Panetta Institute

What Panetta Institute does

The Panetta Institute for Public Policy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization founded in 1997 by former U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and his wife Sylvia Panetta, headquartered at California State University, Monterey Bay in Seaside, California. It operates a portfolio of civic education and public service programs serving students across the California State University system plus partner institutions including Dominican University of California, Saint Mary's College of California, and Santa Clara University. Core offerings include the annual Leon Panetta Lecture Series (four moderated discussions with national political leaders, priced at $400 for a full subscription or $100 per individual ticket), the Congressional Internship Program placing students in Washington D.C. congressional offices, a Leadership Seminar for student-body officers, the Policy Research Fellows Program at Santa Clara University School of Law, the Monterey County Reads volunteer literacy initiative, the Leon E. Panetta Archive for scholarly research, the annual Jefferson-Lincoln Awards gala honoring public servants, and the long-running Leon Panetta Commentaries and Recommended Reading resources.

The institute funds its operations through a mix of donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations, planned giving arrangements (bequests, trusts, annuities, retirement funds), Lecture Series ticket and subscription sales, and an annual black-tie gala fundraiser. It does not develop proprietary technology products; its primary data asset is the Youth Civic Engagement Survey, an annual nationwide poll of college students conducted by Hart Research Associates for 25 consecutive years, the results of which are published and widely cited by scholars and journalists. The institute does not disclose operating revenue; it is governed by a co-founder/chairman and co-founder/CEO structure and operates with 11-50 employees.

Name

Panetta Institute

Legal name

The Panetta Institute for Public Policy

Website

https://panettainstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Panetta Institute for Public Policy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1997 by Leon and Sylvia Panetta that runs civic education programs, a Congressional Internship Program, and an annual lecture series for students across the California State University system, funded primarily by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Education and Civic Engagement

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI), Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit) (BPAGADAN)

Keywords

• Public policy education
• Civic engagement programs
• Leadership training
• Congressional internships
• Youth civic survey

Headquarters

HQ city

Monterey

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 not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization, the Panetta Institute relies on the generosity of individuals, foundations and companies who share the commitment to enlightened public policy. Contributions can provide significant tax savings.
2. Event Ticket Sales and Subscriptions: Revenue generated from the Leon Panetta Lecture Series subscriptions ($400 for all four events) and individual tickets ($100 each), as well as fundraiser gala seats.
3. Planned Giving: The institute welcomes planned giving arrangements involving bequests, trusts, annuities and retirement funds.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Panetta Institute is a non-profit educational foundation that runs civic engagement and public policy programs for college students, including the Leon Panetta Lecture Series, the Congressional Internship Program in Washington D.C., the Leadership Seminar, the Policy Research Fellows Program, and the Monterey County Reads literacy volunteer program. It also produces the annual nationwide Youth Civic Engagement Survey and hosts the Jefferson-Lincoln Awards gala. Its primary products are programmatic experiences, events, and research, not technology or physical goods.

Product overview

The Panetta Institute for Public Policy offers a portfolio of civic education and public service programs. The core offerings include the Leon Panetta Lecture Series (bringing national leaders to discuss policy issues), the annual Youth Civic Engagement Survey (tracking college student political attitudes), the Congressional Internship Program (providing hands-on legislative experience in Washington D.C.), and the Leadership Seminar (training student leaders). Additional programs include the Policy Research Fellows Program for law students, Monterey County Reads (volunteer literacy program), the Leon E. Panetta Archive (historical research resource), Jefferson-Lincoln Awards (annual public service honors), Leon Panetta Commentaries, and Recommended Reading. Together, these programs serve the Institute's mission to encourage young people to consider careers in public service and prepare them for leadership challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% of students surveyed were registered to vote, tying the highest level in survey history
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Panetta Institute serves the entire California State University system, providing study opportunities in government, politics and public policy to students across all CSU campuses.
• Hart Research AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts the annual nationwide Youth Civic Engagement Survey of college students on behalf of the Panetta Institute. The survey has been conducted for over 25 years.
• Monterey Conference CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for the annual Leon Panetta Lecture Series events, hosting live in-person discussions with national political leaders.
• Dominican University of CaliforniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution whose students can participate in Panetta Institute programs including the Congressional Internship Program.
• Saint Mary's College of CaliforniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution whose students can participate in Panetta Institute programs including the Congressional Internship Program.
• Santa Clara UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution whose students can participate in Panetta Institute programs including the Policy Research Fellows Program at Santa Clara University School of Law.
• Leon PanettacoreOthersCo-founder and Chairman of the Institute, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, CIA Director, White House Chief of Staff, and Congressman. Provides leadership and high-profile connections.
• Sylvia M. PanettacoreOthersCo-founder and CEO of the Institute, provides leadership and direction for institute programs and mission.
• Beacon Global StrategiesminorOthersSponsor of the 2026 Leon Panetta Lecture Series.
• Kaiser PermanenteminorOthersSponsor of the 2026 Leon Panetta Lecture Series.
• Monterey Bay AquariumminorOthersSponsor of the 2026 Leon Panetta Lecture Series.
• Montage HealthminorOthersSponsor of the 2026 Leon Panetta Lecture Series.
• Pebble Beach CompanyminorOthersSponsor of the 2026 Leon Panetta Lecture Series. Also provides venue for the Jefferson-Lincoln Awards gala at The Inn at Spanish Bay.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Carter Center: Atlanta-based nonprofit founded by President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter, advancing peace, democracy, and public health globally. Comparable in politician-founded civic/democratic mission but at much larger scale and with international programming.
• George W. Bush Institute: Dallas-based policy institute at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, running leadership, education reform, and economic growth programs. Comparable mission area (civic leadership, public policy) but substantially larger scale and broader programmatic scope than Panetta.
• LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin: Public affairs school at UT Austin named for President Lyndon Johnson, offering graduate public policy education, research, and leadership programs. Comparable in public-policy educational mission but operates as a degree-granting university school rather than a stand-alone institute.

Others

• Brennan Center for Justice: NYU-affiliated nonpartisan law and policy institute focused on democracy, voting rights, and justice reform. Adjacent in subject matter (democracy, civic participation) but operates as a policy/advocacy think tank rather than direct civic education provider for students.
• Tufts CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement): Tufts University research center producing widely cited data on youth civic and political engagement. Comparable in subject (youth civic engagement research) and produces adjacent survey/research output to the Panetta Institute's annual survey.

Direct peers

• McCain Institute at Arizona State University: ASU-based institute named for Senator John McCain advancing character-driven leadership, national security, and democratic governance. Comparable in mission (civic leadership, policy education), scale, and politician-founded nonprofit structure.
• Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy: University of Tennessee institute named after Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker, focused on public policy education, leadership development, and student programs. Comparable model: university-based, named for a prominent legislator, runs student policy and leadership programming.
• Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics: University of Kansas-based public policy institute founded in honor of Senator Bob Dole, offering civic education, public service leadership programs, and archival resources. Directly comparable: politician-named, university-affiliated, focused on civic engagement and policy leadership development.
• Richard G. Lugar Center: Indiana-based bipartisan policy center founded by Senator Richard Lugar, focused on bipartisan governance, foreign policy, and civic education. Comparable: politician-led nonprofit with focus on public service and governance reform.
• Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate: Boston-based civic education institute founded in the name of Senator Edward Kennedy, offering senate-simulator programming, public policy education, and civic engagement programs for students and the public. Closest structural analog to the Panetta Institute: politician-founded, education- and civic-engagement-focused nonprofit serving college students and the public.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PanettaInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/panetta-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Panetta Institute