Massachusetts Boys and Girls State Foundation

What Massachusetts Boys and Girls State Foundation does

The Massachusetts Boys State & Girls State Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Foxborough, Massachusetts, that financially supports and promotes the Massachusetts Boys State program operated under the American Legion Department of Massachusetts. Founded in 1944, the program runs its 83rd Annual Session in June 2027 and delivers a week-long immersive civic education experience to approximately 250 Massachusetts high school junior males each year at Stonehill College in North Easton, MA. Participants create and manage simulated municipal and state governments, form political parties, run elections, serve in legislative and judicial roles, and engage in athletics, journalism, band, and academic components including economics, government, and law electives. The program is staffed by American Legion volunteers, many of whom are program alumni, with no direct fees paid by students or families.

The Foundation's revenue model is sponsorship- and donation-based. Each sponsored student costs $400 (or $375 under the early-bird tier before April 1, 2026), funded by American Legion Posts across 10 Massachusetts districts, local high schools, or the Foundation itself; no student is refused for inability to pay. Donations are processed via PayPal on the Foundation's website. The technology footprint is intentionally minimal — Google Forms for bill submissions and electronic sponsorship, PayPal for donations, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter/X) for outreach, and a WordPress website for information dissemination. There are no proprietary technology platforms, no app, and no AI components. The program is closely integrated with Massachusetts Girls State, sharing a joint inauguration ceremony and co-producing The Citizen newspaper, with two elected state senators annually advancing to the national Boys Nation program in Washington, D.C.

Name

Massachusetts Boys and Girls State Foundation

Legal name

Massachusetts Boys State & Girls State Foundation

Website

https://maboysstate.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Massachusetts Boys and Girls State Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that financially supports Massachusetts Boys State, a week-long American Legion civic education program held annually at Stonehill College for ~250 Massachusetts high school junior males, funded by Legion Post sponsorships and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Civic Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Administration of Education Programs (92311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Civic Participation & Leadership Development (Voting, Advocacy, Community Leadership) (EDAAADAL)

Keywords

• Youth civic education
• Leadership development program
• Government simulation
• Citizenship education
• Democratic engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Palmer

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Sponsorship: The program is funded primarily through sponsorship of students by American Legion Posts, local schools, and community organizations. Each sponsored student tuition is $400 (or $375 for early bird before April 1). The Massachusetts Boys State & Girls State Foundation also provides financial support and fundraising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Massachusetts Boys and Girls State Foundation operates a week-long, residential civic education program for high school juniors held annually at Stonehill College in Massachusetts. The program immerses students in grassroots democracy through simulated municipal and state governments, with participants forming political parties, electing officials, passing legislation, and attending lectures by elected officials and academics.

