The Public Interest Fellowship

What The Public Interest Fellowship does

The Public Interest Fellowship (TPIF) is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit, founded in 2015, that operates a portfolio of selective fellowship and grant programs aimed at identifying, developing, and elevating early- to mid-career professionals committed to liberty, constitutional government, free markets, and US global leadership. Its portfolio comprises five fellowship programs — the flagship two-year Public Interest Fellowship (with tracks in Washington, DC and New York), the Security and Strategy Seminar, the Antonin Scalia Fellowship, the Fellowship on Military History and Strategy, and the Richard John Neuhaus Fellowship on American Flourishing — plus two grant programs (National Security Grant and Book Grant). Programs are delivered primarily in-person through evening seminars, academic retreats, monthly dinners with prominent public figures, multi-day trips, and (for the Military History fellowship) battlefield visits in Europe. Cohorts are admitted via nomination and a competitive application process; the full-time flagship track provides paid employment through partner organizations, while a stipend track serves already-employed professionals. TPIF's brand explicitly inherits the legacy of The Public Interest journal founded by Daniel Bell and Irving Kristol, and the organization co-develops several of its fellowships with established institutions including the Ethics and Public Policy Center, the Alexander Hamilton Society, and AEI's Adam White.

TPIF is governed by an Advisory Council of nationally recognized policy intellectuals and led by an 18-person staff including Executive Director Garrett Exner (former Senate Armed Services aide, OSD Policy counterterrorism advisor, and Marine Special Operations officer) and Director of Studies Peter Berkowitz (former Director of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff). It monetizes its model not via tuition in the conventional sense but through a mix of host-organization-funded full-time fellowships, need-based grant disbursements, and (implicitly) philanthropic and donor support; revenue, donor concentration, and 990 filings are not publicly disclosed. The organization uses a WordPress-based website and standard organic social channels for top-of-funnel recruitment, with nominations and professional referrals driving mid-funnel candidate flow. There is no proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, or app product — TPIF's value proposition rests entirely on the quality of its curriculum, faculty, mentor network, and tightly knit alumni community rather than on technology-driven scale.

Name

The Public Interest Fellowship

Legal name

The Public Interest Fellowship

Website

https://publicinterestfellowship.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Public Interest Fellowship is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit, founded in 2015, operating five selective fellowship programs and two grant programs that recruit and develop early- to mid-career professionals committed to liberty, constitutional government, and US leadership in policy, journalism, law, and national security.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Development Fellowship Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI)

Keywords

• Public policy fellowships
• Leadership development programs
• Civic education programs
• Grant funding programs
• Professional mentorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fellowship Program Fees: The organization operates fellowship programs offering both full-time paid positions and stipend programs for already-employed professionals. Revenue is generated through program participation, though specific fee structures are not publicly disclosed.
2. Grant Programs: TPIF offers National Security Grant and Book Grant programs to support early to mid-career professionals. The Book Grant Program supports new authors with travel stipends, research expenses, and research assistant pairing for top proposals. Grant amounts are awarded according to demonstrated need with no set minimum or maximum.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Public Interest Fellowship operates five fellowship programs and two grant programs designed to identify, develop, and elevate future leaders devoted to liberty and the public interest. Programs provide young and mid-career professionals with curated curricular experiences in American constitutional government, national security strategy, constitutional law, military history, and Judeo-Christian tradition, delivered through evening seminars, retreats, dinners, and multi-day trips.

Product overview

The Public Interest Fellowship operates a portfolio of five fellowship programs and two grant programs focused on identifying, developing, and elevating future leaders devoted to liberty and the public interest. The flagship two-year Public Interest Fellowship provides professional opportunities and continuing education in American constitutional government for recent graduates and young professionals. The Security and Strategy Seminar and Antonin Scalia Fellowship offer specialized year-long programs on national security strategy and constitutional thought respectively. The Fellowship on Military History and Strategy combines domestic seminars with European battlefield visits, while the Richard John Neuhaus Fellowship explores Judeo-Christian tradition in public policy. Complementing the fellowships are the National Security Grant and Book Grant Programs, which provide financial support for relevant projects and publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Public Interest Fellowship (TPIF) The flagship two-year fellowship program of TPIF, with tracks in Washington, DC and New York, NY, designed for recent college graduates and young professionals. Fellows participate in twice-monthly evening seminars, academic retreats, monthly dinners with prominent public figures, and professional development sessions while completing two professional rotations at host organizations committed to American constitutional government. Both full-time paid and stipend tracks are offered.
• Security and Strategy Seminar (SSS) A graduate-level seminar co-hosted with the Alexander Hamilton Society in Washington, DC, consisting of four simultaneous year-long tracks focused on strategic challenges: US-China competition, US-Iran competition, US-Russia competition, and Defense Strategy and Policy. Each track includes 15 evening sessions with leading scholars. Designed for graduate-level participants engaged with national security policy.
• Antonin Scalia Fellowship (ASF) A year-long fellowship on American constitutional thought focusing on originalism, the Courts, the administrative state, and liberty. Features 10 monthly dinner discussions in Washington, DC with judges, scholars, journalists, and policymakers, organized and facilitated by Adam White of AEI and Antonin Scalia Law School. Designed for early to mid-career lawyers and legal professionals.
• Fellowship on Military History and Strategy (MHS) A graduate-level fellowship on the military and diplomatic history of WWII featuring six seminars in Washington, D.C. and battlefield visits across Europe including London, Normandy, and Munich. Includes staff rides, discussions with leading historians at historic sites, crisis simulations, and war games for alumni. Designed for junior to mid-level national security professionals.
• Richard John Neuhaus Fellowship on American Flourishing A graduate-level program co-hosted with the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) in Washington, D.C. exploring the Judeo-Christian tradition and its role in shaping public policy and civil society institutions. Includes 12 Tuesday evening seminars from September through June, a weekend retreat, and an alumni reception. Designed for graduate-level professionals interested in the intersection of religion, tradition, and policy.
• National Security Grant Program (NSG) A grant program offering financial support to early to mid-career professionals for projects advancing American national security. Supported projects may include conferences, books, programs, analytical essays, investigative research, educational campaigns, and other creative proposals. Open to eligible professionals working on national security topics.
• Book Grant Program A grant program supporting new authors advancing TPIF's educational goals. Grants support young and mid-career professionals working on their first book, with funds available for travel stipends, research expenses, and potential pairing with a research assistant for top proposals. Grant amounts are awarded according to demonstrated need, with no set minimum or maximum.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts the Richard John Neuhaus Fellowship on American Flourishing with EPPC. The fellowship is a graduate-level program in Washington, D.C. that explores the Judeo-Christian tradition and its role in shaping public policy and civil society institutions.
• The Alexander Hamilton SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts the Security and Strategy Seminar with The Alexander Hamilton Society. The seminar is a graduate-level program in Washington, DC focused on challenges to the American position in the world with emphasis on policy and cohort-building.
• Adam White (American Enterprise Institute / Antonin Scalia Law School)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdam White organizes and facilitates all sessions of the Antonin Scalia Fellowship. He serves as facilitator for the 10 monthly dinner discussions exploring conservative legal movement, current legal debates, and opportunities for advancing the rule of law.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tweet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-public-interest-fellowship

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Public Interest Fellowship