What Project Pericles does

Project Pericles is a New York-based nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by philanthropist Eugene M. Lang to embed community-engaged civic learning within U.S. higher education. The organization operates a consortium of 25 teaching-centered liberal arts colleges and universities, each designating on-campus Program Directors who serve as sustained institutional anchors for civic engagement programming. It serves faculty, students, and institutional leaders across member and non-member institutions, with explicit preference for public institutions, community colleges, and HBCUs in its Civic Fellowship program.

The organization's portfolio includes grant programs (Periclean Faculty Leader Grants of $3,000-$5,000, Catalyst Grants for systems-level change, Pericles Civic Fellowship awards, and Civic Story Lab Fellowships for students), digital civic engagement resources (Voter Activation Modules, Deliberative Dialogue Modules, a password-protected Civic Engagement Resource Database), and a strategic Civic Prosperity Framework with an accompanying index linking civic learning to economic and social mobility outcomes. Its technology platform is web-based with Google Drive-accessible materials and an interactive database, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. Annual convenings include the Program Directors' Conference (scheduled for Rhodes College in October 2026) and national webinars co-hosted with partners such as the Center for Artistic Activism and the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition.

Project Pericles is funded primarily through foundation grants from the Mellon Foundation (including a $900,000 award in 2022), the Eugene M. Lang Foundation, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, and the Teagle Foundation. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, it does not charge membership fees; instead, member institutions receive grant funding and access to convenings and resources. The organization operates with a lean team of 5 core staff members and is governed by a Board chaired by Allegheny College President Ronald B. Cole, with several sitting college presidents and foundation executives serving as directors.

Name

Project Pericles

Legal name

Project Pericles

Website

https://projectpericles.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Project Pericles is a nonprofit consortium of 25 U.S. colleges and universities that funds and supports faculty-led civic engagement programming through grants, fellowships, digital resources, and annual convenings, serving member institutions and broader-access schools including community colleges and HBCUs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Education and Higher Education Consortium Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI), Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG), Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC)

Keywords

• Civic education programs
• Higher education grants
• Community-engaged learning
• Nonprofit educational consortium
• Faculty fellowship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

West New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Philanthropic Support: Project Pericles operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through grants from foundations including the Mellon Foundation, Eugene M. Lang Foundation, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, and Teagle Foundation. The organization receives programmatic support for initiatives like the Periclean Civic Fellowship and Periclean Faculty Leadership grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Project Pericles is a consortium-based nonprofit that convenes 25 teaching-centered colleges and universities to embed community-engaged civic learning in higher education. It delivers this through grant programs (Periclean Faculty Leader Grants, Catalyst Grants, Pericles Civic Fellowship, Civic Story Lab Fellowship), a library of ready-to-use civic resources (Voter Activation Modules, Deliberative Dialogue Module, Resource Database), an annual Program Directors' Conference, and the Civic Prosperity Framework linking civic learning to broader societal outcomes.

