Building for the Long Term (Patreon)

Hello, supporters!

We wanted to share an update about the foundational work happening at Mastodon, much of which was highlighted in David's recent talk about fresh developments in the Fediverse.

Structural changes for sustainability: We're in the process of transitioning to a new nonprofit structure here in Europe. As David explained, this isn't just paperwork—it's about ensuring that "Mastodon is not and will never be for sale." We're creating a foundation that will own the code and intellectual property, removing any single point of failure and making our independence permanent.

Technical innovations you're funding: Your support enables us to tackle challenges that simply don't exist on centralized platforms. We're developing "federated auxiliary service providers"—specialized services that help solve Fediverse-wide problems like discovery and spam fighting. Our FedDiscovery project creates better search across the network, while our work on quote posts prioritizes user safety and consent.

The ecosystem effect: Mastodon is part of a thriving ecosystem. Ghost (the publishing platform) just added Fediverse support, WordPress is improving their ActivityPub integration, and new projects like Loops (a TikTok alternative) are successfully crowdfunding their development. Your support of Mastodon helps strengthen this entire network of community-owned alternatives.

Looking ahead: We're working on starter packs to improve onboarding, institutional features for governments and organizations, and donation campaigns that will help server administrators across the Fediverse sustain their communities.

Your impact: Every contribution helps us think beyond the next quarter and plan for the next decade. You're not just funding software development—you're investing in proof that community-owned technology can compete with and eventually replace surveillance capitalism.

As David reminded the audience, "Our time on this planet is short"—but the infrastructure we're building together will outlast all of us. Thank you for being part of this long-term vision. 

Learn more about our technical progress in our monthly Trunk & Tidbits blog series: https://blog.joinmastodon.org