The Ethical App Foundation, which created PhotoJoy, is a non-profit corporation based in Pennsylvania, USA.
Is it a charity?
When you think of non-profits, you might think about your local animal shelter, food bank, or church. These non-profits often have 501(c)(3) status, which gives them special tax benefits. We're a little different because we did not apply for this status - so we pay taxes just like any other business.
But being a non-profit means we have no owners or shareholders. The company can never be sold, and any profits must be either re-invested into the company or donated to charity. Our board members oversee the company's direction, and focus on our mission and community rather than profit.
Why is there a subscription to post if it's a non-profit?
It still takes money to operate an app - servers, development, design, support, testing, etc. We funded the initial development ourselves and do not take a salary... yet. Eventually we plan to pay our contributors a fair rate, which will ensure we have skilled people dedicated to maintaining our community.
Nobody wants another subscription, but we promise to keep the price as low as we can while sustaining the app indefinitely. We hope that trading a few bucks to have a safe place to share is a worthwhile investment.
What made you set it up this way?
We wanted to guarantee that the app survives without... getting worse. Instagram didn't have ads when it started. Neither did Facebook. Or Google. The list goes on.
These big companies are publicly traded and obligated to increase profits forever. If we legally are not allowed to profit off of the app, we'll make decisions for the health of the community instead of increasing profit.
And since we can never sell the company, you don't have to worry about us having a change of heart. In that regard, we're also protected from ourselves. No matter how big we get or how much money we're offered, the app has to stay in the hands of its community.
What's next?
This is a new approach in the app world, and we're excited to see how it plays out. We hope our company structure builds your trust and shows that apps don't need to feel predatory and can just... be useful.
If you have any questions or want to chat, drop us a line at support@photojoy.org.
