How do Mozilla (and other nonprofit tech companies) work?

[gohpep]

I am really confused on what Mozilla is. Yes, I do know they make the web browser, Firefox, but I am very confused on their organizational structure. It is sort of a broader question on how nonprofit organizations work and how they make money.

 

So, how does Mozilla employ and pay its staff? And could someone explain the Mozilla Foundation vs Mozilla Corporation?

 

also, a side question, can nonprofit organizations charge for a product in order to pay for the costs for making said product, or must it all come from donations?

 

I'm asking because I'm not sure if I should make my software company a nonprofit or a for profit. I don't want to make money from it, I just need to pay for costs and pay for wages. Is it allowed to have paid workers in a nonprofit, or do they all have to be volunteers?

[RossDundas Veteran]

I'm in the process of starting up a non-profit open source project myself. On online gifting platform for charities and startups run by young people.

 

Just because your a non-profit doesn't mean you can't make money. It mearly restricts what you can use your net profits for. You can't for example transfer those profits to private individuals only other asset locked bodies such as other charities or non-profits.

 

As long as there is sufficient revenue being generated however there is no reason as to why social enterprises can't pay their staff salaries.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Ross

[Aergan]

Previously, sponsor/donations from Google (90%) and members of the public.

Now Yahoo and members of the public.

 

https://www.neowin.net/news/mozilla-drops-google-for-default-search-in-firefox-replaced-with-yahoo

[ncc50446]

Mozilla does pay its programmers. They make money from donations and investors, and that money does into paying the programmers, and everyone else.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Foundation#Financing

 

Gives a little bit of info. And notice it says 'employees' and not 'volunteers'

[gohpep]

And this is only possible because they use Mozilla Corporation? Or could a solely nonprofit receive funding from investors?

[ncc50446]

As far as I know, nonprofits can receive funding from investors. The problem is that investors usually like something in return, so might be more difficult to find someone is all.

[seta-san]

default search engine pays money for every search. it's why i switched to pale moon after brendon eich(guy who invented javascript) was ran out of the company because he made a measly $1000 donation to prop8 back in 2008

[Knife Party]

I am really confused on what Mozilla is. Yes, I do know they make the web browser, Firefox, but I am very confused on their organizational structure. It is sort of a broader question on how nonprofit organizations work and how they make money.

 

So, how does Mozilla employ and pay its staff? And could someone explain the Mozilla Foundation vs Mozilla Corporation?

 

also, a side question, can nonprofit organizations charge for a product in order to pay for the costs for making said product, or must it all come from donations?

 

I'm asking because I'm not sure if I should make my software company a nonprofit or a for profit. I don't want to make money from it, I just need to pay for costs and pay for wages. Is it allowed to have paid workers in a nonprofit, or do they all have to be volunteers?

is it so hard to google their org. structure and how they operate? They generate funding to pay for operations, but profit isnt a company motive. And yes the model is conductive as long as you have funders

[RossDundas Veteran]

is it so hard to google their org. structure and how they operate? They generate funding to pay for operations, but profit isnt a company motive. And yes the model is conductive as long as you have funders

 

I have to echo this sentiment. The biggest challenge you face as a non-profit is getting backers for your project because you have to appeal to peoples hearts, emotions and passions rather than they're wallets.

[gohpep]

is it so hard to google their org. structure and how they operate? They generate funding to pay for operations, but profit isnt a company motive. And yes the model is conductive as long as you have funders

I did search, but I didn't understand it, so I came here.

[Seahorsepip Veteran]

Keep in mind firefox is also opensource so they don't need to hire developers to write the whole thing and test it. There are a lot of community volunteers who test and reports bugs and also some who actually write code and submit it.

[HawkMan]

Keep in mind firefox is also opensource so they don't need to hire developers to write the whole thing and test it. There are a lot of community volunteers who test and reports bugs and also some who actually write code and submit it.

 

That's not entirely true though.

 

even though Opensource likes to say that anyone can develop, reality is that most of it, if not close to everything is done in house. And even when someone outside makes something that's accepted into the official project, they still need coders who do just as much work as the guy who originally coded it since they need to go over the code, they need to test it against everything, doubly so because it's outside code. So being Open Source doesn't really reduce the need for internal coders, especially not on big security critical projects like Browsers and OS' and such.