Civil War Trust

Heritage Preservation and Historical Educationcivilwar.org

The American Battlefield Trust (founded 1987, Washington, D.C.) is the largest U.S. nonprofit preserving Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefields, having saved 63,000+ acres. It serves educators, members, and the public through 4,400+ free educational resources, mobile apps, virtual tours, and a quarterly magazine.

Company typePrivate
Founded1987
HeadquartersWashington, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingDigital Commerce or Content

What Civil War Trust does

The American Battlefield Trust (formerly Civil War Trust), founded in 1987 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the largest nationally focused battlefield preservation entity in the United States. It permanently preserves land associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War, having saved more than 63,000 acres to date, while educating the public through an extensive digital platform built on battlefields.org. The organization's core product surface includes the Educator Portal (4,400+ free resources with K-12 curricula, Traveling Trunks, and the History Field Trip Grant Program), mobile apps for individual battlefields, 360-degree virtual tours, interactive animated battle maps, and the quarterly Hallowed Ground Magazine. External digital experiences include The Liberty Trail and the Medal of Honor Valor Trail, alongside the touring American Revolution Experience exhibit.

The Trust operates a community-led, membership-based nonprofit model reaching roughly 40 million people annually across its website, Hallowed Ground Magazine, and a social footprint spanning YouTube (500,000+ subscribers), Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Revenue is diversified across five streams: recurring membership dues (annual billing), tax-deductible individual donations and battlefield preservation campaigns, planned/legacy giving through the American Battlefield Legacy vehicle, merchandise and book sales via shop.battlefields.org, and contributions accepted through donor-advised funds. The organization is led by founder Dennis E. Frye, holds a 4-star Charity Navigator rating and Candid Platinum Transparency designation, and targets three primary customer segments: K-12 and higher-education educators, history enthusiasts/members, and the general public.

Civil War Trust firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Civil War Trust
Legal name: American Battlefield Trust
Website: https://civilwar.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1987
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: The American Battlefield Trust (founded 1987, Washington, D.C.) is the largest U.S. nonprofit preserving Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefields, having saved 63,000+ acres. It serves educators, members, and the public through 4,400+ free educational resources, mobile apps, virtual tours, and a quarterly magazine.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Civil War Trust industry classification

Industry

Product category: Heritage Preservation and Historical Education
NAICS: Historical Sites (712120)
akta.pro primary industry: Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

Battlefield preservation nonprofit
American history education
Curriculum resources teachers
Historical battlefield tours
Membership heritage organization

Where Civil War Trust is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Washington
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Markets served

Civil War Trust business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

Membership Dues: Annual membership program providing benefits including Hallowed Ground Magazine, Color Bearers recognition, and access to member-exclusive content.
Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting battlefield preservation campaigns and land acquisition efforts.
Legacy Giving: Planned giving, bequests, and estate planning programs through the American Battlefield Legacy organization.
Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded merchandise, apparel, books, and historical reproductions through shop.battlefields.org.
Donor Advised Funds: Accepts contributions through donor advised funds for preservation and education initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	General Membership

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Civil War Trust product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The American Battlefield Trust (formerly Civil War Trust) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that preserves American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefield lands while educating the public through free digital resources, curriculum materials, virtual tours, animated battle maps, mobile apps, and the Hallowed Ground membership magazine. It funds preservation through membership dues, individual donations, legacy giving, donor-advised funds, and merchandise sales, and reaches 40 million people annually.

Product overview

The American Battlefield Trust operates a comprehensive digital platform (battlefields.org) focused on preserving America's historical battlefields and educating the public about American history. The core offering consists of an educational website with free resources for educators and the general public, supplemented by membership through the Hallowed Ground Magazine. Key products include the Educator Portal with free curriculum materials (Civil War and Revolutionary War curricula), Traveling Trunks Program, and History Field Trip Grant Program. Digital experiences include Mobile Apps for battlefield visits, Virtual Tours (360-degree experiences), and Animated Maps depicting historical battles. The Trust also maintains external digital experiences including The Liberty Trail and Medal of Honor Valor Trail, along with the traveling American Revolution Experience exhibit. Membership and preservation efforts are supported through various campaigns and an online store (shop.battlefields.org).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Hallowed Ground Magazine
Educator Portal
Traveling Trunks Program
History Field Trip Grant Program
Battlefield Bulletin Newsletter
Battlefield Mobile Applications
Battlefield Virtual Tours
Animated Battle Maps
Civil War Curriculum
Revolutionary War Curriculum
The Liberty Trail
Medal of Honor Valor Trail
American Revolution Experience Traveling Exhibit
Battlefield Preservation Campaigns
Saved Land Interactive Map
American Battlefield Trust Online Store
American Battlefield Legacy (Planned Giving)

Companies that use Civil War Trust

Customer profile

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Civil War Trust technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Civil War Trust partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

History.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHistory.com is listed as a sponsor, providing media visibility and promotional support for the organization's educational mission and battlefield preservation efforts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Civil War Trust competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Gettysburg Foundation: Nonprofit partner of Gettysburg National Military Park that funds preservation, education, and visitor experiences at one of the most iconic Civil War battlefields. Comparable mission scope (battlefield preservation plus education) and reliance on donations and memberships.
National Trust for Historic Preservation: The largest U.S. private nonprofit dedicated to saving historic places. Directly comparable as a membership-based historic preservation nonprofit that acquires and stewards endangered land and structures and runs education programs.
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation: Operates and preserves the historic Colonial Williamsburg district as a living history museum and educational site. Comparable as a large historic-preservation-and-education nonprofit with membership, ticketed visitation, and curriculum programs.

Peers

National Geographic Society: Nonprofit science and exploration organization with grants for preservation and a large digital education footprint. Comparable as a mission-driven nonprofit combining education, exploration/preservation, and a strong direct-to-consumer media brand.

Broad incumbents

Smithsonian Institution: Largest U.S. museum, education, and research complex with deep American history collections. Comparable as a history-education brand with educator resources and digital content, though far larger and broader in scope.
National Park Foundation: Official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, raising private funds for NPS sites including battlefields. Overlaps mission and federal-partnership model but covers the full breadth of NPS units rather than specializing in battlefields.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Civil War Trust financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Civil War Trust leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Civil War Trust funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Civil War Trust M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Civil War Trust

What does Civil War Trust do?

Is Civil War Trust a public or private company?

Civil War Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Civil War Trust founded?

Civil War Trust was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Civil War Trust based?

Civil War Trust is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.

How does Civil War Trust make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are donations and Contributions, legacy Giving, merchandise Sales and donor Advised Funds.

Who are Civil War Trust's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Gettysburg Foundation, National Trust for Historic Preservation and Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. National Geographic Society is listed as a peer. Broad incumbents are Smithsonian Institution and National Park Foundation.

Does Civil War Trust have an API?

No public API is recorded for Civil War Trust.

What industry is Civil War Trust in?

Civil War Trust's product category is Heritage Preservation and Historical Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAC, Land Trusts & Protected Areas. Its NAICS code is 712120.