An Open Letter to the Monj Community
Big Milestones, Big Decisions, and a Better Future
Dear Monj Community,
In the spirit of full transparency and honesty from the outset, we want to clearly explain what’s changing, why, and how we’re committed to giving back.
A key part of our mission is to ensure we do good along the way. That’s why 20% of all Monj profits will be donated to charity, split equally between nominated organisations. We’ll share more details soon, but the plan is to support two charities focused on weight loss or closely related causes.
The remaining funds will be used to support a range of initiatives, including access to essential services that are currently unprofitable or hard to reach, fair pay for the team, a modest amount for myself, and the continued development of the site and projects like Monjour.
So Here It Is, A Heartfelt Thank You
First off, thank you. Whether you’ve been with us from the beginning or just recently found Monj, your support means everything.
When Monj began, our aim was simple, to create a clear, honest space for people trying to navigate the complex world of weight loss medications. Fast forward to today, and over 2 million unique visitors have used Monj (according to Google). That’s a milestone we never imagined, and one that comes with real responsibility.
Why We’re Evolving
Running Monj has always been a labour of love. But keeping it going, including maintaining the community hub, Monjour, requires a great deal of time, technical expertise, and thousands of pounds per year in costs. Behind the scenes, it also takes countless unpaid hours from people who give their time to support others, often underappreciated or unfairly criticised.
We needed a path forward that was sustainable and respectful of those efforts. The options were:
- Shut down the site, but that would let too many people down and a number of small pharmacies with little or no exposure
- Sell it, which could lead to bias, commercial influence, or price manipulation
- Monetise it heavily and take what we can, abandoning the community values
- Monetise ethically, preserving independence and fairness, while using proceeds to fund the site, pay a team and support charitable causes
We chose Option 4.
Commission-Based Support, a Step Towards Sustainability
We’re now introducing commission-based links and codes on individual pharmacy pages. If you choose to buy through one of these, Monj may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. In fact, we’re actively working with providers to reduce prices by accepting lower commissions than advertisers, so you benefit more.
These links will never influence rankings or our editorial approach. We remain committed to full transparency and neutrality. And where permitted by terms, we’ll link to personal referral codes through the Monjour community and a link to those groups will be shown on each pharmacies page.
We explored donation models, but those often come with expectations to feature individual referral or affiliate links, something we felt could compromise the integrity and fairness of the platform.
A Word to Pharmacies (and Supporters)
Let’s be honest, Monj has been a source of free traffic and visibility for many online pharmacies. We’re proud to have helped small, independent providers thrive, especially in a space where larger players often dominate, not always fairly.
We’re not here to point fingers, but we do believe it’s time Monj operated in a way that supports those who maintain it, and that contributes meaningfully to causes that matter.
Expanding Our Mission
While Monj has become a trusted resource in the weight loss space, we’re looking ahead. We’re now exploring how to track down and publish reliable information about other health conditions, especially those that don’t attract commercial interest or financial gain.
These are the kinds of topics often overlooked because there’s no clear profit motive, and we believe that’s exactly why they deserve more attention. Your ideas and feedback will help guide what we tackle next.
What This Enables
- 20% of Monj’s profit donated to charity, shared equally between selected organisations (this will be anounced shortly)
- Continued growth of Monjour and feature development, without outside investors or hidden fees
- Expansion into less commercially appealing but critically important health topics
- A platform that remains free, fair, and fiercely independent, with a team behind the scenes who can continue the mission, with or without the admin available.
What You Can Count On
- Information remains research-based and transparently presented
- Monj continues to be guided by fairness, clarity, and trust
We’re proud of what Monj has become, and we’re committed to keeping the journey going, together. These changes allow Monj to stay free and open while helping others in ways that truly matter.
Thank you for being part of this journey. We’re incredibly grateful, and we’re just getting started.
Warmly,
The Monj Team