Carnegie Council

What Carnegie Council does

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank and educational organization founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1914 and headquartered at the Global Ethics Hub, 170 East 64th Street, New York City. The organization convenes experts, publishes research, and runs programs focused on ethical leadership across international relations, with particular emphasis on nuclear risk, emerging-technology governance, democracy, migration, climate, and multilateralism. Core programmatic products include the Carnegie Ethics Fellows (CEF) program, the quarterly Ethics & International Affairs journal, the Carnegie Ethics Accelerator incubator, the annual Global Ethics Day initiative, the Model International Mobility Convention, and the Values & Interests podcast and video series distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. The organization employs 11–50 staff and operates independently with no parent company, governed by an independent board and led by President Joel H. Rosenthal.

Carnegie Council's business model is donation-driven, with no charge for core programming, content, or events. Revenue derives from individual donations (one-time, recurring, and planned giving, with preset tiers of $50, $100, and $250, plus a President's Circle for major donors), foundation and corporate grants, gifts through donor-advised funds and securities, workplace matching gifts, and a newly established endowed partnership with the Uehiro Foundation on Ethics and Education (the Uehiro-Carnegie Endowment for Future Generations, established January 2025). The organization also generates modest subscription and institutional-access revenue from the Ethics & International Affairs journal. Customer-facing relationships are best characterized as stakeholder segments rather than paying customers: next-generation leaders (primary), policymakers and government officials (primary), the academic community, business leaders, and the general public. Distribution is digital-first and global, spanning podcast platforms, YouTube, the carnegiecouncil.org website, email newsletters, in-person events at the New York headquarters and select international locations, and academic journal subscriptions.

Operationally, Carnegie Council does not develop proprietary technology, software, or AI products. Its competitive position rests on a century-old brand, a multi-channel content engine, a curated community of fellows and high-profile contributors, and partnerships with peer institutions including PBS, the Uehiro Foundation, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, NYU, and the University of Bonn. The organization's strategic posture in 2025–2026 emphasizes geographic expansion into the Asia-Pacific region, vertical expansion into AI and emerging-technology ethics, and the buildout of a multi-year leadership pipeline through the Next Generation Leadership Initiative and the Ethics Accelerator.

Name

Carnegie Council

Legal name

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs

Website

https://carnegiecouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carnegie Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank founded in 1914 that convenes experts, publishes the Ethics & International Affairs journal, and runs leadership, accelerator, and Global Ethics Day programs for policymakers, next-generation leaders, and academics in international affairs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Ethics Think Tank / Policy Research

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Government Accountability, Ethics & Anti-Corruption Advocacy (BPAGAFAN)

Keywords

• Ethics education
• International affairs
• Nonprofit think tank
• Ethical leadership
• Policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Nyack

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. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Carnegie Council relies on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. The organization offers various giving options including one-time and recurring donations, President's Circle membership, gifts through donor-advised funds (DAF), workplace matching gifts, gifts of stocks or securities, and planned giving programs.
2. Publication Revenue: The organization publishes the quarterly journal Ethics & International Affairs, which generates some revenue through subscriptions and potentially institutional access fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Carnegie Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank that produces ethical analysis, research, and convening on international affairs through educational programs, publications, and events. Its offerings include the Carnegie Ethics Fellows leadership program, the quarterly Ethics & International Affairs journal, the Carnegie Ethics Accelerator incubator, the annual Global Ethics Day initiative, the Model International Mobility Convention, and the Values & Interests podcast and video series.

Product overview

Carnegie Council operates as a nonprofit ethics organization rather than a technology product company. Its offerings consist of programs and initiatives focused on applied ethics: the Carnegie Ethics Fellows program (CEF) cultivates next-generation ethical leaders; the Ethics & International Affairs Journal publishes quarterly scholarly content; the Carnegie Ethics Accelerator incubates ethics solutions for technology and policy challenges; Global Ethics Day is an annual awareness initiative; the Model International Mobility Convention (MIMC) addresses migration ethics; and the Values & Interests podcast/video series explores ethical dimensions of geopolitics and technology. The organization also runs the Uehiro-Carnegie study tours and the Next Generation Leadership Initiative. These are programmatic offerings, not software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ethics & International Affairs Journal: Quarterly journal of Carnegie Council that aims to close the gap between the theory and practice of ethics in international affairs

