PRSA Foundation

What PRSA Foundation does

PRSA Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization founded in 1990 and headquartered at 120 Wall Street, New York City, that exists to promote diversity within the U.S. public relations profession. It is the philanthropic arm of the Public Relations Society of America and serves a primary beneficiary base of college and graduate students — particularly those from BIPOC, first-generation, and underrepresented backgrounds pursuing communications, journalism, marketing, and public relations degrees — alongside a secondary stakeholder group of PR firms and corporate communications departments seeking to expand the industry's talent pipeline. Its core programs include the Foster the Future Fellowships (a growing consortium of 12 communications agency partners offering scholarships ranging from $1,500 to $32,000 plus paid internships), the PRSA Foundation Scholarships & Grants program administered through PRSSA chapters, the Paladin Awards (its signature annual recognition event for diversity leaders in PR), the Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership educational program, the HBCU & HSI Public Relations Tour, and ancillary awards such as the Glen Broom Mentorship Award and the PRSSA National Gold Key Award. The foundation does not sell products or services; its operating model is funded entirely by individual donations (via a Network for Good portal), multi-tier corporate sponsorships (Silver, Bronze, Supporting tiers), and fellowship partnerships in which agencies underwrite specific scholarships and host paid interns. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and operates with a small staff in the 11-50 employee range, with no disclosed technology platform or software products — the only technology footprint referenced is the AwardSpring online scholarship application portal.

Name

PRSA Foundation

Legal name

PRSA Foundation

Website

https://prsafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PRSA Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1990 that promotes diversity in the U.S. public relations profession through scholarships, grants, paid fellowships at partner agencies, and recognition programs serving BIPOC and underrepresented communications students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Scholarship and Diversity Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Public relations scholarships
• Communications diversity programs
• Nonprofit fellowship grants
• DE&I industry initiatives
• Student chapter awards

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PRSA Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit that provides scholarships, grants, fellowships, and educational/recognition programs to support students and professionals from underrepresented backgrounds in the public relations and communications industry. Its signature offering is the Foster the Future Fellowship program, which pairs scholarships with paid internships at partner communications agencies, complemented by the Paladin Awards, Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership, and PRSSA-aligned chapter and student awards.

Product overview

PRSA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates as a single unified mission focused on promoting diversity within public relations. Its core offerings consist of scholarship programs (including Foster the Future Fellowships with paid internships at partner agencies), annual awards (Paladin Awards, Gold Key Award, Glen Broom Mentorship Award), educational programs (Diverse Voices, HBCU/HSI Public Relations Tour), and chapter awards (Champions/Teahan National Chapter Awards). The organization does not offer a technology platform or software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Foster the Future Fellowships: Collaborative initiative between Mission North, communications agency partners, and the PRSA Foundation to provide scholarships and paid internships for BIPOC students.
• Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership
• Paladin Awards
• PRSA Foundation Scholarships & Grants

Products and services

• Foster the Future Fellowships A collaborative initiative between Mission North, communications agency partners, and the PRSA Foundation that provides scholarships and paid internships for college students from underrepresented groups interested in communications careers.
• Scholarships & Grants Scholarships and grants awarded to students active in PRSSA campus chapters, as well as undergraduate and graduate students pursuing public relations careers, including PRSSA student awards and chapter recognition programs.
• Paladin Awards PRSA Foundation's signature annual awards event honoring members of the public relations profession who have made an indelible impact on diversity and inclusion in the communications industry.
• Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership An educational program designed to help the communications industry better understand challenges faced by minorities in the field, featuring study guides and video content.
• Glen Broom Mentorship Award An annual $1,000 award honoring a current public relations educator who has demonstrated excellence in education and mentorship and has had an impact on their students' careers and lives.
• JJ&W Behavioral Science Prize An annual prize created in 1991 to honor educators or public relations professionals who have contributed significant theoretical and research-based knowledge to the behavioral approach to public relations.
• HBCU & HSI Public Relations Tour A tour program engaging with students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to promote diversity in public relations.
• Champions/Teahan National Chapter Awards Competition Annual awards competition recognizing outstanding achievements of PRSSA Chapters, their members, advisers, and sponsoring PRSA Chapters across multiple categories.
• PRSSA National Gold Key Award The highest individual honor bestowed upon PRSSA members, recognizing outstanding academic excellence in public relations and leadership in PRSSA.

Quantifiable outcome

• Foster the Future program grew from 4 agencies in 2022 to 12 organizations
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, fellowship partner and minor.

