A Different Kind of Ownership Model

In the crowded field of education ownership models, charities don't garner the same attention as nonprofit versus private equity comparisons do. Charity ownership may not be headline-grabbing, but neither is it widely recognized as a model which aims to benefit direct stakeholders like students and colleagues, as well as the larger global community.

The American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) is beneficially owned by the Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation (CTCF), a UK-based charity committed to funding international education and enrichment around the world. AIFS is neither nonprofit- nor private equity– owned; our U.S. tax status is for-profit and our revenue funds CTCF. Like most education providers, AIFS’ operating budget sustains our program scholarships, university partner events, and membership in professional associations like NAFSA and The Forum on Education Abroad. However, what makes our charity ownership unique is that we’re built to give back twice—first, through direct constituent support like student grants and campus engagement, and then more globally through CTCF's scale of giving.

CTCF invests in projects and organizations pursuing our simple but ambitious mission: to bring the world together. In 2025, the charitable foundation disbursed nearly $3 million to global nonprofits advancing international education and cultural learning in all its forms. From educating refugees in South Sudan to funding enrichment programs for New York City high schoolers, CTCF supports both large and emerging organizations to fund initiatives where they are needed most. In fact, many of these emerging organizations were founded by study abroad alumni, demonstrating the powerful outcomes of education abroad on aspiring global citizens.

By selecting diverse projects, CTCF can contribute to regions where AIFS does not have infrastructure—like East Africa—to support on-site experts doing work in culturally significant and appropriate ways. Unconfined by our operational footprint, the charitable ownership model gives us flexibility to invest directly in organizations that possess the expertise to create meaningful impact.

Higher education’s current climate of reduced government programs and receding university funding is endangering resources vital to international education. But CTCF aims to be part of the solution, stepping forward when others must pull back to ensure that international exchange continues to thrive, not retreat, during times of change.

As a historic organization comprised of established institutions like AIFS Abroad, Au Pair in America, and ACIS, AIFS has the financial breadth to continue contributing to CTCF's important mission. This unique collective makes us the only “program provider” with a philanthropic portfolio of this kind, a stewardship we carry out with responsibility and commitment. We have no investors, no debt, and the stability to operate according to our values and the evolving needs of international education.

Learn more about AIFS’ impact.  •