Junior Achievement of Washington

What Junior Achievement of Washington does

Junior Achievement of Washington (JAWA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1953 and headquartered in Seattle, operating from its JA Education Center in Auburn. It is a regional affiliate of Junior Achievement USA and delivers K-12 educational programs in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness to students across Washington state. In the 2024-2025 school year, JAWA reached 59,886 students through 1,617 classes in 396 schools, supported by 2,729 local volunteers and delivering 408,191 contact hours.

JAWA's core offerings are experiential learning simulations: JA BizTown (a simulated city for grades 4-6 where students run businesses, earn paychecks, and transact in a mock economy), JA Finance Park (a personal-budget simulation for middle schoolers), JA Titan (a high school business-management simulation), JA Company Program (teen-operated real businesses), and JA Be Entrepreneurial. The portfolio is supplemented by JA Launch Lesson, JA Inspire, JA Career Exploration Fair, and two seasonal summer camps at the Auburn center. Delivery combines volunteer-led classroom instruction, on-site visits to the Auburn facility, summer camps, and online resources including JA Access Your Future (built with PwC) and the JA Engage volunteer-management platform.

JAWA is funded through corporate sponsorships (60+ organizations including Alaska Airlines, BECU, Boeing, Delta, EY, KPMG, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Microsoft), individual donations, foundation grants flowing through JA USA, event fundraising anchored by the annual Dare to Dream Dinner & Auction, and modest summer-camp registration fees. In-school programs are delivered at no cost to students. The organization holds no equity, is governed by a local board, and depends on continued corporate and foundation support for operating stability.

Name

Junior Achievement of Washington

Legal name

Junior Achievement of Washington

Website

https://washington.ja.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Junior Achievement of Washington is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1953 that delivers K-12 financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work-readiness programs to roughly 60,000 Washington students annually through schools, volunteers, and its Auburn Education Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Financial Literacy Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG), After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM)

Keywords

• Financial literacy education
• Youth entrepreneurship programs
• Work readiness training
• K-12 educational services
• Experiential learning simulations

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Programs are funded primarily through donations from corporations and individuals. The organization lists numerous corporate sponsors including Alaska Airlines, BECU, Harborstone, EY, KPMG, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Boeing, Microsoft, and many others. These partnerships provide both financial support and business volunteers.
2. Event Fundraising: Major annual fundraiser is the Dare to Dream Dinner & Auction. Additional events include Bowling Classic, Stock Market Challenge, Business Hall of Fame, and Strike for Success. Sponsorships at various levels (Presenting, Diamond, Platinum, Silver, Table) provide revenue.
3. Summer Camp Registration: Revenue from summer camp programs including JA Finance Academy (grades 7-9) and JA BizTown Summer Camp (grades 4-6). Camps run Monday through Friday from 9am-3pm at the JA Education Center in Auburn.
4. Government and Foundation Grants: JA USA has received major grants including $38.8 million from MacKenzie Scott, $1.75 million from KPMG Foundation for JA Finance Park, $1.2 million from Chick-fil-A Foundation, and others. These flow to local JA offices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Junior Achievement of Washington is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers experiential learning programs in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness to K-12 students in Washington state. Programs are delivered at no cost to students through in-classroom instruction by trained business volunteers, on-site immersive simulations at the JA Education Center in Auburn (JA BizTown, JA Finance Park), and fee-based summer camps. The organization is funded through corporate sponsorships, individual donations, foundation grants, and event fundraising rather than tuition from participants.

