GLP-1 Collective
Our mission
One place to understand
what your options are.
The GLP-1 Collective helps people understand how these medications work and what choices they actually have, and advocates for prices and coverage that put them within reach.
How we began
Our story starts before the nonprofit existed. In November 2024, founder Amanda Bonello launched a national petition calling for affordable access to GLP-1 medications. It gathered 27,000 signatures and generated 400 public comments in the federal rulemaking process, and it led to nine media interviews.
That wave of grassroots support led to the GLP-1 Studio Podcast, sharing patient stories and putting a human face to the fight for access. As the movement grew, it became clear a dedicated nonprofit was needed to carry the work forward. The GLP-1 Collective was incorporated in Iowa in January 2025 and recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization in February 2025.
The honest version
What we set out to do, and what we did.
One of these is a failure and the other is the work. Both belong on the same screen.
The program we hoped to run, and did not
When the Collective was founded, the plan was to build a program that helped people pay for their medications. That program was never launched. No assistance fund was ever raised, and no assistance money was ever paid out.
The reason is ordinary and worth saying out loud. Asking the public for money means registering to solicit charitable contributions, and that is done state by state, at a cost that this organization could not carry. Rather than fundraise in a way we were not equipped to do properly, we did not fundraise at all, which meant there was never anything to give out.
We are saying this plainly because an earlier version of this site described financial assistance as something the Collective offered. It was not, and this page is the correction. What we can still do is point you at the organizations that do run those programs, which is what Prescription Assistance is for.
What we did instead, and where things stand now
Less than we wanted, and more than nothing. The record has the detail; the short version is advocacy, connecting patients to reporters and researchers who were investigating access, a small number of care packages sent to members who needed supplies, free live sessions with obesity specialists, and the education and tools that make up this website.
Prices have come down since 2024. That is the direction we were pushing in, and it is part of why an assistance fund of the size we could ever have raised matters less today than it did then.
It is not finished. We want these medications covered by Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance for everyone who has a medical reason to take them, and we will keep saying so. In the meantime this site is what the Collective is: information, resources, advocacy and news, kept free and kept in one place, so that working out your options does not depend on who you happen to know.
FAQ
Questions we get.
Who does the Collective support?
Anyone connected to the GLP-1 journey, whether you are taking the medication, exploring whether it is right for you, or supporting someone who is.
Why is access such an urgent issue?
GLP-1 medications are life-changing for many people managing diabetes, obesity, heart disease, PCOS and more. High prices, insurance denials and supply shortages keep far too many from getting treatment.
Can I donate?
We do not ask anyone for money. There is no donate button on this site, no fundraising campaign behind it, and no membership to buy. The Collective is not registered to solicit charitable contributions, so it does not solicit them, and its operating costs are paid personally by its Executive Director.
If somebody sends money anyway, we are grateful for it. What we will not do is ask. If that ever changes, if the Collective decides to raise money from the public, it will register wherever the law requires before asking, and this page will say so before anything else does.
Where do you stand on pharma companies and funding?
We are an independent, patient-led nonprofit. We do not accept funding from pharmaceutical companies in exchange for endorsements, and we will never allow outside interests to dictate our advocacy, messaging or programs. We will work with industry when it benefits patients, but our loyalty is always to the community.
Are you a medical organization?
No. We are not a medical provider and do not offer prescriptions or individual medical advice. We provide education, navigation resources and advocacy to help patients access care from licensed healthcare professionals.
Are you pro-pharma or pro-compounding?
We are solution-agnostic. We support any safe, legal and effective route that gets a patient the treatment they need.
Why Iowa, and do you work nationally?
Our legal home is in Iowa, but our advocacy and resources serve people nationwide.
Who runs it?
A three-person board, listed on Who We Are, along with how the Collective handles the fact that some resources here were built by companies its Executive Director also founded.
How can I support the mission?
Not with money. Join an advocacy campaign, share your story, send someone this site when they need it, and turn up to the free sessions.