Reasons to be Cheerful

What Reasons to be Cheerful does

Reasons to be Cheerful is a nonprofit solutions-journalism editorial publication founded by David Byrne (Talking Heads) and operated under the Arbutus Foundation, a 501(c)(3). It produces long-form storytelling focused on credible responses to systemic problems across climate, social justice, health, and culture, serving a general readership interested in constructive, evidence-based coverage of social and environmental issues.

The publication's core product is a newsletter and web publication distributed to a subscriber base of 120,000+, with no native mobile application or public API documented in the input. Underlying technology is limited to a standard content web platform; the publication has explicitly stated that no AI-generated content is used. Adjacent offerings include live, in-person events moderated by Byrne at U.S. venues, which extend the editorial brand into experiential programming.

The business model is that of a donor-supported nonprofit rather than a commercial media company. Revenue is sourced from voluntary memberships, individual donations, foundation grants, and live-event income, with named institutional funders including the Rockefeller Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and philanthropist Abigail Disney. Distribution is direct-to-reader via the newsletter, and the customer base consists of both individuals (subscribers/members) and institutional grantmakers.

Name

Reasons to be Cheerful

Legal name

Arbutus Foundation

Website

https://reasonstobecheerful.world

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Reasons to be Cheerful is a nonprofit solutions-journalism editorial publication founded by David Byrne and operated under the Arbutus Foundation, serving a 120,000+ subscriber readership with constructive coverage of climate, social justice, health, and culture, funded by memberships, donations, foundation grants, and live events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Journalism / Nonprofit Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Newsletters & Email-Based News Publishers (B2B/B2C) (MPAJADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF), Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

Keywords

• Solutions journalism
• Nonprofit media
• Newsletter publishing
• Editorial publication
• Live events programming

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership/Donations: Voluntary membership contributions from individual supporters. Monthly sustaining members and one-time donors support the nonprofit publication. Donations are tax-deductible through the parent organization Arbutus Foundation, a 501(c)(3).
2. Live Events: Revenue generated from paid live events moderated by founder David Byrne, featuring on-stage conversations about innovative solutions. Events are typically one hour long with audience Q&A, held at venues across the U.S.
3. Foundation/Institutional Funding: Financial support from institutional funders including foundations and major individual donors contributing $5,000 or more. Funders include Rockefeller Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Reasons to be Cheerful publishes original solutions-oriented journalism articles across eleven topic categories (climate, health, education, justice, culture, economy, civic engagement, cities, farms/food, and science/tech) on its website. It distributes curated email newsletters and hosts ticketed live events moderated by founder David Byrne, reaching a community of 120,000+ subscribers and supporters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Solutions-Journalism Publication Free web-based editorial publication publishing original solutions-oriented journalism articles across eleven topic categories (Civic Engagement, Climate + Environment, Cities + Towns, Culture, Economy, Education, Farms + Food, Health, Justice, Science + Tech). Open to all visitors at reasonstobecheerful.world.
• Email Newsletter Program Curated weekly email newsletters (including "The Spark" and "What We're Reading") delivering RTBC editorial content directly to subscribers' inboxes. Free to subscribe; over 120,000 subscribers.
• Membership / Sustaining Supporter Program Voluntary membership / donation program supporting the nonprofit publication, including recurring monthly sustaining members and one-time donors. Donations are tax-deductible through parent 501(c)(3) Arbutus Foundation. Cancellable anytime.
• Live Events Series Ticketed in-person live events moderated by founder David Byrne, featuring on-stage conversations about innovative solutions. Held at venues including opera houses, universities, theaters, and festivals across the U.S.
• Featured Editorial Collections Curated themed article collections (e.g., "Fungi Week!", "Waterline") that aggregate articles on a single topic for readers interested in deeper dives into specific subject areas.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Solutions Journalism NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with Solutions Journalism Network, which supports and promotes journalism focused on responses to social problems. RTBC's editorial approach aligns with solutions journalism methodology.
• Poynter InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization providing guidance on journalism ethics and AI policy development. RTBC consulted Poynter resources when creating their AI policy.
• Online News AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated professional organization providing guidance on AI policy development in journalism. RTBC consulted ONA resources when creating their AI policy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Grist: Nonprofit environmental media outlet covering climate and sustainability solutions. Comparable as a nonprofit, foundation-funded outlet that intersects with RTBC's Climate and Environment coverage area.
• ProPublica: Major U.S. nonprofit investigative journalism organization funded by foundations and individual donors. Comparable as a large-scale nonprofit news outlet competing for the same institutional funders and reader mindshare.
• NPR: Large U.S. nonprofit public broadcaster and digital news publisher with member-station funding model. Comparable as a nonprofit newsroom with membership and foundation revenue, and a potential competitor for audience attention on positive/solutions beats.
• The Marshall Project: Nonprofit newsroom covering criminal justice, supported by foundations and individual donors. Comparable in nonprofit news structure, foundation funding mix, and topical single-issue focus that overlaps with RTBC's Justice vertical.

Direct peers

• Positive News: UK-based independent media outlet dedicated to constructive/solutions journalism, funded by reader membership. Closely comparable to RTBC in editorial positioning, nonprofit reader-supported model, and positive-news focus.
• Yes! Magazine: Nonprofit solutions-journalism magazine covering topics including climate, economy, and justice. Direct peer to RTBC in editorial methodology (solutions journalism) and nonprofit reader-funded model.
• Solutions Journalism Network: Nonprofit that trains and supports journalists in solutions-focused reporting. Comparable as a category-defining nonprofit in the same editorial methodology RTBC practices, and a documented RTBC affiliate.
• The Good News Network: Long-running positive-news digital publication focused on uplifting stories. Comparable to RTBC in editorial positioning (positive news), audience segment (news-fatigued readers), and nonprofit reader-supported model.
• Upworthy: Digital media brand historically focused on uplifting, solutions-oriented viral content. Comparable to RTBC in targeting audiences seeking positive or constructive stories, though commercially rather than nonprofit-funded.
• The Optimist Daily: Digital solutions-news outlet publishing daily articles on innovations and progress. Comparable to RTBC in newsletter-led distribution and solutions-journalism editorial approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RTB_Cheerful
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZ3Kr4W5X0c2kVmVClV3Vpw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Reasons to be Cheerful