Governance & Transparency
We practice radical transparency. Every decision, every dollar, every priority is open to public scrutiny.
Core Principle: A foundation fighting surveillance capitalism must itself be completely transparent. No hidden agendas, no secret funding, no closed-door decisions.
Foundation Structure
Legal Entity
The Journal Foundation is organized as a [Legal Structure TBD] focused on public benefit rather than profit maximization.
Leadership
Founder & Executive Director: John Benac
Responsible for strategic direction, technical oversight, and public advocacy. Background in security consulting and infrastructure development.
Advisory Board
To be established: Technical advisors, privacy advocates, and domain experts who provide guidance on protocol development and foundation governance.
Community Council
To be established: Representatives from the broader community who help prioritize development efforts and ensure accountability.
Funding & Financial Transparency
Current Funding
- Bootstrapped: Personal investment from founder
- No VC funding: Avoiding surveillance capital
- No corporate sponsors: Independence from big tech
Funding Goals
- Protocol development: Core Cipherlots implementation
- Security audits: Professional cryptographic review
- Advocacy: Education and outreach
- Operations: Legal, administrative, infrastructure
Funding Sources We Accept
- Individual donations: From privacy advocates
- Privacy-focused orgs: Aligned foundations
- Crowdfunding: Community-driven support
- Grants: Government or academic research grants
Funding We Reject
- Surveillance companies: Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc.
- VC with conflicts: Investors in surveillance capitalism
- Government agencies: That conduct mass surveillance
- Strings attached: Any funding that compromises mission
Decision-Making Process
RFC Process
All technical decisions follow an open RFC (Request for Comments) process:
- Draft: Initial proposal published for community review
- Discussion: Public comment period (minimum 30 days)
- Revision: Updates based on feedback
- Approval: Final decision by technical leadership
- Implementation: Reference implementation and testing
Governance Decisions
Major governance decisions (funding, partnerships, strategic direction) are made transparently:
- All discussions documented in public channels
- Community input actively solicited
- Rationale for decisions published
- Dissenting opinions recorded
Public Accountability
📊 Quarterly Reports
Detailed financial and progress reports published every quarter.
- Q1 2025 Report →
- Q2 2025 (upcoming)
🔍 Open Source Everything
All code, specifications, and governance documents are open source.
Contact & Accountability
Questions? Concerns? Feedback?
We welcome all inquiries about foundation governance, funding, or decision-making.
- General inquiries: hello@journalfoundation.org
- Governance questions: governance@journalfoundation.org
- Anonymous tips: Signal +1-281-532-5205