World Affairs Council of New Hampshire

What World Affairs Council of New Hampshire does

World Affairs Council of New Hampshire (WACNH) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization founded in 1954 and headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire. It is the sole New Hampshire member of Global Ties U.S. and an affiliated chapter of World Affairs Councils of America, serving as the in-state host for the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The organization runs a portfolio of programs — IVLP hosting (approximately 250 visitors annually from 75+ countries, over 3,500 cumulative visitors since 2000), Diplomacy Simulations (free classroom role-play exercises for grades 6–12 based on National Museum of American Diplomacy curricula), high school exchanges (NSLI-Y, Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship), two podcasts (Global in the Granite State and Drinks & Diplomacy), the annual Global Forum signature fundraiser, the Global Tipping Points speaker series, and a tiered membership program ranging from free Student through $1,000 World Explorer.

Its core technology footprint is minimal: the Wild Apricot membership management SaaS platform and a standard website CMS — there is no proprietary software product. Operations are people-intensive and program-driven, delivered by a small staff of fewer than 10 (Executive Director Tim Horgan, Program Director Anise Jasman-Sayers, Events & Education Coordinator Stephanie Seacord) supported by a volunteer citizen-diplomat network engaging in home hospitality, school visits, and professional exchanges. The customer base spans four segments: global-affairs enthusiasts (members), K-12 students and educators (free programs), high school exchange participants, and international IVLP visitors funded by the U.S. State Department.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across three streams: (1) recurring individual and corporate membership dues from $30 (Educator) to $1,000 (World Explorer) annually plus a free Student tier; (2) donations and corporate sponsorships underwriting educational programming; and (3) one-time event revenue from the Global Forum and Global Tipping Points Series. The organization explicitly cites over $1.5 million in state economic impact annually from visitor spending — this is macroeconomic impact to New Hampshire, not organizational revenue. No financial figures, donor disclosures, or annual report contents are provided, leaving the operating budget undisclosed.

Name

World Affairs Council of New Hampshire

Legal name

World Affairs Council of New Hampshire

Website

https://wacnh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

World Affairs Council of New Hampshire (WACNH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization that hosts the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program in New Hampshire, runs free diplomacy simulations in K-12 schools, and delivers public events and podcasts on global affairs for members, students, educators, and international visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Education and International Exchange Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAIAC

Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Foreign Affairs & Diplomatic Services

SECONDARYBPADAFAL

Post-Conflict Recovery, Reconciliation & Social Cohesion Programs

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Peacekeeping, Conflict Resolution & Security Cooperation

Keywords

• Citizen diplomacy programs
• International visitor exchanges
• Global affairs education
• Diplomacy simulations training
• Nonprofit civic education

