James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation

What James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation does

The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation is an independent agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. Federal Government, established by law in 1986 and headquartered at 1613 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia. Its statutory mission is to strengthen knowledge of the origins and development of American constitutional government among secondary-school teachers by awarding graduate fellowships to outstanding individuals who commit to teaching the U.S. Constitution at the secondary level (grades 7–12). The Foundation operates a single integrated program centered on the James Madison Graduate Fellowship — a $24,000 maximum award per Fellow, prorated over the period of study and not exceeding $12,000 per academic year — which supports tuition, required fees, books, and room/board at accredited U.S. universities. Approximately 45 Fellows are selected annually from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories, via a state-based competition reviewed by an independent academic committee.

The Fellowship is delivered through a curated partner network of master's-degree programs (including Ashland University, Gilder Lehrman Institute/Gettysburg College, Teachers College Columbia University, Harvard, American Public University, and University of Nebraska Omaha) and requires attendance at a mandatory four-week Summer Institute on the Constitution held in Washington, D.C. each summer. Supporting program assets include the Annual James Madison Lecture Series (broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ and YouTube as of 2026), American History Videos (Constitutional Conversations, Presidents on the Constitution), Fellow-authored lesson plans, and publications (The James Madison Review of Books, Madison Notes). The Foundation operates a staff of approximately 22, including a Chief of Staff & Academics, Director of Academics, EEO Coordinator, and Section 508 Coordinator. In 2026 the Foundation began supporting the U.S. Department of Education's Presidential 1776 Award as part of the America 250 / Semiquincentennial initiative.

The Foundation is funded primarily by income generated through a trust fund in the U.S. Treasury, supplemented by private gifts, grants, and endowments from named donors including the Henry J. Salvatori Foundation, Atlantic Foundation of Hamilton, New Jersey, The Fairleigh S. Dickinson, Jr. Foundation, and the affiliated James Madison Education Fund, Inc. of Alexandria, Virginia. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees, is not publicly traded, and operates under standard federal-agency compliance regimes (Section 508, FISMA, FOIA, No Fear Act, EEO). It is not a commercially marketed product or service: the Fellowship is an award, and eligibility criteria, application materials, and obligations (including a teaching commitment) are publicly disclosed on jamesmadison.gov.

Name

James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation

Legal name

James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation

Website

https://jamesmadison.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation is a federally chartered independent agency, established in 1986, that awards $24,000 graduate fellowships to aspiring and current secondary-school teachers of the U.S. Constitution. It funds roughly 45 Fellows annually across all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories, supported by a U.S. Treasury trust fund and private endowments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graduate Fellowship Programs

NAICS

Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Graduate fellowships
• Civic education programs
• Constitutional studies
• Teacher scholarships
• Fellowship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Trust Fund: James Madison Fellowships are funded by income generated through a trust fund in the Treasury of the United States. The Foundation is an independent agency of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government created by law in 1986.
2. Private Gifts, Grants, and Endowments: Fellowships are additionally funded through private gifts, grants, and endowments from various foundations and donors, including named fellowships endowed by organizations such as the Henry J. Salvatori Foundation, Atlantic Foundation, and Fairleigh S. Dickinson, Jr. Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation administers the James Madison Graduate Fellowship — a $24,000 merit-based award for current and prospective secondary-school teachers (grades 7–12) committed to teaching the U.S. Constitution. The fellowship is paired with a mandatory four-week Summer Institute on the Constitution in Washington, D.C., plus educational resources such as videos, lesson plans, and publications that extend the program's reach beyond the annual cohort.

