The National Geographic Society was a founding sponsor of The JASON Project in 1989. In 2005, National Geographic acquired JASON as a nonprofit subsidiary, making its rich array of explorers, expeditions, and other resources available to JASON students around the world.

National Geographic was created in Washington, D.C., in January 1888 for "the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge." One of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world, it has funded nearly 8,000 scientific research projects. It reaches more than 280 million people worldwide each month through its magazine and diverse programs.