What Intrax Foundation does

Intrax Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity established in 2023 to honor the legacy of John Wilhelm and Takeshi Yokota, the co-founders of the operating company Intrax Inc. (founded 1980). The foundation awards the Yokota and Wilhelm Fellowship, providing variable grant funding to students (age 15+) and K-12 teachers for self-selected cultural exchange programs, either within Intrax's portfolio of sub-brands (AYUSA, AuPairCare, AmeriCamp, FurtherTravel, Intrax Education, Intrax Global Internships, Intrax Work Travel) or through third-party programs. Headquarters are in San Francisco, with affiliated operational presence in Tokyo, Manchester, Santiago, Seoul, and Berlin through the parent company. The foundation runs the annual WAY Day community volunteering event and distributes funds through endowment partnerships with universities including Brown University and Northwestern University, plus targeted grants to mission-aligned non-profits such as Joy Worldwide.

The business model is donation-dependent: revenue is generated entirely through individual, corporate, and partner contributions collected via a GiveButter-powered donation portal on the foundation's website, with fellowships awarded on an individualized basis rather than through fixed pricing tiers. Distribution is hybrid, combining a self-service Airtable application portal, the global AYUSA host family network, and university endowment channels. The foundation is governed by a board chaired by Dennis Wong (CEO of Intrax) and includes Marcie Schneider (President of Intrax), Glen S. Fukushima (Vice Chairman of SIPC), and Oscar Dubón (UC Berkeley professor). There is no proprietary technology platform; operations run on conventional non-profit tooling.

Name

Intrax Foundation

Legal name

Intrax Foundation

Website

https://intraxfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Intrax Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, established in 2023, that funds students and teachers through the Yokota and Wilhelm Fellowship for cultural exchange experiences worldwide, relying on donations and university partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Cultural Exchange Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH), Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ)

Keywords

• Cultural exchange fellowships
• Student exchange funding
• Teacher exchange programs
• International education grants
• Nonprofit education foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Intrax Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity that generates revenue entirely through donations from individuals, corporations, and partner organizations. These donations fund the Yokota and Wilhelm Fellowship program for students and teachers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Intrax Foundation awards the Yokota and Wilhelm Fellowship, providing individualized funding to students aged 15+ and currently employed K-12 teachers for self-selected cultural exchange programs in the US or abroad, including placements within the broader Intrax family of exchange brands. The Foundation also runs the annual WAY Day community giving event and channels donations to fund these fellowships and partner grants.

Product overview

Intrax Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity that operates as a fellowship-centric platform supporting cultural exchange. The core offering is the Yokota and Wilhelm Fellowship, which funds students and teachers for cultural exchange programs globally. The foundation is affiliated with the broader Intrax family of brands that includes AYUSA (high school exchange), AuPairCare (au pair care), AmeriCamp (summer camps), FurtherTravel (travel programs), Intrax Education (teacher placement), Intrax Global Internships, and Intrax Work Travel. These programs collectively provide cultural exchange experiences ranging from semester-long exchanges to work and travel opportunities across multiple countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Yokota and Wilhelm Fellowship Individualized funding award for students aged 15+ and currently employed K-12 teachers to participate in self-selected cultural exchange programs in the US or abroad, including placements within Intrax-affiliated brands or external programs. Award amount varies by program, location, and duration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000,000 people have participated in Intrax programs since 1980
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northwestern University Global Learning OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2025Intrax Foundation partnered with Northwestern's GLO to establish the Intrax Foundation Yokota and Wilhelm Scholars Global Horizons Fund. This creates Northwestern's Global Horizons Program providing nine-day study treks during spring break for first-generation college students with high financial need and no prior international travel experience. The inaugural cohort in spring 2026 will focus on 'Where Cultures Meet: Exploring Modern Taiwan.'
• Joy Worldwide Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2024Intrax Foundation partnered with Joy Worldwide, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on creating pathways for African American students to experience international education. Intrax Foundation provides a grant to support scholarships for African American undergraduate students studying abroad in the UK, Germany, and Japan, with funding awarded for Fall 2024. The partnership aligns with Intrax Foundation's mission to promote cultural exchange and diversity.
• Brown University Office of Global EngagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2024Intrax Foundation made a gift to Brown University to establish the Intrax Foundation Yokota and Wilhelm Fund as part of the University's endowment. The fund supports OGE's Global Summer Programs, providing scholarships for students on financial aid and funding for course development with emphasis on US-Japan programming. This represents the first large gift following the foundation's launch and is designed to reach first-generation and low-income students.
• Brunswick ChurchminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 May 2024FurtherTravel team at Manchester office volunteered at Brunswick community centre, cleaning up the local park. Brunswick Church has been operating since 1974 and runs youth centres and community activities.
• Meitoku KindergartenminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 May 2024Intrax Japan staff volunteered at Meitoku Kindergarten in Tokyo, organizing English learning activities including storytelling, singing, dancing, and vocabulary lessons for students aged 3-5 years.
• World Child FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 May 2024Intrax Korea created a coloring book project for children in Cambodia in partnership with World Child Foundation, which aims to provide essential learning materials and raise awareness about the atrocities of the Killing Fields.
• Soy Más FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 May 2024Intrax Chile staff delivered donations of clothing, toys, diapers, and a monetary contribution to Soy Más Foundation, which works with women and their children in marginalized communities in Chile. The partnership honored the month of mothers.
• Habitat for Humanity Greater San FranciscominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 April 2024For the first annual WAY Day event, Intrax partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Greater San Francisco. Intrax staff volunteered to build playhouses for SF community organizations serving children in need. Donations to Habitat were matched by Intrax during the event.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Youth For Understanding (YFU): One of the world's largest nonprofit high school exchange organizations with scholarship offerings for underserved students, comparable to Intrax Foundation's Yokota and Wilhelm Fellowship in serving students and educators in international exchange.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): Operates high school and college study abroad plus gap programs with scholarship funding, directly paralleling Intrax Foundation's student cultural exchange fellowships and parent Intrax's exchange programs.
• AFS Intercultural Programs: Global nonprofit offering youth cultural exchange and scholarships; mirrors Intrax Foundation's nonprofit fellowship model that funds student cultural exchange experiences worldwide.
• AIFS (American Institute for Foreign Study): Provides study abroad, au pair, and cultural exchange programs with scholarship support; overlaps Intrax Foundation's student exchange funding focus and the parent Intrax's AuPairCare sub-brand.
• API Abroad: Provides study abroad programs with affiliated scholarships for college students, directly comparable to Intrax Foundation's university-channel fellowship distribution model.
• International Studies Abroad (ISA): Provides scholarships and study abroad programs for university students with emphasis on diverse participants, similar to Intrax Foundation's funding of first-generation and underrepresented students for international study.

Broad incumbents

• Institute of International Education (IIE): Administers the Fulbright Program and many other major international scholarships; comparable in mission and donor base to Intrax Foundation but operating at much larger scale across many programs.

Others

• NAFSA: Association of International Educators: Leading professional association for international educators and exchange professionals; an adjacent ecosystem organization serving Intrax Foundation's broader stakeholder network.
• Alliance for International Exchange: Trade association representing cultural exchange organizations; Intrax Foundation board member Marcie Schneider is Vice-Chair, giving the foundation direct ties to this sector-level convener.

Emerging players

• DiversityAbroad: Niche organization focused on increasing access to international education for underrepresented students; closely aligned with Intrax Foundation's Joy Worldwide partnership supporting African American students studying abroad.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Intrax Foundation