Product overview

The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation is a federal scholarship organization that administers the prestigious James Madison Fellowship program for aspiring secondary school teachers of the U.S. Constitution. The Foundation operates as a single integrated program centered on the $24,000 James Madison Graduate Fellowship, complemented by the mandatory Summer Institute on the Constitution and the Annual James Madison Lecture Series. Supporting educational offerings include American History Videos (Constitutional Conversations series), lesson plans from Fellows, and publications (The James Madison Review of Books and Madison Notes). The Foundation supports the Presidential 1776 Award competition and maintains a network of partner universities for graduate studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• James Madison Graduate Fellowship A $24,000 merit-based graduate fellowship awarded to outstanding current and prospective secondary-school teachers (grades 7–12) committed to teaching the American Constitution. Fellows pursue a master's degree emphasizing the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution at accredited U.S. universities and must teach full-time in a secondary school for at least one year for each year of Fellowship support.
• Admiral Paul A. Yost, Jr.-James Madison Fellowship

Quantifiable outcome

• 45 Fellows selected annually from all states and territories
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• U.S. Department of EducationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation supported the Presidential 1776 Award competition by providing James Madison Fellows to write competition questions and serve as advisory evaluation judges and proctors through the semifinals and national finals.
• Ashland UniversitycoreOthersPopular master's degree program provider for James Madison Fellows. Offers MA in American History and Government.
• Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History / Gettysburg CollegecoreOthersPopular master's degree program provider for James Madison Fellows. Offers MA in American History.
• Teacher's College, Columbia UniversitycoreOthersPartner university for James Madison Fellows pursuing graduate degrees in history, political science, or government.
• Harvard UniversitycoreOthersPartner university for James Madison Fellows pursuing graduate degrees in relevant fields.
• American Public UniversitycoreOthersPartner university for James Madison Fellows pursuing graduate degrees.
• University of Nebraska, OmahacoreOthersPartner university offering master's degrees in political science for James Madison Fellows.
• Center for the Study of the American Constitution at the University of Wisconsin–MadisonminorOthersFeatured as academic resource partner. Houses over 70,000 primary source documents focused on ratification of Constitution.
• National ArchivesminorOthersFeatured as academic resource. Provides Charters of Freedom materials including Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
• iCivicsminorOthersFeatured as classroom resource partner providing primary source lesson plans and interactive games for students.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (US Education Program): Large foundation funding K-12 education including teacher quality initiatives. Comparable as a major philanthropic funder addressing secondary teacher development at national scale.
• National Endowment for the Humanities: Federal agency that funds humanities research, education, and preservation including civics and history programming. Comparable as a federally chartered funder with overlapping mission in American history and constitutional education.
• Carnegie Corporation of New York: Major philanthropic foundation with substantial education and democracy grantmaking programs including civic education. Comparable as large-scale education-focused grantmaking foundation.

Others

• Ashland University (MA in American History & Government): Accredited graduate program partner that hosts James Madison Fellows pursuing master's degrees. Comparable as a participating university in the Foundation's Master's Degree Programs network.

Direct peers

• The Fund for American Studies: Educational nonprofit that runs fellowship and scholarship programs for students and teachers focused on free government, economics, and American political traditions. Comparable niche civic-education funder with fellowship model.
• Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Nonprofit dedicated to improving American history education at the K-12 and graduate level, partnering with Fellows for graduate degrees and offering extensive teacher resources. Direct peer in mission and content domain.
• Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation: National fellowship foundation that historically awarded graduate fellowships to teachers and scholars, operating on a similar model of competitive, merit-based awards funded by philanthropic and trust fund support. Direct functional peer in mission and mechanism.
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Scholarship and grantmaking foundation that funds high-achieving students including those pursuing graduate study leading to impactful careers. Comparable as a private educational grantmaker targeting high-achieving individuals.
• Fund for Teachers: Philanthropy that awards fellowships directly to preK-12 teachers for self-designed professional development, including graduate study. Closely comparable as a teacher-focused fellowship foundation with nationwide reach.

Emerging players

• iCivics: Nonprofit providing civics curriculum, games, and teacher resources for K-12 classrooms. Already a featured partner of the James Madison Foundation and a comparable civic education content provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JamesMadisonFdn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@JamesMadisonFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/JamesMadisonFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jmmff
• Instagraminstagram.com/JamesMadisonFoundation
• Pinterestpinterest.com/JamesMadisonFoundation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation