ACI Foundation

What ACI Foundation does

ACI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization and a subsidiary of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, with approximately 5–10 staff members. Its mission is to promote progress, innovation, and collaboration in the concrete industry by funding education, research, and technology adoption, and it operates a community-led model governed by three volunteer councils: the Concrete Innovation Council (CIC), the Concrete Research Council (CRC), and the Scholarship Council. Core programmatic products include approximately 50 fellowships and scholarships per academic year for students in concrete-related degree programs, a funded research portfolio (with $4.7M of foundation funding historically leveraged to roughly $19M of research work), an innovation program ($1.1M leveraged to $4.5M), and the annual Concrete Innovation Forum, of which 53 have been hosted cumulatively.

The foundation's offerings are not technology products but rather grantmaking services, recognition awards (including the Robert E. Philleo Award, Arthur J. Boase Award, Jean-Claude Roumain Innovation in Concrete Award, and Building the Future Award), and a research project directory and solicitation pipeline that channels industry problem statements into funded projects coordinated with ACI technical committees. It supports more than 60 ACI technical committees and has cumulatively supported 400 veterans through scholarships and programs.

Its business model is donation-driven: the foundation is funded by mission-directed contributions from individuals, companies, and organizations in the concrete industry, and it states that 100% of mission-directed donations go to beneficiaries — students, research, and technology. Distribution is primarily through a self-serve web portal for donations, fellowship applications, and research solicitations, supplemented by the annual in-person Concrete Innovation Forum and ACI's global chapter network, which has recently been used to co-create named scholarships such as the Mike and Donna Murray Scholarship with the ACI Kansas Chapter.

Name

ACI Foundation

Legal name

ACI Foundation

Website

https://acifoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit subsidiary of the American Concrete Institute that funds scholarships, research, and innovation in the concrete industry through volunteer-led councils, an annual Concrete Innovation Forum, and industry donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Industry Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Concrete research funding
• Engineering scholarships
• Nonprofit foundation
• Concrete industry awards
• Innovation forum

Headquarters

HQ city

Farmington Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and receives mission-directed donations from individuals, companies, and organizations in the concrete industry. The website states that 100% of mission-directed donations go to beneficiaries - students, research, and technology.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ACI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit subsidiary of the American Concrete Institute that channels mission-directed donations into the concrete industry by funding fellowships and scholarships for students in concrete-related degree programs, awarding grants for concrete materials and construction research, and identifying innovative technologies through its Concrete Innovation Council. It also operates the annual Concrete Innovation Forum and administers multiple industry recognition awards.

Product overview

ACI Foundation operates as a non-profit subsidiary of ACI that promotes progress, innovation, and collaboration in the concrete industry. The organization functions as a foundation with interconnected programs rather than a unified software platform. Its core offerings include the Concrete Innovation Council (CIC), which identifies and assesses technologies and innovations for the concrete industry; the Concrete Research Council (CRC), which funds research projects advancing concrete materials knowledge and sustainability; and the Concrete Innovation Forum, an annual event for professionals to explore concrete innovation. The Foundation also administers a Scholarships and Fellowships Program offering approximately 50 awards to students in concrete-related degree programs, maintains a Research Project Directory, and runs a Solicitation Program inviting research submissions. The organization supports industry advancement through personal awards including the Robert E. Philleo Award, Arthur J. Boase Award, Jean-Claude Roumain Innovation in Concrete Award, and Building the Future Award. Impact metrics include $4.2 million in student support, $4.7 million in research funding (leveraged to $19M), and $1.1 million in innovation support (leveraged to $4.5M).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Concrete Innovation Forum Annual in-person forum offering professionals across the concrete industry an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and explore the future of concrete innovation and technology. The 2026 forum is scheduled at the Hyatt Regency Columbus.
• Fellowships and Scholarships Program Program offering approximately 50 fellowships and scholarships per academic year to high-potential students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in concrete-related fields, with applications reviewed by the Scholarship Council.
• Research Project Directory Directory of concrete research projects funded by the ACI Foundation that advance concrete materials, construction, and structural knowledge and sustainability in coordination with ACI technical committees.
• Solicitations Program Open program that invites the ACI community and the global concrete industry to submit project ideas, research needs, and problem statements related to concrete research and innovation.
• Robert E. Philleo Award Award given in recognition of a person, persons, or an organization for outstanding research in the concrete materials field or for outstanding contributions to the advancement of concrete technology through application of research results. Established in 1992.
• Arthur J. Boase Award Award given in recognition of a person, persons, or an organization for outstanding research in the structural concrete field or for outstanding contributions to the advancement of concrete technology through application of structural concrete research results. Established in 1971.
• Jean-Claude Roumain Innovation in Concrete Award Award established in memory of Jean-Claude Roumain to recognize individuals who have contributed to innovative developments in concrete mixture proportioning, production of concrete, construction, or materials manufacture, or used concrete innovatively for a sustainable built environment.
• Building the Future Award Award recognizing individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the concrete industry; not open for public nominations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400 veterans supported through scholarships and programs
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 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.

• ACI Kansas ChapterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026ACI Kansas Chapter has established a new scholarship through the ACI Foundation honoring Mike and Donna Murray. The scholarship honors a couple with more than 60 years of dedication to the concrete industry.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• fib (International Federation for Structural Concrete): International federation advancing concrete structural research and education through model codes and technical bulletins. Comparable in mission but international in scope rather than U.S.-centric.
• The Concrete Society (UK): UK-based professional body for concrete that publishes technical guidance and supports research and education. Comparable mission in a different geography, useful as a peer for international benchmarking of grantmaking and research programs.

Broad incumbents

• National Science Foundation (NSF): Major U.S. federal grantmaking agency funding academic research and STEM education. Comparable only in grantmaking function for research and student fellowships, though dramatically larger and government-funded.
• American Concrete Institute (ACI): Parent organization of ACI Foundation. ACI is the larger industry standards body that sets codes and specifications for concrete; the foundation operates as its charitable 501(c)(3) arm, sharing brand, technical committees, and donor networks.
• Portland Cement Association (PCA): Trade association representing cement manufacturers in the U.S. PCA funds research on cement and concrete sustainability and supports workforce development, overlapping with ACI Foundation's research and education mandate in the same industry.
• National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA): Industry association for ready-mixed concrete producers that conducts research, education, and certification programs. Comparable as an industry-funded vehicle advancing concrete knowledge and workforce development.

Direct peers

• Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) Foundation: Charitable arm of PCI that funds scholarships and research in precast/prestressed concrete. Same grantmaking foundation structure serving students and researchers in a concrete sub-segment.
• American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Education Foundation: Education-focused foundation of a competing structural materials trade association. Operates parallel scholarship and research-funding programs for a similar student/researcher audience in structural engineering.
• ASCE Foundation: Charitable foundation of the American Society of Civil Engineers that funds scholarships, research, and innovation in civil engineering. Highly comparable model: industry-association-affiliated nonprofit disbursing grants for students and research, with strong volunteer governance.
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Foundation: Charitable foundation of an engineering professional society that funds scholarships, fellowships, and applied research. Same association-affiliated grantmaking model serving a different engineering discipline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ACIFoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@acifoundation6375
• Facebookfacebook.com/acifoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aci-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/acifoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ACI Foundation