Georgetown University Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service

What Georgetown University Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service does

The Georgetown University Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service (CSJ) is a university center within Georgetown University, founded in 2001, that operationalizes the institution's Jesuit mission of service through community engagement, service-learning, and social justice research. CSJ delivers a portfolio of more than 25 distinct programs spanning direct service (After School Kids, DC Reads, DC Schools Project, DC STEM, HOME Homelessness Outreach, Hoya Hub Food Pantries, Immersion Justice Initiatives), immersive experiences (Alternative Breaks Program dating to 1975, FOCI pre-orientation), academic integration (Community-Based Learning courses including UNXD 1130 and UNXD 1030, Justice and Peace Studies major, Faculty Fellows program), fellowships (Andretta, Education and Social Justice, SIPS Fund), and signature events (Global Social Justice Research Symposium, Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Teach Dr. King's Speech).

CSJ's primary customers are Georgetown University students (undergraduate and graduate), who participate through volunteering, Federal Work Study positions, immersion trips, fellowships, and student organization leadership across 55+ affiliated organizations. Secondary beneficiaries are DC community members — DCPS students, immigrants, individuals experiencing homelessness, and at-promise youth — served through partnerships with more than 40 community-based organizations, DC Public Schools, Georgetown Ministry Center, Father McKenna Center, Ward 2 and Ward 6 Mutual Aid organizations, and Jesuit institutions globally.

CSJ does not operate a revenue-generating business model. Funding flows from Georgetown University institutional allocation, philanthropy (donations through Georgetown's giving platform), and the $1.5 million student-managed SIPS endowment. All student-facing services are free; some positions offer Federal Work Study compensation at $17.95-$18.95/hour for summer 2026. The Advisory Board for Student Organizations (ABSO) manages $150,000-$180,000 annually in student organization funding. There is no SaaS, licensing, or commercial product; the technology backbone is a CBL pedagogical framework adapted from Stanford's Haas Center for Public Service and a structured six-pathway engagement model (Direct Service, Community-Engaged Learning and Research, Community Organizing and Activism, Philanthropy, Policy and Governance, Social Entrepreneurship).

Name

Georgetown University Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service

Legal name

Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service

Website

https://csj.georgetown.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service is a Georgetown University center founded in 2001 that delivers 25+ community-engaged learning, direct service, and social justice research programs for Georgetown students, partnering with DC community organizations, DC Public Schools, and Jesuit institutions globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Justice Education and Community Engagement

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Service-Learning Partnerships (EDALAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI)

Keywords

• Community based learning
• Social justice education
• Student service programs
• Community engagement services
• Social impact research

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington, District of Columbia

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. University Institutional Funding: Primary funding from Georgetown University as a campus center supporting the university's Jesuit mission of service and social justice
2. Donations and Alumni Contributions: Accepts donations through Georgetown's giving platform; alumni and friends can direct gifts to specific CSJ programs
3. Federal Work Study Coordination: Facilitates Federal Work Study positions for students participating in CSJ programs, connecting university FWS funding to community service roles

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CSJ is a Georgetown University academic center that teaches and supports social justice through community-based learning, research, direct service, advocacy, and student leadership. It offers courses, service and immersion programs, tutoring and youth programs, homelessness and food-security assistance, immigrant-justice initiatives, research fellowships, and social-venture funding.

