National Association of Federally Impacted Schools

What National Association of Federally Impacted Schools does

The National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit trade association founded in 1973 and headquartered in Washington, DC. It advocates for Impact Aid — the federal program that compensates school districts for local tax revenue lost due to the presence of non-taxable federal property such as Indian lands, military installations, low-rent housing, national parks, and national laboratories. NAFIS serves 1,100+ member public school districts educating 10 million+ students across the United States, positioning itself as the recognized voice of the Impact Aid community before Congress, the Administration, and the U.S. Department of Education.

NAFIS's core offerings are advocacy representation, Impact Aid technical assistance, the FISEF foundation's Forkenbrock Grants (up to $5,000 for innovative PreK-12 projects), and bi-annual Spring and Fall conferences at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill that include Hill Day congressional advocacy meetings. Its underlying technology is a standard membership and conference management web platform, including the NAFIS Action Center for grassroots advocacy campaigns; the organization does not build proprietary technology products. The Federally Impacted Schools Educational Foundation (FISEF), established in 2000 as a wholly-owned 501(c)(3), operates the grant program and technical assistance workshops and accepts tax-deductible donations.

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring membership dues from school districts, one-time conference registration fees ($100-$900 per attendee tiered by member status and role), conference sponsorships sold to companies seeking access to district decision-makers, and FISEF donations. The GTM motion is direct membership sales with conference touchpoints and a digital advocacy funnel. Leadership is a small team headed by Executive Director Hilary Goldmann, with Anne O'Brien serving dual roles as FISEF Director and NAFIS Director of Communications, and Lynn Watkins as Director of Operations and Conference Services. NAFIS is not a technology or growth-equity investment candidate — it is a stable, mission-driven nonprofit with no outside capital and no disclosed revenue.

Name

National Association of Federally Impacted Schools

Legal name

National Association of Federally Impacted Schools

Website

https://nafisdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: School districts and education professionals pay membership dues to join NAFIS and access resources, technical assistance, and advocacy support.
2. Conference Registration Fees: NAFIS holds bi-annual conferences (Spring and Fall) with registration fees ranging from $100 (students) to $900 (non-members). These conferences are major revenue events.
3. Conference Sponsorships: Companies can sponsor NAFIS conferences to reach decision makers from federally impacted school districts. Sponsorship packages are sold to engage with NAFIS's membership base.
4. FISEF Donations: The Federally Impacted Schools Educational Foundation (FISEF), a 501(c)(3) established by NAFIS, accepts tax-deductible donations to support Forkenbrock Grants for educators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NAFIS is a nonprofit membership association that advocates for federally impacted school districts and Impact Aid funding before Congress and the U.S. Department of Education. It provides members with Impact Aid technical assistance, biannual conferences in Washington, DC, educational grants through its FISEF foundation, an online advocacy platform (NAFIS Action Center), and a professional network for district administrators and education professionals.

Product overview

NAFIS is a professional association and advocacy organization that serves as the voice of federally impacted school districts before Congress and the Administration. The organization operates as a membership-based association offering its members up-to-date information, a professional network, and technical assistance on the Impact Aid program. NAFIS's core offerings include advocacy services, the Impact Aid Technical Assistance Workshops, the John Forkenbrock Education Innovation Grants through its FISEF foundation, the NAFIS Action Center for advocacy campaigns, and annual Spring and Fall conferences. The organization does not offer a technology product but rather provides advocacy, education, grants, and networking services to support school districts affected by the presence of non-taxable Federal properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Federally Impacted Schools Educational Foundation (FISEF): The 501(c)(3) foundation arm of NAFIS that provides technical assistance workshops and Forkenbrock Grants to federally impacted schools.
• John Forkenbrock Education Innovation Grants

Products and services

• Federally Impacted Schools Educational Foundation (FISEF) A 501(c)(3) foundation established by NAFIS in 2000 that provides technical assistance workshops and supports grants for educators in NAFIS-member school districts.
• John Forkenbrock Education Innovation Grants (formerly FISEF Good Idea Grants) Grants of up to $5,000 awarded to NAFIS-member school district applicants to support PreK-12 teachers in addressing students' academic needs and social-emotional wellness through projects such as STEM education, outdoor classrooms, and cultural programs.
• Impact Aid Technical Assistance Workshops Workshops that help school business officials and staff improve their understanding of Impact Aid and strengthen skills on completing the application, covering topics like identifying eligible students, completing Section 7003 applications, and understanding LOT.
• NAFIS Action Center An online platform enabling members to find Federal representatives and participate in advocacy campaigns and surveys through the NAFIS Action Network.
• Impact Aid Resources Comprehensive resources about Impact Aid including application guidance, payment information, program history, and the Faces of Impact Aid collection showcasing stories from federally impacted school districts.
• NAFIS Spring and Fall Conferences Annual conferences bringing together federally impacted school district leaders for education, advocacy, and networking, held at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, with Hill Day meetings for congressional advocacy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Advocates for Impact Aid funding on behalf of 1,100+ federally impacted school districts
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

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

One partnership is on record.

• Federally Impacted Schools Educational Foundation (FISEF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000FISEF is a 501(c)(3) established in 2000 by NAFIS's Board of Directors. It advances NAFIS's mission through technical assistance workshops and Forkenbrock Grants for educators in member school districts. FISEF accepts tax-deductible donations to support these programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National PTA: Nationwide membership association advocating for children and education through local units, advocacy campaigns, and programming — analogous dues-based membership, advocacy, and chapter-driven model.
• AASA (The School Superintendents Association): National membership association representing school district superintendents and administrators through advocacy, conferences, and professional development — directly parallel to NAFIS's membership, advocacy, and conference-driven model.
• National Rural Education Association (NREA): Membership organization advocating for rural and small-school districts in federal policy — overlapping constituency with NAFIS (many federally impacted districts are rural/tribal) and similar advocacy-plus-resources business model.
• National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP): Membership association serving elementary and middle-level principals through advocacy, training, and events — parallel dues/conference/advocacy structure serving K-12 school leaders.
• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): Nonpartisan, nationwide membership organization of state education chiefs that influences federal K-12 policy and offers member resources — comparable in its federal advocacy focus and association structure.
• National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP): Member association for middle and high school principals offering advocacy, professional learning, and conferences — comparable membership, conference, and advocacy GTM targeting school leaders.
• National Indian Education Association (NIEA): Membership organization advancing Native American education through federal advocacy and member support — overlapping constituency with NAFIS (districts serving tribal lands) and a similar advocacy-and-resources model.
• National School Boards Association (NSBA): Federation of state school board associations that advocates for public K-12 education before Congress and provides member services, conferences, and policy resources — a closely analogous federal advocacy and membership model.

Broad incumbents

• National Education Association (NEA): The largest U.S. education employee organization with broad advocacy and member services across K-12 and higher ed — overlaps in advocacy and member-services model but serves a much larger and broader constituency.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT): National union and advocacy organization representing education professionals — similar federal advocacy footprint and dues-based membership model, but operates at much greater scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/NAFISschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-association-of-federally-impacted-schools

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 National Association of Federally Impacted Schools