Project Happiness
Project Happiness is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers science-based social-emotional learning curricula, an award-winning documentary, online courses, and community programs to schools, families, and individuals across 120+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersCupertino, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Project Happiness does
Project Happiness is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 by Randy Taran in Cupertino, California, focused on social-emotional learning (SEL) and the science of happiness. Its core offerings include an award-winning documentary featuring the Dalai Lama, George Lucas, Richard Gere, and neuroscientist Richard Davidson; the Amazon-bestselling Project Happiness Handbook; and a scripted H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S. SEL curriculum spanning Elementary (K-5), Middle School, and High School audiences, with included assessment tools designed for delivery by any educator regardless of SEL training. The organization also operates a Happiness Habits self-paced online course for adults, coaching services, an Ambassador Program, Happiness Circles (available in Spanish), and live speaking engagements via the founder's international circuit. Underlying technology consists of a web platform (projecthappiness.org), a dedicated e-commerce storefront (shop.projecthappiness.org) for physical books, DVDs, and electronic curriculum, email marketing automation, and online course delivery infrastructure, with content licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 for free distribution.
The business model combines nonprofit revenue mechanics with selective commercial monetization. Primary funding derives from donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships (e.g., LG for High School Clubs), with secondary revenue from one-time sales of curriculum materials and film screening fees, plus subscription/recurring income from online courses and coaching. Distribution is multi-channel: direct outreach to K-12 schools via teachers, principals, and PTA/PTSA networks; self-serve online courses; ambassador- and circle-leader-led community delivery in 120+ countries; and live events/film screenings. Programs are reportedly used in every US state and across 120+ countries, with cumulative reach exceeding 3 million people, supported by a Happiness Coalition of 18+ partner organizations including Stanford, USC, Edutopia, Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley), and the Guyana Ministry of Education. The organization employs a compact 1-10 person team and is governed by a Board chaired by David Taran.
Project Happiness firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Project Happiness
- Legal name
- Project Happiness
- Website
- https://projecthappiness.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Project Happiness is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers science-based social-emotional learning curricula, an award-winning documentary, online courses, and community programs to schools, families, and individuals across 120+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Project Happiness is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cupertino
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Project Happiness 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: Project Happiness is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on donations and grants to fund operations. The organization has generous individual donors, grant funding, and corporate sponsors (e.g., LG sponsors High School Clubs).
- Educational Materials Sales: Sale of curriculum materials including the Project Happiness Handbook (Amazon bestseller), assessment tools, and supplementary educational resources through the online shop. Both physical products (ships to address) and electronic materials are offered.
- Film and Screening Fees: Revenue from selling the award-winning documentary DVD and charging screening fees based on audience size. Some scholarship screenings available for organizations with funding challenges.
- Online Courses and Coaching: Online courses for young adults and adults, as well as coaching services, generate revenue through the e-commerce platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Curriculum Materials |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Paid Curriculum Materials |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Film Screening Fees |
| Other | Annual | Scholarship Programs |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Project Happiness product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Project Happiness is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that sells and distributes a portfolio of social-emotional learning (SEL) educational products and services grounded in positive psychology, mindfulness, and neuroscience. Its sellable offerings include scripted K-12 SEL curricula (Elementary H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S. Series, Middle School curriculum, High School Leadership Club Guidebook), the Amazon-bestselling Project Happiness Handbook, an award-winning documentary DVD, self-paced online courses (Happiness Habits for adults, Young Adult course), one-on-one coaching services, and hosted film screenings/speaking engagements. Programs are sold via shop.projecthappiness.org to schools, families, and individuals, while Circles of Happiness are offered free under a Creative Commons license to drive community adoption.
Product overview
Project Happiness is a non-profit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of social-emotional learning (SEL) programs and happiness resources. The core offerings include an award-winning documentary film, the Project Happiness Handbook (Amazon bestseller), and evidence-based educational curricula spanning Elementary, Middle School, and High School levels. The organization also provides online courses, coaching services, Circles of Happiness community groups, live speaking events, and the Ambassador Program. These programs are built on positive psychology, mindfulness, and neuroscience, and are used in over 120 countries to help individuals develop emotional resilience and happiness skills.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Project Happiness Documentary Film (DVD) An award-winning documentary on happiness featuring George Lucas, Richard Gere, Neuroscientist Richard Davidson, and the Dalai Lama, used to bring communities together and inspire positive change; sold as a DVD and licensed for hosted screenings via shop.projecthappiness.org.
- Project Happiness Handbook (Book) An Amazon bestseller co-authored by Founder Randy Taran, compiling the best of positive psychology, mindfulness, and neuroscience into practical exercises and activities for individuals, parents, and educators; sold via shop.projecthappiness.org with bulk discounts.
- Elementary School SEL Curriculum (H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S. Series, K-5) A scripted, 9-lesson SEL series for Elementary (K-5) students that teaches lifelong happiness skills and develops SEL competencies; designed so any educator can teach it without prior SEL training, with bundled assessment tools and free curriculum available under Creative Commons license.
- Middle School SEL Curriculum (H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S. Series) A teacher-friendly, scripted SEL curriculum for Middle School students that prepares students for success while developing core SEL competencies, with bundled assessment tools and 15-20 minute activities sized for advisory periods.
- Leadership Club Guidebook (High School) A High School guidebook that supports Project Happiness Student Clubs (sponsored by LG) focused on leadership and happiness skills for adolescent learners.
- Jumpstart to Happiness (Curriculum Program) An introductory curriculum program that jumpstarts happiness learning as an entry point for new school and individual adopters.
