Alexandria Seaport Foundation

What Alexandria Seaport Foundation does

Alexandria Seaport Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation organized under Virginia law and headquartered at the Seaport Center on the Potomac waterfront in Alexandria, Virginia. Founded in 1993, the organization operates a single core offering — the Apprentice Program — which trains disconnected young adults ages 18-23 through hands-on instruction in woodworking and traditional boatbuilding. The program runs for 6 to 9 months on a three-phase curriculum that combines technical boatbuilding and carpentry skills with academic/GED tutoring, workforce-readiness skills (resume writing, interview training, professionalism), and life skills (financial literacy, health, self-esteem, anger management). Apprentices are paid $14 per hour during their training and the program is free for participants; teaching is delivered in-person by experienced woodworkers, carpenters, boatbuilders, and mentors.

The foundation is funded entirely through charitable contributions rather than commercial revenue. Income streams comprise individual and corporate donations, grant funding from government and private foundations, and signature fundraising events such as the Wine on the Water annual gala. Apprentice recruitment is driven by community referrals and partnerships with social service agencies, schools, and community organizations, supported by a light digital presence via the organization's website and social media. Donor recruitment runs in parallel through events and direct outreach. There are no paying customers in the conventional sense — the apprentices are program beneficiaries, not buyers.

The organization is mid-expansion: Seaport Center II, scheduled for 2027 completion, will add 2,800 square feet of workshop and meeting space to increase apprentice throughput. In parallel, the foundation is participating in a year-long Boatbuilding Educator Fellowship with the Teaching With Small Boats Alliance (TWSBA) at the WoodenBoat School, contributing to a National Boatbuilding Certification curriculum and embedding the organization in a national boatbuilding education framework. Recent operating posture centers on curriculum review (with explicit math strengthening) and partnership-driven scale rather than technology development.

Name

Alexandria Seaport Foundation

Legal name

The Alexandria Seaport Foundation

Website

https://alexandriaseaport.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alexandria Seaport Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Alexandria, Virginia, founded in 1993, that runs a paid 6-9 month apprenticeship in woodworking and traditional boatbuilding for disconnected young adults ages 18-23.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Workforce Development and Vocational Training

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Navigation, Seamanship & Offshore Operations (EDAOANAE)

Keywords

• Youth workforce training
• Boatbuilding apprenticeship
• Woodworking skills program
• Nonprofit vocational training
• Life skills education

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations supporting the nonprofit mission of training disconnected youth through traditional boatbuilding.
2. Fundraising Events: Signature events like Wine on the Water generate revenue through ticket sales and sponsorships.
3. Grant Funding: Government and private foundation grants supporting workforce development and youth training programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Alexandria Seaport Foundation runs the Seaport Apprentice Program, a 6-9 month paid apprenticeship for disconnected young adults ages 18-23 that delivers hands-on training in woodworking, traditional boatbuilding, and carpentry. The program combines trade instruction with on-the-water experience, academic/GED tutoring, resume and interview training, and life skills education (financial literacy, health/nutrition, resiliency, anger management) at a rate of $14 per hour for participants.

Product overview

Alexandria Seaport Foundation operates as a nonprofit youth training organization offering the Apprentice Program - a single, unified program providing hands-on training in woodworking and traditional boatbuilding for disconnected young adults ages 18-23. The program delivers workforce-readiness skills and life skills through a three-phase curriculum spanning 6-9 months. Associated offerings include the Wine on the Water annual signature fundraising event and the Seaport Center II expansion project. The organization does not operate as a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seaport Apprentice Program A 6-9 month paid apprenticeship for disconnected young adults ages 18-23 that delivers hands-on training in woodworking, traditional boatbuilding, and carpentry, combined with on-the-water instruction, academic/GED tutoring, resume and interview preparation, and life skills education (financial literacy, health/nutrition, resiliency). Apprentices are paid $14 per hour. The program is free to participants and delivered in-person at the Seaport Center boat shop on the Potomac waterfront in Alexandria, Virginia.

Quantifiable outcome

• Apprentices gain skills for employment in woodworking, boatbuilding, and carpentry trades; GED/academic credentials; professional certifications.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Teaching With Small Boats Alliance (TWSBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Participating in a year-long Boatbuilding Educator Fellowship to develop a National Boatbuilding Certification curriculum. Program Director Matt Roberts and Volunteer Katherine Hamilton joined other educators at the WoodenBoat School in Brooklin, Maine, to develop the curriculum framework that will benefit boatbuilding programs nationwide.
• WoodenBoat SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for TWSBA Boatbuilding Educator Fellowship training sessions. Provides access to facilities for curriculum development alongside educators from similar programs nationwide.
• United Way WorldwideminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides venue for Wine on the Water 2026 signature fundraising event at their Worldwide Patio & Atrium location, enabling the organization to host its annual gala.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• The Apprenticeshop: Maine-based boatbuilding school offering multi-year apprenticeships in wooden boat construction and restoration. Directly comparable craft-medium (traditional boatbuilding apprenticeship) and educational model.
• IYRS School of Technology & Trades: Newport, RI accredited marine trades school offering programs in boatbuilding, composites, and marine systems. Comparable as a vocational school focused on marine craftsmanship and skills credentialing.
• The Landing School: Arundel, ME accredited boatbuilding and yacht design school offering diploma programs in wooden boat construction and marine systems. Comparable trade-school focus on boatbuilding craftsmanship.
• Northwest Maritime Center: Port Townsend, WA nonprofit offering maritime trades education including traditional boatbuilding, woodworking, and seamanship. Comparable as a regional maritime-skills training center with educational programming.
• Herreshoff Marine Museum: Bristol, RI museum operating educational boatbuilding and sailing programs, including youth-focused heritage boatbuilding classes. Comparable craft-based maritime education for youth and adults.
• Rocking the Boat: Bronx, NY-based nonprofit that uses on-water boatbuilding and sailing to mentor underserved youth. Directly comparable to Alexandria Seaport Foundation in mission, craft-medium (traditional boatbuilding as therapeutic skills training), and target demographic.

Others

• Job Corps: Federal workforce-development program offering free vocational training to low-income youth ages 16-24, including construction and technical trades. Comparable demographic and skills-training mission at significantly larger scale.
• YouthBuild USA: National nonprofit network providing construction-trades apprenticeship and education pathways for disconnected youth. Comparable target demographic (disconnected young adults 18-23) and workforce-development mission, though using construction rather than boatbuilding as the training medium.

Broad incumbents

• Maine Maritime Academy: State-accredited maritime college offering degree programs across marine engineering, transportation, and ocean sciences. Comparable maritime-education mission but at much larger scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alexandria-seaport-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Alexandria Seaport Foundation