The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

What The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi does

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit collegiate honor society founded in 1897 at the University of Maine and headquartered at 7576 Goodwood Boulevard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline academic honor society, operating an invitation-based membership model in which top academic performers (typically the top 7.5% of juniors and seniors, or top 10% of sophomores at institutions with chapter agreements) are initiated through a network of more than 320 campus chapters across the United States and its territories. Since founding, the society has initiated more than 1.75 million members and currently reaches 100,000+ active members through its publications and online channels.

The society's product portfolio centers on a one-time Life Membership, supported by an integrated ecosystem of member benefits. Core platforms include the Higher Logic-powered Link online member community (with Member Directory and Expert Directory), the Forum quarterly magazine published since 1915, the Focus monthly newsletter, a Merit-driven recognition and press-release program, the Phi Kappa Phi Engage chapter platform, Career Center and Internship Board job boards, and a podcast series. Annual awards and grants of more than $1 million fund 48 Fellowships (up to $35,000), 12 Dissertation Fellowships ($10,000), 75 Study Abroad Grants ($1,000), 155 Love of Learning Awards ($1,000), 50 Pioneer Awards ($1,000), Graduate Research Grants (up to $1,500), Literacy Grants (up to $2,500), the Distinguished Service Award, the Scholar and Artist Award, and the $50,000 Mary Todd Sabbatical Award. Membership operations run on Nimble AMS by Community Brands.

Revenue mechanics combine one-time life membership dues, optional $500 Benefactor donations, broader tax-deductible contributions (including planned giving, QCDs from IRAs, and gifts of stock), magazine subscriptions ($37.50/year domestic, $55/year international), merchandise sales through the Centricity-operated Phi Kappa Phi Store, and partner-sourced member benefits from SoFi, LifeLock, The Princeton Review, Brooks Brothers, Avis/Budget, AT&T, Carbonite, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Church Hill Classics, and the Fund for American Studies. The society is led by Executive Director/CEO Bradley Newcomer, Ph.D., alongside COO Traci Navarre, CAE, and CFO Suzanne Borders, CPA.

Name

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

Legal name

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

Website

https://phikappaphi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, founded in 1897 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is the nation's oldest all-discipline collegiate honor society, serving more than 1.75 million lifetime initiates across 320+ U.S. campus chapters through Life Membership, awards and fellowships exceeding $1 million annually, publications, and an integrated member-benefit ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Baton Rouge

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

Revenue model

1. Life Membership Dues: Members pay a one-time Life Membership fee. The Benefactor program requires an additional $500 one-time donation for Life Members to enhance their support of the society's mission and award programs.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from members and supporters fund the society's award and grant programs. The Benefactor program ($500 one-time), planned giving, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs, and gifts of stock are all accepted.
3. Publication Subscriptions and Back Issues: Phi Kappa Phi Forum magazine subscriptions available to non-members at $37.50/year ($55 outside US). Back issues sold for $10 each (non-members) or $4 each (active members).
4. Merchandise Sales: The society operates an online store (PhiKappaPhiStore.org) selling graduation regalia, recognition items, Society-branded merchandise, and certificate frames through exclusive partner Centricity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) academic honor society founded in 1897 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It recognizes academic excellence by inducting top-performing undergraduate and graduate students into membership through more than 320 campus chapters, having initiated more than 1.75 million members since its founding. It delivers member benefits including awards and fellowships (distributing more than $1 million annually), publications, and career resources.

Product overview

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi offers a membership-based platform centered on its core honor society with multiple interconnected products and services. The primary offerings include membership in the nation's oldest all-discipline honor society (with over 1.75 million members since 1897), the Phi Kappa Phi Forum quarterly magazine (reaching 100,000+ readers), the Focus monthly newsletter, and the Link online member community powered by Higher Logic. The Society distributes more than $1 million annually through award and grant programs including Fellowships (up to $35,000), Dissertation Fellowships, Study Abroad Grants, Graduate Research Grants, Love of Learning Awards, and Literacy Grants. Additional member services include the Career Center job board, Internship Board, Expert Directory, Merit achievement recognition platform, podcast series for career guidance, and an online merchandise store. The product portfolio functions as an integrated ecosystem designed to support academic and professional development across all disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Phi Kappa Phi Forum: The Society's award-winning quarterly magazine providing coverage of the Society and the world at large, reaching more than 100,000 readers including active members, government officials, libraries, and executives.
• Focus Newsletter
• Phi Kappa Phi Engage