Product overview

Massachusetts Boys State is a single, integrated civic education program structured as a week-long immersive simulation of democratic governance at Stonehill College. The core program consists of the main Boys State Program supported by multiple interconnected components: General Education Lectures featuring guest speakers, three Elective Courses (Economics, Government, and Law) taught by academics and professionals, Mini Courses for deeper exploration, and the Municipal Government Simulation where students manage cities or towns. Students also participate in the State Government Simulation forming parties and electing state officials, with top winners advancing to Boys Nation in Washington D.C. Additional program elements include Athletics tournaments, the Boys State Band for major assemblies, the Boys State Court for student-run judicial proceedings, The Citizen newspaper jointly produced with Girls State, a College Fair connecting students with 30+ schools, and College Scholarships through the American Legion. The program also operates an electronic Bill Proposal System and Sponsor Form for administrative functions. All activities are designed to teach democratic values through experiential learning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Massachusetts Boys State Program Week-long immersive civic education program for high school juniors teaching democratic values, government fundamentals, and citizen involvement through grassroots democracy simulation where students create and manage their own municipalities and political parties at Stonehill College.
• Boys Nation Delegation Two elected state senators represent Massachusetts at the annual Boys Nation program in Washington D.C. in July, with all expenses including round-trip airfare paid by the American Legion.
• College Scholarships Scholarship opportunities including The American Legion Legacy Scholarship, American Legion Baseball Scholarship, Samsung American Legion Scholarship, National High School Oratorical Contest Scholarship, and Eagle Scout of the Year available to program participants.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Stonehill CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoys State is held in the first-class facilities of Stonehill College located in North Easton, MA. The campus location provides participants with an authentic college experience. Students are housed in dormitories and dine at Roche Dining Hall. The college provides comprehensive facilities for academic sessions, athletics, and lodging.
• Massachusetts Girls State (American Legion Auxiliary Massachusetts Girls State)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated program with joint activities including joint inauguration ceremony on Wednesday evening. The two programs share information for participant registration and coordinate activities. Both programs produce The Citizen newspaper jointly.
• Massachusetts Boys State & Girls State FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit) exists to promote and financially support the program. It shares participant information with Boys State for fundraising purposes. Located at 438 South Street, Foxborough, MA.
• The American LegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe American Legion produces Boys State each year as a national program. The Massachusetts program operates under the Department of Massachusetts American Legion. The program is executed by Legion members and Boys State graduates, all volunteers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• iCivics: Founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, this nonprofit delivers civics curriculum and educational games to K-12 students, increasingly including teacher and student programs. Comparable in civic-education mission but delivers primarily through classroom/digital channels rather than immersive residential programs.

Direct peers

• Junior State of America (JSA): Student-run civic engagement organization for high schoolers offering conventions, debates, and simulations of government. Comparable in mission (civic education, leadership, government simulation) and teen-targeted programming, though operates as a year-round club model rather than a single week-long camp.
• American Legion Boys Nation: The national culminating program of the American Legion's Boys State network, where two elected senators from each state (including Massachusetts Boys State) travel to Washington D.C. for advanced civic leadership training. Direct downstream continuation of Massachusetts Boys State's curriculum.
• American Legion Auxiliary Girls State (Massachusetts): The sister program for high school junior females in Massachusetts, jointly run with Massachusetts Boys State (shared inauguration, joint newspaper, integrated activities). Operates under the same American Legion umbrella with parallel civic simulation structure.
• YMCA Youth & Government: State-level YMCA civic engagement program that places high school students in model government simulations similar to Boys State, including legislative, judicial, and executive branches. Directly comparable in target demographic, immersive simulation format, and state-based delivery.
• Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY): National nonprofit leadership program for high school sophomores offering multi-day seminars focused on civic engagement, leadership, and community service. Comparable in mission (youth civic/leadership development) and delivery model (intensive residential seminars sponsored by local volunteers).
• Close Up Foundation: Nonprofit providing civic education programs in Washington D.C. and through schools, including mock legislatures, government simulations, and current-events programming for middle and high school students. Comparable in mission and government-simulation pedagogy.

Regional players

• Eagle Scout of the Year (Boy Scouts of America): A national youth character and leadership development program with state-level recognition ceremonies and scholarships. Comparable in mission (youth leadership, character development, scholarship pathways) and age demographic, though with different programmatic structure than Boys State.

Broad incumbents

• National Constitution Center: Philadelphia-based nonprofit chartered by Congress to disseminate constitutional civic education, including youth programs, teacher training, and visitor experiences. Comparable civic education mission with broader programmatic scope than a single week-long youth program.
• The American Legion: National parent organization that produces Boys State programs in every state, including the Massachusetts program. Provides brand, scholarship pipeline (Legacy, Samsung, Baseball, Oratorical), and the nationwide framework under which Massachusetts operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/maboysstate
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClLqxMCY5hlUzdTUYz2AJcw
• Facebookfacebook.com/MABoysState
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/massachusetts-boys-girls-state-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/maboysstate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Massachusetts Boys and Girls State Foundation