Stl.org
STL.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit editorial video magazine producing short documentary films and written interviews about the people, places, and practices shaping the St. Louis region, distributed via its website, Nine PBS, and social channels, and funded through donations, Design Week sponsorships, and commercial studio work.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Stl.org does
STL.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit editorial video magazine based in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 2019 by Chris Ryan. The organization produces short documentary films and written interviews that profile the people, places, and practices shaping the St. Louis region. Its content library spans four core series: The Spotlight Series (22 films profiling artists, makers, and thinkers), You Are Here (4 place-based portraits of parks, museums, and landmarks), Design Unfolded (8 films on regional design practices), and 5(ish) Questions For... (38 written interviews). Content is distributed through the STL.org website, Vimeo, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and broadcast partner Nine PBS, with Mapbox powering an interactive map in the You Are Here series.
The revenue model is hybrid and donor-supported. STL.org operates primarily on one-time and monthly donations at suggested tiers of $25, $50, $100, and $250, plus corporate sponsorships for St. Louis Design Week with tiers ranging from $250 (Advocate) to $15,000+ (Visionary). Filmanthropic, launched in 2025 as a 501(c)(3) film initiative of STL.org, produces feature and short documentaries for mission-driven nonprofits through a dollar-for-dollar matching program funded by in-kind donations and sponsorships. Commercial production for external clients is conducted through STL.org Studio, leveraging the production infrastructure of sister entity Once Films, a working St. Louis production studio that shares the Curiosity Building headquarters at 3033 Locust Street in Midtown Alley. The organization assumed stewardship of St. Louis Design Week in 2024.
The team is intentionally small, supported by rotating contributors, with Once Films providing crew, gear, and editorial expertise. STL.org received the St. Louis Business Journal Innovation in Philanthropy Award in 2026 for the Filmanthropic matching program and the Building Award in 2020 for the restoration of its solar-powered, climate-neutral headquarters. The organization is registered as a 501(c)(3) with EIN 87-2466226 and has no disclosed external institutional investment ownership.
Stl.org firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stl.org
- Legal name
- STL.org
- Website
- https://stl.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- STL.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit editorial video magazine producing short documentary films and written interviews about the people, places, and practices shaping the St. Louis region, distributed via its website, Nine PBS, and social channels, and funded through donations, Design Week sponsorships, and commercial studio work.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stl.org industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Digital Media
- NAICS
- Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Media Partnerships & Content Co-productions (NGO/Cultural) (MPABADAN), Co-Production & Treaty Structuring (MPADAAAC)
Keywords
Where Stl.org is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Stl.org business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: STL.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates on donor support. Donations are tax-deductible and support the production of films, articles, and events. The organization accepts one-time and monthly donations with suggested amounts of $25, $50, $100, or $250.
- Filmanthropic Film Production: Production funds gathered through in-kind donations, sponsorships, and a dollar-for-dollar matching program for mission-driven organizations.
- Commercial Production (Once Films): The studio's commercial work keeps the lights on, complementing the nonprofit's donor-supported editorial mission.
- Design Week Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for St. Louis Design Week across multiple tiers ranging from $250 (Advocate) to $15,000+ (Visionary), providing visibility and brand association with the creative community.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Donation tiers with suggested amounts |
| Subscription | Annual | Design Week Sponsorship Tiers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Stl.org product offering
Product offeringCore offering
STL.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit editorial video magazine that produces short documentary films spotlighting the people, places, and cultural practices of St. Louis, Missouri. The organization distributes content through its own website and via a partnership with Nine PBS, and runs two supporting initiatives: Filmanthropic, which provides filmmaking services for mission-driven organizations, and St. Louis Design Week.
Product overview
STL.org is a nonprofit editorial video magazine organized as a 501(c)(3), offering a platform of documentary content series and programs. The core offerings include The Spotlight Series (22 short documentaries on people shaping St. Louis), You Are Here (4 place-based shorts), Design Unfolded (8 films on design), and 5(ish) Questions For (38 Q&A interviews). Supporting programs include Filmanthropic (feature documentaries with dollar-for-dollar matching for nonprofits), St. Louis Design Week (annual design celebration), STL.org Studio (production and consulting services), and Events (screenings and gatherings). The platform broadcasts through Nine PBS and operates as the nonprofit sister of Once Films production studio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- STL.org Editorial Video Magazine An ongoing editorial video magazine of short documentary films spotlighting the people, places, and cultural practices of St. Louis, Missouri, distributed through the STL.org website and via a partnership with Nine PBS. The content is produced for the general public and is funded through donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.
- Filmanthropic A storytelling service for mission-driven organizations in which STL.org produces documentary or short-form video content to advance their missions. The service leverages the production capabilities of Once Films and is offered under the nonprofit's philanthropic umbrella.
- St. Louis Design Week An annual regional design event organized by STL.org that convenes the St. Louis design community through programming, sponsorships, and community engagement activities.
Quantifiable outcome
- Films exist permanently, permanently accessible on the platform and on Nine PBS
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Stl.org
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Stl.org technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
Stl.org partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.
