A Picture's Worth, Inc.

What A Picture's Worth, Inc. does

A Picture's Worth, Inc. (APW) is a Cincinnati-headquartered nonprofit organization founded in 2017 that delivers narrative-change training and story-based community collaborations. The organization partners with community-based nonprofits, educators, media outlets, civic groups, and businesses to collect and distribute strengths-based, asset-framed photography and audio stories that counter deficit narratives produced by traditional media. Operating with 1–10 employees from a single Cincinnati location, APW serves as a methodology-driven platform rather than a software product.

Its product surface is built around four pillars: professional development services (the 90-minute Narrative Literacy Training and the 3-hour Narrative Change Essentials workshop, which yields a Narrative Change Agent certification); custom Community Partnership story projects for nonprofits and community-based organizations; For-Profit Sponsorship narrative-change campaigns (including for political candidates and issue advocacy); and a portfolio of branded content including podcast series (Strong Women with Cincinnati Union Bethel, Our Stories, Our World with Public Narrative in Chicago, Ohio Values with six Ohio media outlets), public exhibitions and installations (BLINK CINCINNATI, More Than Meets the Eye with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Kentucky Refugee Ministries), and a $7.50 Coloring the Journey coloring book. Underlying technology is a community engagement methodology combining photography, audio capture, and responsible story-gathering protocols; the organization has no proprietary software platform, app, or API.

APW's revenue model combines tax-deductible donations and grants (from funders including Interact for Health, United Way, Bi3, and Innovia Foundation), individually scoped fee-based professional development services with pricing not publicly disclosed, for-profit sponsorship campaigns, and unit-priced merchandise. Distribution occurs through direct community engagement, podcast platforms, public exhibitions, an e-commerce storefront, and a recurring "APW Snaps" email newsletter. Geographic reach covers Greater Cincinnati neighborhoods (Price Hill, Walnut Hills, West End, East Westwood, Roselawn), the wider Ohio region, Chicago, and Williamstown, Kentucky. No revenue, funding total, or contract values are disclosed in the source data.

Name

A Picture's Worth, Inc.

Legal name

A Picture's Worth, Inc.

Website

https://apicturesworth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A Picture's Worth, Inc. is a Cincinnati-based nonprofit founded in 2017 that delivers strengths-based community storytelling projects, narrative literacy training, podcasts, and exhibitions in partnership with nonprofits, media outlets, and civic organizations across Ohio, Chicago, and Kentucky.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Storytelling and Narrative Change Services

NAICS

Information (51)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Historical, Biographical & Archival Documentaries (MPADADAE), Photography & Videography Arts Programs (EDAMAAAC), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Community storytelling services
• Narrative change training
• Nonprofit media programs
• Strengths-based storytelling
• Professional development workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

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, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting APW's mission to champion and spark narrative change through community storytelling
2. Professional Development and Training Services: Narrative Literacy Training (90-minute sessions), Narrative Change Essentials (3-hour workshops), and custom training programs for nonprofit staff, community leaders, educators, and businesses
3. Product Sales: Sale of mission-focused merchandise including coloring books featuring community stories of resilience ($7.50 per item)
4. Sponsored Campaigns: For-profit sponsorships including narrative change campaigns for political candidates and issue-based advocacy with dominant narrative analysis, story gathering, and multimedia content delivery

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

A Picture's Worth, Inc. is a nonprofit training and service organization that delivers narrative-change programming through strengths-based community storytelling. It produces podcast series, community story-collection projects, public exhibitions and multimedia content in partnership with nonprofits, community organizations and media outlets. It also sells narrative-literacy training workshops and a small line of mission-focused merchandise (a coloring book).

