What Yale Model United Nations does

Yale Model United Nations (YMUN) is a student-run nonprofit educational conference hosted by the Yale International Relations Association (YIRA) on Yale University's campus in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1975 and currently in its 53rd iteration (YMUN LIII, scheduled January 21-24, 2027), YMUN operates as a four-day international relations simulation serving approximately 1,800 high school delegates from 35 countries across 53 committees spanning General Assemblies, Economic and Social Councils, Regional Bodies, Specialized Committees, and Crisis Committees. The conference is planned by a 38-person Yale student Secretariat led by the Secretary-General and supported by 240+ Yale student committee chairs who provide subject matter expertise to topic guides and debates.

The core product is the annual in-person conference, with a supplementary virtual committee offering (three committees at $30 per delegate) for delegations unable to travel. Differentiated programming includes a Spanish-language CELAC committee, the unique-to-YMUN Yale Day experience where delegates attend lectures from Yale professors and engage with Yale student groups, and a comprehensive financial aid program featuring three named scholarships (Breaking Boundaries, Bright Horizons, Boundless Beginnings) plus fee waivers and travel stipends. The underlying technology stack is minimal: Knack powers the registration platform, Stripe processes payments, and the Squarespace-hosted website serves as the primary information hub. Distribution is direct through a waitlist-only registration model and a hotel partner network covering seven New Haven properties offering discounted rates.

Revenue is generated entirely through per-attendee conference fees: $90 per in-person delegate, $70 per advisor, and $30 per virtual delegate, with a 20% deposit required to hold registration slots and full payment due November 1. International partner conferences under the YIRA network (YMUN Europe, Korea, Singapore, South Asia, Brasil, Latam) extend the brand globally but represent affiliated events rather than direct revenue lines. The organization operates as a nonprofit under YIRA's auspices, with the Secretariat refreshing annually as Yale student leadership transitions.

Name

Yale Model United Nations

Legal name

Yale Model United Nations

Website

https://ymun.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Yale Model United Nations is a student-run nonprofit educational conference at Yale University serving approximately 1,800 high school delegates from 35 countries annually across 53 committees, operating under the Yale International Relations Association with affiliated international partner conferences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Conference Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Model United Nations (MUN) (EDAMAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

Keywords

• Educational conference services
• Model united nations
• High school diplomacy programs
• International relations simulation
• Student leadership conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

New Haven

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration Fees: YMUN generates revenue through per-attendee conference fees. In-person delegates pay $90 each, advisors pay $70 each, and virtual delegates pay $30 each. A 20% deposit is required to hold registration slots, with full payment due November 1st.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Yale Model United Nations (YMUN) organizes an annual four-day Model United Nations conference on Yale University's campus in New Haven, Connecticut, in which nearly 1,800 high school students from 35 countries participate in 53 committees to debate global issues, draft resolutions, and develop diplomatic skills. The 53rd iteration (YMUN LIII) is scheduled for January 21-24, 2027. Revenue comes from per-delegate conference registration fees, with optional virtual committee participation for remote delegations.

