named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Climate Reporting
Regular climate coverage providing decolonial perspectives on climate news, led by OptOut’s climate editor.
Important Context
Investigative newsletter focused on money-in-politics, disinformation, and dark money networks, produced by OptOut’s team.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Digital Donation Processing Platforms 1 activity
- Accept donations and support fundraising for independent mediaAccepts public donations to support independent media initiatives and enables iPhone users to donate to third-party organizations via Apple Pay through its mobile app.
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Biomedical Research and Innovation 1 activity
- Conduct research on media, politics, and public healthConducts research projects including tracking the politicization of the Department of Health and Human Services and publishing reports on controversial medical claims, such as a paper co-authored by Harvey Risch promoting ivermectin as a cancer treatment.
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Nonprofit Investigative & Community Journalism 1 activity
- Curate and distribute independent news contentAggregates and hand-curates articles, podcasts, and videos from over 200 independent media outlets, providing access through editorial curation and targeted news feeds. Operates a mobile application and distributes content via emails, push notifications, and a free biweekly newsletter on climate, energy, and environmental issues.
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Documentary Film Production 1 activity
- Develop multimedia journalism projectsDevelops multimedia journalism projects, such as a Pulitzer Center-supported project documenting Indigenous-led environmental stewardship in Roraima, Brazil.
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Support for Investigative and Independent Journalism 1 activity
- Facilitate LGBTQ+ media representation and reportingFacilitates networking and discussion among journalists and media professionals to improve LGBTQ+ reporting and media representation.
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Podcast and Radio Production 1 activity
- Produce original journalism and investigative reportingProduces and distributes original podcasts, investigative reporting, and commentary, including stories on anti-science groups and funding networks behind disinformation, with all investigative content made freely accessible to the public.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Operate digital platforms and manage user dataOperates software applications and digital platforms, collecting user information when individuals register accounts, sign up for newsletters, attend events, or contact the organization, and receives user data from collaborating news organizations, public databases, and marketing partners to support service delivery.
- Support and launch independent media initiativesCo-founded and helped launch Sludge, a news site focused on money in politics, and co-founded the OptOut Media Foundation in 2020 to strengthen independent journalism.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$34K
Contributions & grants$34K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$36K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$26K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$18K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$18K
4 years on record · 2022–2025 · YoY revenue -59.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
board members · 10
- Andy Izenson — Director
- Bob Morris — Director
- Jahan Sharif — Director
- Mark Colangelo — Director
- Michael Harrington — Director
- Olivia Riggio — Director
- Peter Daszak — Director
- Piper Bonacquist — Director
- Walker Bragman — Director
- Wendy Orent — Director
relationships · 21
Who they work with
- ActBlue Funder — Platform used to process donations for OptOut.
- Apple Partner — Distributes the OptOut app through the Apple App Store.
- Apple Partner — Partners with Apple to enable iPhone users to make donations to third-party organizations via Apple Pay within the app.
- Brick House Partner — Co-founded publishing collective by Maria Bustillos, indicating collaborative publishing efforts.
- Center for Media and Democracy Partner — Former organizational affiliation of co-founder Alex Kotch, indicating professional collaboration.
- City College of New York Government — Liana DeMasi is an adjunct lecturer at City College of New York.
- Google Partner — Distributes the OptOut app through the Google Play Store.
- Important Context Partner — Collaborates with AJI to track and report on the politicization of HHS.
- Institute for Southern Studies Partner — Former organizational affiliation of co-founder Alex Kotch, indicating professional collaboration.
- MedPage Today Partner — News outlet that cited AJI's reporting in a news roundup.
- National Philanthropic Trust Funder — Partner organization facilitating donations through Guidestar for OptOut Media Foundation.
- OptOut Media Foundation Network — Nonprofit charity that promotes and assists independent news outlets
- Patreon Funder — Platform used to process recurring donations for OptOut.
- PayPal Funder — Platform used to process donations for OptOut.
- Popula Partner — Founded by board member Maria Bustillos, indicating editorial and organizational leadership.
- Progressive Coders Network Partner — Developed the OptOut app; a nonprofit, nonpartisan community of tech and non-tech activists building open-source tools for grassroots empowerment.
- Pulitzer Center Funder — Provided a grant through the Rainforest Journalism Fund to support a multimedia project on Indigenous environmental stewardship in Brazil.
- Sludge Partner — Co-founded and helped launch by Alex Kotch, indicating direct organizational involvement.
- Stripe Funder — Platform used to process donations for OptOut.
- Venmo Funder — Platform used to process donations for OptOut.
- news organizations Partner — Collaborates with news organizations to provide its services and receive user information.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Accountability Journalism through Investigative Reportingmethodology: accountability_journalismBy conducting investigative reporting on political influence, disinformation networks, and money-in-politics, we produce public accountability and shape national discourse, because in-depth exposure of systemic abuses enables democratic oversight and shifts media narratives.
- Decolonial and Community-Centered Storytellingmethodology: decolonial_journalismBy applying a decolonial perspective and collaborative storytelling methods, we center historically excluded communities in environmental reporting, because shifting narrative authority to affected communities produces more accurate, just, and impactful journalism.
- Strengthening Independent Media Ecosystemsmethodology: support-for-independent-mediaBy supporting and aggregating independent media—through crowdfunded models, editorial curation, and distribution—we sustain diverse and equitable public discourse, because reducing reliance on corporate platforms and algorithmic amplification preserves journalistic integrity and marginalized voices.