The Better Angels Society

What The Better Angels Society does

The Better Angels Society is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 whose stated mission is to support American history documentary filmmaking and the filmmakers behind it. It operates a portfolio of stacked programs: the Better Angels Prize for Film (a $350,000 annual purse split across a $200,000 winner, $50,000 runner-up, and four $25,000 finalists), the Lavine Fellowship for emerging documentary filmmakers, the Next Generation Angels Awards, the Latest Generation Film Contest (targeting younger filmmakers and nationally expanded in 2025–2026), the "Better Angels Stories" PBS broadcast series, and the inaugural Hindsight Film Festival launched in March 2026. Institutional partners include the Library of Congress, Ken Burns, PBS, National History Day, and the Lincoln Presidential Foundation, and the organization has distributed more than $2.6 million to documentary filmmakers since 2019.

The business model is nonprofit fundraising rather than product revenue. Cash inflows come from named major foundation gifts (Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation, a $1 million commitment from Lynda and Stewart Resnick, the Lynch Foundation), an individual membership program tiered from Narrator ($1,000–$2,499) through Executive Producer ($50,000+), planned giving, and corporate sponsors. Outflows are concentrated in direct filmmaker grants and program operations, with a staffed program team (COO, Director of Programs, Program Manager) executing the portfolio. Core technology is limited to standard nonprofit CRM, fundraising, and content distribution infrastructure; there is no proprietary platform, and the competitive moat is built on brand, institutional partnerships, and broadcast distribution rather than technology.

Name

The Better Angels Society

Legal name

The Better Angels Society

Website

https://thebetterangelssociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Better Angels Society is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds and supports American history documentary filmmakers through an annual prize, fellowships, a PBS broadcast series, and the inaugural Hindsight Film Festival.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Film Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Historical, Biographical & Archival Documentaries (MPADADAE), Branded Documentary / Nonfiction (Corporate & NGO) (MPADADAK), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Documentary film support
• Nonprofit filmmaking grants
• American history documentaries
• Filmmaker fellowships
• Educational film programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Friends of The Better Angels Society membership program with annual giving levels from $1,000 to $50,000+, providing donors with exclusive events and behind-the-scenes updates from filmmakers.
2. Foundation Grants: Major funding from foundations including Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation (Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine), supporting the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film and Better Angels Lavine Fellowship.
3. Planned Giving: Legacy gifts through bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable trusts, and other estate-planning vehicles to ensure future generations benefit from American history documentary programs.
4. Corporate and Major Donor Support: Support from major donors including Lynda and Stewart Resnick ($1 million gift for The Vietnam War), Mauree Jane & Mark Perry, and other philanthropists supporting specific documentary films.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Better Angels Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides financial and operational support for documentary films about American history, including production funding, educational engagement, and community outreach. The organization runs multiple programs including film prizes, fellowships, student contests, storytelling initiatives, and film festivals in partnership with PBS and the Library of Congress.

Product overview

The Better Angels Society operates a portfolio of documentary film support programs centered around its flagship Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film (annual $350,000 awards for U.S. history documentaries), the Better Angels Lavine Fellowship (mentorship program), Better Angels Stories (PBS partnership for broadcast), and youth education programs including Next Generation Angels Awards (middle/high school) and Latest Generation Film Contest (ages 14-22). The organization also launched the inaugural Hindsight Film Festival in 2026, America's first festival dedicated to historical documentaries. The programs work together to support documentary production, broadcast, and education while building the next generation of historical documentarians.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film: Annual national prize recognizing exemplary documentary films that tell compelling stories about American history. Award includes $200,000 to winner, $50,000 to runner-up, and $25,000 to each of four finalists.
• Better Angels Lavine Fellowship
• Next Generation Angels Awards
• Latest Generation Film Contest
• Better Angels Stories
• Friends of The Better Angels Society
• Hindsight Film Festival

