What The Volcker Alliance does

The Volcker Alliance is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 by former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul A. Volcker and headquartered at 39 Broadway, New York. The organization is structured around four strategic lenses — Educate, Connect, Empower, and Inspire — and operates across four program areas: public service education, public sector talent, public finance, and preservation of the Volcker legacy. Its core offering is a portfolio of interconnected programs, including the Next Generation Service Corps (a network of 28 universities preparing students for government careers), Service to Service (a veterans-to-civil-service graduate education pipeline that expanded from 12 to 28 partner schools), Transformers in the Public Sector (a skills-based hiring accelerator delivered with Opportunity@Work that grew from 5 to 15 participating state and local governments), and the Deans Summit convening 70+ schools of public service. Additional initiatives include the Future Leaders of Schools of Public Service, Constructive Dialogue Scaling, Tech to Gov, the Accountability and Reform Research Consortium, and the Federal Employees and Contractors Oral History Project, supported by research output such as a 50-state deferred infrastructure maintenance study with the University of Minnesota and Pew Charitable Trusts.

The alliance does not sell a product or charge fees for its services; all programming is provided free to participants, including universities, students, veterans, and government agencies. Revenue is generated exclusively through individual donations and institutional grants (with documented support from The Pew Charitable Trusts and The Travelers Institute), and all financial figures are undisclosed. The organization operates as an event- and convening-driven entity: distribution flows through on-campus university partnerships, direct government engagements, the Deans Summit and Special Briefing podcast series (co-hosted with Penn IUR), industry conferences such as ASPA, and earned media. It holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, is chartered in New York, and serves a national footprint with no disclosed international operations.

The organization carries no proprietary technology stack, no API or SDK surface, and no AI/ML products. The principal technical infrastructure is a content/website platform (volckeralliance.org) and a podcast series (69+ episodes). Strategic differentiation rests on the Volcker name, network scale across 28+ universities and 70+ schools of public service, deep partnerships with Opportunity@Work, Pew, NASPAA, OAH, and government agencies, and a small 11–50 person staff with concentrated public-sector leadership credentials.

Name

The Volcker Alliance

Legal name

Volcker Alliance, Inc.

Website

https://volckeralliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Volcker Alliance is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul A. Volcker that operates programs spanning 28 universities and 70+ schools of public service to prepare students, veterans, and government agencies for public sector careers through education, convening, and policy research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Sector Workforce Development

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good) (BPAGALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Remote/Hybrid Work Readiness & Digital Collaboration (EDAAAKAL)

Keywords

• Public service education
• Government workforce development
• Skills-based hiring
• Public sector talent
• Public finance research

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, The Volcker Alliance relies on donations from individuals and grants from foundations to fund its operations and initiatives. The organization accepts various forms of giving including checks, IRA gifts, stock donations, and planned giving.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Volcker Alliance is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates programs to strengthen the public sector workforce. Its core offerings include a university-based Next Generation Service Corps network that prepares students for public service careers, the Service to Service initiative connecting veterans to graduate education, the Transformers in the Public Sector accelerator for skills-based hiring, and public finance research on state and local budgeting practices.

Product overview

The Volcker Alliance is a nonprofit organization that operates as a portfolio of interconnected programs organized around four strategic lenses: Educate, Connect, Empower, and Inspire. The core offerings include the Next Generation Service Corps (NextGen Service) network of 28 universities preparing students for public service careers; Service to Service connecting veterans with public service education; Transformers in the Public Sector skills-based hiring accelerator; Future Leaders of Schools of Public Service (FLSPS) for diverse leadership development; Constructive Dialogue Scaling Initiative for democratic engagement skills; Tech to Gov for technology talent recruitment; and various research initiatives including the Accountability and Reform Research Consortium and Federal Employees and Contractors Oral History Project. The organization also facilitates the Deans Summit connecting schools of public service and publishes resources through the Gov-Ramps Aggregator. Work spans public service education, public sector talent, public finance, and Volcker legacy preservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Next Generation Service Corps: A network of programs at universities across the country that inspire and prepare students to serve their communities and nation through public service education.
• Service to Service
• Transformers in the Public Sector
• Deans Summit
• Future Leaders of Schools of Public Service
• Federal Employees and Contractors Oral History Project