Product overview

Yale Model United Nations operates as a single unified conference product—the annual YMUN conference—which serves as the premier high school Model UN event on an Ivy League campus. The core product includes 53 committees spanning General Assemblies, Economic & Social Councils, Regional Bodies, Specialized Committees, and Crisis Committees, with three virtual committee options for remote participation and a dedicated Spanish-speaking committee (CELAC). Supporting services include a Knack-based registration platform, a comprehensive financial aid program with three named scholarships, pre-conference and in-conference training led by over 240 Yale students, and the unique Yale Day experience that integrates delegates into Yale campus life. The conference operates annually with each iteration numbered sequentially (currently LIII for the 53rd conference in January 2027).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YMUN LIII In-Person Conference Four-day in-person Model United Nations conference on Yale University's historic campus for high school students and advisors, offering 53 committees (General Assemblies, ECOSOCs, Regional Bodies, Specialized Committees, Crisis Committees), each capped at roughly 30 delegates, along with the Yale Day experience. In-person delegate fee is $90 per delegate and advisor fee is $70.
• YMUN Virtual Committee Participation Remote participation option comprising three virtual committees (one GA and two ECOSOCs) for high school delegations that cannot travel to Yale, conducted online during the YMUN LIII conference. Virtual delegate fee is $30 per delegate.
• YMUN Pre-Conference Training Online pre-conference training program delivered by Yale students to prepare high school delegates for participation in the conference, supporting skill levels ranging from first-time to experienced Model UN participants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1800 delegates from 35 countries participate annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Omni New Haven Hotel at YalecoreOthersPrimary conference hotel where registration and several conference events take place. Located at 155 Temple St, New Haven, CT 06510. Offers discounted rates ($239/night single/double, $249/night triple, $259/night quad) for YMUN delegates.
• Courtyard New Haven at YaleminorOthersPartner hotel offering discounted rates ($209/night King, $219/night Double) for YMUN delegates. Located at 30 Whalley Ave, New Haven, CT 06511.
• The Blake HotelminorOthersPartner hotel offering discounted rates ($229/night Deluxe King) for YMUN delegates. Located at 9 High St, New Haven, CT 06520.
• Cambria Hotel New HavenminorOthersPartner hotel with complimentary bus service to/from conference events. Offers discounted rates ($159/night) for YMUN delegates. Located at 20 Dwight St, New Haven, CT 06511.
• Graduate by Hilton New HavenminorOthersPartner hotel offering discounted rates ($219/night) for YMUN delegates. Located at 1151 Chapel St, New Haven, CT 06511.
• Hotel MarcelminorOthersPartner hotel with complimentary bus service to/from all conference events. Offers discounted rates ($179/night King Standard, $199/night Two Queens Standard) for YMUN delegates. Located at 500 Sargent Dr, New Haven, CT 06511.
• New Haven HotelminorOthersPartner hotel offering discounted rates ($199/night Executive King, $214/night Two Queens) for YMUN delegates. Located at 229 George St, New Haven, CT 06510.
• Yale International Relations Association (YIRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYIRA is the parent organization of YMUN. YMUN is the premier conference hosted by YIRA. YIRA also organizes the Yale International Relations Leadership Institute (YIRLI) and international partner conferences.
• YMUN International Partner ConferencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMUN is affiliated with international partner conferences under YIRA's network, including YMUN Europe, YMUN Korea, YMUN Singapore, YMUN South Asia, YMUN Brasil, and YMUN Latam.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harvard Model United Nations (HMUN): Harvard's flagship high school MUN conference and YMUN's closest direct competitor. Both are Ivy League-hosted, multi-day conferences targeting high school delegations with similar fee structures, committee formats, and global delegate rosters.
• North American Invitational Model UN (NAIMUN): NAIMUN, hosted by Georgetown University, is one of the oldest and largest high school MUN conferences in the world. Directly competes with YMUN on scale, committee variety, and recruitment of elite domestic and international delegations.
• University of Pennsylvania Model UN Conference (PMUNC): Penn-hosted high school MUN conference offering similar Ivy League conference experience. Targets the same delegate pool and competes for prestige, committee depth, and university-campus immersion.
• Princeton Model United Nations Conference (PMUNC): Princeton's flagship high school MUN conference. Directly competes with YMUN for Ivy League prestige positioning, top-tier high school delegations, and similar committee/format offerings.
• Columbia Model United Nations (CMUN): Columbia University's high school MUN conference. Directly comparable to YMUN as an Ivy League-hosted, multi-day high school conference with similar committee structures and target audience.
• Model United Nations of the University of Chicago (MUNUC): One of the largest and most prestigious high school MUN conferences in the U.S., hosted by University of Chicago. Comparable in scale, committee offerings, and recruit goals of elite high school delegations.
• Georgetown Model United Nations (GMUN): Georgetown-hosted MUN conference and one of the largest high school MUN conferences in the U.S. Competes directly with YMUN for top high school delegations, offering comparable committee depth and collegiate prestige.

Others

• Best Delegate: Leading MUN training, ranking, and conference discovery platform. Adjacent ecosystem participant that influences delegate choice of conferences and provides content/training that complements YMUN's offerings.
• Yale International Relations Leadership Institute (YIRLI): YIRA's secondary program offering MUN training and leadership development for high school students. Sibling program to YMUN under YIRA, sharing the YIRA brand and overlapping target audience.
• Yale International Relations Association (YIRA): Parent organization of YMUN and operator of YMUN Europe, YMUN Korea, YMUN Singapore, YMUN South Asia, YMUN Brasil, and YMUN Latam. Most directly related entity due to shared governance, branding, and content reuse.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ymunconf
• Facebookfacebook.com/ymunconf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ymunconf
• TikToktiktok.com/@ymunconf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yale-model-united-nations

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Yale Model United Nations