Products and services

• Supported Films Program Financial and operational support for documentary films about American history including production, educational engagement, and community outreach. Targeted at documentary filmmakers producing works on American historical subjects.
• Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film An annual prize awarded to outstanding documentary films on American history, presented in partnership with the Library of Congress. Targeted at documentary filmmakers whose works illuminate American history.
• Better Angels Lavine Fellowship A fellowship program supporting emerging documentary filmmakers focused on American history. Targeted at early-career documentary filmmakers developing projects on American historical subjects.
• Next Generation Angels Awards An awards program recognizing outstanding student filmmakers (ages 14-22) working on American history documentary projects. Targeted at middle school, high school, and college student filmmakers.
• Latest Generation Film Contest A film contest designed to engage student filmmakers in producing documentary works on American history. Targeted at student filmmakers in middle school, high school, and college.
• Better Angels Stories A short-form storytelling initiative produced in partnership with PBS to create and distribute stories about American history. Targeted at general audiences interested in American history through short-form video content.
• Hindsight Film Festival A film festival showcasing documentary films on American history, featuring screenings, panel discussions, and filmmaker engagement. Targeted at documentary filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and the general public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $2.6 million awarded to filmmakers since 2019
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Library of CongresscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The Library of Congress partners with The Better Angels Society to administer the annual Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film. The Librarian of Congress bestows the prize in consultation with Ken Burns. Films are archived in the Library's permanent collection. This is the organization's flagship program.
• PBScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBS is the broadcast partner for Better Angels Stories documentaries, which air on American Masters, American Experience, and other PBS platforms. The partnership brings historical documentaries to millions of viewers nationwide.
• National History DayflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership with National History Day to present the Next Generation Angels Awards, recognizing middle and high school student documentary filmmakers with mentorship sessions.
• Lincoln Presidential FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Lincoln Presidential Foundation for the Latest Generation Film Contest, engaging young filmmakers ages 14-22 across the United States in documentary filmmaking about American history.
• Ken BurnscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenowned filmmaker and co-founder who provides vision and guidance for the organization. Burns consults on prize selection and participates in mentorship programs, bringing prestige and industry expertise to all programs.
• Florentine FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKen Burns' production company responsible for many acclaimed historical documentaries. Partners with The Better Angels Society on various film projects.
• WETAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublic television station producing and distributing PBS content including Ken Burns documentaries and Better Angels Stories films.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Documentary Association (IDA): Nonprofit membership organization supporting the documentary filmmaking community through advocacy, grants, and educational programs. Direct peer as a documentary-focused nonprofit with overlapping filmmaker-support and funding missions.
• Sundance Institute: Nonprofit supporting independent filmmakers through labs, fellowships, and the Sundance Film Festival. Direct peer as a major nonprofit providing funding, mentorship, and exhibition platforms to documentary and independent filmmakers.
• Cinereach: Nonprofit that funds and supports independent film and documentary projects with a focus on storytelling that challenges conventional perspectives. Direct peer as a documentary funding nonprofit with overlapping grantmaking model.
• Independent Television Service (ITVS): Nonprofit that funds, distributes, and produces independent documentary programming for public television, including PBS. Direct peer as a public-media-aligned documentary funding and distribution organization.
• Chicken & Egg Pictures: Nonprofit providing fellowships, grants, and creative support to emerging and mid-career documentary filmmakers, with a focus on social impact. Direct peer as a documentary-grantmaking nonprofit serving a similar filmmaker demographic.
• Doc Society (Britdoc Foundation): Nonprofit that supports impact-driven documentary filmmaking globally through grants, fellowships, and the Good Pitch program. Direct peer as a documentary-grantmaking and impact-scaling nonprofit.

Others

• Library of Congress: Federal library and the Better Angels Society's flagship institutional partner that co-administers the Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film and archives winning films. Ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor, given the mission alignment and prize co-administration.
• Florentine Films: Ken Burns' production company and named partner of The Better Angels Society. Listed as an ecosystem partner (not a competing nonprofit) that produces many of the historical documentaries aligned with the organization's mission.

Broad incumbents

• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): Federal agency that provides grants for humanities research, education, and media including documentary film. Broad incumbent as a much larger humanities funding body with partial overlap in supporting American history documentary work.
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB): Federal nonprofit that funds PBS, NPR, and public media programming including documentaries. Broad incumbent as a much larger public-media funder with overlapping documentary and civic-education mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BetterAngelsSoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/thebetterangelssociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-better-angels-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Better Angels Society