Truth Initiative
Truth Initiative is a national nonprofit public health organization that runs the EX Program digital cessation platform (co-developed with Mayo Clinic) and the truth® youth prevention campaign to prevent nicotine addiction and support quitting among young Americans.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Truth Initiative does
Truth Initiative is a national nonprofit public health organization founded in 1999 (originally as the American Legacy Foundation) and headquartered in Washington, D.C., dedicated to preventing youth and young adult nicotine addiction and supporting quitting. Its flagship product is the EX Program, a free digital cessation platform co-developed with Mayo Clinic that delivers personalized, text-message-based and online support to help users quit e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and oral nicotine pouches; the program has enrolled over 1 million young people ages 13-24 and is clinically validated in JAMA Internal Medicine and JAMA to increase quitting odds by up to 40%. The organization also operates the truth® national youth prevention campaign, the Schroeder Institute for research and evaluation, and policy and community engagement programs targeting health equity, including the Breath of Freedom coalition with NAACP.
The business model is nonprofit-funded, drawing on grants, donations, and corporate partnerships (HCA Healthcare, NFL Foundation, Major League Baseball, Elevance Health, Everfi, Kroger, Guardian) to underwrite free consumer-facing programs and K-12 prevention reaching approximately one million students in 2025-26. Go-to-market combines product-led self-serve enrollment via SMS and web, community-led engagement through events such as the Celebration Bowl and partnerships with BLKHLTH and HBCU Alum, enterprise sales of EX Program Enterprise to employers, health plans, and government agencies, and event-driven national campaigns across digital, streaming, and social platforms (notably a Snapchat AR lens). The organization is led by CEO and President Robin Koval (since 2015) and COO Anna Spriggs, with approximately 130 staff across research, marketing, policy, communications, and operations.
Truth Initiative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Truth Initiative
- Legal name
- Truth Initiative
- Website
- http://www.truthinitiative.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Truth Initiative is a national nonprofit public health organization that runs the EX Program digital cessation platform (co-developed with Mayo Clinic) and the truth® youth prevention campaign to prevent nicotine addiction and support quitting among young Americans.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Truth Initiative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tobacco Cessation and Public Health Services
- NAICS
- Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Individual and Family Services (6241)
- SIC
- Services-Health Services (8000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Substance Use Prevention & Recovery Lifestyle Education (Non-clinical) (EDAAAHAL), Substance Use Disorder (SUD) & Addiction Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAD)
Keywords
Where Truth Initiative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Truth Initiative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Truth Initiative operates as a nonprofit public health organization funded through donations and grants. The organization receives support from various partners and donors to fund its prevention and cessation programs.
- Partnership Programs: Corporate and organizational partnerships (e.g., HCA Healthcare, NFL Foundation, Major League Baseball, Everfi) contribute funding and support for specific programs and initiatives.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free consumer program - EX Program |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Truth Initiative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Truth Initiative delivers the EX Program, a free digital nicotine cessation platform built with Mayo Clinic that provides personalized text-message and online quit support, helping individuals quit smoking, vaping, and oral nicotine products. It complements this with the truth® youth tobacco prevention campaign, research and evaluation through the Schroeder Institute, policy and community engagement, and EX Program Enterprise for organizations. The programs are funded by donations, grants, and corporate partnerships and are proven in JAMA-published randomized clinical trials to increase quitting odds by up to 40%.
Product overview
Truth Initiative operates a portfolio of public health programs focused on preventing youth and young adult nicotine addiction. The core offerings include the EX Program consumer version (free digital cessation support via text and online), EX Program Enterprise (scaled cessation services for organizations), and the truth® youth prevention campaign. These are supported by research and evaluation services through the Schroeder Institute, and policy/community engagement initiatives. The EX Program, developed in partnership with Mayo Clinic, provides personalized text-based and online quitting support, while the enterprise version delivers comprehensive cessation services to employers, health plans, and government entities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- truth®: National youth tobacco prevention campaign by Truth Initiative
- EX Program
- EX Program Enterprise
- Schroeder Institute
- Breath of Freedom
Products and services
- EX Program (Consumer) Free, evidence-based digital nicotine cessation program offering personalized text-based and online support to help people quit smoking, vaping, or any tobacco product. Developed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic; increases odds of quitting by up to 40% and has helped over 1 million young people ages 13-24.
- EX Program Enterprise Comprehensive digital cessation services for employers, health plans, governments, and public health organizations, providing evidence-based cessation solutions at scale.
- truth® Campaign One of the largest and most successful national youth tobacco prevention campaigns, inspiring young people to reject tobacco through creative public education messages and digital engagement.
- Research & Evaluation (Schroeder Institute) Scientific research and evaluation services provided through the Truth Initiative Schroeder Institute, powering every initiative with sound science and evidence-based strategies.
- Policy Leadership & Community Engagement Leading policy initiatives and supporting young leaders to advocate for healthier communities, working with state and local governments on tobacco control efforts.
- Youth Nicotine Addiction Prevention & Education Nicotine addiction prevention and education programs designed to inspire young people to live free from nicotine addiction and empower them to quit or never start.
Quantifiable outcome
- EX Program increases odds of quitting by up to 40%
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Truth Initiative
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Truth Initiative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Truth Initiative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core, major and minor.
