7 Cups Sustainability Q & A

It has been a while since we last updated the community on sustainability. We will be working to update the Sustainability FAQ page here to reflect the information below! For now, please take a look and ask any questions! We want to continue to be transparent with you as to how 7 Cups is sustainable!

Why business vs. non-profit?

[excerpt taken from this post]

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. 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. 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.

How do we make money?

[excerpt taken from this post]

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.

Some of the partners we work with are schools, universities, mental health organizations, and governments. These organizations partner with us to bring peer support and community to their members using our technology. Our platform allows partners to reach more people and track impact. You can read about our partnership with the state of California here.

Additionally, we sell online therapy and growth paths! You can connect to a therapist for unlimited messaging for $150 per month. You can pay to unlock specialized growth paths!

How are resources spent?

All resources get re-invested into the community and our product! Our goal is to continue to make our product, services and community safe, effective and supportive. We are fortunate to be able to hire some of the best folks in our field to ensure our platform and community continue to evolve.

7 Cups Sustainability Journey - glossary of posts and information:

California: https://www.7cups.com/forum/KitchenTable_133/GlensNookCommunity_547/California_151783/1/

7 Cups is Now Sustainable:

https://www.7cups.com/forum/KitchenTable_133/GlensNookCommunity_547/7CupsisHeretoStayWeareNowSustainable_57188/1/

Back 7 Cups: Part 1 of Making 7 Cups Sustainable:

https://www.7cups.com/forum/KitchenTable_133/GlensNookCommunity_547/Back7CupsPartIofMaking7CupsSustainable_31025/1/

Growth path- pain to path part 1:

https://www.7cups.com/forum/GlensNook_84/GrowthPath_369/PartIPaintoPathConceptualization_26979/