Products and services

• Carnegie Ethics Fellows (CEF)
• Ethics & International Affairs Journal
• Carnegie Ethics Accelerator
• Global Ethics Day An annual initiative empowering ethics through actions of individuals and organizations, mobilizing a global community to engage with ethics in their communities.
• Model International Mobility Convention (MIMC) A policy program focused on formulating new rules for migration and asylum that benefit migrants, refugees, and their states of origin, transit, and destination.
• Values & Interests Podcast/Series A podcast and video series examining ethical tensions and tradeoffs in decision-making across geopolitics, technology, philosophy, and business.
• Uehiro-Carnegie Endowment for Future Generations Study Tour A study tour program under the Uehiro-Carnegie Endowment for Future Generations, bringing together Carnegie Council fellows and staff to explore ethics and policy issues through international travel and engagement.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2026Carnegie Council partnered with PBS for the Values & Interests keynote event on Nuclear Ethics. PBS's American Experience documentary 'Bombshell' was the catalyst for a panel discussion moderated by Ann Curry, examining the ethical dimensions of nuclear weapons and the narratives constructed by leaders and media.
• Uehiro Foundation on Ethics and EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2025Established the Uehiro-Carnegie Endowment for Future Generations, a major initiative to empower next-generation professionals committed to values-driven leadership. The partnership funded a study tour to Japan in November 2025 visiting Tokyo, Sendai, Kyoto, and Hiroshima, with meetings with scholars, university leaders, think tank partners, and civil society leaders.
• Old Dominion UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKathleen Egan previously served as program coordinator for Old Dominion University's Model UN program, facilitating academic competitions and advising students on international issues, conflict negotiation, and UN diplomatic procedure.
• University of BonnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHendrik W. Ohnesorge, Managing Director of Center for Global Studies at University of Bonn, is a recurring guest and expert contributor to the Values & Interests podcast series.
• New York UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHendrik Ohnesorge is a non-resident fellow at NYU, facilitating academic exchange and collaboration between Carnegie Council and the university.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Foreign Policy Association: US nonprofit focused on inspiring public engagement with global affairs through education, events, and publications; highly comparable as an ethics-and-policy education organization with flagship events serving civic audiences.
• International Crisis Group: Independent nonprofit working to prevent wars and shape policy on conflict-affected states; directly comparable as a global research and convening organization with field-driven analysis tied to international ethics and peace.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Also founded by Andrew Carnegie, the Carnegie Endowment is the closest peer: a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on international affairs with similar convening, research, and publication activities, distinguished primarily by a policy-rather-than-ethics orientation.
• Atlantic Council: Nonpartisan nonprofit that convenes policymakers and publishes analysis on international affairs, with a strong focus on ethics-related themes such as AI governance, climate, and nuclear; structurally and operationally similar to Carnegie Council.
• Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): UK-based independent nonprofit that convenes experts and publishes analysis on international affairs; directly comparable as a membership-driven think tank with journals, fellows, and global programming, though broader in policy scope.
• Ethics and Public Policy Center: US-based nonprofit institute that works at the intersection of ethics and public policy through writing, scholarship, and convening; directly comparable in mission to apply ethical reasoning to public affairs.

Broad incumbents

• World Economic Forum: International nonprofit that convenes global leaders and publishes analysis on geopolitical, economic, and ethical governance; comparable as a high-profile convening institution with ethics-related programming and a flagship annual event analogous to Global Ethics Day.
• Brookings Institution: One of the largest US think tanks spanning domestic and international policy with multiple journals and centers; comparable membership/nonprofit model but vastly broader scope and headcount than the ethics-focused Council.
• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): Major bipartisan policy research organization on international affairs and security; comparable as a US nonprofit with journals, convening, and a global agenda, though broader and more security-focused.
• Council on Foreign Relations: The preeminent US foreign-policy membership organization with the flagship Foreign Affairs journal; overlaps significantly as a convening and publishing institution but is broader, more policy-focused, and considerably larger.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/carnegiecouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Carnegie Council