Truth Initiative

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.

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

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

• Tobacco cessation programs
• Nicotine addiction prevention
• Youth public health campaigns
• Digital cessation support
• Tobacco control research

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core, major and minor.

• ShopifynotableOthers · 24 June 2026Truth 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.
• NAACPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2026Partnership 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 BowlmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 December 2025Partnership 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 CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEX 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.
• EverfimajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMental 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 FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport for mental wellness and prevention education programs reaching K-12 students across the United States.
• Major League BaseballmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport for mental wellness and prevention education programs reaching K-12 students across the United States.
• HCA HealthcaremajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport for mental wellness and prevention education programs reaching K-12 students across the United States.
• Elevance HealthmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport for mental wellness and prevention education programs reaching K-12 students across the United States.
• GuardianminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport for mental wellness and prevention education programs reaching K-12 students across the United States.
• KrogerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport for mental wellness and prevention education programs reaching K-12 students across the United States.
• BLKHLTHmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner in Celebration Bowl partnership focusing on tobacco impact in Black communities.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro AtlantaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner in Celebration Bowl partnership focusing on tobacco impact in Black communities.
• HBCU AlumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner in Celebration Bowl partnership focusing on tobacco impact in Black communities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/truthinitiative
• Xx.com/truthinitiative
• Facebookfacebook.com/truthinitiative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/21290

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Truth Initiative