Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004 that produces proprietary research on gender, race, body type, disability, and LGBTQIA+ representation in family films and children's television, serving entertainment studios, content creators, and the academic community with reports, consulting, and events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersMarina Del Rey, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media does
The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization founded by actress Geena Davis in 2004 to study and improve representation in entertainment. Its core technology is a proprietary research methodology that quantifies gender, race, ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, body type, disability, and age representation in family films and children's television, producing longitudinal data the institute has accumulated over roughly 20 years. Primary outputs include an annual children's television report, themed reports such as the 2025 "Body Representation" study and the 2026 "Period Pieces" menstruation survey, editorial spotlights on diverse creators, advisory/consulting services for entertainment industry clients, and industry symposiums.
The institute serves three principal customer segments: the media and entertainment industry (studios, TV networks, streaming platforms, and content creators seeking to improve representation), the children's television sub-vertical (producers focused on body and diversity portrayals), and the academic and research community (researchers and advocates studying media effects). The business model is diversified nonprofit funding rather than commercial revenue: foundation grants (e.g., a $75,000 Nielsen Foundation grant in 2024 to fund the annual report), individual donations and memberships, and fee-based speaking engagements and consulting. Pricing for consulting and speaking services is not publicly disclosed and appears to be quote-based. Headcount is 11–50 employees, and the organization is headquartered in the Los Angeles area (Marina Del Rey).
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
- Legal name
- Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
- Website
- https://seejane.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004 that produces proprietary research on gender, race, body type, disability, and LGBTQIA+ representation in family films and children's television, serving entertainment studios, content creators, and the academic community with reports, consulting, and events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Media Representation Research and Advocacy
- NAICS
- Human Rights Organizations (813311), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)
Keywords
Where Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marina Del Rey
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Research Grants: The institute receives grants from foundations (e.g., Nielsen Foundation) to fund annual reports on children's television and related research initiatives on representation in media.
- Donations and Memberships: Nonprofit organization that generates revenue through individual donations and membership programs to support its mission of gender representation in media.
- Speaking Engagements: The institute offers speaking engagements and consulting services to media companies and entertainment industry professionals seeking to improve diversity representation.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is a nonprofit research organization that produces data-driven research reports on gender, race, ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, body type, disability, and age representation in family films and children's television. It sells advisory and consulting services to entertainment industry professionals, hosts symposiums and events, and publishes editorial spotlights and research resources aimed at improving on-screen diversity. Its work is supported by foundation grants, individual donations, and membership contributions.
Product overview
The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is a nonprofit research organization offering a portfolio of research reports, advisory services, and community engagement programs focused on media representation. The core offerings include annual research reports on children's television (such as the Body Representation report), advisory solutions working directly with entertainment industry creatives, organized symposiums and events, and editorial spotlights featuring diverse storytellers. The institute produces data-driven research publications tracking progress on gender, race, LGBTQIA+, disability, and body type representation in family films and children's programming.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Annual Report on Children's Television
Quantifiable outcome
- Gender parity achieved for leads in family films and kids' TV in the U.S.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Hispanic Media Coalition: Advocacy organization focused on Latino representation in media, engaging networks, studios, and advertisers — directly comparable advocacy model targeting the same industry stakeholders on representation metrics.
- USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative: The most direct academic peer — produces widely cited annual inclusion reports on gender, race, and LGBTQ+ representation across film, television, and music. Mirrors the Geena Davis Institute's research-based, data-driven approach to representation in entertainment.
- Women's Media Center: Nonprofit advocacy organization focused on women in media, including monitoring representation, training women to be media makers, and amplifying women as sources. Closely aligned mission to increase female visibility and voice in entertainment.
- Free The Work / Free The Bid: Nonprofit talent database and advocacy platform advancing inclusion behind and in front of the camera in advertising and entertainment. Highly comparable on mission (representation in screen industries) and target customer base (creatives and brands).
- Color Of Change: Racial justice organization that runs sustained media-representation campaigns targeting Hollywood studios, networks, and advertisers — directly overlapping on the race/ethnicity representation dimension of the Geena Davis Institute's work.
Others
- The Geena Davis Institute (peer set closure note): Self-reference placeholder omitted; final peer list contains nine substantive external comparables ranked by relevance to the institute's research-plus-advocacy model in entertainment representation.
- Nielsen: Global media measurement company and current grant funder of the institute. Relevant as both a research methodology benchmark and the sponsor of the institute's annual children's TV report — making it a partner-competitor in representation research.
Emerging players
- Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS): UCLA-based research and advocacy organization studying how teens engage with media and how storytelling shapes identity. Directly comparable in applying social science research to children's and youth media representation.
- GLAAD: Leading LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization tracking and advocating for fair, accurate, and inclusive LGBTQ+ representation across entertainment — overlapping on one of the Geena Davis Institute's core representation dimensions.
Broad incumbents
- NAACP Hollywood Bureau: Established civil rights organization's entertainment arm that engages studios and guilds on diversity in casting, hiring, and storytelling. Comparable as a larger, broader-based player in media-representation advocacy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media social profiles
Digital presenceGeena Davis Institute on Gender in Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media 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 Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
What does Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media do?
The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is a nonprofit research organization that produces data-driven research reports on gender, race, ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, body type, disability, and age representation in family films and children's television. It sells advisory and consulting services to entertainment industry professionals, hosts symposiums and events, and publishes editorial spotlights and research resources aimed at improving on-screen diversity. Its work is supported by foundation grants, individual donations, and membership contributions.
Is Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media a public or private company?
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media founded?
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media based?
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is headquartered in Marina Del Rey, United States, in the North America region.
How does Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Research Grants are the primary driver. The others are donations and Memberships and speaking Engagements.
Who are Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Hispanic Media Coalition, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Women's Media Center, Free The Work / Free The Bid and Color Of Change. Others are The Geena Davis Institute (peer set closure note) and Nielsen. Emerging players are Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) and GLAAD. NAACP Hollywood Bureau is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.
What industry is Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media in?
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media's product category is Media Representation Research and Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAD, Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPAGAFAE, LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations. Its NAICS code is 813311 and its SIC code is 8300.