Kappa Delta Pi (KDP)
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), founded in 1911, is a U.S. nonprofit professional association and honor society for educators. It serves in-service and pre-service teachers through 700+ university chapters, delivering membership benefits, professional development, grants, scholarships, and a Higher Logic-powered community platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1911
- HeadquartersIndianapolis, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) does
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), founded in 1911 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association and honor society for educators. It serves in-service and pre-service teachers through individual membership and a network of 700+ university and college chapters nationwide, reaching 140,000+ engaged educators monthly and supported by 2,833 volunteer leaders. The organization distributes membership benefits including a Teaching Channel Plus subscription, Classroom Teacher Grants of up to $1,000, scholarships exceeding $100,000 annually, peer-reviewed journals (The Educational Forum, KDP Record), the Teacher Tips Tuesday newsletter, certification exam preparation, a Career Center, and insurance products underwritten through Trust for Insuring Educators / Forrest T. Jones & Company.
The underlying technology stack centers on a Higher Logic-powered web platform (kdp.org, my.kdp.org) that handles member management, community forums (Open Forum with 25,963 members), event registration, content publishing, and a separate e-commerce storefront for the KDP Store (temporarily closed June 12 for upgrade, reopening August 31). Product surface spans the KDP Member Hub, On-Demand Learning (K12 Resource Hub, Land Your Dream Teaching Job, KDP Laureate Lecture Series), The Rooted Teacher and The Teacher Advocate publications, and recognition programs (ACE, Phoenix, Celebration of Teaching, Student Teacher of the Year, Classroom Teacher Grants, Scholarships, Teacher of Honor, KDP Laureates).
Revenue is generated through four primary streams: recurring individual membership dues (tiered pricing not publicly disclosed), one-time merchandise sales via the KDP Store, donations processed through give.kdp.org, and sponsorships/advertising including a title website sponsorship. Distribution relies on a hybrid go-to-market combining self-serve digital enrollment, a chapter-based recruiter network at universities, field-based chapter counselors, and event-driven touchpoints (Virtual Initiation, KDP Awards Celebration, Founders Day, Teacher Appreciation Week).
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kappa Delta Pi (KDP)
- Legal name
- Kappa Delta Pi
- Website
- https://kdp.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1911
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), founded in 1911, is a U.S. nonprofit professional association and honor society for educators. It serves in-service and pre-service teachers through 700+ university chapters, delivering membership benefits, professional development, grants, scholarships, and a Higher Logic-powered community platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educator Honor Society Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Alumni Benefits, Membership & Affinity Programs (EDALAOAM)
Keywords
Where Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Indianapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for educators and student teachers joining KDP honor society, with tiered benefits based on membership level.
- KDP Store: E-commerce storefront selling merchandise, graduation items, and educational materials. Store temporarily closed June 12 for upgrade, reopening August 31.
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Donations accepted through give.kdp.org to support scholarships, awards, and organizational mission.
- Sponsorships and Advertising: Title sponsorship (Trust for Insuring Educators) and digital advertising opportunities on the KDP website platform.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kappa Delta Pi is a private, nonprofit international honor society in education, founded in 1911 and headquartered in Indianapolis, that provides tiered membership (Standard, Premier, Platinum, Diamond) to pre-service and in-service educators through 700+ university chapters. The organization delivers professional development via the Teaching Channel Plus video library, peer-reviewed publications (Rooted Teacher, Teacher Advocate, Educational Forum, KDP Record), financial support through Classroom Teacher Grants and scholarships, an online community platform (Member Hub), and a merchandise storefront (KDP Store), reaching approximately 140,000 educators monthly.
Product overview
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) is a National Professional Association and Honor Society for Educators founded in 1911. It offers a membership-based platform with multiple interconnected services: the KDP Member Hub as the central portal, alongside professional development resources (Teaching Channel subscription, On-Demand Learning, Certification Exam Prep), educational publications (The Rooted Teacher, The Teacher Advocate, The Educational Forum Journal, KDP Record Journal), financial programs (Classroom Teacher Grants, Scholarships), career services (Career Center), insurance benefits, and chapter-based community programs. The organization serves 140,000+ educators monthly through its honor society and professional development offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Rooted Teacher by KDP: A publication/resource offering by Kappa Delta Pi
- The Teacher Advocate by KDP
- KDP Member Hub
- Teaching Channel by KDP
- The Educational Forum
- KDP Record
Products and services
- KDP Membership
- Teaching Channel Plus
- The Rooted Teacher
- The Teacher Advocate
- The Educational Forum
- The KDP Record
- KDP Store
Quantifiable outcome
- 190 Awards of Excellence and $100,000+ in scholarships distributed annually to support educator professional development
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Kappa Delta Pi (KDP)
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Trust for Insuring Educators / Forrest T. Jones & CompanycoreTrust for Insuring Educators serves as Title Sponsor of the KDP Website, administered by Forrest T. Jones & Company. This partnership provides KDP members with access to special insurance plans including professional liability, health, life, auto, and home insurance.