- ShopifynotableTruth Initiative praised Shopify's decision to remove online vaping stores from its platform as an important model to prevent illegal online nicotine sales and curb youth access. Research by Truth Initiative found that 90% of online e-cigarette stores using Shopify violated age verification, shipping, or adult signature requirements.
- NAACPcorePartnership to address disproportionate burden of tobacco-related illness in Black communities. Collaboration on Breath of Freedom coalition, community workshops, and advocacy for protections against menthol and flavored tobacco products targeting communities of color.
- Celebration BowlmajorPartnership to spotlight tobacco's impact on Black communities and promote culturally relevant quitting support through EX Program. Event integration includes collaborations with community partners.
- Mayo CliniccoreEX Program developed in partnership with Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic provides expert advice, clinical guidance, and content for the digital cessation program. Proven effective in randomized clinical trials published in JAMA Internal Medicine and JAMA.
- EverfimajorMental wellness and prevention education programs for K-12 students. Truth Initiative contributes substance use prevention content to programs reaching nearly one million students during 2025-26 school year.
- NFL FoundationmajorSupport for mental wellness and prevention education programs reaching K-12 students across the United States.
- Major League BaseballmajorSupport for mental wellness and prevention education programs reaching K-12 students across the United States.
- HCA HealthcaremajorSupport for mental wellness and prevention education programs reaching K-12 students across the United States.
- Elevance HealthmajorSupport for mental wellness and prevention education programs reaching K-12 students across the United States.
- GuardianminorSupport for mental wellness and prevention education programs reaching K-12 students across the United States.
- KrogerminorSupport for mental wellness and prevention education programs reaching K-12 students across the United States.
- BLKHLTHmajorCommunity partner in Celebration Bowl partnership focusing on tobacco impact in Black communities.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro AtlantaminorCommunity partner in Celebration Bowl partnership focusing on tobacco impact in Black communities.
- HBCU AlumminorCommunity partner in Celebration Bowl partnership focusing on tobacco impact in Black communities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Truth Initiative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: National nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated exclusively to reducing tobacco use among kids. Highly comparable to Truth Initiative on mission (youth tobacco prevention), funding model (nonprofit/grants), and policy advocacy focus, though with less consumer-facing digital cessation product.
- American Lung Association: Major U.S. health nonprofit with a longstanding tobacco control and cessation mission, including the Not-On-Tobacco (N-O-T) youth cessation program. Closely comparable to Truth Initiative on nonprofit tobacco-prevention focus, donor-funded model, and research-driven interventions.
- Smokefree.gov (NCI): Government-operated digital cessation platform from the National Cancer Institute offering free text-message quit support, quitlines, and apps. Direct competitor to EX Program on consumer digital cessation, with the unique advantage of sustained federal funding but with less youth-specific positioning.
- Carrot Inc. Digital health company offering Pivot, a tobacco and vaping cessation platform sold to employers, health plans, and health systems. Direct competitor specifically to EX Program Enterprise, with a commercial B2B revenue model versus Truth Initiative's nonprofit/grant-funded approach.
- National Jewish Health: Respiratory hospital system operating a longstanding tobacco cessation program with clinical research and employer services. Comparable on the combination of clinical research, cessation program delivery, and employer/enterprise contracts, though without Truth Initiative's youth-mass-campaign DNA.
Broad incumbents
- American Cancer Society: Larger health nonprofit with significant tobacco control initiatives (including the Great American Smokeout) but operating across a much broader cancer mission. Comparable as a major donor-funded nonprofit competitor for tobacco-prevention dollars, but not specialized in youth nicotine addiction.
Emerging players
- 2Morrow Health: Digital health company providing evidence-based behavioral health apps including smoking cessation (2Morrow Quit). Comparable in mobile-first cessation delivery but with a commercial focus on employer/health plan contracts and a narrower range of substances than Truth Initiative.
- Informed Live Vape Free: Digital cessation program targeted specifically at youth vaping, with school and parent-focused distribution. Emerging direct competitor in the youth/vaping cessation niche that overlaps with Truth Initiative's core 13-24 audience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Truth Initiative social profiles
Digital presenceTruth Initiative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Truth Initiative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Truth Initiative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Truth Initiative 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 Truth Initiative
What does Truth Initiative do?
Truth Initiative delivers the EX Program, a free digital nicotine cessation platform built with Mayo Clinic that provides personalized text-message and online quit support, helping individuals quit smoking, vaping, and oral nicotine products. It complements this with the truth® youth tobacco prevention campaign, research and evaluation through the Schroeder Institute, policy and community engagement, and EX Program Enterprise for organizations. The programs are funded by donations, grants, and corporate partnerships and are proven in JAMA-published randomized clinical trials to increase quitting odds by up to 40%.
Is Truth Initiative a public or private company?
Truth Initiative is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Truth Initiative founded?
Truth Initiative was founded in 1999. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Truth Initiative based?
Truth Initiative is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Truth Initiative make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are partnership Programs.
Who are Truth Initiative's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Lung Association, Smokefree.gov (NCI), Carrot Inc. and National Jewish Health. American Cancer Society is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are 2Morrow Health and Informed Live Vape Free.
Does Truth Initiative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Truth Initiative.
What industry is Truth Initiative in?
Truth Initiative's product category is Tobacco Cessation and Public Health Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAE, Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAO, Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services. Its NAICS code is 621420 and its SIC code is 8000.