More Like US

What More Like US does

More Like US is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization focused on motivating civil discourse on college campuses by correcting misperceptions that Americans hold about those on the opposite side of the political spectrum (the "Perception Gap"). The organization was involved in depolarization work following the 2016 election and in 2024 pivoted its focus specifically to higher education, redesigning its website and aligning its initiatives around campus audiences.

The organization delivers a suite of evidence-based educational products and programs. Core content assets include the Perception Gap Lesson Plan (a classroom-ready slide deck challenging political misperceptions), the Similarity Hub (an interactive resource jointly developed with AllSides showing hundreds of survey datapoints of Democratic-Republican agreement), and CAST Creative Guidance (encouraging storytellers to portray perceived political opponents as Complex, Admirable, Similar, and worthy of Togetherness). These resources are deployed through three program tracks: Social Norms Marketing campaigns (e.g., a 2026-27 launch at Michigan State University reaching 50,000+ students via the National Social Norms Center partnership), Additional Campuswide Messaging using the 3C's framework (Civil, Curious, Common), and Programming & Capacity Building (customized orientation programs, curricula, and workshops). The methodology is grounded in social science research from leading academics including Stanford's Dr. Robb Willer and Harvard's Dr. Julia Minson, with outcomes validated by Georgetown's Civic Education Research Lab.

As a fiscally-sponsored project of Mediators Foundation (EIN: 04-3002588), More Like US is funded through donations and grants from individual donors and institutional supporters including Arthur Vining Davis Foundations and the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University. The organization employs 8 people, is led by co-founders Ann Schockett and Dane Erickson (Co-Chairs) and James Coan (Executive Director), and is supported by a Social Science Advisory Council drawn from Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, University of Maryland, and other institutions. Programs and resources are provided free of charge to college campuses, with go-to-market executed through direct campus partnerships, coalition memberships (Braver Network, CivXNow, Maryland Civic Education Coalition, PACivics, etc.), earned media, podcasts, and conference presentations.

Name

More Like US

Legal name

More Like US

Website

https://morelikeus.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

More Like US is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that uses evidence-based social science methods to correct political misperceptions and motivate civil discourse on U.S. college campuses, delivering lesson plans, social norms marketing campaigns, and workshops to university partners free of charge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Education and Civil Discourse Programs

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAN

Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDALAHAC

Campus Events, Programming & Student Engagement

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Student Activities, Clubs & Campus Life

SECONDARYEDALAHAJ

Student Conduct, Civility & Campus Standards

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Student Activities, Clubs & Campus Life

Keywords

• Civic education programs
• Civil discourse initiatives
• Social norms marketing
• Political depolarization
• College campus programs

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: More Like US operates as a nonprofit organization and is a fiscally-sponsored project of Mediators Foundation (EIN: 04-3002588). The organization receives funding from individual donors and institutional supporters including Arthur Vining Davis Foundations for project support and Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University for research support.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

More Like US is a nonprofit that partners with U.S. college campuses to deliver Social Norms Marketing campaigns, Additional Campuswide Messaging, and Programming & Capacity Building (orientation programs, curricula, workshops). It provides free research-backed content resources — including the Perception Gap Lesson Plan, the Similarity Hub, and CAST creative guidance — to correct political misperceptions and motivate civil discourse among college students.

Product overview

More Like US offers a suite of educational resources and programs focused on correcting political misperceptions and motivating civil discourse on college campuses. The core offerings include the Perception Gap Lesson Plan (a classroom-ready slide deck with supporting materials), the Similarity Hub (an interactive resource developed with AllSides showing agreement between Democrats and Republicans), and Guidance for Creatives (CAST mnemonic materials). These content resources are delivered through three program tracks: Social Norms Marketing (campaigns correcting misperceptions, currently deployed at Michigan State University), Additional Campuswide Messaging (memorable, repeatable content using the '3C's' framework), and Programming & Capacity Building (customized workshops and curricula). The organization is fiscally-sponsored by Mediators Foundation and partners with academic institutions and research organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Social Norms Marketing A campaign initiative that corrects misperceptions about peers' attitudes and openness in order to jumpstart motivation for civil discourse. Currently deployed at Michigan State University, where it reaches nearly all 50,000+ students, and is designed to be rolled out at additional college campuses.
• Additional Campuswide Messaging