Product overview

The Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service (CSJ) is an academic center at Georgetown University offering a diverse portfolio of social justice programs rather than a technology product. The CSJ provides over 25 distinct programs including student service initiatives (ASK, DC Reads, DC Schools Project, DC STEM, FOCI, Alternative Breaks), community support services (Hoya Hub food pantries, HOME homelessness outreach, HOT hypothermia team), academic courses (UNXD 1130 Social Action, UNXD 1030 Intersections of Social Justice), student organizations (55+), fellowship programs (Andretta Research Fellowship, Education and Social Justice Fellowship, SIPS Fund), and annual events (Global Social Justice Research Symposium, Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Teach Dr. King's Speech). These programs operate as interconnected community engagement, education, and advocacy offerings rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UNXD 1130: CBL Social Action A 1-credit, pass/fail, online, asynchronous community-based learning course linking students' coursework with community-based service and social justice work through reflection, requiring 30-40 hours of community engagement per semester.
• UNXD 1030-130: Intersections of Social Justice An intensive 8-week online summer course integrating course content with community-based work, where students apply core theories and skills for social justice work through reflection-based learning activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• SIPS Fund has allocated more than $250,000 to student and alumni social ventures since 2011
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Georgetown Ministry Center (GMC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Partnership with Georgetown's campus ministry for collaborative homelessness outreach through the HOME Program. GMC provides drop-in center services where CSJ students volunteer for direct service with unhoused community members.
• Father McKenna Center (FMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for homelessness services where CSJ students support day-to-day operations and programming at FMC, which serves individuals experiencing homelessness in DC.
• Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-administers the Education & Social Justice (ESJ) Fellowship program, sending students for research at Jesuit institutions domestically and abroad. Co-hosts Global Social Justice Research Symposium.
• Laidlaw FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Georgetown's Center for Research and Fellowships to sponsor Laidlaw Undergraduate Leadership and Research Scholars who conduct independent research.
• DC Public Schools (DCPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for educational programs including DC Reads (literacy tutoring), DC STEM (science education), and DC Schools Project (English language learning) operating in DCPS schools.
• Ward 2 Mutual AidsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for homelessness outreach and support services through the HOME Program, collaborating on direct services and advocacy for unhoused community members.
• Ward 6 Mutual Aid / Serve Your CitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for homelessness outreach services through the HOME Program, working together on community-based support for unhoused individuals.
• Stanford University Haas Center for Public ServicesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdapted the Bridges to Social Justice framework from Stanford's Pathways to Public Service and Community Engagement framework, customizing it for Georgetown's Jesuit context.
• Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtensive network of community organizations in DC serving as placement sites for student community-based learning. CBOs must have social justice mission and work with disadvantaged populations.
• Jesuit Institutions (domestic and international)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerESJ Fellowship sends students to conduct research at Jesuit-led institutions domestically and abroad, including Fundação Gonçalo de Silveira in Portugal.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of Pennsylvania Netter Center for Community Partnerships: UPenn's center for university-community partnerships operating academically-based community service courses in local schools and neighborhoods. Direct peer in the university-based community service center model CSJ follows.
• Johns Hopkins University Center for Social Concern: JHU's center for community-based service-learning, advocacy, and social justice education. Peer institution in the Baltimore-DC Jesuit/non-Jesuit research university ecosystem running analogous direct-service and reflection-based programs.
• Vanderbilt University Office of Active Citizenship and Service: Vanderbilt's hub for service-learning, community partnerships, and civic engagement. Highly comparable to CSJ in scope (Alt Breaks, direct service, community-based research), with overlapping staff career paths (CSJ's Hope Young previously worked at Vanderbilt).
• Brown University Swearer Center for Public Service: Brown's center for community-engaged learning, engaged scholarship, and public service. CSJ's Associate Director Leyna Co previously worked there, indicating direct operational and programmatic alignment in community-based learning and student civic engagement.
• Stanford University Haas Center for Public Service: Stanford's hub for public service, community engagement, and service-learning. CSJ explicitly adapted its Bridges to Social Justice framework from Haas's Pathways of Public Service and Civic Engagement framework, making it the closest structural and pedagogical peer.
• Tufts University Tisch College of Civic Life: Tufts's university-wide civic engagement unit combining research, teaching, and service. Highly comparable as an academic center embedding civic engagement and social justice across curriculum, research, and student life.

Broad incumbents

• Georgetown University Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs: Georgetown's research center on religion, peace, and world affairs. Co-administers the Education & Social Justice Fellowship with CSJ and co-hosts the Global Social Justice Research Symposium, positioning it as an internal peer operating in adjacent territory.
• Campus Compact: National coalition of colleges and universities advancing civic and community engagement. Provides the Newman Civic Fellowship that CSJ promotes, making it a sector-level peer and ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Howard University Center for Urban Equity: Howard University's DC-based center advancing equity through community-engaged research and programming. Operates in the same DC ecosystem and demographic context as CSJ, serving overlapping community partners.

Emerging players

• Jesuit Volunteer Corps: National Jesuit volunteer service program placing recent graduates in full-time service roles with nonprofits. Comparable in Jesuit mission and volunteer-driven service model, though operating post-graduate rather than during college.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/csjgeorgetown
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gu-csj
• Instagraminstagram.com/csj.georgetown

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Georgetown University Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service