Making 7 Cups Sustainable
7 Cups is a very unique organization. We dont necessarily do things in what might be considered normal or typical ways. Instead, we tend to stay close to our community, keep our options open, learn, and evolve as we grow. We believe that this model allows us to discover the path that will most directly lead to us fulfilling our mission.
Some companies would have started with revenue right at the beginning. We didnt because we thought that focusing on income at the start would force us down the wrong path. Our vision is to be the emotional support system for the Internet. This is a hard goal. Focusing on money right out of the gates would have made it an impossible goal. We knew that and instead poured our energy into figuring out more important things.
Well, now that weve been on this journey for 2 years, it is now time to address the revenue issue. We have to take steps to make sure that 7 Cups cups exists and, indeed, thrives for years and years to come. This is not something novel to 7 Cups. Every organization has to address the income issue. It doesnt matter if you are a for-profit or a non-profit. Regardless, you have to generate income one way or another if you want to continue to survive and grow.
Fortunately, we are not recreating the wheel here. I wrote in another post that the organizations I feel that we have the most in common with are the Samaritans and Alcoholics Anonymous. We share many similarities, including: we are volunteer organizations, we help millions of people, and people get help and then give back as listeners/counselors/sponsors. These organizations have had unparalleled success in reaching people and accomplishing a tremendous amount of good with very little resources. Theyve also been around for decades. In the future, Id love for someone to be able to say the same thing about 7 Cups. However, in order to be counted in their company, we have to make sure that 7 Cups is sustainable.
We can look further to these organizational models for guidance. The Samaritans are sustainable because they raise $11,000,000 in donations each and every year. That sounds like a lot, but I actually believe it is pretty minimal considering all the good that they accomplish. We can learn from them here and create our own ways for people to donate to 7 Cups. We are still fleshing out the details. Itll be 100% optional. If people believe in our mission/vision and want to support what we are doing, then well give them the option of making a recurring monthly donation.
We can also look to for for-profit models for guidance. Software companies generate income by selling products to consumers or selling products to organizations. At this point in time it makes more sense for us to sell products to non-profits, companies, universities, and health systems. One product weve been working on is the student support system. In this model, we create a little 7 Cups island that a university can use to scale support for their students. They brand it and recruit listeners from their school to listen to other students at their school that are going through a hard time. The plan is to have a free version and a premium version. The premium version would include things like access to data/reporting, single sign-on, paths for specific issues, and custom branding. This same model works for health systems and nonprofits. We havent walked too far down this path, but there are some positive signs and some indication that we can use this as one stream of revenue to keep 7 Cups sustainable. Ill write more on this in a separate post this week.
Im not at all interested in advertising or any other options that would tax the system or make it harder for people to seek help. Streams of revenue will always be evaluated in the context of our mission. If it inhibits us or makes it harder to reach our mission, then we will not consider it as a viable option. If it helps make us sustainable and helps us reach our mission, then well consider it a viable option. To be clear, 7 Cups will always be free and accessible to all.
In reviewing the above, we see that we can learn from and incorporate elements from both the non-profit and for-profit worlds. 7 Cups as a social enterprise for-profit straddles both worlds. I set 7 Cups up this way intentionally, because I want us to be robust and antifragile. If your organization only accepts donations, then you can be significantly impacted when there is an economic downturn like a recession or depression. People simply give less during these times. If we were 100% dependent on donations, then that would threaten our organization if we were unable to keep donations coming in at a reliable rate. On the other hand, if your organization only sells products, then you can only survive as long as people continue to buy your products. If 7 Cups were 100% dependent on selling products, then our organization would come under threat if we were unable to sell enough products. The model I have outlined here incorporates both elements to increase the chances of 7 Cups surviving and thriving in both good and bad times.
We will be releasing the new design very soon. Once that is live and working well, well roll out some of the above options that Ive discussed. Look for another post soon on the white label version I discussed where any organization can launch their own support system. Thanks!