Product overview

Project Pericles is a consortium-based nonprofit organization that places community-engaged civic learning at the heart of higher education. Rather than a unified technology product, the organization offers a portfolio of programs and resources including grant programs (Periclean Faculty Leader Grants, Catalyst Grants, Pericles Civic Fellowship, Civic Story Lab Fellowship), civic engagement resources (Voter Activation Modules, Deliberative Dialogue Module, Civic Engagement Resource Database), and a strategic framework (Civic Prosperity Framework). These offerings work together through a network of 25 Periclean institutions and Program Directors who champion civic learning at their campuses, supported by annual convenings and collaborative learning opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Periclean Faculty Leader (PFL) Grants Competitive grants supporting faculty at Periclean institutions to integrate creative, high-impact civic pedagogy into courses. Awards $3,000 for enhancements to an existing course or $5,000 for new course development with community partners.
• Catalyst Grants Grants supporting systems-level initiatives that embed community-engaged civic learning into institutional structures such as departments, policies, programs, and governance across multiple years (through Fall 2028). Includes flexible seed funding for faculty working groups, external facilitators, and campus visits.
• Pericles Civic Fellowship A fellowship equipping faculty and staff from all higher education institutions with $3,000 seed funding and structured peer learning to strengthen democratic practice on their campuses, with preference for broader-access institutions including public institutions, community colleges, and HBCUs.
• Civic Story Lab Fellowship An initiative empowering undergraduate students to document and participate in civic transformation through hands-on engagement and storytelling, with fellows receiving stipends and training to support civic action projects and create original media outputs such as podcasts, photo essays, and zines.
• Program Director Conference Annual conference bringing together Program Directors for knowledge-sharing and relationship-building across the consortium, hosted at member institutions to facilitate peer learning among campus civic engagement leads.
• Periclean Voter Activation Modules Ready-to-use presentations, readings, and activity ideas that help students build motivation and practical skills to vote, including a 'Voting 101 As a Student' slide deck and voter suppression module.
• Deliberative Dialogue Module A framework for facilitating deliberative dialogues connecting course content to real-world policies, with customizable tools across fine arts, humanities, social sciences, and STEM disciplines.
• Civic Engagement Resource Database An interactive database containing course syllabi and modules that incorporate civic engagement into the curriculum, developed by faculty from Periclean consortium institutions and accessible via password-protected access.
• Civic Prosperity Framework with Civic Prosperity Index A unifying framework linking civic learning to outcomes beyond campus, including economic security, social mobility, and shared well-being, with an accompanying Civic Prosperity Index for measuring civic learning impact alongside economic and social mobility indicators as a capacity-building and field-building tool.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150+ Periclean Faculty Leaders supported since 2008
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Center for Artistic Activism (C4AA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration since 2023 focused on co-hosting webinars and sharing innovative resources that inspire students to engage meaningfully in democracy. Three online webinar events have been held, with the most recent 'Teaching Creativity to Inspire Social Good' in 2025 focusing on faculty sharing creative lessons for classroom engagement.
• The Bonner ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating on joint programming and resources for community-engaged civic learning. The Bonner Program supports students with high-impact community engagement.
• Campus CompactminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational higher education association supporting civic engagement. Project Pericles collaborates on programming and shares resources benefiting students, faculty, and staff worldwide.
• Students Learn Students Vote (SLSV) CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition working to grow student vote through campus, nonprofit, community, student, and philanthropic collaboration. Project Pericles collaborates on voter engagement resources and shares the Ask Every Student Toolkit.
• Imagining AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational consortium focused on publicly engaged humanities and arts. Paul Schadewald serves as Chair of Imagining America's National Advisory Board.
• Civic Learning and Democracy EngagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on civic learning in higher education. Collaborates on joint programming and presentations benefiting students and faculty.
• Bringing Theory to PracticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject Pericles staff Paul Schadewald serves as Associate Director of Bringing Theory to Practice, collaborating on civic learning initiatives.
• Unify AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization working to bridge divides and foster civic dialogue. Project Pericles shares resources including Unify America's College Bowl program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Campus Compact: National coalition of colleges and universities advancing civic and community engagement. Most direct peer in mission and audience: Project Pericles is a listed partner and both organizations run grant programs and resources for member institutions embedding civic learning in higher education.
• Generation Citizen: Nonprofit bringing action civics to middle and high school students. Project Pericles Board member Scott Warren co-founded Generation Citizen; comparable in action civics focus though Generation Citizen targets secondary rather than higher education.
• Imagining America: National consortium of universities focused on publicly engaged humanities, arts, and design. Direct peer: Project Pericles staff chair Imagining America's National Advisory Board and both serve faculty in liberal arts institutions integrating civic work into curricula.
• The Bonner Program / Bonner Foundation: Network of colleges supporting students with high-impact community engagement through scholarships and program funding. Directly comparable as a higher-ed civic engagement grantmaker; Project Pericles lists Bonner as a partner and shares overlapping constituent faculty and students.
• Students Learn Students Vote Coalition: Coalition increasing student voter registration and turnout on college campuses. Project Pericles co-developed the Ask Every Student Toolkit with SLSV and shares voter-engagement content; comparable focus on campus-based civic participation.
• American Democracy Project: AASCU-led initiative engaging public universities in civic education, voter participation, and community engagement. Direct peer in higher-ed civic engagement with similar resource and convening models to Project Pericles.
• Bringing Theory to Practice: Project of the Association of American Colleges and Universities promoting engaged learning and well-being. Direct peer; Project Pericles' Associate Director also serves as Associate Director of Bringing Theory to Practice, with overlapping civic-learning grant programs.

Others

• NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) - Civic & Community Engagement Knowledge Community: Large higher-ed association with a civic and community engagement constituency that pursues similar goals of embedding civic work on campuses. Comparable in adjacent ecosystem role connecting administrators and faculty in civic work, though it spans broader student-affairs topics.

Broad incumbents

• AAC&U (American Association of Colleges and Universities): Larger higher-ed association advancing liberal education and civic learning across hundreds of member institutions. Project Pericles leverages AAC&U conferences and visibility; comparable on civic-learning content though much broader in scope and portfolio.

Emerging players

• The Center for Artistic Activism (C4AA): Organization that fuses art and activism to drive social change. Co-hosts webinars with Project Pericles since 2023; comparable in deploying creative civic engagement but operating primarily outside higher-ed.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/project-pericles-inc

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 Project Pericles