American Philosophical Association

What American Philosophical Association does

The American Philosophical Association (APA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1900 and headquartered at the University of Delaware in Newark, DE, where its national office has been located since 1975. The organization is governed by a 29-member Board of Officers under a federal model comprising three divisions: Eastern (Atlantic Coast), Central (Midwest), and Pacific (Pacific Coast), each holding an annual meeting. The APA serves over 9,000 members — primarily academic philosophers, graduate students, K-12 philosophy teachers, non-academic philosophers, and international philosophers — and is the only U.S. philosophical society not devoted to a particular field, school, or philosophical approach. Its operations are run by approximately 8-10 full-time and part-time staff at the national office.

The APA's product portfolio includes the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Philosophical Association (published in partnership with Cambridge University Press), Proceedings and Addresses, and the APA Studies newsletter series covering specialized topics. It co-operates PhilJobs: Jobs for Philosophers with the PhilPapers Foundation as the leading philosophy job marketplace, runs three annual divisional meetings, and offers career development through a Job-Market Mentoring Program and Beyond the Academy non-academic career resources. Additional offerings include APA Live Events and an On Demand Video Library, the Guide to Graduate Programs, prizes and fellowships, diversity and inclusiveness grants, the Department Services Program, and the AAPT-APA Teaching Hub. Technology infrastructure runs on YourMembership association-management software for the member portal, with Elfsight and AddToAny handling social and sharing integrations.

Revenue is generated primarily through membership dues (tiered from $30/year for secondary students to $600/year for sustaining members, with income-based regular tiers topping out at $532/year), meeting registrations and exhibitor/sponsor fees, publication subscriptions, and grant funding for diversity and discipline-support programs. The association markets through its website (apaonline.org), email and newsletter, social media (Facebook, Twitter/X), blog, annual conferences, virtual events, and partner organizations including AAUP, ACLS, FISP, AAAS, and the National Humanities Alliance.

Name

American Philosophical Association

Legal name

American Philosophical Association

Website

https://apaonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The American Philosophical Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1900, serving over 9,000 academic philosophers, graduate students, and K-12 teachers across its three U.S. divisions through publications, conferences, job-market services, and career resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK), Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD), Academic & Education Conference Organizers (THAHACAE)

Keywords

• Philosophical professional association
• Academic philosophy conferences
• Scholarly philosophy publishing
• Philosophy career services
• Humanities academic membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The APA generates primary revenue from membership dues, which range from $30/year (secondary students) to $532/year (highest income bracket regular members), with graduate students paying $40/year and various income-based tiers for regular membership.
2. Publications and Proceedings: Revenue from scholarly publications including the Journal of the American Philosophical Association, Proceedings and Addresses, and specialty newsletters on philosophical topics.
3. Meeting Registrations: Revenue from registration fees for the three annual divisional meetings (Eastern, Central, Pacific), including exhibitor and sponsor fees.
4. Grant Funding: The APA receives grant funding for diversity initiatives and other programs, and provides grants for projects and conferences that benefit the discipline.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The American Philosophical Association is a membership-based professional association that serves philosophers through tiered annual memberships, scholarly publications (Journal of the APA, Proceedings and Addresses, APA Studies newsletters), three annual divisional conferences (Eastern, Central, Pacific), the PhilJobs job board, and career development programs. Members include academic philosophers, graduate students, contingent faculty, K-12 teachers, and non-academic philosophy professionals across North America and internationally.