Something to consider is a message that comes up with the user of the website when the listener/user closes the chat saying something along the lines of "Donate to help support the continuation of 7 Cups of Tea". I'm sure users would be more than happy to donate a dollar or two sometimes. I mean a dollar for a voluntary donation is a lot better than an actual therapist's hourly cost, and I think we could get a lot of revenue for site resources that way. Kind of like ImAlive.org where the users can choose to donate to the listener, only this would donate to the company 7COT completely.
@HelpfulNick95, great point - we've got something like this that we are fleshing out now. Ill keep you updated.
Donations to "listeners" on imalive are used for their training cost only. Not to fund the site.
I realize that, and that's why I said it would be to fund the site. It's somewhere in my post, I promise you :)
@GlenM
It was a relief to read this thread, I personally had some concerns about the future because it was not clear to me, but this sounds safe and amazing. I love to see 7 cups growing more and more. Cheers n_n
@GlenM thank you for posting this! I agree with everything you mentioned above, and even though 7 Cups is taking on an extreme number of members each day, we still have room for so many more. You mentioned businesses and universities, maybe we could download some kind of flyer which we can put up in our local convenience store, or fish and chip shop, places like that, because I think by raising awareness of the community, we are aiming further towards our mission which is changing the world, and helping more and more people too reach out for support, with 7 Cups being their first step.
or possibly in organizations that help people with issues too :)!
I haven't read all of the other answers, so sorry if I repeat what has been said. Glen, I like both of your ideas, and want to suggest another. Not everyone who comes to 7 Cupswill become a member, but most will feel they have received help. How about a little button for single donations? It could take them to PayPal where could choose from pre-set donation amounts, with the smallest being $5. I think most people would be willing to give that for 30 minutes or more of compassionate listening. 😀
@KiteDancer, the tension between single and monthly donations is something I struggled with. My sense now is that it makes the most sense to go with monthly. It helps us overall much more if we can add donations on top of donations and increase in stability. If we were to provide an option for one-off donations it might work, but it'd also bring in a lot more unpredictability and make it much harder to manage things moving forward.
@GlenM
Hi glen i agree with what you're saying you need regular and predictable amount of money coming in!
i think on a website like this that helps people you'll find alot wanting to give one off donations especially after having a helpful listener, you'll find people being very generous
I just think monthly some people may only want to use the site when they need it which may just be now and again so paying monthly may not be something their interested in?
Also to point out could you do a fast route to creating an account and doing payments for people who need a listener urgently?
i really think if you have a target on the website with where your at you'll find people want to help towards that you've helped them they'll want to give back, especially since they dont have to pay, they have the choice, they'll be more generous the fact you're giving them help and support for free they'll appreciate it more
All just ideas just thought i'd put it out their, thinking of options for everyone! hope you find something that works for the website, i know that i and many others are appreciative for all its done for us!
@GlenM, regarding monthly vs single donations. My experience as a listener is this: when I start a chat, I check the member's profile page to see if they are a newbie or a veteran. Results are about 50/50. The newbies often don't come back, wanting to vent just one time, or ready to move on to other resources, e.g. psychotherapy. This would be an argument for offering BOTH monthly and single donations.
Hi, thanks for bringing this up. Just want to throw some suggestions into the ring.
1. The Wikipedia's system for raising funds is excellent. They have a target, and people contribute to it. When you make a donation, you get a bit closer to the target. This helps with transparency (stops you feeling you are throwing money into a bottomless pit) along with a sense of contribution, because you know that $20 of that target was met by you.
2. If someone has been helped a lot by a listener, they can feel a tremendous sense of gratitude, and can sometimes be frustrated by the inability to do more to say thanks. You could think of some system of allowing people to "buy" thank you plaques to say thanks for the help. These could have little messages on them, and you could put them into some kind of virtual garden where people can go and see the plaque they bought, and the dedicatory message they left for their listener. Listener's and others could visit it too. It wouldn't be exceptionally difficult on a technical level I don't think, but the idea of buying a little piece of something, having your name (optional), message and the handle of the listener could work. We could get a little note or badge or something to say that we'd helped get a donation.
