Coalition on Adult Basic Education

What Coalition on Adult Basic Education does

The Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) is a private nonprofit membership association founded in 1999 and headquartered in Bradenton, Florida, that serves as the self-described leading national voice for the adult education field in the United States. COABE represents an ecosystem of 100,000+ members including 82,000+ adult educators, 2,385 local adult education programs, and 47 state partners, ultimately reaching 3.2 million adult learners served through affiliated programs. Its core programmatic surface spans four pillars: conferences (the annual COABE National Conference, with COABE 2026 in Indianapolis drawing 2,500+ in-person attendees across 500+ sessions and 77 exhibitors, and COABE 2027 planned for New Orleans), professional development (40+ annual webinars, the peer-reviewed COABE Journal, the Graduate Student Network), advocacy (Flood the Hill, Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, the Educate & Elevate campaign and its associated foundation), and learner support (Students As Leaders Summit, Student Ambassador Program, free Adult Learner Membership).\n\nCOABE operates with a lean staff of 1-10 employees and does not build proprietary technology platforms in-house; instead, it leverages third-party infrastructure including the Whova conference app and partner-delivered digital learning platforms such as IBM SkillsBuild (customized for COABE with badge tracking and LinkedIn-shareable credentials), eCornell (20 free online credential programs via small cohort learning), and Google Applied Digital Skills. Revenue is generated across four streams: recurring membership dues, tiered annual conference registration ($325 student to $830 non-member late rate), corporate sponsorships and exhibitor fees, and ancillary ticketed networking events ($50-$75). Distribution is primarily direct-to-member via annual conferences, state partner networks, and self-serve digital platforms, with no traditional sales force or app product.

Name

Coalition on Adult Basic Education

Legal name

Coalition on Adult Basic Education

Website

https://coabe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

COABE is a nonprofit membership association founded in 1999 that serves as the leading national voice for adult education, representing 100,000+ members, 82,000+ adult educators, 2,385 local programs, and 47 state partners across the United States through conferences, professional development, and federal funding advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradenton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from adult educators, administrators, state partners, and associated professionals. The organization represents 100,000+ members.
2. Conference Registration: Tiered registration fees for annual national conferences. Early bird member rate $655, nonmember $730, graduate student $325-$375, with adult learners admitted free.
3. Sponsorships and Exhibitor Fees: Corporate sponsorships and exhibitor fees from education technology companies, publishers, and workforce development organizations. The conference attracts 77+ national exhibitors.
4. Networking Events: Ticketed networking events such as President's Welcome Reception ($50/ticket) and offsite events like Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum tour ($75/ticket).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

COABE is a nonprofit professional membership association that supports the U.S. adult education field through an annual national conference, free professional development webinars and credential programs (via eCornell, IBM SkillsBuild, and Google partnerships), a peer-reviewed COABE Journal, and podcasts. It also operates nationwide advocacy campaigns (Flood the Hill, AEFL Week, Educate & Elevate) and learner-facing programs (Students As Leaders Summit, Ambassador Program, Adult Learner Membership) on behalf of 100,000+ members representing 82,000+ adult educators, 47 state partners, and 2,385 local programs.

Product overview

COABE (Coalition on Adult Basic Education) is a professional membership association serving as the leading national voice for adult education, not a traditional product company. The organization operates a portfolio of programs and services organized around four pillars: conferences (annual national COABE conferences featuring hundreds of sessions, speakers, and networking), professional development (free webinars for members, peer-reviewed journal, Graduate Student Network), advocacy (Flood the Hill, AEFL Week, Educate & Elevate campaign and foundation), and learner support (Students As Leaders Summit, Ambassador Program, Adult Learner Membership). Key partnership programs include eCornell certificate programs and IBM SkillsBuild, which integrate with COABE's member services to provide learners with industry-recognized credentials and career pathways. COABE also produces podcasts (Adult Ed Advocast, BehindEveryEmployer) and the Online Entrepreneurship Institute. The organization serves 100,000+ members across 2,385 local programs in 47 state partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Educate & Elevate: National campaign to move learning opportunities forward for adult learners to achieve economic mobility.
• Educate & Elevate Foundation
• Adult Ed Advocast
• Behind Every Employer
• Students As Leaders Summit
• COABE Journal
• Graduate Student Network (GSN)

