Center for State and Local Finance at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

What Center for State and Local Finance at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies does

The Center for State and Local Finance (CSLF) is a nonpartisan policy research and technical assistance center housed within the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University in Atlanta. Founded in 2014 and operating with a small core staff of approximately eight employees plus affiliated faculty and graduate research fellows, CSLF delivers applied public finance research, revenue and economic forecasting, fiscal impact studies, tax policy analysis, and city incorporation feasibility studies to government clients. As one of only three schools authorized by the Georgia General Assembly to provide city incorporation feasibility studies, CSLF holds a statutory niche in Georgia municipal policy. Since 2018, it has operated as part of the Public Finance Research Cluster alongside the Fiscal Research Center and the International Center for Public Policy.

CSLF's service portfolio is anchored by five core offerings: (1) Innovative Policy Research producing working papers and policy briefs across four pillars — public budgeting and management, tax policy and reform, economic development, and education finance; (2) Technical Assistance engagements covering fiscal and economic impact studies, revenue forecasting for LOST, ESPLOST, property tax, sales tax, and TAVT, and incorporation feasibility studies; (3) the Executive Education in Public Finance certificate program (currently on hiatus) offering six courses aligned with GFOA's CPFO certification; (4) the Stronger Performance Auditing ICPA Online Program, an eight-module online training delivered in partnership with the International Center for Performance Auditing at $4,000 per participant; and (5) the Public Finance Fellowship providing full tuition waivers and stipends to graduate research assistants. The underlying technology stack relies on traditional economic modeling (IMPLAN, REMI), statistical programming (Stata, SAS), geospatial and visualization tools (Tableau, GIS), and Excel-based forecasting — no proprietary AI/ML systems are disclosed. Research outputs are distributed through the PFRC Archives, RePEc working paper series, and practitioner-facing policy briefs.

CSLF's revenue model is project-based professional services funded through government contracts, sponsored research grants, executive education tuition, and ICPA program fees. Customers are overwhelmingly public sector: Georgia state agencies, the Georgia General Assembly, Georgia counties, cities, and school districts (primary), with secondary reach into U.S. states including New Mexico, Kansas, Connecticut, and Nebraska, and international governments in Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jamaica, Egypt, and Cambodia via ICePP. Go-to-market is direct relationship-driven sales through named institutional contacts (Peter Bluestone for technical assistance, Paul Benson for executive education and ICPA, Alex Hathaway for research and communications). Brand positioning is reinforced by the Andrew Young School's No. 5 national ranking in public finance and budgeting by U.S. News & World Report and a long-standing Volcker Alliance partnership covering all 50 U.S. states since 2016.

Name

Center for State and Local Finance at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

Legal name

Center for State and Local Finance at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

Website

https://cslf.gsu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for State and Local Finance is a nonpartisan policy research and technical assistance center at Georgia State University's Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, delivering revenue forecasting, fiscal impact studies, tax policy analysis, and city incorporation feasibility studies to state and local governments in Georgia, across the U.S., and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Technical Assistance: CSLF generates revenue through fee-for-service technical assistance and consulting engagements with state and local governments, including revenue forecasting services, fiscal impact studies, feasibility studies, and tax policy advisement.
2. Executive Education Programs: Revenue from executive education courses including certificate programs (CPFM) and special topic sessions offered to government finance professionals. Note: Executive Education program is on hiatus for the current academic year.
3. Performance Auditing Training (ICPA): The International Center for Performance Auditing (ICPA) program, administered in partnership with CSLF, generates revenue through program registration fees ($4,000 per participant for the Stronger Performance Auditing program).
4. Sponsored Research and Grants: Research supported by grantors and donors including project-specific funding for technical assistance activities. Long-standing partnership with Volcker Alliance for Truth and Integrity in Government Finance research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CSLF provides nonpartisan policy research, revenue and economic forecasting, fiscal impact and feasibility studies, and technical assistance to state and local governments. It also operates an executive education program covering public financial management (CPFM certificate) and the ICPA Stronger Performance Auditing online program, while supporting graduate students through its Public Finance Fellowship.