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces partisan hostility, fosters intellectual humility, eases anxiety around civil discourse, and strengthens belief in value of political compromise
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• Mediators FoundationcoreOthersMore Like US is a fiscally-sponsored project of Mediators Foundation (EIN: 04-3002588), which provides organizational infrastructure and administrative support.
• National Social Norms Center at Michigan StateflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to jointly tackle the political realm using proven health-related social norms correction methods. The campaign will blanket Michigan State's campus with misperception corrections in the 2026-27 academic year, reaching 50,000+ students.
• Georgetown Civic Education Research LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted research showing dramatic benefits from More Like US content, including reduction in partisan hostility and fostering intellectual humility. Published papers and slides documenting results.
• AllSidescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly developed the Similarity Hub, an interactive resource highlighting hundreds of survey datapoints showing actual agreement between Democrats and Republicans on public policies and political priorities.
• Braver NetworkmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition membership for cross-organizational collaboration in depolarization and civil discourse efforts.
• Democracy Communications CollaborativemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition membership for democracy and civic engagement communications.
• Impact GuildmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition membership for impact-focused initiatives.
• ListenFirst CoalitionmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition membership for listening and understanding across divides.
• CivXNow CoalitionmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCivics coalition membership for civic education collaboration.
• Maryland Civic Education CoalitionmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional civic education coalition membership.
• PACivicsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCivics coalition membership for civic education collaboration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• CivXNow Coalition: National coalition advocating for K-12 and postsecondary civics education reform in the United States. Ecosystem peer because More Like US is a coalition member; CivXNow operates as an advocacy coalition rather than a direct program provider, but shares the broader mission of strengthening civic education.
• Listen First Coalition: Coalition of 200+ organizations promoting bridging skills and respectful dialogue across differences. Ecosystem peer because More Like US is a coalition member; Listen First Coalition functions more as a network convener than direct programming provider.

Direct peers

• Living Room Conversations: Nonprofit that provides structured conversation guides for people across political, social, and cultural differences to have meaningful dialogue. Directly comparable because both organizations design structured formats to enable productive cross-partisan conversations, though Living Room Conversations focuses on small-group settings while More Like US targets campus-wide scale.
• AllSides: Media bias rating and balanced news platform that curates perspectives from left, center, and right. Direct peer because More Like US co-developed the Similarity Hub with AllSides to show agreement between Democrats and Republicans, and both organizations tackle misperception of the other side using data-driven approaches.
• Constructive Dialogue Institute: Provides evidence-based curricula and programs for higher education institutions to improve dialogue across differences. Direct peer because both organizations deliver classroom-ready, research-backed content to U.S. college campuses with the explicit goal of reducing polarization, though CDI's tools are more skill-based while More Like US emphasizes perception correction.
• National Institute for Civil Discourse: University of Arizona-affiliated nonprofit focused on promoting civil political dialogue and reducing incivility in American politics. Direct peer because both organizations work on civil discourse and depolarization using research-backed methodologies, though NICD has a broader national policy focus while More Like US targets college campuses specifically.
• Braver Angels: One of the largest U.S. depolarization organizations, operating workshops, debates, and red/blue dialogue programs to bridge political divides. Directly comparable because More Like US Executive Director James Coan was previously a Braver Angels leader, and both organizations target cross-partisan bridge-building, though More Like US focuses on college campuses while Braver Angels is broader.

Emerging players

• Heterodox Academy: Nonprofit of academics working to improve campus viewpoint diversity and open inquiry in higher education. Emerging player peer because both organizations focus on higher education institutions and use research-backed approaches, though Heterodox Academy emphasizes academic culture while More Like US targets student misperceptions.
• More in Common: International nonprofit with U.S. operations focused on breaking down polarization by building connections across divides. Emerging player peer because both organizations address perception gaps and political polarization using research-driven methods, though More in Common is a larger organization with broader demographic targeting beyond college students.
• BridgeUSA: Student-led organization building campus chapters at U.S. colleges to foster viewpoint diversity and constructive dialogue among students. Emerging player peer because both organizations focus specifically on depolarization work with college students, though BridgeUSA's chapter-based model differs from More Like US's top-down social norms marketing approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=VgtS2QFooZQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/1472861337859194
• Instagraminstagram.com/AllSides/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/more-like-us

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 More Like US