Truth Initiative Foundation

Tax-deductible

Washington, DC501(c)(3)Since 1999Mental HealthEIN 91-1956621Revenue $53.0M in FY2025

On file with the IRStruthinitiative.org900 G Street Nw 4th Flr, 20001-5332 · Washington, DCTax-exempt since Mar 1999Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Truth initiative's mission is to achieve a culture where young people reject smoking, vaping, and nicotine.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
84¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 218 volunteers and 226 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
0 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $32.3M a year · 41% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 0 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
84%
of spending
Looks good: 84% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$4.4M
to officers and key staff · 4% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 97% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 4% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
10 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 9.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $441K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$100.1M
15% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 15% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
11
of 11 voting members
Looks good: 11 of 11 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$53.0M
-28% vs prior year
Spent
$109.7M
To programs
84%
Net assets
$576.2M
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$53.0M
FY2025▼ -28%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$92.2M
FY2022$111.7M
FY2023$59.2M
FY2024$73.1M
FY2025$53.0M
Expenses
$109.7M
FY2025▲ +2%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$98.7M
FY2022$118.1M
FY2023$116.9M
FY2024$107.3M
FY2025$109.7M
Net assets
$576.2M
FY2025▼ -5%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$894.0M
FY2022$726.2M
FY2023$653.7M
FY2024$603.8M
FY2025$576.2M

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Mar 1999.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

84 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 84% · $92.5M Management & general 14% · $15.8M Fundraising 1% · $1.5M

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

22 people listed on the 990; $4.4M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
President & CEO
$626,206Pt VII · Sec A
$624,914Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Mktg & Strategy Officer
$457,669Pt VII · Sec A
Corp. Sec./Chief Legal & Reg. Affairs
$421,855Pt VII · Sec A
Chief of Innovations
$388,220Pt VII · Sec A
$378,781Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Dev. & Partnerships Officer
$370,492Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Communications Officer
$368,313Pt VII · Sec A

Kathleen Crosby’s $626K as President & CEO is at the 97th percentile of top reported officer pay among 746 $10–100M mental health nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2021
Robin Koval—$929,147$1,096,536$1,033,491
Anthony T O'Toole$624,914$581,069$831,350$798,910
Kathleen Crosby$626,206$119,715——
M David Dobbins—$177,014$527,122$563,011
Donna Vallone—$165,608$561,992$509,491
Eric Asche———$521,263
Robert Falk$421,855$370,526$476,407$361,180
Elizabeth Kenny$457,669$442,674$174,895—

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Truth Initiative Foundation executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Empowers youth to reject tobacco and nicotine through national public education campaigns and scalable digital cessation programs for teens and adults.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $87.6M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Youth and Young Adult Public Education

Truth initiative's public health education campaign truth has been a leading driver in reducing youth and young adult tobacco use for two decades. The truth campaign seeks to prevent youth and young adults from starting to use nicotine and to help those who become addicted to quit through public service ads, influencers, social media and…

$68.1Mprogram expense
02

Research Policy and Practice

Truth initiative is a leader in tobacco control research and policy with a strong team of research scientists in our schroeder institute for tobacco research and policy studies and a dedicated team of policy professionals who participate in the ongoing discussion around the best approaches for reducing tobacco related death and disease.

$10.4Mprogram expense
03

Tobacco Cessation Innovations

Truth initiative's innovations center builds and deploys scalable and sustainable digital tobacco cessation interventions. Our programs have served millions of tobacco users ages 13+ across the U.S. Over the past 15+ years.

$9.1Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 3 funders →
Grants paid · 116 grants · $5.6M · 2020–2024
Campaign for Tobacco-Free KidsDC · FY2024$751,663
Mindful Philanthropy INCPA · FY2024$25,000
1640 SocietyFY2024$25,000
Bet Media Group (paramount Global)FY2024$15,000
Rescue the Behavior Change AgencyFY2024$15,000
Roger Williams UniversityRI · FY2024$14,476
Manhattan UniversityNY · FY2024$11,268
Unitemized GrantFY2024$10,000
University of Wisconsin-MadisonFY2024$9,494
See all 116 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$53.0M
Ln 12
Investment incomeLn 3$34.1M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$9.1M
Other incomeLn 4–11$8.0M
Money outPt IX
$109.7M
Ln 25
Programscol B$92.5M
Managementcol C$15.8M
Fundraisingcol D$1.5M
Owns and owesPt X
$576.2M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$87.4M
Total assetsLn 16$676.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$100.1M
PeoplePt VI, VII
22
listed · VII A
PaidVII A10
Voting boardVI 1a11
IndependentVI 1b11
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$9.1M
Government grantsLn 1e$580K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.8M
Investment incomeLn 3$34.1M
Other incomeLn 4–11$8.0M
Gains on assetsLn 7$20.7M
Total revenueLn 12$53.0M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$500
SavingsLn 2$87.4M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$87.4M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$567.7M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$3.4M
Other assetsLn 15$9.3M
Total assetsLn 16$676.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$100.1M
Net assetsLn 32$576.2M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 5226
VolunteersI 6218
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$99.4M$87.4M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$600.8M$567.7M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1.3M$3.4M
Total assetsLn 16$711.7M$676.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$108.0M$100.1M
Net assetsLn 32$603.8M$576.2M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$1.3M$1.3M
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$10K$10K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$3.1M$935K$2.1M
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$19.3M$14.8M$3.8M$690K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$1.9M$1.6M$268K$69K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$2.8M$2.1M$596K$93K
Payroll taxesLn 10$1.6M$1.1M$400K$50K
Legal feesLn 11b$255K$12K$242K
Accounting feesLn 11c$311K$311K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$140K$140K
Investment management feesLn 11f$3.0M$3.0M
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$65.7M$64.5M$1.0M$195K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$162K$155K$5K$1K
Office expensesLn 13$166K$65K$100K$18
Information technologyLn 14$1.9M$1.7M$225K$28K
OccupancyLn 16$2.0M$2.0M
TravelLn 17$454K$338K$90K$26K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$491K$364K$121K$6K
InterestLn 20$2.7M$2.7M
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$586K$22K$533K$31K
InsuranceLn 23$458K$85K$373K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$1.3M$260K$1.1M$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$109.7M$92.5M$15.8M$1.5M