Product overview

The Center for State and Local Finance (CSLF) is an academic policy research center that offers a portfolio of educational and research services rather than a commercial technology product. Its core offerings include: (1) the Executive Education in Public Finance program with six core courses leading to a Certificate in Public Financial Management (CPFM); (2) the Stronger Performance Auditing ICPA Online Program delivered in partnership with the International Center for Performance Auditing; (3) the Public Finance Fellowship supporting graduate students; (4) Innovative Policy Research producing working papers and policy briefs; and (5) Technical Assistance services including fiscal impact studies, revenue forecasting, and tax policy advisement for governments. The center operates as part of the Andrew Young School's Public Finance Research Cluster alongside the Fiscal Research Center and International Center for Public Policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Education in Public Finance An executive education program offering six core courses leading to a Certificate in Public Financial Management (CPFM), aligned with GFOA CPFO certification requirements and covering operating and capital budgeting, governmental leadership, treasury and investment management, governmental financial statements and accounting, debt management, and retirement/risk management/procurement. Designed for state and local government finance professionals.
• Stronger Performance Auditing (ICPA Online Program) A fully online program delivered by the International Center for Performance Auditing in partnership with CSLF, consisting of eight two-week modules covering audit purposes, methods, standards, selection, planning, fieldwork, reporting, and quality control. Designed for performance auditors and managers globally and eligible for 80 CPE credits through NASBA.
• Public Finance Fellowship A graduate fellowship program that supports students in state and local public finance research, with fellows working on faculty research projects, drafting briefs and reports, and participating in technical assistance projects. Fellows receive a full tuition waiver and competitive stipend.
• Innovative Policy Research Nonpartisan, applied policy research across four core pillars: public budgeting and management, tax policy and reform, economic development, and education finance. Produces working papers and policy briefs that translate academic findings into actionable guidance for public leaders.
• Technical Assistance and Advisement Technical assistance services for governments including fiscal and economic impact studies, incorporation feasibility studies, revenue forecasting (LOST, ESPLOST, property tax, sales tax, TAVT), and tax policy analysis at state and local levels. CSLF is authorized by the Georgia General Assembly to provide city incorporation feasibility studies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked No. 5 nationally in public finance and budgeting by U.S. News & World Report (Andrew Young School)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Volcker AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016CSLF has a long-standing partnership with the New York-based Volcker Alliance to conduct studies improving budgeting practices and fiscal sustainability across all 50 U.S. states. The Truth and Integrity in Government Finance project examines state government fiscal practices to improve governance, public transparency, and sustainability. Since 2016, CSLF has led research on states primarily in the South while training graduate research assistants in data-gathering and technical writing. CSLF principal researcher is Alex Hathaway. This partnership has produced multiple joint publications including issue papers on post-pandemic tax cuts and state fiscal practices.
• Fiscal Research Center (FRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFRC is a sister center within the Andrew Young School's Public Finance Research Cluster. FRC focuses on Georgia state and local tax policy. State and local tax research is shared between FRC and CSLF. FRC is also led by Senior Director Paul Benson. CSLF and FRC collaborate on technical assistance projects and research initiatives.
• International Center for Public Policy (ICePP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICePP is a sister center within the Andrew Young School's Public Finance Research Cluster and is a global leader in international policy training and technical assistance for fiscal policy, public administration, and local government finance. ICePP's international work is largely under the aegis of CSLF's research framework. CSLF researchers can participate in ICePP projects and vice versa. ICePP also administers the ICPA (International Center for Performance Auditing) program in partnership with CSLF.
• Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (AYSPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSLF is housed within the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. AYSPS provides institutional infrastructure, faculty, and administrative support. CSLF is one of three centers comprising the school's Public Finance Research Cluster. The school's No. 5 national ranking in public finance and budgeting (per U.S. News & World Report) is attributed in part to CSLF's work.
• International Center for Performance Auditing (ICPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICPA was founded in 2009 by Mark Funkhouser. CSLF administers the Stronger Performance Auditing program in partnership with ICPA. CSLF oversees administration of the online meeting platform, Canvas course housing, and registration/payment processing. ICPA provides instructional content and delivery. The program equips government auditors globally to achieve positive, durable outcomes in performance auditing.
• Georgia General AssemblycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is one of three schools authorized by the Georgia General Assembly to provide city incorporation feasibility studies. CSLF faculty and research associates conduct these analyses, which provide detailed analysis of expected revenues and planned expenditures for proposed cities using generally accepted methodologies.
• Atlanta Regional CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSLF Associate Director Peter Bluestone has served on the technical advisory committee for the Atlanta Regional Commission, contributing expertise in regional economic and fiscal policy.
• Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSLF researchers have evaluated aspects of Georgia's early care industry for DECAL as part of education finance research activities.
• Georgia Student Finance CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSLF researchers have evaluated the state's Dual Enrollment program for the Georgia Student Finance Commission as part of education finance research.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Urban Institute: Major policy research organization with significant work in state and local fiscal policy, education finance, and economic development. Operates in adjacent policy space with broader portfolio and substantially larger scale than CSLF.
• Brookings Institution: Major think tank conducting broad public policy research including state and local fiscal policy and economic studies. A broader incumbent operating in adjacent policy research space with significantly larger scale and resources than CSLF.
• Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA): Major professional association for state and local government finance officials offering CPFO certification, training, and best practices. CSLF's executive education program explicitly aligns with GFOA certification content, making GFOA both a peer and an ecosystem partner.

Emerging players

• Tax Foundation: Nonprofit research organization focused on tax policy with growing state tax coverage. Comparable mission around evidence-based tax policy analysis but with a stronger federal focus and broader public footprint than CSLF.

Direct peers

• National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO): Professional membership organization serving state budget officers with research, analysis, and publications on state budgeting practices. Directly comparable to CSLF's technical assistance work with state agencies on budgeting and revenue forecasting.
• Volcker Alliance: Nonprofit dedicated to improving state and local fiscal practices through research on budgeting, transparency, and sustainability. Already a strategic partner of CSLF since 2016, operating in the same research niche with overlapping publications and methods.
• Multistate Tax Commission: Interstate compact agency serving state tax administrators with uniform tax administration research and policy analysis. Highly comparable to CSLF's tax policy advisement work for states including New Mexico, Kansas, Connecticut, and Nebraska.
• Lincoln Institute of Land Policy: Nonprofit policy research organization focused on state and local fiscal policy, particularly property taxation and land use. Directly comparable because it conducts applied research and provides technical assistance to state/local governments on fiscal matters, similar to CSLF's core mission.

Regional players

• National League of Cities: Membership organization serving municipal governments with research, advocacy, and training on city fiscal management. Comparable audience (city governments, which are key CSLF clients) and overlapping content around municipal revenue forecasting and feasibility.
• National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL): Bipartisan organization serving all state legislatures with research and policy analysis on state fiscal and budgetary issues. Comparable audience (state policymakers) and overlapping research topics, particularly around fiscal notes and revenue forecasting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-state-and-local-finance

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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