• Mission NorthflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission North is the primary founding partner of the Foster the Future Fellowship program. They co-developed this initiative to provide transformative change in the PR industry through scholarships and paid internships for BIPOC students. Mission North sponsors a $32,000 scholarship plus $6,000 stipend and twelve-week paid internship.
• AGEAN Public RelationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship partner offering $2,500 scholarship plus 5-week paid remote internship for BIPOC students pursuing a career in public relations.
• Greenough CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship partner offering $3,500 scholarship plus 8-week paid internship in Boston for BIPOC students pursuing public relations, journalism, marketing, or communications.
• LaunchSquadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship partner offering $15,000 scholarship plus $4,000 stipend and 8-week paid internship for BIPOC students pursuing journalism, PR, or marketing communications.
• The Key PRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship partner offering $10,000 scholarship plus $4,000 stipend and 8-week paid internship in San Francisco for BIPOC or first-generation college students.
• V2 CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship partner offering $2,500 scholarship plus 8-week paid full-time internship in Boston for BIPOC students in public relations, journalism, marketing, or tech marketing.
• EvolveMKDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship partner offering $5,000 scholarship plus 13-week paid internship in New York for BIPOC, first-generation, or underrepresented students in communications, marketing, PR, journalism, or English.
• Hannah Cranston MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship partner offering $3,000 scholarship plus 12-week part-time paid internship in New York for students pursuing communications, journalism, public relations, or related fields.
• Hirsch LeatherwoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship partner offering $2,500 scholarship plus 8-week part-time paid internship in New York for students pursuing political science, English, or humanities.
• Kite HillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship partner offering $1,500 scholarship plus 3-month paid internship in Miami or New York for students pursuing public relations, journalism, marketing, or communications.
• Scout LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship partner offering $2,500 scholarship plus 3-month part-time paid remote internship for students pursuing public relations or communications.
• SolCommscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship partner offering $5,000 scholarship plus 13-week paid full-time internship in New York for BIPOC or LGBTQ-identified students pursuing public relations or communications.
• The Bliss Groupfellowship partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 Fellowship Partner of PRSA Foundation.
• HermesPRfellowship partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 Fellowship Partner of PRSA Foundation.
• Muck RackminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatan Edelsburg, Chief Partnerships Officer at Muck Rack, serves as 2026 PRSA Foundation President. Muck Rack is a software platform for PR professionals.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations: A nonprofit dedicated to advancing leadership development and diversity in the public relations profession. Directly comparable to PRSA Foundation as both organizations fund scholarships, leadership programs, and DEI initiatives within the PR industry.
• LAGRANT Foundation: 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing scholarships, internships, and career opportunities to ethnic minority students in advertising, marketing, and PR. Closely aligned mission with PRSA Foundation, serving the same demographic in adjacent communications disciplines.
• Institute for Public Relations: An independent nonprofit foundation that funds research and education in public relations. Comparable to PRSA Foundation in being a 501(c)(3) supporting PR industry development through research grants, education, and recognition programs.
• The Diversity Action Alliance: Coalition of PR and communications organizations committed to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion across the industry. Highly comparable to PRSA Foundation as a DEI-focused industry coalition targeting the same PR workforce diversity gap (29% ethnic/racial diversity cited by DAA in 2022).
• Commission on Public Relations Education: Coalition focused on PR education standards, research, and scholarships. Directly comparable to PRSA Foundation in mission to strengthen PR education through grants, research, and educator recognition (e.g., the Glen Broom Mentorship Award category).

Broad incumbents

• Arthur W. Page Society: Premier senior-level organization for corporate chief communications officers. Comparable to PRSA Foundation as a PR-industry organization focused on advancing the profession, though focused on C-suite leaders rather than student diversity.
• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA): The nation's largest professional organization for PR professionals. PRSA Foundation operates in close affiliation with PRSA (sharing the PRSSA student network); comparable as a PR-industry body, though PRSA is a membership association rather than a grantmaking foundation.

Emerging players

• Adcolor: Nonprofit advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the advertising, marketing, and PR industries. Comparable to PRSA Foundation as an industry-focused DEI organization offering awards, scholarships, and professional development for underrepresented talent.
• The Mirror Foundation: Nonprofit supporting diversity and inclusion in public relations and journalism. Comparable mission to PRSA Foundation in providing scholarships and career development to underrepresented students in communications.
• The Charles H. Sandage Excellence Fund: Foundation funding education and research in advertising and public relations. Comparable to PRSA Foundation as a small grantmaking foundation supporting the broader communications profession through education grants and awards.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PRSAFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/582898988470938
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-prsa-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about PRSA Foundation