Product overview

Junior Achievement of Washington is a nonprofit organization that provides experiential learning programs in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship for students in grades K-12. The organization operates a multi-product portfolio centered on its core learning experiences including JA BizTown (simulated city for elementary students), JA Finance Park (personal finance simulation for middle school), JA Company Program (teen entrepreneurship), JA Be Entrepreneurial, JA Titan (business simulation), and JA Launch Lesson (entrepreneurial experience). Supplementary programs span career exploration (JA Inspire, JA Career Exploration Fair), economics education (JA Economics), ethics training (JA Excellence through Ethics), and stock market education (JA Stock Market). The organization also offers seasonal programming including summer camps for grades 4-9, program supplements like JA Connect and JA Money Quiz, and online resources such as JA Access Your Future developed with PwC. Programs are delivered through in-classroom instruction, on-site facility visits, virtual formats, and blended learning approaches, supported by volunteer mentors from the business community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JA BizTown: A simulated city program where students in grades 4-6 learn about financial literacy, career exploration, and entrepreneurship by running mock businesses
• JA Finance Park
• Dare to Dream
• JA Finance Academy Summer Camp
• JA BizTown Summer Camp

Products and services

• JA BizTown Simulated city where students in grades 4-6 run businesses, receive paychecks, make bank transactions, and shop in a hands-on learning environment that teaches financial literacy and work readiness. Delivered at the JA Education Center in Auburn and through partner school field trips.
• JA Finance Park Month-long personal finance curriculum where middle school students develop family budgets based on hypothetical life scenarios (job, salary, marital status) and then practice budget management at the JA Finance Park location on the Auburn campus.
• JA Company Program Program where students ages 15-19 start and run a real business enterprise under volunteer mentorship, devising and marketing a product or service while recruiting investors.
• JA Be Entrepreneurial High school program that challenges students to start their own entrepreneurial venture through interactive classroom activities, teaching practical content for transitioning from student to productive member of society.
• JA Economics One-semester blended-learning high school course that connects students to economic principles influencing their daily lives, aligned with national and state education standards.
• JA Finance Academy Summer Camp Week-long summer camp for students entering grades 7-9, held at the JA Education Center in Auburn Monday-Friday 9am-3pm, featuring hands-on learning in career exploration, personal finance, and entrepreneurship and culminating in a Shark Tank-style business pitch showcase. Registration via secure.qgiv.com portal.
• JA BizTown Summer Camp Week-long summer camp for students entering grades 4-6, held at the JA Education Center in Auburn, featuring career exploration, personal finance, and entrepreneurship activities including visits to JA BizTown. Registration via secure.qgiv.com portal.
• JA Titan High school business simulation program that allows teens to compete as managers of computer-simulated businesses in ever-changing economic conditions, with comprehensive teacher- and volunteer-led curriculum.
• JA Launch Lesson 50-minute educational experience delivered by entrepreneurs in classrooms where high school students gain firsthand knowledge about starting a business and the entrepreneurial journey; delivered nationally each November during National Entrepreneurship Month.
• JA Inspire Career exploration program that connects middle and high school students with industry professionals and employers to learn about career opportunities and workforce readiness.
• JA Career Exploration Fair Event-based program that connects students with business professionals to explore career options and understand workforce requirements.
• JA Excellence through Ethics Program that teaches students the importance of ethics and integrity in business through interactive activities and real-world case studies.
• JA Access Your Future Free online tool developed with PwC that helps teens explore options after high school, compare education costs, and calculate student loan debt repayment based on projected career income.
• JA Our Community Elementary school program teaching students about community helpers, economic concepts, and the role of businesses in the community.
• JA More Than Money Elementary program teaching students about earning, spending, saving, and sharing money through interactive activities.
• JA Stock Market Program teaching students about stock markets, investing, and financial markets through simulation and hands-on activities.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, strategic and minor.

