Telluride Association
Telluride Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1911 that runs free residential educational programs in democratic self-governance and intellectual inquiry for high school and university students. It operates year-round branch houses at Cornell and the University of Michigan plus summer seminars across three universities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1911
- HeadquartersIthaca, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Telluride Association does
Telluride Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization incorporated in New York and founded in 1911 by industrialist Lucien L. Nunn, with administrative headquarters in Ithaca, NY and a regional office in Ann Arbor, MI. The organization creates free residential educational programs centered on democratic self-governance, intellectual inquiry, and community building, serving high school students, university undergraduates and graduates, and university faculty. Core programs are: (1) TASS-CBS (Critical Black Studies) and TASS-AOS (Anti-Oppressive Studies), two six-week residential summer seminars for high school sophomores and juniors held at Cornell University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Maryland; (2) two year-round residential scholarship houses — the Cornell Branch / Telluride House (operating since 1910) and the Michigan Branch (established 1999) — providing full room and board to roughly 20-30 students each alongside rotating Faculty Fellows; and (3) auxiliary offerings including the TADAS Scholarship, Mansfield-Wefald Senior Thesis Prize ($1,500), and Mike Yarrow Adventurous Education Award (up to $3,000). The technology footprint is limited: no proprietary platform or product, with operations relying on commodity SaaS including Zoom (for TAOS online seminars and during COVID-19 pivot), Google Sites (board portal), Network for Good (donation processing), and JazzHR (faculty recruiting). The business model is donation-driven: as a 501(c)(3), Telluride Association is funded through charitable contributions from alumni, supporters, and estate planning vehicles (bequests, IRA, 401(k), and life insurance beneficiary designations), with revenue figures not publicly disclosed. All programs are offered at no cost to participants, with full coverage of tuition, books, room, board, field trips, and facilities fees, plus financial aid for travel and replacement of summer earnings. The organization is governed by a 60-120 member volunteer board composed of program alumni and led by Executive Director Amina Omari, supported by a small permanent staff; it is not affiliated with any parent company and holds no venture, private equity, or public ownership.
Telluride Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Telluride Association
- Legal name
- Telluride Association, Inc.
- Website
- https://tellurideassociation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1911
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Telluride Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1911 that runs free residential educational programs in democratic self-governance and intellectual inquiry for high school and university students. It operates year-round branch houses at Cornell and the University of Michigan plus summer seminars across three universities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Telluride Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Residential Education Programs
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential Education, Programming & Community Development (EDALACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Off-Campus / University-Affiliated Housing Management (EDAEAFAB)
Keywords
Where Telluride Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ithaca
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Telluride Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Telluride Association is primarily funded through donations from alumni, supporters, and charitable foundations. The organization invites gifts of any size to support their educational programs.
- Estate Planning and Bequests: Supporters can leave legacy gifts through bequests, beneficiary designations on life insurance, IRAs, 401(k)s, and other estate planning vehicles to support future generations of Telluriders.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free six-week residential summer seminar for high school sophomores and juniors |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Telluride Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Telluride Association creates and delivers free residential educational programs centered on community, learning, and democracy for high school and university students. Its core offerings include six-week TASS-CBS and TASS-AOS summer seminars for high school sophomores and juniors, year-round residential branch houses at Cornell University and the University of Michigan providing full room and board scholarships, and the Faculty Fellows program placing university professors in branch houses.
Product overview
Telluride Association is an educational nonprofit founded in 1911 that creates free transformative programs for young people centered on intellectual inquiry, democratic self-governance, and community building. The organization operates two primary program types: (1) Summer programs for high school students, specifically the Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS) with two tracks—TASS-CBS (Critical Black Studies) and TASS-AOS (Anti-Oppressive Studies)—offering free six-week residential seminars exploring power, privilege, and social structures; and (2) Residential branch houses at Cornell University (CBTA/Telluride House) and the University of Michigan (MBTA) providing full scholarships with room, board, and intensive intellectual community experiences. Supporting programs include the Faculty Fellows initiative placing university faculty in branch houses, and three named awards: TADAS Scholarship (for TASS alumni), Mansfield-Wefald Senior Thesis Prize, and Mike Yarrow Adventurous Education Award. The organization also maintains a legacy online program (TAOS) developed during COVID-19.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Telluride Association Summer Seminar - Critical Black Studies (TASS-CBS) A free, six-week residential summer seminar for high school sophomores and juniors exploring history, politics, literature, art, and intellectual and cultural contributions from people of African descent.
- Telluride Association Summer Seminar - Anti-Oppressive Studies (TASS-AOS) A free, six-week residential summer seminar for high school sophomores and juniors examining how systems of power and oppression including white supremacy, patriarchy, and classism shape social structures.
- Cornell Branch (CBTA) / Telluride House A residential scholarship house at Cornell University providing full room and board to undergraduate and graduate students, featuring intellectual community, democratic self-governance, public speaking programs, and academic seminars.
- Michigan Branch (MBTA) / Telluride House A residential community at the University of Michigan offering full room and board scholarships to 20-30 students, featuring democratic self-governance, public speaking programs, annual community service projects, and the Telluride Lecture Series.
