's 250th anniversary. All programs are delivered through in-person events, student chapters, and digital media—no SaaS platform, API, or software product is offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YAF TV: YouTube channel of Young America's Foundation, currently with over 1.7 million subscribers
• National Journalism Center (NJC)
• Reagan Ranch Center
• Young Americans for Freedom
• Freedom at 250
• The Dao Prize

Products and services

• Young Americans for Freedom Membership
• Campus Lectures Program
• National Conservative Student Conference (NCSC)
• High School Conferences (Reagan Boyhood Home and Philadelphia)
• Middle School Expeditions
• National Journalism Center (NJC)
• Reagan Ranch and Reagan Ranch Center
• Reagan Boyhood Home
• Student Free Speech Legal Defense
• Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise (CEFE)
• Campus Activism Projects
• YAFTV (YouTube Channel)
• Freedom at 250 Rally at Mount Vernon
• Freedom Conference at the Reagan Ranch
• Young Americans for Freedom Chapters

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.1+ billion lifetime views across all digital platforms as of 2024
• +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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Challey Institute for Global Innovation and GrowthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2026Partnership with North Dakota State University's Challey Institute to co-host Seth Dillon (CEO of The Babylon Bee) for free speech event at Memorial Union.
• Bagwell Center for the Study of Markets and Economic OpportunitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2026Partnership with Kennesaw State University's Bagwell Center to host Governor Scott Walker for campus lecture on conservative leadership and cultural battles.
• The Daily WireflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 August 2026Joint Freedom at 250 Rally series celebrating America's 250th birthday. YAF x The Daily Wire partnership includes national tour events headlined by Ben Shapiro and featuring other Daily Wire personalities.
• Fox NewsflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 August 2023YAF partnered with Fox News, the RNC, and Rumble to host the first Presidential primary debate of the 2024 cycle at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. More than 5,000 guests attended in person with millions viewing the national broadcast.
• Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Published 'Excuse Me, Professor: Challenging the Myths of Progressivism' co-branded resource debunking 50+ liberal claims for student use.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Turning Point USA: Largest US conservative youth organization, operating high school and college chapters, conferences (Student Action Summit), and StudentNewsDaily-style digital content. Directly competes for the same conservative student demographic, donor base, and speaker talent as YAF.
• PragerU: Conservative digital media nonprofit producing short-form educational video content reaching tens of millions of viewers, with PragerU Kids for younger audiences. Comparable to YAF in mission (conservative youth education), distribution model (YouTube-led), and donor-funded nonprofit structure.
• Young Americans for Liberty (YAL): Libertarian-leaning conservative youth organization running hundreds of high school and college chapters, the annual YAL National Convention, and student activism training. Directly competes for conservative student membership and campus activism market share.
• Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI): Conservative nonprofit that runs college student programming, summer seminars, lectures, and graduate fellowships. Comparable to YAF in targeting conservative college students with educational content and leadership development.
• College Republican National Committee (CRNC): Official Republican student organization with chapters on hundreds of college campuses, hosting regional and national conventions. Competes with YAF for the same conservative student engagement and event market.
• Leadership Institute: Conservative training organization running youth programs, campus lectures, and political candidate training schools (including youth leadership schools). Comparable mission to YAF around training young conservatives, with broader scope into candidate training.
• Foundation for Economic Education (FEE): Libertarian-conservative educational nonprofit producing articles, videos, and student programs including EconLib and essay contests. YAF is an active co-publisher with FEE on 'Excuse Me, Professor'; both serve the same conservative student content market.

Broad incumbents

• Heritage Foundation: Large, established conservative think tank with educational outreach, lectures, and youth-facing programs. Operates as a broad incumbent in the conservative movement space, with overlapping speaker and donor networks with YAF but a fundamentally different primary mission (policy research vs. youth education).
• Hillsdale College: Conservative liberal-arts college with extensive free online K-12 and adult civic-education courses (Hillsdale in D.C., 1776 Curriculum). Comparable as a major institutional competitor in conservative civic education, especially for high school and lifelong learners.
• American Conservative Union / CPAC Foundation: Hosts the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which YAF co-founded in 1974, and runs youth programming. Operates as a broader incumbent in the conservative movement, with overlapping conference and youth-activism offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yaf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/YAFTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/youngamericasfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/young-americas-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/yaf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Young America's Foundation