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Close Up Foundation Review

Depends

Should I use Close Up Foundation?

Help your students engage in productive, civil discourse with Close Up Foundation. We offer student programs, resources, and educational travel opportunities. - closeup.org

· 1 month ago

Buy if you're a school or district planning a structured Washington D.C. civic-education trip with a real budget. Skip if you want free self-serve civics materials or a family trip — this is quote-priced group travel, not a product.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~20 public sources; pricing and independent review evidence is thin.

Ratings

  • Value for moneyNo public pricing evidence
  • Ease of useService program, no usability evidence
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security postureNo security evidence found

Pricing

Not disclosed

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed

Best for

  • Middle & high school civics teachers
  • Schools planning DC class trips
  • Districts with ESSER funds to spend
  • Educators teaching civil discourse

Not for

  • Families wanting a DIY DC vacation
  • Teachers wanting free self-serve curricula
  • Groups with no travel budget or fundraising capacity
  • Anyone shopping for software — it's a service program

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Pricing is quote-only; costs vary by trip length, season, and group size.

medium

ESSER and one-time federal funds may not renew next budget year.

low

No public security or data-privacy page found; ask about student data handling.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Established nonprofit; nearly 800,000 students served since 1971.
  • 90% recommend on Facebook across 229 reviews.
  • Full-service trips: itineraries, staff supervision, parent briefings.
  • Guidance available for paying with federal ESSER funds.
  • Programs span middle school, high school, and teacher resources.

Cons

  • No public pricing; quotes require a request form.
  • Costly multi-day trips; site steers buyers toward federal subsidies.
  • Not self-serve; individual students cannot just enroll.
  • Coordination and travel logistics burden falls on the school.

Sources & method

- 13 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x5review x5security x1news x2

Key stats

  • Feature depth: 4/5

    Rating

  • Not disclosed

    Starting price

  • 13

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money. No public pricing evidence
  • Ease of use. Service program, no usability evidence
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Trips, curricula, teacher programs across grade levels
  • Support quality: 4/5. Staff-led programs; 90% Facebook recommend
  • Security posture. No security evidence found
  • 90% Facebook recommends 229 reviews
  • 800,000+ Students served since 1971
  • 1971 Founded 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Pricing

Not disclosed

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Independent reviews are sparse; Facebook shows 90% of 229 reviewers recommend the programs.

Companies that use it

  • Weston Public Schools
  • Broward County Public Schools
  • Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey⁹
  • Colony High School (AK)
Full analysis

Based on ~20 public sources; pricing and independent review evidence is thin.

Nonprofit DC civic-trip programs for school groups; strong reputation, opaque pricing. Not software. Depends on budget.

Methodology

Based on ~20 public sources; pricing and independent review evidence is thin.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. Close Up Foundation homepagecloseup.org
    official
  2. Close Up Program FAQ's for Educatorscloseup.org
    official
  3. ESSER & Federal Fundingcloseup.org
    official
  4. High School Student Experience | Parent Infocloseup.org
    official
  5. Close Up - Washington D.C. Educational Programs (Facebook)facebook.com
    review
  6. Close Up Foundation - Yelpyelp.com
    review
  7. Working at Close Up Foundation - Indeedindeed.com
    review
  8. Working at Close Up Foundation - Glassdoorglassdoor.com
    review
  9. 2022 Close-Up Washington DC Program Reviewgshenh.org
    review
  10. Close Up Foundation - Benevitycauses.benevity.org
    official
  11. The Hill's Changemakers: Close Up Foundationthehill.com
    news
  12. Office of Insular Affairs TAP Awardsdoi.gov
    news
  13. Security page (crawl)closeup.org
    security

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