FOUNDING MEMBER COVENANT
FOUNDING MEMBER COVENANT
Not A Footnote Academy, Inc. — An Arizona Benefit Corporation
Ratified: July 25, 2026
PREAMBLE
This Covenant is a binding promise between Not A Footnote Academy, Inc. (“NFA”) and the families, learners, and communities who join as Founding Members. It exists because we believe the terms of education should be stated plainly, honored completely, and never hidden in fine print.
NFA is an Arizona Benefit Corporation. Our legal structure requires us to balance the interests of our members, our mission, and the public good. This Covenant reflects that balance: we make real, time-bounded promises we can keep — not open-ended promises that sound generous but create obligations we cannot honor as we grow.
SECTION I — WHO IS A FOUNDING MEMBER
A Founding Member is any individual or family who enrolls during the Founding Period, defined as the date NFA opens enrollment through the date the Founding Member cap is reached.
There are three Founding tiers:
Pilot Cohort (first 150 seats): Free for the first 24 months, then converts to the Founding Learner rate for an additional 24 months.
Founding Learner: $3/month or $30/year, locked for 24 months from enrollment date.
Founding Family: $12/month or $120/year, locked for 24 months from enrollment date.
Your Founding Member status is recognized in your account record for the duration of your active membership. NFA maintains a record of Founding Members and the date of their enrollment.
SECTION II — WHAT THE PILOT COHORT RECEIVES (THE 4-YEAR COVENANT)
Members of the Pilot Cohort (first 150 seats) receive the following in sequence:
Phase 1 — September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2028:
Full access to all NFA curriculum, essays, lessons, and platform features at no cost. No payment is collected during this period.
Phase 2 — September 1, 2028 through August 31, 2030:
Automatic conversion to the Founding Learner rate: $3/month or $30/year. This rate is locked for 24 months regardless of what the standard public rate is at that time.
Phase 3 — September 1, 2030 onward:
Standard rate applies. The standard individual rate at the time of this Covenant’s ratification is $8/month or $80/year. NFA may adjust standard rates in the future with 90 days advance notice.
A family joining the Pilot Cohort today pays $0 for two years, then $60 total across the following two years. Four years of full curriculum access for $60 total. This is the most favorable offer NFA will ever make.
SECTION III — WHAT ALL FOUNDING MEMBERS RECEIVE
Regardless of tier, every Founding Member receives:
Price lock for 24 months. Your enrollment rate will not increase for 24 months from your enrollment date. After 24 months, your rate transitions to the then-current standard rate with 90 days advance notice.
Access equal to or greater than later members. Founding Members will not receive fewer platform features than members who enroll after the Founding Period closes, for as long as their membership is active.
Recognition. Your account is marked as a Founding Member. This recognition persists for the duration of your active membership.
The free canonical layer, always. Every published essay, biography, source list, and subject profile on NFA is and will remain free to read without an account. This commitment applies to NFA’s canonical knowledge layer and is not subject to the 24-month time limit. It is a mission commitment, not a membership benefit.
SECTION IV — WHAT NFA COMMITS TO AS A BENEFIT CORPORATION
NFA’s mission is to make rigorously documented cultural history accessible to every family regardless of income. As a Benefit Corporation, we commit to:
Publishing our canonical essays and subject profiles free of charge, without an account requirement, for as long as NFA operates.
Never restricting access to documented historical facts, primary narratives, or source citations behind a paywall.
Making scholarship pathways available for families who cannot afford paid membership, beginning after the Founding Period closes.
Reporting annually on how the organization is pursuing its public benefit mission.
These are mission commitments embedded in our corporate structure, not marketing claims. They are enforceable by Arizona Benefit Corporation law.
SECTION V — WHAT THIS COVENANT DOES NOT PROMISE
In the interest of clarity, this Covenant does not promise:
Unlimited duration at founding rates beyond the 24-month lock period.
Immunity from platform changes, feature updates, or content additions that apply equally to all members.
Any equity interest, governance rights, voting rights, or ownership stake in NFA.
Any financial return, revenue share, or investment of any kind.
Continuity of service beyond NFA’s operational capacity. Like all organizations, NFA operates within real resource constraints.
SECTION VI — HOW THIS COVENANT CHANGES
This Covenant may be amended by NFA with 90 days written notice to active Founding Members. Amendments may not reduce the price lock or access guarantees for the remainder of any active member’s 24-month lock period. Amendments may adjust what happens after the lock period ends.
The free canonical layer commitment may only be removed by a formal amendment to NFA’s Benefit Corporation articles, which requires a supermajority vote of the board and public filing with the Arizona Corporation Commission.
SECTION VII — GOVERNING LAW
This Covenant is governed by the laws of the State of Arizona. NFA is incorporated as a Benefit Corporation under Arizona Revised Statutes Title 10, Chapter 24. Nothing in this Covenant creates a legal obligation beyond what Arizona Benefit Corporation law permits.
Not A Footnote Academy, Inc.
Ratified by the Founder, July 25, 2026
Next review date: July 25, 2027