Why We Built Gather
The existing social networks that we use to communicate are undeniably terrible. Their profit motive has caused them to descend into unusable and unethical ad catalogues.
We demand something different.
As connection has moved online, and service apps have popped up so we can pay for the help we used to ask for, there's been a measurable decline in how supported we feel by the people around us.
We started Gather because we wanted to make a community network instead. We believe that the mechanics that make social media fun can equally be used to bring people together, create connection and build the communities that will be there to help us when we need it.
We're not here to build the banks of billionaires. Gather is a not-for-profit built for the sole purpose of making community easier, so we can usher in the better world we all know is possible.
Who's Behind Gather
Maddy King and James Nimmo from Aotearoa New Zealand (the team that brought you Launchbot, the original giant killer), plus a wide community of interested and part-time supporters.
What Makes Gather Different
Gather is built around groups — real communities of people with shared goals. Whether it's a neighbourhood network, a local environmental club, a group of volunteers or a babysitting cooperative, Gather gives you the tools to organise, communicate, and grow together.
Gather has all the tools you need to organise a community of action:
- One-on-one and group messaging
- Shared resources
- Task management
- Project teams
- Assigning actions
- Automatic newsletters
- Events and in-person meetups
- And encouragements to engage
So a neighbourhood group can make an action to bike to work, and if a member posts a photo with their bike, they get celebrated.
Crucially, this network of support for your efforts increases the number of people who go on to participate in the action.
So if one person signs a petition, the rest of the group see and celebrate it, and then 10x more people sign it.
Gather is a not-for-profit, which means it isn't driven by ads or influenced by advertisers. It won't feed you divisive content to get you to scroll for longer. Being a not-for-profit removes the unethical traps that major social networks have fallen into, so you can calmly enjoy your groups in peace.
Our Values
We believe communities need:
- Trust — A safe space where members know the rules and feel respected.
- Accountability — Tools for admins to maintain healthy group culture.
- Inclusion — Features that welcome newcomers and make it easy to participate. We believe in building third places where everyone belongs.
- Control — A place where you're in charge, not vulnerable to resets every algorithm update.
What's Coming
We're just getting started. Over the coming months, we'll be launching:
- Enhanced group discovery
- Collaborative tasks and projects
- And more customisations to make your group yours
We're learning and building this openly, listening to every group that joins us.
Join Us
If you're part of a community that deserves better tools, sign up for Gather today. It's free, it's private, and it's built for you.
If you like what we're doing, feel free to buy us a coffee. We love coffee.
And drop us a line if you'd like to help this grow. We need every skill you have.
"It takes a village." Let's build that village.