- Higher LogiccoreHigher Logic provides the web platform technology powering kdp.org, including membership management, community platforms, event registration, and digital communications infrastructure.
- Teaching ChannelcoreTeaching Channel partnership provides KDP members with free access to Teaching Channel Plus subscription, offering best practices videos and professional development content to elevate teaching skills.
- DuolingominorReferenced in KDP blog content as a free educational tool for English language learners; no formal partnership mentioned.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Phi Delta Kappa (PDK International): PDK International is one of the most direct comparables: a long-standing professional association and honor society in education, with overlapping membership benefits, journals, and educator advocacy. Both target practicing and pre-service teachers and compete for chapter-based recruitment at universities.
- Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD): ASCD is a global community of educators focused on curriculum, instruction, and leadership. It directly competes with KDP for paid professional memberships among teachers and administrators and offers overlapping publications, PD resources, and member benefits.
- International Literacy Association (ILA): ILA is a professional association for literacy educators offering journals, conferences, and member benefits. It targets a narrower subset of KDP's audience but competes on the same professional membership and recognition model.
- Council for Exceptional Children (CEC): CEC is a professional association for special educators offering journals, PD, and member benefits with a chapter-style affiliate network. It is a direct competitor to KDP in the educator-membership space, particularly for teachers seeking specialized recognition and resources.
Broad incumbents
- National Education Association (NEA): The NEA is the largest U.S. educator professional association, offering professional development, advocacy, and member benefits. While far larger and union-oriented, it overlaps with KDP on educator professional development, publications, and member benefits.
- American Federation of Teachers (AFT): AFT is a major national educators' union providing professional development, publications, and member benefits. It competes with KDP for educators' professional development time and dues dollars, though it is broader in scope and includes collective bargaining.
- Phi Beta Kappa Society: Phi Beta Kappa is the pre-eminent U.S. academic honor society with a chapter network at universities. While focused on liberal arts rather than education specifically, its model of university-chapter-based honor society membership and recognition is structurally analogous to KDP's.
- Scholastic Education: Scholastic is a major education publisher and provider of teacher resources, professional books, and classroom materials. While commercially broader, it competes with KDP for educator spending on professional development resources and content.
Others
- Sigma Theta Tau International (Sigma Nursing / Honor Society of Nursing): Sigma is a discipline-specific honor society with a similar chapter-based, university-affiliated, professional recognition model. While nursing-focused, it is structurally comparable to KDP as a discipline-specific honor society with a community hub and scholarships.
Emerging players
- Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation): Edutopia is a free, widely used educator resource site offering best practices, videos, and community content. It overlaps with KDP's Teaching Channel benefit and competes for educators' attention on free, high-quality professional development content.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) social profiles
Digital presenceKappa Delta Pi (KDP) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kappa Delta Pi (KDP)
What does Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) do?
Kappa Delta Pi is a private, nonprofit international honor society in education, founded in 1911 and headquartered in Indianapolis, that provides tiered membership (Standard, Premier, Platinum, Diamond) to pre-service and in-service educators through 700+ university chapters. The organization delivers professional development via the Teaching Channel Plus video library, peer-reviewed publications (Rooted Teacher, Teacher Advocate, Educational Forum, KDP Record), financial support through Classroom Teacher Grants and scholarships, an online community platform (Member Hub), and a merchandise storefront (KDP Store), reaching approximately 140,000 educators monthly.
Is Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) a public or private company?
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) founded?
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) was founded in 1911. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) based?
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) is headquartered in Indianapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are KDP Store, donations and Charitable Contributions and sponsorships and Advertising.
Who are Kappa Delta Pi (KDP)'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Phi Delta Kappa (PDK International), Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), International Literacy Association (ILA) and Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Broad incumbents are National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Phi Beta Kappa Society and Scholastic Education. Sigma Theta Tau International (Sigma Nursing / Honor Society of Nursing) is listed as an others. Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kappa Delta Pi (KDP).
What industry is Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) in?
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP)'s product category is Educator Honor Society Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAOAM, Alumni Benefits, Membership & Affinity Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8600.