Charityware — Doing Good with Proceeds From Software Purchases
An app I created just crossed 1,000 purchases last month so it’s a good time to reflect on my “business model”. It’s pay what you want, with a $3.50 minimum, but $3.50 of every sale goes to the top-rated cost-effective Against Malaria Foundation.
In early 2018, after hacking some features together I realized the software would be of value to others too if I added some polish. A few months later I released Video Hub App. Choosing a price and what I would do with the money was the most important decision.
A large goal in my life is to give and to encourage other people to give to cost-effective charities. I could have made the software free but encouraged users to donate to my favorite charity, aka donationware. Or I could have required a payment but made most proceeds go to my favorite charity, aka charityware. The latter I thought would bring more money to the charity.
The world is a very unequal place, and I believe giving money to cost-effective charities is the most good a person can do without drastically altering their life. I already give at least 10% of my income to charities I believe are most effectively improving the lives of others. I decided $3.50 of every purchase would go to my favorite charity.
Some simple math is in order: $3.50 given to Against Malaria Foundation results in about 3 people protected from malaria for about 3–4 years.
There is nothing I could add in my life for $3.50 that would be as beneficial to me as this intervention is for those living in regions afflicted with malaria.
Most people purchase my app with the minimum amount, many might not even realize the money goes to charity. But others have paid as much as $50 (helping me offset the credit card costs that I otherwise pay myself) and several people have emailed me saluting me for my charitable aims.
I hope that you consider making your software charityware, giving most of the proceeds to cost-effective charities. As of now selling my software resulted in $3,500 more given to AMF than otherwise would happen. A year from making the decision to donate proceeds, I regret nothing. I hope you too see my decision as obvious when put starkly.