Products and services

• COABE Annual National Conference COABE's flagship annual national conference (COABE 2026 in Indianapolis, COABE 2027 in New Orleans), the world's largest adult education conference featuring 500+ sessions across 37+ content strands, expert presenters, vendor exhibits, awards, and networking opportunities for adult educators nationwide.
• Students As Leaders Summit Annual summit bringing together nearly 200 adult learners from across the country for leadership development, presentations from national leaders, networking, and celebration, with both in-person and virtual participation tracks.
• Professional Development Webinars Free professional development webinars for COABE members featuring expert presenters on high-impact topics in adult education, with more than 40 webinars delivered annually as live interactive sessions.
• COABE Journal Peer-reviewed journal providing research, best practices, and scholarly articles for adult education practitioners, including special issues on topics such as workforce development.
• Flood the Hill Advocacy Event Annual national advocacy event held in Washington, D.C. bringing together adult learners, educators, and advocates to meet with Members of Congress during Adult Education and Family Literacy Week to share how adult education transforms lives and communities.
• Adult Education and Family Literacy (AEFL) Week Annual national celebration (September 14-18, 2026) bringing together educators, adult learners, community partners, business leaders, and legislators to amplify successes in adult education with resources, activities, and advocacy initiatives.
• Graduate Student Network (GSN) National initiative supporting master's students, doctoral scholars, and recent graduates pursuing advanced academic and research careers in adult education, offering mentorship, resources, scholarly community, and professional development.
• IBM SkillsBuild Membership Program COABE member access to IBM SkillsBuild, a free digital platform connecting adult learners with job-focused learning pathways, customized so COABE members can track student progress through badges and credentials displayable on LinkedIn, job transcripts, and resumes.
• eCornell Certificate Programs for COABE Members Partnership with Cornell University providing COABE members access to 20 online credential programs at no cost, featuring small cohort learning and Cornell University certificates through the COABE portal.
• Adult Learner Membership Free membership for adult education learners and alumni within five years of taking adult education classes, providing access to networking, Amazon job opportunities, free life insurance, awards eligibility, advocacy opportunities, and free conference attendance.
• COABE Podcasts Podcast programming including BehindEveryEmployer (discussing innovations advancing frontline worker talent) and Adult Ed Advocast (devoted to helping listeners become stronger advocates for adult education).
• Online Entrepreneurship Institute COABE program aligned with the U.S. Entrepreneurship Certification Examination, equipping adult educators and service providers with content knowledge, instructional strategies, curriculum, and resources to prepare learners for certification.
• Educate and Elevate Campaign National action initiative and campaign uniting 82,000+ adult education leaders to move learning opportunities forward for all Americans, advocating for increased funding and recognition of adult education's value to students, workers, and businesses.
• Student Ambassador Program Program that trains and supports adult learner ambassadors who connect with media, local, state, and federal leaders, and community influencers to amplify the mission of adult education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of individuals entering adult ed with goal of obtaining high school diploma achieved that goal
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• eCornellcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025COABE partners with eCornell University to provide 20 online credential programs to COABE members at no cost. The partnership features small cohort learning and prestigious Cornell University certificates. Resources are available through the COABE portal.
• IBM SkillsBuildcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025IBM SkillsBuild is a free digital platform connecting adult learners with job-focused learning pathways. The platform has been customized for COABE so members can track student progress through badges and credentials that can be showcased on LinkedIn, job transcripts, and resumes.
• GooglecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025COABE and Google have partnered to offer skills-building opportunities to COABE members. The goal is to help adult learners, teachers, and administrators access and complete certificates at their own pace, with a learning community of practice and mentor-instructor support.
• NCCERmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) provides grant funding opportunities to COABE local programs. NCCER, with funding from Lowes, is awarding a start-up bundle valued at $20,000 to 25 COABE local programs launching construction education training initiatives.
• Essential EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Conference sponsor providing support for COABE national conferences and professional development initiatives.
• Behind Every EmployercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025COABE initiative connecting employers with adult education programs to advance frontline worker talent. Features podcast (BehindEveryEmployer.org) and employer engagement resources.
• SALI (State Association Leadership Initiative)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025COABE initiative recognizing and supporting state association leadership and innovation in adult education.
• Online Entrepreneurship InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025COABE program aligned with U.S. Entrepreneurship Certification Examination, equipping adult educators and service providers with content knowledge, instructional strategies, curriculum, and resources to prepare learners for certification.
• GED Testing ServicecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025GED Testing Service provides high school equivalency testing and credentials for adult learners. Featured as conference sponsor and exhibitor.
• OIC (Opportunities Industrialization Centers)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025National job training and placement organization partnering with COABE to advance workforce development for adult learners.
• SkillsUSAmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership supporting workforce development and career readiness for adult learners through skills competitions and training programs.
• ProLiteracymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Adult literacy organization partner providing resources and support for adult education programs.
• ACTE (Association for Career and Technical Education)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership supporting career and technical education integration within adult education.
• IntercambiominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Immigration and language learning organization partner.