- Telluride Association Online Seminars (TAOS) A free six-week online educational experience for high school sophomores and juniors, conducted via Zoom, combining rigorous liberal arts study with community-building and self-governance.
- Faculty Fellows Program
Companies that use Telluride Association
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Telluride Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Telluride Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of MarylandcoreUniversity of Maryland is a host site for TASS summer seminars, providing campus facilities for the six-week residential program. This partnership allows Telluride to expand access to its programs beyond the Cornell and Michigan locations.
- University of MichigancoreMichigan Branch (MBTA) chartered in 2000, providing room and board scholarships for University of Michigan students. The branch focuses on annual community service projects while emphasizing intellectual inquiry and democratic self-governance.
- Lincoln College, Oxford UniversityminorLincoln College (Oxford) exchange with Telluride House established in 1950, allowing for international academic exchange between the institutions.
- Deep Springs CollegeminorFounded by L.L. Nunn in 1917, Deep Springs College shares the same educational philosophy as Telluride Association. Both institutions are part of the 'Nunnian' network of educational projects inspired by Nunn's methods combining practical work with intellectual growth.
- Cornell UniversitycoreTelluride House (Cornell Branch) established in 1910 as a scholarship residence for bright young men. The partnership has continued for over 110 years, with the university providing academic environment and facilities while Telluride provides residential community and intellectual programming.
- Central European University in Budapest, HungaryminorTelluride Association offers graduate fellowships at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, as part of its academic fellowship offerings for housemembers.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Telluride Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Reed College: Reed College is a small residential liberal arts institution with an intellectual culture emphasizing seminar-style discussion and academic rigor, paralleling Telluride's educational philosophy for its branch house members.
- Hampshire College: Hampshire College is a small progressive residential institution emphasizing student-driven learning and alternative pedagogy, comparable to Telluride's mission of self-governance and non-traditional educational structures.
- St. John's College: St. John's College is a small residential liberal arts institution with a Great Books curriculum and discussion-based pedagogy, sharing Telluride's commitment to small residential intellectual community and rigorous dialogue-driven education.
Direct peers
- COSMOS (University of California): COSMOS is a four-week residential summer program at UC campuses for high school students, comparable to TASS as a state-wide residential summer enrichment program hosted on university campuses.
- MITES (MIT): MITES is a residential summer program at MIT serving high-achieving high school students from underrepresented backgrounds, similar to TASS in offering free, residential, university-hosted enrichment targeting students from underserved communities.
- Duke TIP (Talent Identification Program): Duke TIP runs residential summer programs for gifted high school students, overlapping with Telluride's TASS in serving intellectually gifted high schoolers through intensive residential summer enrichment on university campuses.
- Deep Springs College: Founded in 1917 by L.L. Nunn, Deep Springs is the sister institution of Telluride Association, sharing the same 'Nunnian' educational philosophy that combines intellectual inquiry, manual labor, and democratic self-governance on a residential campus.
- Research Science Institute (RSI): RSI is a prestigious five-week residential summer program for high school students at MIT, comparable to Telluride's TASS as an elite, highly selective, fully funded enrichment experience targeting intellectually exceptional students.
Emerging players
- MOSTEC (MIT Online Science, Technology, and Engineering Community): MOSTEC is MIT's online enrichment program for high school students from underrepresented backgrounds, overlapping with Telluride's TAOS online programming as a free digital enrichment channel for similar student demographics.
Others
- Yale Residential Colleges: Yale's residential college system provides year-round residential intellectual community at a university, comparable to Telluride's branch houses at Cornell and Michigan as small self-governing residential learning communities within larger universities.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Telluride Association social profiles
Digital presenceTelluride Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Telluride Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Telluride Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Telluride Association 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 Telluride Association
What does Telluride Association do?
Telluride Association creates and delivers free residential educational programs centered on community, learning, and democracy for high school and university students. Its core offerings include six-week TASS-CBS and TASS-AOS summer seminars for high school sophomores and juniors, year-round residential branch houses at Cornell University and the University of Michigan providing full room and board scholarships, and the Faculty Fellows program placing university professors in branch houses.
Is Telluride Association a public or private company?
Telluride Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Telluride Association founded?
Telluride Association was founded in 1911. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Telluride Association based?
Telluride Association is headquartered in Ithaca, United States, in the North America region.
How does Telluride Association make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are estate Planning and Bequests.
Who are Telluride Association's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Reed College, Hampshire College and St. John's College. Direct peers are COSMOS (University of California), MITES (MIT), Duke TIP (Talent Identification Program), Deep Springs College and Research Science Institute (RSI). MOSTEC (MIT Online Science, Technology, and Engineering Community) is listed as an emerging player. Yale Residential Colleges is listed as an others.
Does Telluride Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Telluride Association.
What industry is Telluride Association in?
Telluride Association's product category is Residential Education Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALACAC, Residential Education, Programming & Community Development, with a secondary code of EDAEAFAB, Off-Campus / University-Affiliated Housing Management. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.