- Get Happy & Cultivate Compassion in 15 Minutes a Day A daily, 15-minute compassion-building curriculum segment designed for easy integration into classroom or personal routines.
- Young Adult Online Course An online course paired with the Project Happiness Handbook designed to activate self-discovery and equip young adults with practical tools to enhance personal happiness.
- Happiness Habits Online Course (Adult) A self-paced online course for adults that combines positive psychology, mindfulness, and neuroscience principles to teach actionable happiness skills and habits for emotional resilience.
- Coaching Services One-on-one coaching services using Project Happiness materials, incorporating positive psychology, mindfulness, neuroscience, and the science of happiness; offered to individual clients and to coaches/counselors incorporating Project Happiness into client work.
- Live Speaking Engagements and Hosted Film Screenings Bookable speaking engagements featuring Founder Randy Taran (including TEDx and international presentations), plus hosted screenings of the Project Happiness documentary with usage-based screening fees scaled to audience size.
Quantifiable outcome
- Brain at positive is 31% more productive than at negative, neutral or stressed states
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Project Happiness
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Project Happiness technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Project Happiness partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Charter for CompassioncorePart of the Happiness Coalition network, providing resources and support for global happiness initiatives.
- EdutopiacorePart of the Happiness Coalition network, promoting educational resources for social-emotional learning.
- Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley)corePart of the Happiness Coalition network, providing science-based happiness research and resources.
- Stanford UniversityminorPart of the Happiness Coalition network, providing academic credibility and research collaboration.
- University of Southern CaliforniaminorPart of the Happiness Coalition network for academic partnership.
- Tennessee State UniversityminorPart of the Happiness Coalition network for academic partnership.
- The Saklan SchoolminorPart of the Happiness Coalition network for educational partnership.
- Guyana Ministry of EducationcorePart of the Happiness Coalition network. Government partnership for country-wide happiness education implementation.
- Key ClubminorPart of the Happiness Coalition network for youth engagement.
- Tiny BuddhaminorPart of the Happiness Coalition network for mindfulness content and community.
- First Lady of GuyanacoreInvited by First Lady of Guyana to present happiness skills country-wide as part of national wellness initiative.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights6 records
Project Happiness competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Committee for Children (Second Step): Long-established nonprofit provider of the Second Step SEL curriculum used widely in K-12 schools. Directly comparable to Project Happiness in target buyer (school districts), product type (scripted SEL curriculum), and nonprofit go-to-market model.
- EVERFI (Blackbaud): Digital SEL, wellness, and character education provider serving K-12 schools and districts with a wide content library. Comparable in customer base and SEL digital curriculum focus, but operates at substantially greater scale and is now owned by Blackbaud.
- Move This World: Provider of K-12 SEL curriculum, educator training, and student support tools. Directly competes in the same SEL curriculum-for-schools category with a similar educator-centered delivery model.
- Panorama Education: K-12 SEL and student-success platform combining surveys, curriculum, and professional learning. Comparable in SEL focus and K-12 district sales motion, though it pairs curriculum with strong assessment tooling.
- Inner Explorer: Nonprofit providing daily SEL mindfulness practices for K-12 classrooms via audio-guided content. Closely comparable in mission, nonprofit structure, scripted daily-practice format, and K-12 school customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Nearpod: Larger K-12 edtech platform with SEL and social-emotional content among many other subject areas. Overlaps in delivering interactive digital SEL lessons to schools, but operates as a broad instructional platform rather than an SEL specialist.
Emerging players
- Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (RULER): Academic-origin SEL approach anchored at Yale with tools and training for schools. Comparable in evidence-based SEL framing and educator training focus, but rooted in a university rather than a stand-alone nonprofit publisher.
- Character Lab: Nonprofit that partners with educators and researchers to develop and share practices that help young people thrive. Comparable in SEL/wellbeing focus, school-district partnerships, and research-grounded mission.
Others
- Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley): Research and education center translating positive psychology and neuroscience for educators, parents, and the public. Listed as a Happiness Coalition partner and a closely aligned ecosystem participant rather than a direct curriculum competitor.
- Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation): K-12 educational content and community platform disseminating SEL and other evidence-based practices. Functions as a content and distribution partner in the Happiness Coalition rather than a curriculum seller.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Project Happiness social profiles
Digital presenceProject Happiness compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Project Happiness financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Project Happiness leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Project Happiness funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Project Happiness 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 Project Happiness
What does Project Happiness do?
Project Happiness is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that sells and distributes a portfolio of social-emotional learning (SEL) educational products and services grounded in positive psychology, mindfulness, and neuroscience. Its sellable offerings include scripted K-12 SEL curricula (Elementary H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S. Series, Middle School curriculum, High School Leadership Club Guidebook), the Amazon-bestselling Project Happiness Handbook, an award-winning documentary DVD, self-paced online courses (Happiness Habits for adults, Young Adult course), one-on-one coaching services, and hosted film screenings/speaking engagements. Programs are sold via shop.projecthappiness.org to schools, families, and individuals, while Circles of Happiness are offered free under a Creative Commons license to drive community adoption.
Is Project Happiness a public or private company?
Project Happiness is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Project Happiness founded?
Project Happiness was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Project Happiness based?
Project Happiness is headquartered in Cupertino, United States, in the North America region.
How does Project Happiness make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are educational Materials Sales, film and Screening Fees and online Courses and Coaching.
Who are Project Happiness's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Committee for Children (Second Step), EVERFI (Blackbaud), Move This World, Panorama Education and Inner Explorer. Nearpod is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (RULER) and Character Lab. Others are Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley) and Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation).
Does Project Happiness have an API?
No public API is recorded for Project Happiness.