The Marriage Foundation

What The Marriage Foundation does

The Marriage Foundation (legally Global Foundation For Marriage) is a California-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 by Paul Friedman, a former San Diego divorce mediator who pivoted to marriage saving in 2001. The organization delivers a flagship 12-week online marriage-help curriculum built on Friedman's proprietary SEW methodology, with approximately 60 video classes released in staged two-week increments to men and women in troubled marriages, plus email-based access to TMF-trained counselors who respond within roughly 36 hours. Supporting products include separate premarital and dating-for-marriage courses, a professional Marriage Counselor Training program, and two books (Breaking The Cycle and Lessons for a Happy Marriage), all distributed through the themarriagefoundation.org website and member portal.

The underlying technology is a self-serve online video platform with member-portal authentication, encrypted checkout supporting major credit cards and PayPal, and a staged content-release mechanism designed to pace learning rather than front-load information. The core architectural differentiator is the solo-spouse delivery model — TMF explicitly markets the ability for one partner to transform the marriage without requiring both to participate — rather than any underlying AI or automation; counselor interaction remains email-based and human-curated.

Revenue is generated primarily through subscription course payments ($39.95/month for 11 months, or $299 one-time for lifetime access to the men's and women's core courses) with promotional tiers (4-month $99.95 plan, $100 crisis discount for women dealing with active affairs, seasonal Independence Day and holiday specials). Books, the counselor training course, and premarital/dating programs provide additional one-time and recurring revenue streams. The go-to-market is product-led growth: 3-day free trial followed by 30-day money-back guarantee, with organic acquisition through a long-form content marketing engine that includes a 100,000+-subscriber YouTube channel, a podcast, social channels, and free articles, FAQs, and an "Ask a Counselor" email service as top-of-funnel assets.

Name

The Marriage Foundation

Legal name

Global Foundation For Marriage

Website

https://themarriagefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Marriage Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that sells a 12-week online marriage-help curriculum, books, and counselor training to individuals in troubled or preparing-for marriages, with email-based counselor support and a lifetime-access subscription model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marriage Counseling Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Life-Stage Financial Planning (Marriage, Kids, Caregiving) (EDAAAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL)

Keywords

• Marriage counseling
• Online marriage courses
• Premarital education
• Marriage books
• Counselor training

Headquarters

HQ city

San Marcos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Online Marriage Help Courses: Subscription-based monthly payments or one-time payment for lifetime access to online courses. Budget plan at $39.95/month for 11 months equates to less than $10/week. One-time payment option at $299. Holiday special 4-month plan at $99.95/month.
2. Marriage Books: Sale of two marriage-help books: 'Breaking the Cycle' and 'Lessons for a Happy Marriage'. Books sold separately as standalone products.
3. Marriage Counselor Training Course: Online training course for professionals, clergy, and individuals who want to help others with marriage counseling.
4. Pre-Marital and Dating Courses: Online courses for dating and pre-marital preparation, sold as separate offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Marriage Foundation sells 12-week online marriage-help video courses (offered separately for men and women) that include approximately 60 video lessons released in stages every two weeks, lifetime access, and email-based support from TMF-trained marriage counselors. It also offers a premarital program, a dating course, professional counselor training, and two authored books, all delivered digitally through its own website and member portal.

Product overview

The Marriage Foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a suite of online courses, books, and free resources centered on marriage education and saving struggling marriages. The core offering is the 12-week Marriage Help Course (available separately for men and women), which includes video-based instruction, email counselor support, a 3-day free trial, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Supporting products include a Premarital Program, a Dating for Marriage course, and professional Marriage Counselor Training. The organization also publishes two books—Breaking The Cycle and Lessons for a Happy Marriage—and provides free resources including a podcast, videos, articles, an Ask a Counselor service, and a downloadable Top 10 Do's & Don'ts guide. The flagship courses are based on Paul Friedman's science-based approach developed over 25 years of marriage-saving work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marriage Course for Men A 12-week video-based online course designed for individual men to save and strengthen their marriage, teaching techniques for understanding women, stopping arguments, staying calm, and rebuilding attraction without becoming weak or subservient.
• Marriage Course for Women

Quantifiable outcome

• Transformation of marriage from struggling/'old married couple' to loving relationship within 3-5 months of consistent course work
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Regain: Online couples therapy and marriage counseling platform offering subscription-based couples and individual therapy with licensed therapists; competes directly with TMF for couples in marital distress but uses live therapists rather than self-paced video courses.
• Lasting: App-based relationship counseling and education platform offering self-guided courses for couples and individuals, similar in offering digital-first marriage/relationship education with subscription pricing.
• OurRelationship: Nonprofit offering online relationship and marriage counseling resources and courses; comparable to TMF as mission-driven, education-led alternative to traditional therapy.
• Gottman Institute: Leading marriage research and clinical training organization offering workshops, books, and a relationship coaching app; competes for couples seeking science-based marriage education with structured curricula.
• Prepare-Enrich: Pre-marital and marriage assessment/certification program for engaged and married couples, widely used by churches and counselors; competes directly with TMF's pre-marital programs in the same upstream life stage.
• SYMBIS (Save Your Marriage Before It Starts): Pre-marital assessment and counseling program with books and facilitator kits for couples and pastors; comparable in offering structured, faith-friendly marriage preparation.

Broad incumbents

• BetterHelp: Large online therapy platform owned by Teladoc offering individual and couples therapy via licensed therapists at subscription pricing; broad incumbent with overlapping customer base but a different delivery model.
• Talkspace: Public online therapy platform offering couples and individual therapy with subscription access to licensed therapists; serves the same customer need via therapist-led rather than self-paced content.

Emerging players

• Mindvalley: Online personal development platform offering relationship and lifestyle courses via subscription; comparable as a digital-first course publishing platform operating in the same consumer education category.

Regional players

• Small Great Things: Faith-based marriage ministry and bookstore selling marriage courses, books, and counseling resources through churches and small groups; comparable content offering distributed through a regional, faith-oriented channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/TheMarriageFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheMarriageFoundation
• Xx.com/MarriageFdn
• Pinterestpinterest.com/TheMarriageFoundation

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Marriage Foundation