The Story
As an online dating site, ReadersCircle.com has a somewhat unusual history. Our original project was to launch a book club networking site, which we did in 2004, ReadersCircle.org. But from the very beginning we noticed a demand that fell outside our mission as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization: a segment of our users were more interested in dropping by book clubs looking for a date than discussing books.
Well, literally 5 years passed with us scratching our heads about what to do. We had absolutely no interest in compromising the integrity of the service we had built ReadersCircle.org into, and we were adamantly committed to the purity of our idea. But then we realized it was only our hang-up. No one else cared. Further, our insistence on some lofty platonic model was actually undermining the service because just as many people as ever continued to drop by book clubs hoping to find a date.
But there was something else we realized. A successful online dating site could provide the funding for the organization that always seemed just around the corner. We could finally have the solid financial support to build ReadersCircle.org into the global community of readers we'd always envisioned.
So that's what we're about, and that's why we're excited to offer ReadersCircle.com to the reading public. Fully 50% of the proceeds from ReadersCircle.com will go to ReadersCircle.org, and as a formal matter the two websites are completely separate, the .org remaining a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the .com being a sole proprietorship.
Thank you, again, for your interest in ReadersCircle.com. We look forward to providing a unique experience in online dating.