There is return on investment even if it is not monetarily. Users or reCAPTCHA or Duolingo also do work for for-profit companies as well. From the article: >

There is return on investment even if it is not monetarily. Users or reCAPTCHA or Duolingo also do work for for-profit companies as well. From the article: > “Some people ask ‘Why do you work for free? Why do you spend so many hours a week doing this mapping?’ ” Hidalgo said. “You feel good about knowing that the people who drive around everyday save time because you are investing your time in fixing the roads and doing this mapping.”