Scale indicators26 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ProLiteracy: ProLiteracy is the largest adult literacy membership organization in the U.S., serving adult education programs, students, and tutors through training, resources, and advocacy. It is the closest direct peer to COABE, operating in an overlapping adult basic education niche with a similar membership association model.
• American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE): AAACE is the principal U.S. professional association for the field of adult and continuing education, with a membership of practitioners, researchers, and graduate students. It mirrors COABE's focus on adult educator professional development, conferences, and a peer-reviewed journal, making it a direct peer for COABE's educator membership segment.
• National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium (NAEPDC): NAEPDC supports state adult education directors and professional development staff through training, technical assistance, and convenings. It is a direct peer to COABE in the U.S. adult education infrastructure, focused on a slightly higher-level state administrator audience but operating in the same policy and capacity-building space.

Broad incumbents

• National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE): NCTE is a large professional association for English language arts educators, including those teaching adult English language learners. It is comparable to COABE as a membership association with conferences, journals, and professional development, though its scope is broader than adult basic education.
• Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE): ACTE is a large national association representing career and technical educators, including those in adult and workforce education. It is an existing COABE partner and a broad incumbent that overlaps with COABE's career pathways, workforce development, and CTE integration work for adult learners.
• Jobs for the Future (JFF): JFF is a national nonprofit that drives workforce and education transformation, including adult basic education, postsecondary success, and career pathways. It is comparable to COABE in the workforce-adult education intersection and federal policy advocacy, though JFF focuses on systems-level change rather than a member-driven association model.

Emerging players

• Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy: The Barbara Bush Foundation is a major funder and advocate for family literacy and adult education in the U.S., awarding grants and conducting research. It is comparable to COABE in supporting family literacy outcomes (49% improved home-to-school connection outcomes mirror its mission) and in mobilizing advocacy for adult education.
• World Education, Inc. World Education is a nonprofit that designs and delivers adult basic education, literacy, and workforce programs domestically and internationally. It overlaps with COABE in adult learner service delivery and curriculum development, though it operates more as a program implementer than a membership association.
• Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP): CLASP is a national policy organization focused on advancing economic security for low-income adults, including through adult education and workforce training. It is comparable to COABE in its policy advocacy role for adult learners and federal funding, though it operates across a broader anti-poverty portfolio.
• National Skills Coalition: National Skills Coalition is a policy and advocacy organization focused on equitable skills training and workforce development for lower-wage adult workers. It is comparable to COABE in advocating for adult learner funding and policy but operates at a broader workforce level rather than exclusively adult basic education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/COABEHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/COABE.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coabe-the-voice-of-adult-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/coabehq
• TikToktiktok.com/@coabe.thevoiceofadulted

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Coalition on Adult Basic Education