Product overview

A Picture's Worth is a nonprofit organization offering narrative change training and story-based community programs rather than a traditional software product. The organization operates as a platform of interconnected programs and services centered on strengths-based storytelling. Core offerings include podcast series (Strong Women, Our Stories Our World, Ohio Values), community story projects (A Picture's Worth of Light, Price Hill, Middie Pride, West End, Williamstown, East Westwood, Roselawn), professional training services (Narrative Literacy Training, Narrative Change Essentials), and merchandise (Coloring the Journey coloring book). All programs are built around the core mission of bridging divides through asset-based narratives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Narrative Literacy Training A 90-minute interactive professional development session for nonprofit staff, community leaders, educators and businesses that teaches participants why and how narratives define us, and how to intentionally navigate them to build better connected communities. The package includes monthly Narrative Sparks and facilitated Community of Practice sessions.
• Narrative Change Essentials A customized 3-hour hands-on workshop for nonprofit staff, community leaders, educators and businesses that builds narrative literacy, individual skill-building activities, training in gathering stories responsibly, and APW Narrative Change Agent certification.
• Community Partnerships Custom story projects for communities or community-based organizations, including goal setting, APW training for story-gatherers, project management support, and an APW-produced web page featuring photos and quotes from contributors.
• For-Profit Sponsorships Narrative change campaigns for women running for office, Ohioans sharing values, and other political/issue-based advocacy efforts, including dominant narrative analysis, story gathering, multimedia content delivery and live campaign celebration events.
• Coloring the Journey Coloring Book A mission-focused coloring book blending art, story, and reflection, created with community experts in recovery from human trafficking and related trauma in the Cincinnati region, sold through APW's online store at $7.50 per unit.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150+ community members shared personal stories in West End project
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Cincinnati Union BethelflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2021Flagship partnership on the Strong Women project - a six-episode podcast series and public exhibition celebrating strong women at Cincinnati Scholar House and Anna Louise Inn. The collaboration combines APW's storytelling expertise with CUB's services for women and families.
• Public NarrativeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Chicago-based nonprofit partnership on Our Stories, Our World - a youth-led podcast series exploring public safety, public health, and public education through citizen-centered stories. The collaboration combines audio stories and photography for narrative change.
• TransformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Trans Love is Love Project - an ongoing effort to capture and commemorate moments of love across the diverse trans community, creating both an archive and testament to resilience and truth.
• Cincinnati Chamber OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on More Than Meets the Eye exhibit featuring immigrant and refugee stories of resilience, peace, and hope in Greater Cincinnati. Featured in exhibits across the region.
• Kentucky Refugee MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in More Than Meets the Eye project providing refugee stories and perspectives for the collaborative storytelling initiative.
• MakeTank InkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner on More Than Meets the Eye immigrant and refugee storytelling project.
• Innovia FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Innovia Leadership Summit 2026 and My America @ 250 Story Quilt project. APW facilitated audio reflections during the March 2026 summit adventure.
• Middletown ConnectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Middie Pride project featuring photos and audio stories from Middletown residents defining community pride across neighborhoods and socio-economic distinctions.
• Community MatterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Price Hill: Stories of Growth project, working with residents in East and Lower Price Hill to share stories about gardens, recovery, entrepreneurship, and community connectedness.
• ROMAC (Robert O'Neal Multicultural Arts Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in East Westwood through People Power project, showcasing inspiring individual journeys. ROMAC serves as APW's art family for community storytelling initiatives.
• Seven Hills Neighborhood HousescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Price Hill community story collection working with residents across three neighborhoods in Cincinnati's basin and hillsides.
• WCPOcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner in Ohio Values statewide responsible journalism collaborative, providing story distribution and coverage for audio stories centered on community values.
• The Cincinnati HeraldcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner in Ohio Values collaborative covering Cincinnati area stories of civic values and voting participation.
• The Devil Strip in AkroncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner in Ohio Values collaborative covering Akron area stories of civic engagement and community values.
• Richland SourcecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner in Ohio Values collaborative covering Richland County stories of community values and civic participation.
• Ashland SourcecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner in Ohio Values collaborative covering Ashland area stories of community engagement and values.
• Knox PagescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner in Ohio Values collaborative covering Knox County stories of community values and civic participation.
• University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent partnership providing lighting design and technology for Strong Women streetscape exhibition along McMillan Street in Walnut Hills.
• FotofocusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting photography and visual storytelling initiatives in the Cincinnati region.
• City BureauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago-based partner focused on civic media and community engagement in storytelling projects.
• Metcalf Institute at the University of Rhode IslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research and training support for journalism and narrative change initiatives.
• Price Hill Branch LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in Price Hill story collection project, working with residents to document neighborhood strengths and growth.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Capital B: Nonprofit local news organization covering Black communities through narrative and investigative journalism. Comparable mission (shifting deficit-framed narratives about marginalized communities) though with a national newsroom rather than community-partnership delivery.
• Type Investigations: Nonprofit investigative journalism outlet producing long-form accountability reporting. Comparable in being a mission-driven, story-producing nonprofit, though focused on investigative rather than community-led narrative change work.
• Kartemquin Films: Chicago documentary production nonprofit producing social impact nonfiction films. Comparable to APW in producing documentary-style community content for narrative change, though at film scale rather than podcast+photo scale.

Others

• Working Films: Nonpartisan nonprofit using documentary film to advance social justice, including impact campaigns and audience engagement strategy. Adjacent peer to APW: comparable mission of using narrative media for social change and similar nonprofit funding model.
• Solutions Journalism Network: Nonprofit that trains and supports journalists in solutions-focused reporting. Adjacent peer to APW: shares the methodology-training angle and the broader goal of shifting journalistic narrative frames, but operates as a journalism trainer rather than a community storyteller.

Direct peers

• StoryCorps: National nonprofit that records, preserves, and shares personal audio stories from everyday people. Direct peer to APW: both build audio storytelling archives through community-led collection and distribute stories via podcasts, broadcasts, and archives.
• Public Narrative: Chicago-based nonprofit focused on training youth and community leaders to tell stories that drive civic change; APW's existing Our Stories, Our World partner. Closely comparable model combining media training, community storytelling, and civic narrative shift.
• Spaceship Media: Storytelling and research nonprofit working with immigrant and refugee communities to shift narratives in media. Direct peer to APW's More Than Meets the Eye refugee storytelling project in both method (community-led narrative change) and population focus.
• City Bureau: Chicago civic journalism nonprofit that trains community members to report local stories and partners with newsrooms for distribution. Comparable to APW in combining community-led story gathering with media partnerships and a documentation fellowship model.
• Feet in 2 Worlds: Journalism nonprofit supporting immigrant journalists to tell stories from their communities, distributed via public radio and podcasts. Comparable to APW's audio storytelling distribution model and immigrant/refugee community focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/apicturesworthorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apicturesworth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 A Picture's Worth, Inc.