The Ethical App Foundation, which created PhotoJoy, is a non-profit corporation based in Pennsylvania, USA.
Is it a charity?
Not yet, but we're filing for 501(c)(3) status in early 2025. This will open up some doors for us to accept donations and grants, while legally enforcing transparency to the community we build for.
When you think of non-profits, you might think about your local animal shelter, food bank, or church - but Wikipedia is a non-profit, too. Our mission is closer to the latter, but the goal is the same: to serve the public good.
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 are there subscriptions if it's a non-profit?
It still takes money to operate an app - servers, development, design, support, testing, etc. You can pay what you want and support us how you choose. In return, we'll make sure the app stays ad-free and your data stays private.
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 unique 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.
