Open Source Endowment – new funding source for open source maintainers
4 hours ago
- #sustainability
- #funding
- #open-source
- Open source software (OSS) is critical but often underfunded, relying on unpaid volunteers.
- Unstable OSS funding leads to risks like maintainer burnout, bugs, and security incidents (e.g., Log4Shell, XZ Utils backdoor, Heartbleed).
- The Open Source Endowment provides sustainable funding through a community-driven model, inspired by university endowments.
- It focuses on data-driven, transparent, and inclusive governance to support the global OSS supply chain.
- Funding comes from diverse sources (individuals, companies, foundations), invested for long-term returns (~5% spend rate).
- Grants are distributed based on open, data-driven criteria, with continuous impact tracking and refinement.