Then let's discuss "false impressions" or even better "impressions" in general, not focusing on cultishness, which even cannot be defined (because there are so many different kind of cults). If we focus on making things right, we do not have to discuss hundred ways they could go wrong.

What is our community (trying to be) like?

Friendly. In more senses of the word: we speak about ethics, we are trying to make a nice community, we try to help each other become stronger and win.

Rational. Instead of superstition and gossip, we discuss how and why things really happen. Instead of happy death spirals, we learn about the world around us.

Professional. By that I do not mean that everyone here is an AI expert, but that the things we do and value here (studying, politeness, exactness, science) are things that for most people correlate positively with their jobs, rather than free time. Even when we have fun, it's adult people having fun.

So where exactly in the space of human organizations do we belong? Which of the cached-thoughts can be best applied to us? People will always try to fit us to some existing model (for example: cult), so why not choose this model rationally? I am not sure, but "educational NGO" sounds close. Science, raising the sanity waterline, et cetera. By seeming as something well-known, we become less suspicious, more normal.