3. The recurring donations is of course much better than one off donations, but harder to get people to sign up to. I think the issue of status is important there. It's a bit like being a shareholder... the feeling that you "own" part of the project. So in return for a monthly donation, maybe a personal letter from Glen every couple of months or so, with a sort of "how we're doing" update, which would help with the sense of feeling part of things. I personally would pay say $10 a month just to be in that loop.
4. Think about merchandised goods. I'd buy a 7 cups hat, or t-shirt, or pen or whatever, to help spread the word and help to make a financial contribution to the site. I'd also think about a poster, like https://xkcd.com/1256/ , which could be really lovely if someone with an artistic touch were to fill it with some of the kind things members and guests leave as feedback.
If I can think of any more ideas I'll let you know.
@MikeMadrid I love these ideas! I'd definitely buy 7 Cups merchandise too
those ideas are very cool
These are some awesome ideas!
these are awesome! You know your stuff :)
@MikeMadrid, great insights. I really like the plaque idea. I'm also going to do the monthly email from me. I was thinking that I'd share what is top of mind for me - things I'm really thinking about - and also share new 7 Cups developments. How does that sound?
We can do the store as well.
I like Wikipedia's funding model very much. Wikipedia was free for years, but it costs money to run a web site. Once a year I get a message from them suggesting if you use something, you should pay for it. Point taken, and I am happy to contribute.
Also, I believe Wikipedia has created a 503(c) (or whatever, I mean non-profit) foundation so that contributions are tax-deductible. That might be worth pursuing for 7COT.
@MikeMadrid
7 Cups of Tea, Tea? I would be in line for that. Tea and a tea cup?
Ok... Now I've read the comments. Being very new to the site (about 2 weeks,) I didn't realize there was an age issue until reading this thread. I'm over 50, and when I found the site, my listener was close to my age. We've had a couple of wonderful chats that have been very helpful to me. Adding my two cents, after over 30 years of therapy, a person who needs to share about difficulties will always feel more comfortable with someone who has "walked in their shoes."
When I was 20, I didn't want a counselor in their 50s. Even if they had "been there, done that," it was during a different generation when society had a different way of viewing the challenges going on in the world.
When I was married and raising a family, I could relate to someone who was 50, and maybe just out that boat; but certainly wouldn't be able to relate to a new grad in their 20s who was just starting their counseling services..
As my spouse is older than I am, we are at the age when friends are reaching issues of aging and dying. While many people of all ages can relate to illness and death, there is something very different when you find your own body / mind not performing as it should, and you are getting closer to stepping through the next door. Someone in their 30s might "understand," but certainly wouldn't be able to empathize.
Certainly, one way to grow 7 Cups is to "advertise" the wealth of experience that this group has in its listeners; and one aspect of that is to divide by age. My suggestion would be: under 18, 18-35, 35-55, sexy seniors. Color code each group to make easy to find without asking.
Since many listeners don't post their actual pictures, it would also be nice to know if they are male or female... Especially when someone wants to discuss gender issues. Maybe there could even be categories that listeners could check, showing their special interest in helping.
In other words, making 7 Cups more "user rieendly" will attract more people to the site, and increase donations.
Speaking of user friendly, I'm having all sorts of difficulties in navigating the iPad app. I can't find lots of thing I see on the website. And even if I log into the website, when click my feed, it sense ck to the iPad app. These sorts of difficulties will certainly scare away most people over 50 who don't have the patience for figuring out half to get around something that doesn't work correctly.
BTW: I'm not a listener because I haven't been here long enough. Someday, with more familiarity with the site, and the bugs worked out; I would love to be one of the Sexy Senior listeners.