- Nine PBScoreBroadcast partner airing STL.org content, extending reach to regional television audience. Nine PBS is the primary public broadcasting station in the St. Louis region.
- Once FilmscoreSTL.org is the nonprofit sister of Once Films, a working St. Louis production studio. Once Films provides production capability including crew, gear, and editorial expertise for all STL.org content. Chris Ryan, founder of Once Films, is the founder of STL.org.
- Magnificent MissouriflagshipProduction partner for 'The Trail State' feature documentary following Missouri's Katy Trail and Rock Island corridors.
- Historic St. LouisflagshipPartner for 'Still Standing' documentary celebrating the spirit of St. Louis through 27 member sites across the region.
- AdobemajorDesign Week 2026 Sponsor. Adobe Creative Cloud is used as a creative tool sponsor.
- MillerKnollmajorDesign Week 2026 Sponsor. Design furniture company supporting the design community.
- XYZ TypemajorDesign Week 2026 and 2025 Sponsor. Independent digital type foundry led by Ben Kiel and Jesse Ragan.
- Once FilmsmajorDesign Week 2026 Sponsor. STL.org's sister production company and founding creative partner.
- Windows by LakesideminorDesign Week 2026 Sponsor. Home improvement company providing window sponsorship.
- Goldblatt + SingerminorDesign Week 2026 Sponsor. Personal injury law firm with St. Louis presence.
- Nine PBScoreFilmanthropic content broadcast partner for feature documentaries.
- FilmanthropiccoreA 501(c)(3) Film Initiative of STL.org dedicated to producing documentary films for mission-driven organizations that couldn't otherwise afford them. Founded 2025.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Stl.org competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Moth: Nonprofit storytelling organization producing short-form, mission-driven story content with a national distribution footprint. Comparable as a nonprofit that uses short-form storytelling as cultural preservation, supported by donations, sponsorships, and events.
- StoryCorps: Nonprofit oral-history and short documentary storytelling organization with a permanent archive. Comparable mission of capturing authentic stories from real people, building a permanent cultural record, and producing short-form documentary content funded through donations and grants.
- Block Club Chicago: Nonprofit local journalism outlet covering a single metro (Chicago) with donor-supported funding. Comparable as a hyperlocal, donor-supported nonprofit media organization producing recurring editorial content for a defined regional audience.
- The Atavist: Long-form documentary and narrative nonfiction platform. Comparable as a mission-driven storytelling organization producing serialized documentary-style content, though Atavist operates as a subscription-based, national publication rather than a regional nonprofit.
- Once Films: The for-profit production studio sister company of STL.org, founded by the same founder (Chris Ryan). Once Films provides the production crew, gear, and editorial pipeline that STL.org relies on, and the two share studio space at the Curiosity Building. Most directly comparable as the operating backbone of the nonprofit.
Regional players
- SixThirty Group: St. Louis-based regional media and events organization. Comparable as a regional operator focused on the St. Louis market building local content and convening events, though oriented more to tech/business community rather than arts/culture.
- ALIVE Magazine: St. Louis regional lifestyle publication covering local culture, food, and people. Comparable as a regional content platform serving the St. Louis market with editorial storytelling, but operates as a for-profit lifestyle publication rather than a nonprofit documentary platform.
Broad incumbents
- KQED: Major San Francisco Bay Area PBS member station producing regional documentaries, journalism, and cultural programming. Comparable as a public-media-aligned nonprofit producing documentaries broadcast on regional PBS, but at materially larger scale and national recognition.
- WTTW (Chicago PBS): Chicago PBS member station producing local documentaries and cultural programming broadcast regionally. Comparable as a nonprofit media organization producing local documentary content for a single metro with a regional broadcast partnership.
Others
- Magnificent Missouri: Existing partner of STL.org / Filmanthropic on The Trail State feature documentary. Comparable as a nonprofit advocacy organization focused on Missouri's natural and cultural corridors, working with STL.org as a co-production partner but not a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Stl.org social profiles
Digital presenceStl.org financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stl.org leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Stl.org funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stl.org M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Stl.org
What does Stl.org do?
STL.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit editorial video magazine that produces short documentary films spotlighting the people, places, and cultural practices of St. Louis, Missouri. The organization distributes content through its own website and via a partnership with Nine PBS, and runs two supporting initiatives: Filmanthropic, which provides filmmaking services for mission-driven organizations, and St. Louis Design Week.
Is Stl.org a public or private company?
Stl.org is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Stl.org founded?
Stl.org was founded in 2019. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Stl.org based?
Stl.org is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Stl.org make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are filmanthropic Film Production, commercial Production (Once Films) and design Week Sponsorships.
Who are Stl.org's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Moth, StoryCorps, Block Club Chicago, The Atavist and Once Films. Regional players are SixThirty Group and ALIVE Magazine. Broad incumbents are KQED and WTTW (Chicago PBS). Magnificent Missouri is listed as an others.
Does Stl.org have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stl.org.
What industry is Stl.org in?
Stl.org's product category is Nonprofit Digital Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAJ, Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits, with a secondary code of MPABADAN, Public Media Partnerships & Content Co-productions (NGO/Cultural). Its NAICS code is 5418 and its SIC code is 7812.