Product overview

The American Philosophical Association operates as a professional membership organization offering a portfolio of publications, career services, conferences, and educational resources. Core offerings include the Journal of the APA (published with Cambridge University Press), Proceedings and Addresses, and APA Studies newsletters covering specialized philosophical topics. The association operates PhilJobs (with PhilPapers Foundation) as the premier philosophy job board and provides career development through the Job-Market Mentoring Program and Beyond the Academy resources. Three annual divisional meetings (Eastern, Central, Pacific) serve as the primary conference offering. Additional services include the Guide to Graduate Programs, prizes and fellowships, APA Live and On Demand video programming, diversity grants, and the Department Services Program. The association is structured as a single 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a federal governance model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Proceedings and Addresses A publication of general interest to the philosophical community, publishing presidential addresses, memorials, and association news for APA members.
• Journal of the American Philosophical Association A peer-reviewed scholarly journal published in partnership with Cambridge University Press covering all areas of philosophy for APA members and library subscribers.
• APA Studies Newsletters A newsletter series covering specialized philosophical topics including teaching philosophy, Asian & Asian American philosophy, feminism, Hispanic/Latino issues, LGBTQ philosophy, philosophy and the Black experience, Native American and Indigenous philosophy, and philosophy in two-year colleges.
• PhilJobs: Jobs for Philosophers A joint project with the PhilPapers Foundation providing the leading online job board for philosophy academic positions, with policies to protect against inequitable hiring practices.
• APA Divisional Meetings Three annual divisional meetings (Eastern, Central, Pacific) featuring invited and submitted paper sessions, exhibits, and receptions for scholarly interaction and professional networking.
• Guide to Graduate Programs in Philosophy A comprehensive online directory of graduate programs in philosophy for prospective graduate students.
• APA Prizes and Fellowships Various prizes, lectures, and fellowships recognizing philosophical excellence and contributions to the discipline, administered by the APA.
• APA Live Events Virtual programming including live-streamed events and webinars for APA members covering philosophical topics and professional development.
• APA On Demand Video Library On-demand library of recorded webinars and member videos available for member education and engagement.
• Job-Market Mentoring Program A career development program pairing philosophers on the academic job market with experienced mentors to provide guidance and support during the job search.
• Beyond the Academy Career resources, webinars, and mentor network for philosophers pursuing careers beyond academia in government, business, nonprofits, and other sectors.
• Diversity and Inclusiveness Grant Program Grant funding program to support diversity initiatives and programs promoting inclusion in the philosophy profession.
• Departmental Services Program Institutional program providing services and support to philosophy departments at colleges and universities for hiring and professional standards.
• AAPT-APA Teaching Hub Collaborative teaching resource hub operated jointly with the American Association of Philosophy Teachers, providing teaching resources for philosophy educators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 9,000 members served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe APA partners with AAAS on issues of common professional and educational concern, representing philosophy in broader scientific and academic discourse.
• American Association of University Professors (AAUP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in advocating for academic freedom and professional rights of philosophers. The APA collaborates on issues of common professional and educational concern through this partnership.
• American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe APA works with ACLS on issues of common professional and educational concern. ACLS is a major federation of scholarly organizations advocating for the humanities and social sciences.
• International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe APA fosters international cooperation through FISP, working with philosophical associations around the globe on issues of common concern and promoting international dialogue in philosophy.
• National Humanities AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe APA works with the National Humanities Alliance on advocacy efforts for the humanities, underlining activities, and appreciation of philosophy in the wider community.
• PhilPapers FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project with PhilPapers Foundation to operate PhilJobs: Jobs for Philosophers, the leading source for philosophy job listings. The partnership combines APA's professional membership base with PhilPapers' online philosophical resources.
• Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint membership option offered with PLATO for K-12 philosophy teachers, providing combined benefits from both organizations supporting philosophy education.
• University of DelawarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1975, the APA national office has been located on the campus of the University of Delaware in Newark, DE. This arrangement enables administrative operations and hosts annual APA Lectures.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Modern Language Association: The largest professional association for humanities scholars in the U.S. Like the APA, it operates membership dues, annual conventions, scholarly journals, and career resources. Its membership scale and nonprofit structure make it the closest comparable.
• American Historical Association: Major U.S. scholarly society for historians with comparable membership dues, annual meeting, journal publications, and career services. It serves the same academic customer base (humanities faculty and graduate students) using a similar organizational model.
• American Political Science Association: Leading professional association for political scientists offering memberships, annual conferences, multiple peer-reviewed journals, and a job market (eJobs). Its scale, federal governance, and multi-revenue model closely parallel the APA's structure.
• American Economic Association: Scholarly society that publishes the American Economic Review and other top journals, runs the AEA Annual Meeting, and operates the Job Openings for Economists (JOE) marketplace. Its publishing + job board + conference model is highly analogous to the APA's.
• American Sociological Association: Professional association for sociologists with membership tiers, an annual meeting, peer-reviewed journals, and a job bank. Comparable structure and customer base of academic faculty and graduate students in a humanities-adjacent social science.
• Philosophy of Science Association: Smaller scholarly society for philosophy of science that publishes Philosophy of Science (via University of Chicago Press) and holds biennial conferences. Directly comparable in mission, though narrower in scope than the APA.

Broad incumbents

• Association for Computing Machinery: Much larger global professional association for computing professionals with an extensive conference portfolio, journals, and a digital library serving as both membership and subscription product. Comparable 'scholarly society + conferences + publications' business model but at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Royal Institute of Philosophy: U.K.-based philosophical society offering Philosophy journal, lecture programs, and a regional presence. Comparable academic philosophy mission but geographically distinct, providing a useful proxy for international expansion possibilities.

Emerging players

• American Association of Philosophy Teachers: Smaller, teaching-focused philosophical society that partners with the APA on the AAPT-APA Teaching Hub. Overlaps with the APA's K-12 and pedagogy initiatives and represents a potential collaboration or competitive niche in philosophy pedagogy.

Others

• PhilPapers Foundation: Operates the PhilPapers bibliographic index and is the APA's partner in running PhilJobs. While not a peer in the direct-competition sense, it is the most operationally connected adjacent organization and a key strategic partner for the APA's job board business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/apaphilosophy
• Facebookfacebook.com/apaphilosophy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Philosophical Association