• Alaska AirlinesflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 November 2026Alaska Airlines serves as Presenting Sponsor of the 2026 Dare to Dream Dinner & Auction, JAWA's biggest annual fundraiser. As a major corporate partner, Alaska Airlines supports JAWA's mission to prepare students for economic success.
• Sound Credit UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Sound Credit Union and JA of Washington partnership includes an educational storefront in the BizTown section of JA's Auburn campus. The storefront allows students to simulate running a financial institution through roles like CEO and CFO while learning practical financial habits including saving and understanding credit scores. Sound is one of Washington's largest credit unions contributing expertise to hands-on financial literacy education.
• BECUcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBECU serves as a Diamond Sponsor of the 2026 Dare to Dream Dinner & Auction. As one of Washington's largest credit unions, BECU supports JA's financial literacy mission.
• HarborstonecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHarborstone Credit Union serves as a Diamond Sponsor of the 2026 Dare to Dream Dinner & Auction, supporting JAWA's programs for youth financial literacy.
• EYcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEY serves as a Platinum Sponsor of the 2026 Dare to Dream Dinner & Auction. EY has partnered with JA nationally on multiple initiatives including JA Launch Lesson bringing entrepreneurs into classrooms during National Entrepreneurship Month.
• Wells FargocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWells Fargo serves as a Platinum Sponsor of the 2026 Dare to Dream Dinner & Auction. Wells Fargo Foundation has provided significant grants to JA for financial literacy programs.
• Delta Air LinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelta Air Lines has a storefront at the JA Education Center in Auburn, providing students hands-on learning about the airline industry and career opportunities in aviation.
• Teach For AmericastrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partnership announced November 2012 to increase access to JA's work-readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy programs with focus on reaching at-risk youth. TFA corps members bring JA to classrooms and introduce alumni to volunteer opportunities.
• EYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEY supports JA Launch Lesson program bringing entrepreneurs into high school classrooms during National Entrepreneurship Month, reaching nearly 80,000 students annually. Joint research on teen entrepreneurship and career trends.
• PwCstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPwC partnered with JA to develop JA Access Your Future, a free online resource helping teens explore education and career options after high school, calculate student loan debt payoff, and compare college costs.
• Fox 13minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFox 13 Seattle serves as Media Sponsor of the 2026 Dare to Dream Dinner & Auction, providing media coverage and promotion of JAWA events and mission.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Junior Achievement USA: The national umbrella organization and parent entity of JAWA. Operates the same K-12 financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness curriculum framework across the U.S., making it the most direct structural peer though at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Junior Achievement of Georgia: Another large regional JA affiliate delivering JA BizTown, JA Finance Park, and 3DE Schools programming. Directly comparable in mission, product mix, and regional operating model.
• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): National nonprofit delivering entrepreneurship education to middle and high school students, particularly in underserved communities. Overlaps directly with JA's entrepreneurship and work readiness programs and competes for school district and corporate partner relationships.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit offering after-school and summer programming including financial literacy and career exploration. Similar nonprofit funding model, K-12 audience, and corporate sponsor roster.
• 4-H (National 4-H Council): Youth development organization offering financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career readiness programs through schools and clubs. Comparable nonprofit structure with significant corporate and federal funding.
• DECA: Student organization focused on marketing, finance, hospitality, and entrepreneurship education for high school students. Overlaps with JA's work readiness and entrepreneurship programming and competes for school partnerships and corporate sponsorships.
• Girl Scouts of the USA: Youth organization offering financial literacy badges and entrepreneurship programs for K-12 girls. Comparable nonprofit model with corporate sponsor ecosystem and K-12 audience.
• Junior Achievement of Wisconsin: Another Midwestern regional JA affiliate offering comparable programming including JA BizTown, JA Finance Park, and 3DE Schools. Similar scale and operating model as JAWA.

Emerging players

• EVERFI: Digital-first financial literacy and SEL education provider that delivers curriculum to K-12 schools via self-serve online platforms. Competes with JA on financial literacy content delivery but lacks JA's in-person simulation experiences and volunteer model.
• Operation HOPE: Nonprofit delivering financial literacy and economic empowerment education to youth and adults. Overlaps with JA on financial literacy mission and corporate partner relationships, though with greater adult education focus.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jawashington1
• Facebookfacebook.com/JuniorAchievementofWashington
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/junior-achievement-of-washington

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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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 Junior Achievement of Washington