Cambridge Forum, Inc.
Cambridge Forum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that hosts free public discussion programs featuring experts and activists, distributing recordings via NPR radio, podcasts, and YouTube to a general audience interested in civil discourse and contemporary issues.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cambridge Forum, Inc. does
Cambridge Forum, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1967 by Rev. Herbert Vetter as a program of the First Parish (Unitarian Universalist) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and incorporated as an independent non-profit in 1999. Its core offering consists of free public discussion programs that bring expert scholars, policymakers, activists, and intellectuals face-to-face with general audiences in Harvard Square to explore contemporary and historical issues spanning politics, science, culture, civil rights, and public policy. The organization has presented hundreds of programs over its 50+ year history featuring speakers such as Buckminster Fuller, John Kenneth Galbraith, Marian Wright Edelman, Stephen Jay Gould, Paul Krugman, and Rabbi Harold Kushner.
The technical/operational stack centers on audio and video production for public forum discussions, with distribution via three primary channels: a weekly radio show syndicated through NPR's Content Depot to public radio stations nationally; podcasts available on Apple Podcasts and TuneIn; and video content uploaded to the GBH Forum Network YouTube channel. The organization also maintains an online library archive of past program recordings. It is a small organization (1-10 employees) with no proprietary software, no API, and no disclosed technology platform beyond standard digital media production and distribution tooling.
Cambridge Forum operates on a donation-based revenue model as a 501(c)(3); all programming is free and open to the public without admission charge. The organization is supported by individual donations (facilitated via a website donate button), co-sponsorships with the Lowell Institute, Mass Cultural Council, Cambridge Community Foundation, and Cambridge Arts Council, and in-kind distribution partnerships with NPR and GBH Forum Network. The end audience is a horizontal general-public segment — everyday individuals interested in civil discourse and salient issues — reached via an aggregated online audience of approximately 350,000. No revenue figure is publicly disclosed.
Cambridge Forum, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cambridge Forum, Inc.
- Legal name
- Cambridge Forum, Inc.
- Website
- https://cambridgeforum.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cambridge Forum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that hosts free public discussion programs featuring experts and activists, distributing recordings via NPR radio, podcasts, and YouTube to a general audience interested in civil discourse and contemporary issues.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cambridge Forum, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civic Discourse and Public Forums
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Lectures & Speaker Series (MPAGACAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing (EDAGAFAL), Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD)
Keywords
Where Cambridge Forum, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cambridge Forum, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Support: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Cambridge Forum relies on donations and public support to fund its free public programming. The website includes a donation button for supporters.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Cambridge Forum, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cambridge Forum organizes free live public discussions featuring expert speakers, activists, and intellectuals on contemporary social, political, scientific, and cultural issues. It records and distributes these discussions as podcasts, as a weekly NPR radio show broadcast to public radio stations nationwide, and as video content via the GBH Forum Network on YouTube, reaching an aggregated audience of approximately 350,000. The organization also maintains a publicly accessible library archive of past program recordings spanning 50+ years.
Product overview
Cambridge Forum is a non-profit organization operating as a single unified offering: free public discussion programs that bring expert speakers and activists face-to-face with audiences to explore salient contemporary issues. The organization broadcasts these live events through multiple channels including a weekly NPR radio show, podcasts on Apple Podcasts and TuneIn, and video content via GBH Forum Network on YouTube. The complete portfolio consists of live public forums, podcast distribution, NPR radio programming, YouTube video content, and an archive library of past program recordings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cambridge Forum Public Programs Live, free public discussion events featuring expert speakers, activists, and intellectuals on contemporary social, political, scientific, and cultural issues, designed for engagement by the general public.
- Cambridge Forum Podcast
- Cambridge Forum NPR Radio Show
- Cambridge Forum Library Archive
Companies that use Cambridge Forum, Inc.
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Cambridge Forum, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cambridge Forum, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered co-sponsor and core.
