The Way to Happiness Foundation International

What The Way to Happiness Foundation International does

The Way to Happiness Foundation International is a non-profit charitable organization headquartered in Glendale, California, that publishes and globally distributes a 21-precept non-religious moral code originally written by L. Ron Hubbard in 1981. Founded in 1996 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation under California law, the foundation targets a horizontal set of end users including educators and schools, businesses and corporations, correctional professionals, law enforcement agencies, governments, community organizations, and individual parents. Its mission is to reverse societal moral decay by restoring trust and honesty through widespread grassroots distribution of the moral guide, and it operates within the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE) network, which is sponsored by the Church of Scientology and Scientologists while the foundation maintains a secular operational posture.

The foundation's core product is the 21-precept moral code delivered across multiple formats: the original book, pocket-size booklet bundles of 12 sold for $12, DVD/Blu-ray film editions at $20, paperback and hardcover editions up to $30, and audiobook CDs with original orchestral compositions. Operational technology includes in-house graphic design and print-on-demand facilities at the Glendale headquarters, enabling production of customized booklets in over 100 languages. Digital distribution comprises a free Virtual Academy course platform with registration, lesson tracking, and student management features, plus an iOS Education App launched in 2011 that allows educators to review and grade student lessons with cross-device synchronization.

The foundation's business model combines modest direct sales of low-priced physical materials with a donations-supported nonprofit operating structure. Pricing is publicly disclosed and unit-based across the $12/$20/$30 tiers, while educator kits, business kits, corrections kits, and online courses are provided free of charge to drive adoption across target segments. Distribution is primarily grassroots: international chapters and partner organizations in more than 100 countries facilitate community-level dissemination, complemented by an e-commerce storefront, phone/mail orders, and language-specific localized websites. The organization is governed by two directors (Joni Ginsberg and Nadja Lehman) and operates with a small staff of 1–10 employees.

Name

The Way to Happiness Foundation International

Legal name

The Way to Happiness Foundation International

Website

https://thewaytohappiness.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Way to Happiness Foundation International is a non-profit organization that publishes and distributes a 21-precept non-religious moral code book globally. It serves educators, businesses, correctional facilities, police, governments, and community organizations through booklets, films, online courses, and custom materials in over 100 languages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Moral Education Publishing

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Moral education programs
• Character education
• Nonprofit publishing
• Educational resources
• Common sense ethics

Headquarters

HQ city

Glendale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Book and Materials Sales: Sale of The Way to Happiness booklets, DVDs, audiobooks, and printed editions. Pocket-size booklets sold in bundles of 12 for $12. DVD/Blu-ray priced at $20. Hardcover edition at $30.
2. Donations: Charitable donations accepted to support the foundation's mission of distributing moral education materials worldwide.
3. Free Educational Programs: Free online courses and educational materials provided to educators, businesses, correctional professionals, and community organizations to drive adoption without direct revenue generation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Way to Happiness Foundation International is a nonprofit charitable organization that publishes and globally distributes a 21-precept, non-religious moral code under the title "The Way to Happiness," originally authored by L. Ron Hubbard in 1981. Its core offerings include pocket-size booklets (bundles of 12), hardcover and paperback editions, DVDs/Blu-rays, audiobooks, custom print-on-demand booklets in 100+ languages, a free online education platform (Virtual Academy), and tailored Information Kits for educators, businesses, and correctional professionals. Revenue is generated primarily through product sales of these materials and charitable donations, while free courses and apps support grassroots adoption.

Product overview

The Way to Happiness Foundation International offers a single unified product—the 21-precept moral code originally published in 1981—distributed across multiple physical and digital formats. The core offering consists of the book/booklet and its derivatives: pocket-size booklet bundles ($12), film DVD/Blu-ray ($20), paperback and hardcover editions ($30), and audiobook versions with orchestral compositions. The organization also provides a free online course through its Virtual Academy platform, an iOS education app for educators, custom print-on-demand booklets in 100+ languages, and specialized Information Kits for educators, businesses, and correctional professionals. The portfolio is unified by the shared 21-precept content but differentiated by format, language, customization options, and delivery channel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 15-year partnership with Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives in Denver resulted in over 10,000 copies distributed to youth and families
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Open Door Youth Gang AlternativesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 202615-year partnership celebrating Rev. Leon Kelly's 43-year legacy as founder of the oldest anti-gang intervention program in the Denver metro area. A new community center opened as a permanent home for both organizations' mentorship and character development programming. Over 10,000 copies of The Way to Happiness distributed to Denver youth and families over the partnership period.
• Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABLE coordinates The Way to Happiness Foundation. ABLE is dedicated to resolving the major societal ills of drugs, crime, illiteracy and immorality. ABLE and each of its programs are proudly sponsored by the Church of Scientology and Scientologists in pursuit of the humanitarian objectives of a drug-free, crime-free world.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Cure Violence Global: Cure Violence Global is a nonprofit that treats violence as a public health issue, running hospital- and community-based violence interrupter programs. It is a programmatic peer for the foundation's anti-gang and recidivism-reduction use cases, especially in partner cities like Denver.
• DoSomething.org: DoSomething.org is a youth-focused nonprofit driving civic engagement, volunteering, and values-based action among young people. It overlaps with the foundation's youth and parents segments as a digital-first values/civic engagement community.

Broad incumbents

• MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): MENTOR is the umbrella nonprofit advancing youth mentoring in the U.S., with affiliates running direct-service programs analogous to the foundation's anti-gang and community partnerships. It is a broader incumbent in the same youth development/mentorship funding pool.
• Junior Achievement USA: Junior Achievement is a large nonprofit delivering work-readiness, financial literacy, and character education programs to K-12 students via local chapters — a comparable chapter-based, educator-facing nonprofit model with much greater scale.
• Search Institute: Search Institute is an established nonprofit researching and disseminating the Developmental Assets framework for youth thriving, used by schools, communities, and youth organizations. It is a broader incumbent in the youth character/wellbeing nonprofit space where the foundation operates.

Direct peers

• Character.org: Character.org is the leading U.S. nonprofit promoting character education in schools and communities through frameworks, awards, and educator resources. It competes for the same educator and school adoption budgets and addresses the same 'moral decline in schools' pain point The Way to Happiness targets.
• CHARACTER COUNTS!: CHARACTER COUNTS! is a nonprofit character education framework built around six pillars of character, widely used in K-12 schools. It is the most direct U.S. competitor offering a structured moral/character curriculum for educators, paralleling the foundation's 21-precept content offering.
• Facing History and Ourselves: Facing History and Ourselves is a nonprofit providing ethics, history, and social responsibility curricula used by secondary educators globally. It competes for the same school curriculum slots on the same secular ethics and character education buying motion.
• Random Acts of Kindness Foundation: Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is a nonprofit that provides free K-12 kindness and character education curricula and resources to schools worldwide. It mirrors the foundation's freemium model, secular values framing, and educator-focused GTM for moral education.
• Giraffe Heroes Project: Giraffe Heroes Project is a nonprofit that runs character education and civic courage programs for youth and adults, sharing stories of individuals acting on principle. It addresses the same self-responsibility and pro-social behavior outcomes as The Way to Happiness, albeit through storytelling rather than precepts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WayToHappiness
• Facebookfacebook.com/TWTHInt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/twth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Way to Happiness Foundation International