I'm 100% agree with the possibility to browse listeners by group of age, but maybe not colors and stuff..
but gender, i don't know...
There are SO MANY genders, how will you classify all of them?! There are a lot more than "male" or "female".
And many people don't want share their gender, and it's ok too!
Will it be facultative for listeners to specify it?
And what about trolls harassing listeners of a specific gender because they can browse it?
Do you have any suggestion to avoid this issues?
Hi Tortue... I was thinking it could be voluntary. You could have male, female, not specified, and any other categories that could be generally acceptable to the community. The same with age. I always come clean about everything... sexuality, age, what I've done in the past etc. etc., but it's much easier for me to do that than it is for some of the other listeners, because trolls and predators don't usually (though not in all cases!) go for people with my type of profile. But the possibility of declaring that up front in a category could definitely be useful, so long as it's not compulsory
sounds like a good alternative
Great point Mike. I am the same way as you. I like your ideas also of being able to separate them into categories. Great suggeston!
@TortueDesBois
genders is a bad idea! It opens up for trolls to target certain groups! Please consider this carefully I wouldn't want any listener to be targeted because of their sex!
@peacefulWaves54 that is a part of why i was disagree with the gender thing...
I'm not quite sure how a discussion about sustainability morphed into age/gender categories. Nevertheless, here is my thought on age/gender. There ARE issues related to age and gender. I believe these can be addressed by expanding the issues category.
For example, a member might want to talk about what it's like when she wakes up 3 times a night dripping with sweat and her nightgown and sheets soaked through. No matter how skilled at listening, a 20-year-old male listener would not be a good match for this member. Instead of searching for "female" under gender and "over 50" from age, she could choose "menopause" from the issues list.
The current "issues" list is sorely lacking in middle-aged and senior issues. I am still in favor of expanding the age range choice for listeners.
I agree that "gender" would not be a useful category when a member browses listeners, for reasons others have stated well. The listener could optionally state his/her gender in his/her bio. I have done this and it has worked out well.
Hi, and welcome :) I hope the experience you get here is as fulfilling as it has been for me. I just wanted to comment on your idea about the grouping of people by sex and age range. I'm in the fortunate position that my photo gives both away !! And you're right, it would definitely help some people to choose someone of their own age range. I'm sure there are quite a few people that when I pick them up on the general chat take one look and think "I'm not talking to him, he looks just like my dad" :) . But similarly, there are others that do pick me because they are going through some complex issues and it's more likely I've been through them just because of my age. So a great suggestion in my opinion :)
on the internet, nobody knows if a unicorn is middle-aged :')
great suggestions, @kitedancer! I also agree with the follow-ups saying that revealing one's own age-range or gender etc must be optional for those who do not wish to present themselves in those terms.
btw, I'm sorry the app is so frustrating. We know this! I use the iPad version a lot and I share your pain. It is not a complete model of the site yet and some things are definitely broken.
The good news is that within the next month or so we should have the first fix up for the apps, and then we will be updating the design of the apps as well to both match the new (coming soon!) website design as well as to bring more of the functionality of the site to the apps.
@KiteDancer, great points and clear from you and this thread that we need to do a better job with age levels. @KrinkTheMellowUnicorn is working on browse listeners now and this will be a part of it.
Oh Kite this was exactly my point in my comments below. Thank you SO very much for your wise imput. Its very much appreciated. I hope they take all of this into consideration. Your ideas are surely fabulous ones. Thanks again.
I like what KiteDancer said- i used this site when i needed help and I had a really good talk with someone and I wished I couldve thanked them more than by just saying it! It takes a lot of time and emotional energy to help lots of people and a little sign of thanks is always welcomed!
It's hard to find someone to talk with. To find that one person you connect with naturally and can help each other without realizing it.
Hey I can help :) pm me
I think we should make this website more sustainable as it can be really hard to sometimes find people you naturally connect with.
