Getting Better Foundation

What Getting Better Foundation does

Getting Better Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2015 by Joe Phelps and headquartered in Livingston, Montana. Its mission is to rebuild societal trust by promoting media literacy as a counterweight to misinformation, negativity bias, and polarization. The foundation serves K-12 schools, universities, legislators, and the general public, with primary use cases centered on curriculum integration, student resilience to online manipulation, and family education. Core outputs include the 'Trust Me' feature documentary (released 2020, used globally in educational and legislative contexts), the Getting Better Bot AI chatbot (beta launched 2025), the Trust Me Academy educational program, a Substack newsletter ('Getting Better News'), a curated resource library, a podcast featuring advisory board members such as Steven Pinker and Matt Ridley, and a community screening program with 50% revenue sharing to host organizations.

The foundation's technology stack is modest. The Getting Better Bot is a text-based conversational tool for media literacy Q&A that includes an explicit disclaimer about accuracy, suggesting reliance on a third-party large language model rather than proprietary AI. Distribution is handled through established streaming and ticketing partners: Kanopy, New Day, ClickView, and Vimeo On Demand for institutional licensing, plus Eventbrite for screening events. The foundation is embedded in the broader media literacy advocacy ecosystem through partnerships with NAMLE, News Literacy Project, UNESCO Media and Information Literacy, Media Literacy Now (where Managing Director Rosemary Smith leads the Montana chapter), Mental Immunity Project, and Common Sense Media.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across donations (tax-deductible via PayPal and check), documentary licensing fees to schools and universities, and 50/50 ticket revenue sharing on community screenings. The organization has no disclosed pricing tiers and operates with a small core team (1-10 employees). Strategic validation comes from the 2021 UNESCO Award for Media Literacy in North America, the 2023 Walter Cronkite Excellence in Journalism Award, and ongoing advisory board recognition (e.g., NAMLE AME Media Literacy Champion for April 2026). A central forward initiative is a petition to the U.S. Department of Education and 50 state governors advocating mandatory K-12 media literacy curriculum and testing.

Name

Getting Better Foundation

Legal name

Getting Better Foundation

Website

https://gettingbetterfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Getting Better Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that promotes media literacy to counter misinformation, distributing the 'Trust Me' documentary, an AI chatbot, and educational resources to K-12 schools, universities, policymakers, and the general public globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media Literacy Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Information & Media Literacy (Evaluate Sources, Misinformation) (EDAAAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Educational & Instructional Nonfiction (MPADADAL)

Keywords

• Media literacy education
• Documentary production
• Nonprofit education
• Misinformation research
• Educational content licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Livingston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: The foundation is a 501-c-3 public charity supported primarily through tax-deductible donations via PayPal and check.
2. Documentary Licensing: Schools, universities, and organizations can license 'Trust Me' for educational screenings. Streaming available through Kanopy, New Day, ClickView, and Vimeo On Demand.
3. Screening Revenue Sharing: Organizations hosting screenings receive 50% of ticket revenue, providing incentive for community-based distribution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Getting Better Foundation produces and distributes media literacy educational content, anchored by the award-winning 'Trust Me' feature documentary (released 2020) that explores media technology's influence on society. The foundation supplements the documentary with the Getting Better Bot AI chatbot for on-demand media literacy Q&A, the Trust Me Academy institutional educational program, a Substack newsletter, a curated resource library for educators and parents, and a community screening program with shared ticket revenue.