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $53.0M$109.7M−$56.7M$576.2M 990 PDF
FY2024 $73.1M$107.3M−$34.2M$603.8M 990 PDF
FY2023 $59.2M$116.9M−$57.7M$653.7M 990 PDF
FY2022 $111.7M$118.1M−$6.4M$726.2M 990 PDF
FY2021 $92.2M$98.7M−$6.5M$894.0M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $52,987,573 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $5,075,795$9,119,126
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,491,288$1,816,725
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $66,577,404$34,051,722
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $124$8,000,000
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $73,144,611$52,987,573
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $1,448,704$1,347,753
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $26,552,030$28,685,227
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $61,140$140,160
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $79,280,337$79,548,401
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $107,342,211$109,721,541
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$34,197,600−$56,733,968
Part VI · Governance 11 of 11 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body11
VI-1b Independent voting members11
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $52,987,573 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$579,527
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$8,539,599
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$9,119,126
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $1,816,725$1,816,725
VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business $2,196,461 · Excluded from tax $11,168,975$13,365,436
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $20,686,286$20,686,286
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $8,000,000$8,000,000
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $1,816,725 · Unrelated business $2,196,461 · Excluded from tax $39,855,261$52,987,573
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $109,721,541 across 22 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $1,337,753$1,337,753
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $10,000$10,000
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $935,071 · Management $2,148,118$3,083,189
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $14,770,418 · Management $3,834,426 · Fundraising $690,448$19,295,292
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $1,588,796 · Management $268,351 · Fundraising $68,773$1,925,920
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $2,107,023 · Management $595,660 · Fundraising $93,430$2,796,113
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $1,134,358 · Management $400,355 · Fundraising $50,000$1,584,713
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $12,482 · Management $242,386$254,868
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $310,583$310,583
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $140,160$140,160
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $3,032,896$3,032,896
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $64,509,579 · Management $1,003,880 · Fundraising $195,467$65,708,926
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $155,316 · Management $5,467 · Fundraising $1,142$161,925
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $65,483 · Management $100,233 · Fundraising $18$165,734
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $1,676,393 · Management $225,464 · Fundraising $28,000$1,929,857
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $1,967,690$1,967,690
IX-17 TravelPrograms $337,832 · Management $90,116 · Fundraising $26,044$453,992
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $364,218 · Management $120,646 · Fundraising $6,294$491,158
IX-20 InterestManagement $2,682,911$2,682,911
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $21,513 · Management $533,143 · Fundraising $31,111$585,767
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $85,069 · Management $372,875$457,944
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $260,142 · Management $1,081,267 · Fundraising $2,741$1,344,150
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $92,458,675 · Management $15,794,476 · Fundraising $1,468,390$109,721,541
Part X · Balance sheet $676,326,896 assets, 18 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $4,034; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $500$500
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $99,441,131$87,393,543
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $207,101$354,974
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $3,506,047$6,149,095
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $5,676$5,676
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $1,572,757$1,922,113
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $1,337,963$3,433,817
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $160,470,677$194,879,280
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $440,289,608$372,845,452
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $4,893,515$9,338,412
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $711,724,975$676,326,896
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $10,295,672$12,120,790
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $918,975$713,881
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $96,759,713$87,302,005
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $107,974,360$100,136,676
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $603,750,615$576,190,220
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $603,750,615$576,190,220
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $711,724,975$676,326,896
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $576,190,220 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$52,987,573
XI-2 Total expenses$109,721,541
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$56,733,968
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$603,750,615
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$29,173,573
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$576,190,220

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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