- Lowell Instituteco-sponsorCo-sponsor of Cambridge Forum programming
- Mass Cultural Councilco-sponsorCo-sponsor of Cambridge Forum programming
- Cambridge Community Foundationco-sponsorCo-sponsor of Cambridge Forum programming
- Cambridge Arts Councilco-sponsorCo-sponsor of Cambridge Forum programming
- NPRcoreWeekly radio show broadcast via NPR. Content distributed free to public radio stations nationwide via NPR's Content Depot.
- GBH Forum NetworkcoreGBH Forum Network uploads programs to YouTube, reaching aggregated online audience of 350,000 in the U.S. and around the world.
Scale indicators3 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cambridge Forum, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Talks at Google: YouTube-distributed speaker series featuring conversations with authors, scientists, and thinkers. Comparable in producing on-demand expert discussions, though corporate-funded and digital-only.
- GBH Forum Network: Boston-based public media network hosting and distributing forum-style programming from partners including Cambridge Forum. Comparable as a producer/distributor of public-affairs lectures, though broader in scope and acting as Cambridge Forum's distribution partner.
Direct peers
- Intelligence Squared: Non-profit that hosts live Oxford-style debates on policy and culture, distributed via NPR, podcast, and public radio stations. Highly comparable as a structured live public-discussion format with NPR carriage and on-demand digital reach.
- 92nd Street Y (92NY): New York cultural and educational institution famous for its Unterberg Poetry Center and public conversation series with leading intellectuals, distributed via podcast and video. Comparable in curating high-profile speaker events for general audiences with national digital distribution.
- City Arts & Lectures: San Francisco-based non-profit producing live public lectures with notable authors, thinkers, and cultural figures, distributed via podcast, radio, and online platforms. Closely comparable in mission (civil discourse), format (live expert-audience discussions), and distribution model (NPR-style broadcasting and on-demand audio).
- Chicago Humanities Festival: Non-profit presenting live conversations with leading authors, scholars, and artists, often distributed via podcast and partner media. Comparable in producing multi-disciplinary public intellectual programming for a general audience.
- The Commonwealth Club of California: Oldest and largest public affairs forum in the U.S., hosting conversations with political leaders, authors, and experts, with broad radio/podcast distribution. Directly comparable as a free or low-cost civic lecture series with national media reach.
Broad incumbents
- Aspen Institute: Large non-profit hosting policy dialogue, lectures, and ideas festivals with extensive public programming and digital distribution. Comparable in mission-driven public intellectual discourse with a much larger organizational footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cambridge Forum, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceCambridge Forum, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cambridge Forum, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Cambridge Forum, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cambridge Forum, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cambridge Forum, Inc.
What does Cambridge Forum, Inc. do?
Cambridge Forum organizes free live public discussions featuring expert speakers, activists, and intellectuals on contemporary social, political, scientific, and cultural issues. It records and distributes these discussions as podcasts, as a weekly NPR radio show broadcast to public radio stations nationwide, and as video content via the GBH Forum Network on YouTube, reaching an aggregated audience of approximately 350,000. The organization also maintains a publicly accessible library archive of past program recordings spanning 50+ years.
Is Cambridge Forum, Inc. a public or private company?
Cambridge Forum, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cambridge Forum, Inc. founded?
Cambridge Forum, Inc. was founded in 1967. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cambridge Forum, Inc. based?
Cambridge Forum, Inc. is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cambridge Forum, Inc. make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Support.
Who are Cambridge Forum, Inc.'s main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Talks at Google and GBH Forum Network. Direct peers are Intelligence Squared, 92nd Street Y (92NY), City Arts & Lectures, Chicago Humanities Festival and The Commonwealth Club of California. Aspen Institute is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Cambridge Forum, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cambridge Forum, Inc..
What industry is Cambridge Forum, Inc. in?
Cambridge Forum, Inc.'s product category is Civic Discourse and Public Forums. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGACAI, Public Lectures & Speaker Series, with a secondary code of EDAGAFAL, Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing. Its NAICS code is 516210 and its SIC code is 4833.