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

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. Membership Dues: Annual membership subscriptions at various tier levels ($30-$1,000/year) providing access to events, networking, and benefits.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations and corporate sponsorships supporting educational programming and international exchange operations.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue from signature events like the Global Forum and Global Tipping Points Series, including ticket sales and sponsorship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire (WACNH) is an independent nonprofit educational organization that promotes learning, discussion, and citizen involvement in international affairs. It operates the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) for the U.S. Department of State, hosts diplomacy simulations in schools, runs signature speaker events and podcasts, and sustains its work through tiered memberships, donations, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire operates as a nonprofit educational organization offering a portfolio of programs including the Global in the Granite State Podcast and Drinks & Diplomacy Podcast for public engagement; Diplomacy Simulations for classroom education; the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and High School Exchanges for international exchanges; the annual Global Forum and Global Tipping Points Series for signature events; tiered membership programs; and the IVLP Alumni Spotlight Series for ongoing community engagement. The organization functions as a platform for civil dialogue on global affairs rather than a unified software product, connecting international visitors with New Hampshire communities through various educational and diplomatic programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diplomacy Simulations A free classroom program bringing real-world diplomatic problems to students in grades 6-12 through college, where students role-play as diplomats representing governments, NGOs, and international organizations to negotiate solutions to historical and current world crises over two class periods.
• International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) A professional exchange program hosting international leaders from around the globe for short-term professional programs, creating two-way exchanges of ideas and connecting visitors with everyday Americans in New Hampshire communities.
• High School Exchanges Educational exchange opportunities for high school students, including programs such as NSLI-Y and Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship, providing opportunities to study abroad and gain global perspectives.
• Global Forum The organization's annual signature fundraising event, described as the state's largest gathering of globally minded citizens, featuring conversations with notable speakers on critical global issues.
• Global Tipping Points Series A speaker series featuring discussions on global issues with experts, policymakers, and thought leaders.
• Membership Programs Tiered annual membership programs including Traveler ($75/yr), Explorer ($125/yr), Adventurer ($250/yr), Leader ($500/yr), World Explorer ($1,000/yr), Educator ($30/yr), and Student (Free), offering benefits such as discounted event admission, access to speakers, and travel program access.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,500 international visitors hosted since 2000 from nearly 200 countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• World Affairs Councils of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliation providing access to international travel programs, resources, and network of World Affairs Councils across the United States. WACNH is an independent chapter operating under the WACA umbrella.
• Global Ties U.S.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWACNH is the only Granite State member of Global Ties U.S., hosting IVLP visitors as part of the U.S. Department of State's premier professional exchange program network.
• National Museum of American DiplomacymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWACNH diplomacy simulations are based on simulations developed by the National Museum of American Diplomacy, the official museum of the U.S. Department of State.
• U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIVLP program funding and oversight. The Bureau designs and implements quality experiential programs for distinguished international visitors through the IVLP exchange program.
• FHI 360majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFHI 360 implements the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program, with Janine Branch serving as Senior Program Officer for IVLP.
• National Museum of American DiplomacymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCiara Koepke from the National Museum of American Diplomacy serves as speaker for WACNH's Freedom 250 program series on diplomacy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Council on Foreign Relations: A major nonpartisan think tank and membership organization focused on U.S. foreign policy and international affairs. Comparable audience profile (engaged citizens, educators, policy professionals) but at substantially larger scale and a different operating model.
• Global Ties U.S. The national network administering the U.S. Department of State's international exchange programs. WACNH is the only Granite State member, so Global Ties U.S. is both parent network and benchmark for how council-level exchange hosting is funded, measured, and scaled nationally.
• Foreign Policy Association: A national nonprofit that educates Americans on foreign policy through programs like Great Decisions. Mission overlap with WACNH is high (public education on world affairs), though the FPA operates nationally and historically rather than at the state-council level.
• World Affairs Councils of America: The national umbrella organization that charters local World Affairs Councils including WACNH. Comparable because WACNH operates within this federation's programming, branding, and travel-program framework, and is benchmarked against it for membership and program scale.

Emerging players

• International Affairs Forum: A civic forum and speaker series organization dedicated to educating the public on international topics. Comparable in mission and audience, smaller in program breadth, providing a benchmark for lightweight civic-format programming.

Direct peers

• World Affairs Council of Atlanta: Another affiliated World Affairs Council running comparable membership tiers, signature speaker events, and citizen diplomacy programming. It provides a useful operational benchmark for WACNH's program mix and revenue model.
• Sister Cities International: A nonprofit connecting U.S. cities with international counterparts through citizen-led exchanges. Overlaps with WACNH on citizen diplomacy, home hospitality, and community-based international engagement, but focuses on long-term city partnerships rather than IVLP-style professional exchanges.
• World Affairs Council of Philadelphia: A sister chapter under the World Affairs Councils of America network, running similar speaker series, Global Philadelphia programming, and education initiatives. It benchmarks WACNH's urban-council operating model with comparable mission and funding mix.
• World Affairs Council of Boston: The Greater Boston-area World Affairs Council operates an almost identical membership, speaker series, and IVLP-style programming model. It is the closest geographic and operational peer to WACNH, competing for the same New England civic-affairs audience and audience overlap.

Others

• National Museum of American Diplomacy: The official museum of the U.S. Department of State, which developed the diplomacy simulation curriculum WACNH licenses. It is a content and capability supplier rather than a competitor, but its programming priorities directly shape WACNH's educational offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/worldaffairsnh
• Facebookfacebook.com/WACNH
• Instagraminstagram.com/worldaffairscouncilofnh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about World Affairs Council of New Hampshire