Products and services

• Next Generation Service Corps (NextGen Service) A national network of programs at 28 universities that inspires and prepares college students for public service careers through four-year curriculum, experiential learning via internships, and cohort-based leadership development.
• Service to Service A national pilot program connecting veterans and military families with graduate education pathways in public service, providing scholarships, GI Bill benefits, mentorship, professional development, and facilitated job placement in civil service roles.
• Transformers in the Public Sector A skills-based hiring accelerator program that helps state and local governments implement skills-first hiring practices, supporting 15 participating governments.
• Future Leaders of Schools of Public Service (FLSPS) An initiative providing networking, mentorship, and professional development resources to underrepresented BIPOC faculty members interested in academic leadership positions at schools of public service.
• Constructive Dialogue Scaling Initiative A campus-wide initiative that helps school leaders scale constructive dialogue programming from single courses to institution-wide commitments, preparing students for democratic participation.
• Accountability and Reform Research Consortium (ARRC) A research consortium that awards stipends to researchers examining the impact of federal workforce and program cuts, providing evidence-based insights for policymakers.
• Tech to Gov A collaborative initiative that recruits people with technology skills into government careers through virtual forums, job fairs, and partnerships with federal, state, and local government agencies.
• Up to Us Leadership Network Professional Pathways Program A professional development program that supports emerging leaders in building pathways into public service careers.
• Federal Employees and Contractors Oral History Project (FECOHP) A permanent archive of firsthand accounts from federal employees impacted by funding cuts, partnering with the Organization of American Historians; serves as a resource for historians, policymakers, and educators.
• Deans Summit A convening initiative that propels innovation among schools of public service, growing to include more than 70 member schools collaborating on initiatives to elevate public service and diversify talent pipelines into government.
• Gov-Ramps Aggregator A government talent pipeline resource that aggregates opportunities and pathways for individuals seeking public sector careers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45% of STAR hires in the Public Sector Hub network gained 10% or more in pay after switching jobs (five points above national average of 40%)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025The Volcker Alliance partnered with the University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs to publish a research series examining how all 50 U.S. states plan and budget for deferred maintenance of public infrastructure. The research was supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
• The Pew Charitable TrustscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Pew Charitable Trusts provided support for the research series on state infrastructure deferred maintenance, conducted in partnership with the University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs and The Volcker Alliance.
• We the VeteranscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Volcker Alliance and We the Veterans lead the Service to Service initiative, a national pilot program connecting veterans and military families with graduate education pathways in public service and facilitating placement in civil service roles.
• Organization of American Historians (OAH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Volcker Alliance partnered with the Organization of American Historians to launch the Federal Employees and Contractors Oral History Project (FECOHP), creating a permanent archive of firsthand accounts from federal employees impacted by funding cuts beginning in January 2025.
• Arizona State University's Watts College of Public Service and Community SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASU's Watts College and the Volcker Alliance jointly support NextGen Service Corps programs, with ASU housing the Next Generation Service Corps Center that supports partner universities in establishing and enhancing programs, and the Alliance facilitating the national network connecting students to government careers.
• Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public PolicyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy became the first Ivy League school to join Service to Service, providing recruitment support, cross-campus fellowship experiences, and application fee waivers for the MPA program.
• University of Central Florida (UCF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCF partnered with The Volcker Alliance and We the Veterans as one of 12 universities selected as pilot sites for the Service to Service initiative, offering veterans access to scholarships, GI bill benefits, mentorship, professional development, and facilitated job placement in civil service roles.
• Opportunity@WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Volcker Alliance supports Opportunity@Work's Transformers in the Public Sector accelerator program, which helps state and local governments implement skills-based hiring practices. The program tripled from 5 to 15 participating governments.
• Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Volcker Alliance co-hosts the Special Briefing series with Penn IUR, featuring experts from national research networks, academics, economists, and government leaders on topics including infrastructure finance and public sector workforce.
• The Travelers InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Travelers Institute provides funding for the Special Briefing series along with the Volcker Alliance and members of the Penn IUR Advisory Board.
• Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public AffairsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSyracuse University's Maxwell School hosted the 2024 Annual Deans Summit, one of the key annual convenings of the Volcker Alliance's network of schools of public service.
• Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Ithaca Initiative at University of DelawareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SNF Ithaca Initiative at the University of Delaware co-hosted a national convening with the Volcker Alliance on scaling constructive dialogue programming on campus, with delegates from nine schools of public service.
• NASPAA (Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Volcker Alliance and NASPAA leadership submitted a joint letter of support for OPM's proposed rule on civil service protections, aligning with priorities of schools of public service.
• Humans of Public ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumans of Public Service founder Brian Whittaker participated as a guest speaker at the 2024 Deans Summit, sharing how HOPS showcases stories of diverse public servants to expand audience engagement on social media.
• Georgia State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorgia State University hosted the NextGen Service Technical Assistance Retreat, bringing together university leaders from 15 universities in the Next Generation Service Corps national network for three days of training and collaboration.
• Carter CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCarter Center CEO Paige Alexander invited NextGen Service leaders to a private tour of the Carter Center during the GSU Technical Assistance Retreat.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Partnership for Public Service: A nonprofit focused on recruiting and developing the next generation of federal employees and improving government performance. Directly comparable as a peer in the government-workforce and civil-service reform space.
• NASPAA (Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration): The global accrediting body for schools of public service — directly comparable as the leading network of public service schools and a current partner of the Volcker Alliance.
• National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA): An independent, congressionally chartered nonprofit that advises on public management and government operations. Comparable as a fellow nonprofit focused on government effectiveness and workforce capability.
• Opportunity@Work: A nonprofit focused on expanding skills-based hiring and STARs career advancement. A direct collaborator with the Alliance on Transformers in the Public Sector and a peer in the skills-based hiring ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Institution: A major think tank producing research across government, public finance, and economic policy. Comparable as a policy research institution, though much broader in scope than the Volcker Alliance's public-service workforce focus.
• The Pew Charitable Trusts: A major nonprofit that funds research on state and local fiscal issues including infrastructure, of which the Volcker Alliance is a current partner. Comparable in the public-finance research space though with a far broader remit.

Emerging players

• Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation (Harvard Kennedy School): An academic center focused on democratic governance, civic engagement, and public sector innovation. Comparable as an academic-based hub for public service research and education.
• National Civic League: A nonprofit focused on democratic governance, civic engagement, and community problem-solving. Comparable as a smaller peer working on democratic renewal and civic participation.
• Young Invincibles: A nonprofit focused on expanding economic opportunity for young adults, including pathways into public service careers. Comparable as a peer working with the same demographic (young Americans) on workforce outcomes.

Others

• Council on Foreign Relations: A nonpartisan think tank focused on U.S. foreign policy and international affairs. Adjacent — comparable as a nonpartisan, policy-focused nonprofit but not directly competing in the public service education space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VolckerAlliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheVolckerAlliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-volcker-alliance

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 The Volcker Alliance