Product overview

Getting Better Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that operates as a single-product organization centered on media literacy education. The core offering is the award-winning 'Trust Me' documentary (released in 2020), which explores media technology's influence on society. This is supported by the Getting Better Bot AI chatbot for on-demand media literacy Q&A, the Trust Me Academy educational program for institutions, the Getting Better News Substack newsletter, a curated resource library, and a community screening program for organizations. The organization also maintains an advisory board of media literacy experts and publishes educational blog content on media literacy topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trust Me Documentary Award-winning feature documentary exploring how media technology influences society and what individuals can do about misinformation and media illiteracy. Used globally in educational and legislative contexts. Licensed to schools, universities, embassies, and community organizations, and available on streaming platforms (Kanopy, New Day, ClickView, Vimeo On Demand).
• Getting Better Bot AI-powered chatbot that answers user questions about media literacy topics, helping people find empirical truth and understand concepts such as crime trends, information evaluation, and social media mental health impacts. Includes a disclaimer that information cannot be 100% guaranteed.
• Trust Me Academy Film and media literacy educational program associated with the Trust Me documentary, distributed through streaming platforms for educators and institutions.
• Host a Screening Program Community screening program allowing organizations to host screenings of Trust Me with promotional materials, Q&A with filmmakers, and 50% ticket revenue sharing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Documentary used globally in educational and legislative contexts since 2020
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KanopycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational streaming platform providing global distribution of 'Trust Me' documentary to universities and libraries.
• New DaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStreaming platform partner for documentary distribution.
• ClickViewcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational video platform distributing 'Trust Me' to schools.
• Vimeo On DemandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDirect-to-consumer streaming of documentary for home viewing.
• National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary industry partner for media literacy advocacy and education initiatives.
• News Literacy ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit providing resources for educators and students on news literacy.
• UNESCO Media and Information LiteracycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization recognizing foundation's work with UNESCO Award for Media Literacy in North America.
• Media Literacy NowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy organization working to establish media literacy standards in states. Rosemary Smith is Montana chapter leader.
• Center for Media Literacy (CML)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization founded by Tessa Jolls (deceased advisory board member) focused on media literacy education and strategic defense.
• Media Education Lab (URI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Renee Hobbs, advisory board member. Provides research and resources for media literacy education.
• Stanford Center for Online ReasoningminorOthersAcademic resource for critical thinking and online reasoning education.
• Common Sense MediaminorOthersParental resources and media literacy tools for families.
• Agora Journalism Center (University of Oregon)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership on local news and community civic health.
• iCivicsminorOthersCivic education resources for students.
• Mental Immunity ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative focused on cognitive immunity to misinformation, founded by Andy Norman (advisory board member).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): Major U.S. public broadcaster producing educational programming on media literacy topics and operating streaming/educational platforms. Comparable as a public-media educational content distributor with media literacy content in a much broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Common Sense Media: Major nonprofit providing media ratings, reviews, and literacy tools for families, schools, and policymakers. Directly comparable mission in evaluating media credibility and educating families/students on media consumption.
• News Literacy Project: A leading U.S. nonprofit providing news literacy resources for educators and students, including the Checkology platform. Directly comparable as a media literacy education nonprofit targeting the same K-12 and educator customer segments.
• Media Literacy Now: Advocacy organization working to establish media literacy standards in U.S. state education policy; GBF's Rosemary Smith leads its Montana chapter. Directly comparable as a media literacy legislative advocacy nonprofit.
• National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE): The principal U.S. professional association for media literacy educators and a strategic partner of GBF. Directly comparable as a media literacy education advocacy and convening organization.
• Center for Media Literacy (CML): Nonprofit dedicated to media literacy education and curriculum, founded by the late Tessa Jolls (a former GBF advisory board member). Directly comparable as a media literacy curriculum and educator-resource nonprofit.

Others

• New Day Films: Filmmaker-run distribution cooperative for social issue documentaries, including the "Trust Me" distribution partner. Comparable as a distributor/partner for educational documentary content on social issues.

Emerging players

• Media Education Lab (University of Rhode Island): Academic research and resource hub founded by Renee Hobbs (a GBF advisory board member), focused on media literacy pedagogy. Comparable as a media literacy research and educator-resource provider, though academic rather than a documentary-led nonprofit.
• First Draft (now Information Futures Lab, Brown University): Organization originally focused on misinformation and news literacy education, now operating within Brown's Information Futures Lab. Comparable as a misinformation/news literacy training and research organization.
• Mental Immunity Project (Andy Norman): Initiative focused on cognitive immunity to misinformation, founded by Andy Norman (GBF advisory board member). Comparable as a media/misinformation literacy initiative targeting similar audiences with an academic/curriculum approach.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TrustMeDocFilm
• Facebookfacebook.com/gettingbetterfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/getting-better-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/gettingbetterfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Getting Better Foundation