This year, we asked some of our donors why they decided to donate to our end of year fundraising campaign.

The Survey

The Audience

The survey was shown to a random sample of donors whose browser language was set to en-us, en-gb, or en-ca.

Below, you can see the traffic source/medium for EN language users who donated. The survey results are not segmented by traffic source, but this data gives you an idea of the population who saw the survey. These are predominantly Firefox users.

Below, see the geographic location of people who completed the survey:

The Results

Why did you decide to donate today?

We did a manual text analysis to categorize the ~1k ‘Other’ answers:

Anything else you’d like to tell us? Yes!

Approximately 6k out of the 17k people who responded to the survey left comments in the open text field. Spending time reading through these comments is both humbling and inspiring as it brings to life the many many human beings who supported this campaign, and who are critical to Mozilla’s success going forward.

In total, there were 85k words of feedback. It’s a novel.

It’s easy when reading so many comments to notice only those that are very different, so we analysed a sample of the results to group the messages by sentiment.

That gives you a feel for the tone of the messages overall.

While working through this sample, I made a note of comments that stood out to me. This selection is looking for an inspiring (rather than a purely representative) sample.

• Absolutely LOVE your work! Please keep working on staying as independent as possible without all the snooping built in.
• Keep it up. You guys are fulfilling a sacred mission.
• Thank you for your contribution to keeping the web open to all, and helping to ensure that it is not reduced to being a puppet of big business.
• I have been told that you are the safest web browser. Thank you for all that you do.
• I also believe in what Mozilla is trying to do and its only right that we should all give a little to help, maybe more over time.
• Thanks, I love you all!!!
• This is free software, which I’m usinfg now for quite some time. does its job to my satisfaction. Words like free-web are new to me. I never thought about this subject before.
• Thank you for being an alternative browser and for your mission to keep the internet open.
• I am grateful to Mozilla and if I wasn’t off work with a fractured hip I would donate more.
• My most favorite browser for 7 years already, keep up the good work guys.
• I trust my data is safe with you, one reason I don’t sign up/give on line readily is that I hesitate to share my data widely.
• I watched Do Not Track, which I found through mozilla, and it was amazing!!
• As a web designer, I find Firefox the easiest to test my applications on and, for family browsing, also the most convenient. Keep up the good work!
• The freedom of the WWW is one of the most important human rights that we as people could have, so it should therefore be protected.
• I love you.
• The projects like increasing web literacy are really important to me. And the idea that there can be equity in access and voice on the internet. And I believe that I can vote with my dollar, and I need to support the things which I think are valuable.
• While the world goes to hell in a handbasket around us with CISPA, ACTA and all the other bills and surveillance is at an all-time high, Mozilla is a flagship of hope.
• Both reasons above. And besides, I like you guys. You got right smart guts as my grandma used to say.
• Mozilla Developer Network is my number 1 go-to source for references. Thank you all for the wonderful work.
• In these times of our freedoms being rapidly taken away, we need to be assured that our internet is protected from elements that want to take it away.
• The mission is valuable but the product is good, too. You need both. Keep up the good work!
• Thanks for your hard work! I would like to donate more, but I am retired and it is difficult these days. Anyway, your company is great. Thanks again.
• Thanks for not being corporate slaves. It’s hard to do that nowadays
• I’ve grown accustomed to yr face, and like the way it works.
• I still have a Netscape Beta T shirt…. I did have a Netscape email address. Thanks…
• Great campaign. Good luck! Merry Christmas!
• I use Firefox everyday – for work, for recreation – it’s the best browser out there (as far as I’m concerned) and I really appreciate all your hard work.
• A great product and the structure of the organization makes me hopeful that an open internet may still be possible!
• I’ve been using Firefox for almost 10 years now & it’s my default browser of choice. Thank you all for being awesome.
• Not easy to trust services in today’s world, but we do trust Mozilla Firefox. This is a thank you for your trustworthy service.
• After finding FireFox, better yet, Mozilla maybe 7-8 yrs ago, I’ve not gone to another. I love the vibrancy of this site. I do read what is going on with Mozilla. As I progress, I want to give to this non-profit.
• I believe in the value of services that Mozilla provides its users. I’m proud to be part of that partnership.
• Don’t let up, Keep the internet ours and fight those who want to abuse it or abuse us on it.
• Just thank you for being there.
• I am an independent investigative journalist who works, for free, to offer complete information to my audience in the name of informed personal choices and the freedom to make them. I like your mission but more important I, along with every individual on the planet, NEED this. Keep being the good.
• I greeted your convention at Orlando airport. I was very impressed with the people that I talked to!
• You do you, Mozilla.
• Hope you reach your desired sum & continue to offer humanity a great alternative!
• At least Mozilla tries to preserve the shreds of privacy left to us on the internet, would love to use a Mozilla search engine one day…
• I’ve read what you all are trying to do and I support your cause, and from the sound of your prompts, you guys and gals are struggling money wise? No? Well, either way, I hope you gain the ground needed to advance.
• Firefox is very useful to me. Please stop Windows 10 trying to get me to stop using Firefox. It’s wrong they should do this.
• Independent thinking and doing is important.
• I just like the idea of you
• Keep up the great job you are doing with Firefox. The people really need an independent browser that is designed to protect their privacy.
• i wish every body understood what you are trying to do.
• Mozilla seems to listen to what people want. It then makes appropriate changes to keep us safe. Keep it up!
• Honestly, I couldn’t survive without Mozilla, Wikimedia and NPR, so I donate to help keep them alive.
• i have learned to depend on a free and open internet. This expansion of inclusivity is an important step in the evolution of civilization.
• Thank you for providing an alternative for my iPhone and my Mac.
• You are keeping the web worthwhile as a workplace, an open space and safe space. thanks
• Thank you for your dedication to your mission.
• My son is studying for his PhD in computer science & recommended that I support Mozilla.
• The ‘please donate’ blurb made me feel I should donate cos I use Firefox all the time and every little bit from many thankful people makes the mission happen.
• Thanks for serving the average citizen instead of selling us out.
• I have always loved Firefox and appreciate the way it allows me freedom to use the internet and gives me tools so I may customize my experience. I feel it works for Me not “Them”. It’s Great!
• I am a disabled 76 year old with limited mobility. My computer connects me to the world and to my friends. My life would be very diminished without your services.
• i too work in a non-profit and i know how difficult it is to do good work and yet funding doesn’t come in unless asked. Keep up the awesome work!
• Security is the webs greatest challenge. I hope your organization continues to work to create avenues that provide greater and greater security to those of us navigating the wild west we call the internet.
• You guys rock! This is the first software project I am donating to!
• I like the way you presented your privacy policy. Very organized, with clear and direct language.
• Go get em!

Most common phrases:

Most common words:

We have a lot to live up to.