What B. F. Skinner Foundation does

The B. F. Skinner Foundation is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization founded in 1988 to preserve, publish, and disseminate the behavioral science works of B. F. Skinner. It serves as the official steward of Skinner's literary estate, maintains both online (bfskinner.netx.net) and physical archives built from colleague and family donations, and is the prime contact for permissions to reproduce or translate Skinner's material. The foundation publishes the Skinner for the 21st Century book series — extended editions of 21 canonical Skinner books and 180 articles — in hardcover, paperback, and PDF formats, alongside signature apparel, limited-edition prints, and the Operants multimedia magazine distributed via community.bfskinner.org.

The foundation's product portfolio spans static print and digital publications (Verbal Behavior, Science and Human Behavior, Cumulative Record, Contingencies of Reinforcement, Behavior of Organisms, Schedules of Reinforcement, The Technology of Teaching, Reflections on Behaviorism and Society, Recent Issues in the Analysis of Behavior, Upon Further Reflection), a partnership with Behavior Development Solutions delivering a free online edition and 4-part, 24-CEU continuing education course on behaviorlive.com, and a permissions/licensing service. Underlying technology is a WordPress-based e-commerce storefront (bfskinner.org), a separate NetX-powered archival portal, and a community platform hosting Operants — no proprietary AI/ML systems, APIs, or mobile apps are disclosed. Pricing is primarily one-time/perpetual license ($20–$60 books, $30 apparel, $34–$130 prints) with a name-your-price freemium option on select PDFs (minimum $10) and hardship accommodations for unaffordable buyers.

The business model combines one-time content sales, recurring donations through a Circle of Friends program and Donorbox, and professional-services revenue from CEU course enrollment. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the foundation's own storefront for both domestic (US/Canada shipping for physical goods) and global digital products, supplemented by Amazon for select titles and the BDS platform for CEU courses. Customers are segmented across four personas — scholars/students (primary), behavior analysis professionals (BCBAs), the general public, and former colleagues/family — with no enterprise contracts, making the model a long-tail individual-purchase engine rather than a concentrated commercial operation. Headcount is 1–10 employees, the entity is private and independently governed, and no funding rounds, M&A activity, or revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

B. F. Skinner Foundation

Legal name

B.F. Skinner Foundation

Website

https://bfskinner.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The B. F. Skinner Foundation is a Cambridge, MA-based nonprofit founded in 1988 that preserves and publishes B.F. Skinner's behavioral science works, operating an e-commerce bookstore, the Operants multimedia magazine, an archival portal, and a CEU course partnership serving scholars, behavior analysis professionals, and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic and Behavioral Science Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales) (MPAJAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Self-Publishing & Author Platforms (BPAMAJAF)

Keywords

• Behavioral science publishing
• Behavior analysis education
• Scholarly book series
• Continuing education courses
• Academic archives nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Book and E-book Sales: The foundation sells print books, PDF e-books, and merchandise (apparel, collectibles) through its online store. Physical books are shipped to US and Canada. E-books use a name-your-price model with minimum prices. All purchases from the online store support the foundation's mission.
2. Donations and Support: The foundation accepts donations through its Circle of Friends program and donorbox platform. Donations support ongoing operations and the foundation's mission of promoting behavioral science.
3. CEU Courses: Continuing education units are offered in partnership with Behavior Development Solutions (BDS) through behaviorlive.com. A 4-part, 24 CEUs course is available for students of behavioral analysis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The B. F. Skinner Foundation publishes, preserves, and disseminates the behavioral science works of B. F. Skinner through the Skinner for the 21st Century book series (print, e-book, and audiobook formats), the Operants multimedia magazine, digital and physical archives of Skinner's literary estate, and a free online programmed instruction course on the Analysis of Behavior offered in partnership with Behavior Development Solutions. It also sells branded merchandise and serves as the official permissions/licensing body for reproducing or translating Skinner's works, supported by donations through its Circle of Friends program.

Product overview

The B. F. Skinner Foundation operates as a publishing and educational organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of B.F. Skinner's works and related behavioral science materials. The core offering consists of the Skinner for the 21st Century book series featuring extended editions of foundational texts like Verbal Behavior, Science and Human Behavior, Cumulative Record, and Contingencies of Reinforcement. These are distributed in print (hardcover, paperback), e-book (PDF, EPUB, MOBI), and select audio formats. The foundation also provides an online education platform through its partnership with Behavior Development Solutions for the Analysis of Behavior course, operates the Operants multimedia magazine for community engagement, and maintains extensive digital archives. Supporting offerings include apparel, collectible prints, and permissions services for Skinner's works. The organization connects scholars, students, and the general public to behavioral science through content publishing, continuing education, and community platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Operants: The Foundation's multimedia magazine connecting scholars, students, and the general public through content on behavioral science.
• Skinner for the 21st Century

Products and services

• Verbal Behavior Extended Edition

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Behavior Development Solutions (BDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring the programmed instruction course 'The Analysis of Behavior' by Holland & Skinner to a new generation online. BDS hosts the free online edition and the 4-part, 24 CEUs continuing education course on behaviorlive.com.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Springer Nature: Global academic publisher with significant psychology and behavioral science imprints and journals. Comparable on the scholarly publishing and journal/magazine dimensions (Operants magazine), though operating at vastly larger scale and digital reach.
• American Psychological Association (APA): The dominant professional association and publisher in psychology, with far broader scope than the foundation. Comparable as a publishing and credentialing organization for psychological content and CEU programs, but at vastly greater scale and topical breadth.
• Cengage Learning: Large educational publisher covering psychology, education, and behavioral science textbooks at scale. Relevant comparable for the foundation's educational publishing and textbook distribution model, though at much larger volume and broader catalog.

Direct peers

• W.W. Norton & Company: Employee-owned independent publisher with strong psychology and behavioral science catalogs, comparable in independent publishing ethos, editorial curation of foundational scholarly works, and direct-to-consumer sales.
• Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI): ABAI is the primary professional association for behavior analysis, serving the same BCBA and academic audience the foundation targets, and publishing related scholarly content and conferences. It is the most direct peer in the behavior analysis ecosystem.
• Hackett Publishing Company: An independent academic and trade book publisher with a catalog of philosophy and behavioral science titles, structurally similar to the foundation's independent scholarly publishing model with curated backlist and extended editions.
• Behavior Development Solutions (BDS): Partner organization that delivers CEU courses in behavior analysis through behaviorlive.com; serves the same professional BCBA audience and is the foundation's closest commercial counterpart in the continuing education space for behavior analysts.
• Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (SEAB): Publishers of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, SEAB operates in the same scholarly niche as the foundation, with overlapping readership in academic and applied behavior analysis.
• Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies: A non-profit dedicated to advancing the scientific study of behavior, with overlapping audience of researchers, practitioners, and educators. Operates in the same niche and mission space as the B.F. Skinner Foundation, with similar publication and educational programming.

Others

• Sloan Foundation: A large legacy foundation with a research-grant and intellectual-legacy focus, structurally analogous to the B.F. Skinner Foundation as a non-profit preserving and advancing a specific intellectual domain. Useful comparable for non-profit operating models and donor-driven revenue dynamics.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BFSFound
• Facebookfacebook.com/BFSkinnerFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/505625

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about B. F. Skinner Foundation