Products and services

• Phi Kappa Phi Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 million distributed annually in awards and grants
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• SoFicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSoFi is the leading student loan refinancing provider with more than $30 billion in refinanced loans. Phi Kappa Phi members receive exclusive offers including a 0.25% rate discount on student loan refinancing, a $250 bonus on private student loans, a 0.50% rate discount on personal loans, and a $500 bonus on home loans. SoFi also provides financial literacy tools and calculators through the society's financial literacy benefit page.
• LifeLockcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLifeLock provides resources to help members make smart financial decisions, challenge credit report errors, and improve credit scores. Phi Kappa Phi members receive 35% off their first year of LifeLock membership through this partnership.
• The Princeton ReviewcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Princeton Review offers essential presentations on graduate school applications and testing strategies. Phi Kappa Phi members, friends, and family can save up to 15% on courses and tutoring with promo codes PKP15 and PKP15SP, and 10% off tutoring and Medical School Admission Counseling with code PKP10.
• The Fund for American StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Fund for American Studies operates DCInternships.org offering summer and semester programs in Washington, DC with academic credit through George Mason University, internship placements, furnished housing, and professional development. Three scholarships of $2,500 are reserved for Phi Kappa Phi members.
• Seeking SuccesssecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerSeeking Success provides resume and LinkedIn profile writing services. Phi Kappa Phi members can save $100 on Seeking Success resume and LinkedIn profile writing package through this partnership.
• Church Hill ClassicssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChurch Hill Classics offers custom certificate frames for Phi Kappa Phi membership certificates. Members receive 15% off purchases of $150 or more with code PKPRecognition.
• Brooks BrotherssecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerMembers receive exclusive discounts on Brooks Brothers merchandise as part of the shopping benefits program.
• Avis and BudgetsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive discounts on car and truck rentals from Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National, and other vehicle rental providers. Discounts may exceed 35% for Phi Kappa Phi members.
• AT&T, Carbonite, Dell, HP, LenovosecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology partners offering discounts of up to 50% on products and services to Phi Kappa Phi members.
• Merit (Meritpages)coreTechnology or IntegrationMerit platform creates and distributes personalized press releases announcing member achievements to hometown newspapers and creates online Merit profiles members can share with prospective employers and on social media.
• Higher LogiccoreTechnology or IntegrationHigher Logic powers the 'Link' member-exclusive online community platform where members can network, share resources, discuss topics, and access the Expert Directory.
• CentricitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCentricity is the exclusive partner for Phi Kappa Phi branded merchandise and manages the online store (PhiKappaPhiStore.org).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Golden Key International Honour Society: Large multi-discipline honor society with global chapters serving undergraduate and graduate students. Closely comparable in all-discipline scope, membership dues model, awards portfolio, and partner benefits structure.
• Tau Beta Pi: Engineering honor society with chapter-based membership, scholarships, and member benefits. Comparable in the chapter-network, invitation-based, awards-driven model despite narrower disciplinary focus.
• Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society: Discipline-specific honor society recognizing scientific research achievement. Comparable as a chapter-based honor society with membership dues, peer-reviewed publication (American Scientist), and research grant programs.
• Phi Theta Kappa: The honor society for two-year college (community college) students. Comparable as a similarly structured academic honor society with chapter-based membership, scholarship programs, and leadership development mission.
• Mortar Board: National senior honor society recognizing college juniors and seniors for scholarship, leadership, and service. Comparable as a chapter-based collegiate honor society with awards, publications, and lifelong member engagement.
• Alpha Chi: Multi-discipline honor society for juniors, seniors, and graduate students at smaller colleges and universities. Closely comparable in all-discipline scope, chapter model, and scholarship/award programs.
• Order of Omega: Greek-letter honor society recognizing leadership among fraternity and sorority members. Comparable as a collegiate chapter-based honor society offering member benefits, awards, and professional networking.
• Phi Beta Kappa: The nation's oldest academic honor society (founded 1776), focused on undergraduate liberal arts and sciences. Directly comparable as the prestige benchmark for collegiate honor society membership, awards, and chapter-based recognition.
• Alpha Lambda Delta: Honor society for first-year students with high academic achievement. Comparable chapter-network model, awards portfolio, and membership-based engagement for academic achievers.
• National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS): Honor society for high-achieving first- and second-year students. Comparable as an invitation-based, multi-discipline collegiate honor society with chapter network, awards, and member benefits.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/phikappaphi
• Facebookfacebook.com/phikappaphi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phikappaphi
• Instagraminstagram.com/phikappaphi#

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi