Crowdfunding makes it easy for individuals and organizations to donate, providing a neutral and trusted platform managed by the Linux Foundation. Projects receive 100% of donations and manage their own funds.

Discover Funds

Browse through projects to learn about their fundraising goals, donations, expenses, and security vulnerabilities.

Project Maintainers can submit an application for financial support from individuals and companies to grow their open source communities. The donations help projects pay developers for their contributions, sponsor project related meetups, or other project expenses, such as documentation or marketing.

to help aspiring developers learn while they contribute to their open source project. Projects can utilize raised funds to pay mentee stipends and provide travel funds for events and project summits.

Backers and sponsors donate money to open source community projects and events.

• Backers are individuals who donate a minimum of $5.

• Sponsors are companies that donate a minimum of $200.

Designated beneficiaries get reimbursed for their work efforts by submitting expenses via Expensify Reports.

How to Participate

You can participate by applying and submitting your open source project, project related travel fund or event to raise money through crowdfunding, as well as by donating to projects, and sponsoring events and travel funds.

You must have an to sign in to to participate. For Sign In details, view Note: If you already have an LF SSO account, you can sign in using your SSO credentials.

Submit an application

As an individual/project administrator, **** you can to list your category on crowdfunding and raise funds for your Git-based open source project. After your fund is approved by the Linux Foundation, it will be publicly visible on the . You can also apply for event crowdfunding or travel funds by submitting an or a .

Donating/Sponsoring

As an individual you can donate to projects and/or travel fund, and sponsor events. For details, see , and .

As an organization you can donate to projects and/or travel funds, and sponsor events. For details, see , and .

General Funds page displays the project initiatives that are currently submitted for raising funds.

1. Navigate to Crowdfunding.

2. From General Funds tab, select a project to navigate to the project's dashboard.

3. Select one of the following tabs to view details:

Overview

The overview shows some or all of the following items depending on the data that is available:

Dashboard

Dashboard shows various aspects of the project.

Financial

The Financial tab lists all transactions with details in chronological order. Click the icon next to Fees to see the see distribution of applicable fees.

You can add, edit, or delete an organization to sponsor a fund on behalf of the organization.

To Add an Organization:

1. Select + Add Organization. **** \

2. Complete the dialog fields and click Submit. **** **** You are returned to the New Donation dialog. The organization is pending review by Linux Foundation. Note: After your organization is approved by Linux Foundation, you can see the name in the list.

3. Select Edit if you want to edit or delete the organization.

To Edit or Delete an Organization:

Only the person who added the organization can edit or delete it.

1. From the list of organizations that you have added, select an organization that you want to edit or delete, then click Edit. **** **** \

2. Edit the dialog fields to update the organization and click Submit or click Delete to delete the organization.

You can sponsor events and meetups, and the associated activities that you want to support.

Before you begin, ensure you have the following ready:

• For organizational donations: Your organization’s logo file (JPG, PNG, or SVG, max 2 MB).

• For invoice payments: account and routing numbers, if applicable.

To Sponsor an Event:

**** 1. to . ****

2. Navigate to the Events tab and select “Sponsor” on the event you wish to support. The New Donation form will appear.

3. Choose your donor type:

• Select either “Individual” or “Organization”.

• If you select Organization, you can anytime.

1. Enter your sponsorship amount:

   • In the “I want to give” field, type your desired dollar amount or select a predefined sponsorship option.

   • Note: “One-time” donation frequency is enabled by default.

5. Select your payment method:

• Credit or Debit Card: Add or edit your card details as needed, then click “Submit.”

• Invoice: Available only for organizations making a one-time donation. Request an invoice from the Linux Foundation. If you have a purchase order (PO) number, enter it; otherwise, contact your Linux Foundation administrator to request one. The finance team can assist with other payment methods, such as checks.

6. Review your donation summary in the “Review Donation” section to confirm all details and amounts.

1. Agree to the terms and conditions by selecting the checkbox.

2. Click “Submit Sponsorship” to complete your donation.

Travel Funds provide financial assistance to need-based individuals for travel expenses such as travel to a Linux Foundation conference or an open source project-related technical summit. You can donate to the travel funds that you want to support.

1. Navigate to .

2. From tab, and select a travel fund to navigate to the dashboard.

Dashboard gives an overview of projects, events, travel funds, security audits, and general funds of Crowdfunding.

1. Go to .

2. Navigate to tabs, such as , , , , , and to learn more about each.

You can manage your Crowdfunding account, for example, view a record of all your transactions or modify your monthly donations, add organization, add payment method, and so on.

1. to , and select a tab:

Integrated services for a project lets you see additional information about a project.

Note: Integrated services are not available for Events and Travel Funds.

To view integrated services:

1. Navigate to .

Events page displays the project related events that are organized for specific reasons. You can donate to the events that you want to support, and also register to attend an event.

1. Navigate to Crowdfunding.

2. From Events tab, select an event to navigate to the event's dashboard.

3. Select one of the following tabs to view details:

Overview

The overview shows some or all of the following items depending on the data that is available:

View an example of an event overview section:

Dashboard

Dashboard shows various aspects of the event.

View an example of an event dashboard section:

Financial

The Financial tab lists all transactions with details in chronological order. Click the icon beside Fees to see the see distribution of applicable fees.

As an Individual, you can donate a minimum of $5. When donating to a project, you may request that your donation be used towards a specific funding goal or all project needs. However, the project maintainers can adjust fund allocations and may not use the funds per requested allocation.

To donate to a project:

1. Sign in to Crowdfunding, click Donate on a project card.

1. Select Individual option on the donation form, the I want to give options show preset amounts for individual donors.

1. Select a preset amount or click in the I want to give field and type in a dollar amount.

2. Select a donation frequency option: One-time or Monthly.

1. From Donation allocation drop-down list, select a project goal for your donation to support.

2. A credit or debit card lets you add a default card or edit a default card for your donation payment. Click Add Card or Edit Card to add or edit a card, respectively. Enter your card details and click Submit.

7. Review your donation summary and amounts in the Review Donation section.

8. Agree to the terms and select the checkbox.

9. Click Submit Donation or Submit Subscription, depending on your donation selection.

Security Audit page displays the projects that are currently enrolled for security audit performed by .

1. Navigate to .

2. From tab, select a project to navigate to the project's dashboard.

The Linux Foundation requires access to your code repository to support security vulnerability scanning.

1. to .

2. Click Apply and select ADD GITHUB PROJECT.

3. Select your repository and Authorize LFX Crowdfunding to read-only access to your GitHub account.

Note: You can edit your project at any time. Select the project you **** that you want to update, and click Edit Project.

Linux Foundation requires access to your code repository to support security vulnerability scanning.

1. to .

2. Click Apply from top right of the page, **** and **** Select ADD GIT PROJECT.

3. Complete a ; red asterisks indicate required fields.

Each crowdfunding card is visible on both Crowdfunding and Mentorship for the following reason:‌

• Financial Information The Crowdfunding platform displays a project's financial information, including the total amount of funds donated to the project and how the funds are distributed.

• Mentorship Program By offering paid mentorships, projects are able to provide mentees with opportunities to learn from experienced open source contributors as a segue to get internship and job opportunities after successful completion of the mentorship program.

You can toggle between Crowdfunding and Mentorship to gain an insight into the project's financial and mentorship details.‌

**To toggle between Crowdfunding and Mentorship:**‌

1. Select a project you would like to view.

2. From Crowdfunding project details page, click on View Mentorship CTA, and vice versa, from mentorship program details page, click on View Crowdfunding CTA.

You can submit an application to Open Source Technology Improvement Fund(OSTIF) through Crowdfunding. OSTIF reviews your application, and if approved, it determines the funding goal amount for your project, post which you must add the funding goal in the respective field as shown in the Security Audit Application form.

1. Sign in to Crowdfunding.

2. Click Apply and select ADD SECURITY AUDIT.

3. Complete the . Red asterisks indicate required fields.

4. Click Submit Application.

5. (Optional) Click My Projects tab to view your pending project.

Navigate to Get Help and select an option from the drop-down list.

Docs opens the Linux Foundation Product Documentation. Support opens the Help Center. FAQ opens the Funding FAQs.

To view more information about a project, including its financials:

1. Navigate to .

2. From tab, select a project to navigate to the project's dashboard.

You can to receive financial support from organizations and individuals to grow your community. Submitted applications are reviewed by The Linux Foundation before they're published and visible on the Crowdfunding platform. Projects are reviewed based on the following factors:

• Open source status - projects must be 100% open source

• Community-wide adoption

You can participate in an event to understand more about the project related information, and can socially involve with the entire community of the project.

To Register for an event:

1. to .

2. Under Events

Project Details

The following table lists all the fields in the Project Details panel of the Project Application:

Project Branding

The following table lists all the fields in the Project Branding panel of the Project Application:

Project Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries are individuals who work on a project and then request reimbursement for their time and expenses. They receive invitation from Expensify (an expense management application) to submit for their expenses.

The following table lists all the fields in the Project Beneficiaries panel of the Project Application:

After you enter the name and email address of a person, click +Add beneficiary to add the person to the list. To add more beneficiaries, click + Add beneficiary and complete the fields that appear.

Annual Project Funding

Annual Project Funding is a total project funding goal amount for the year. The Annual Funding Goal amount is the sum of the individual goal amounts.

Fund Distribution

Fund Distribution enables goals for how you want to distribute funds in your project. Enter a percentage of your Annual Funding Goal amount to designate towards the selected goal. Following are various goals towards which you can distribute your fund:

• Development Goal: You can use funds allocated for this category to pay top developers for contributing codes, adding features, fixing bugs, and training and bringing in new talents to the community.

• Marketing Goal: You can use funds allocated for this category to promote and grow your project through the development of collateral, website design, t-shirts to wear at events, and so on.

• Meetups Goal: You can use funds allocated for this category to socially connect with your community through local meetups, annual summits, or big industry events. ****

Financial Summary

The Financial Summary shows the annual financial goal and progress towards it by individual goal. It shows a distribution report based on your selection from the Fund Distribution panel.

Terms and Conditions

Read and agree to the Terms and Conditions, and Submit the application.

You can donate/sponsor the open source projects or events that you want to support. Donating/Sponsoring lets you:

• Provide financial support to the projects that make up critical parts of your technology stack

• Get public recognition for funding the project community

• Ensure transparency as to how funds are being spent

Eligibility Rules and Considerations

Eligibility Requirements

Before donating, please ensure you meet the following criteria:

Compliance with Laws:

You must be able to donate under the applicable laws and regulations.

Sanctioned Countries:

You must not reside in a country or jurisdiction subject to sanctions programs, where the donation would be prohibited under applicable laws.

Organizational Donations

If you're donating on behalf of an organization, please note:

Authorization Required: You must have authorization from the organization to make a donation.

Important Considerations

Before donating, please take note of the following:

Tax-Deductibility: Donations to The Linux Foundation are not tax-deductible under United States federal taxation laws unless otherwise specified.

Transparency: A record of each donation will be retained indefinitely and made public in the project's ledger.

Funding Options: You can fund on a one-time or recurring monthly basis.

Fees

Here's what you need to know about fees:

Underwriting: The Linux Foundation will cover all platform fees for the first USD 10M donated to projects, plus any fees charged by third-party payment processors.

Subsequent Donations: For donations above $10M, a 5% platform fee will be applied, plus any fee charged by the third-party payment processor.

Donation Process

To ensure a smooth donation process, please be aware:

Donation Records: A record of each donation will be retained indefinitely and made public in the project's ledger.

Platform Fees: Fees will be applied as described above.

Donate

1. to .

2. Click Apply and select ADD EVENT.

3. Complete the . Red asterisks indicate required fields.

Beneficiaries submit their requests for project-related expenses for reimbursement through Expensify.

Consolidate all your expenses that are eligible for reimbursement and upload them on Expensify.

Follow these steps to submit your expense report:

1. Sign in to https://www.expensify.com/signin.

2. From the left navigation, click Expenses.

3. On the Expenses page, click the New Expense drop-down.

4. From the drop-down, click Manually Create.

1. On the New Expense page, enter the following details under the Expense tab:

• In the Merchant field, enter your name.

• Select the date of the expenses from the Date option.

• Enter the total expense. By default, the currency is USD $.

1. Click Save to submit the report.\

Organizations willing to sponsor can contribute a minimum of $200. There is no cap on the donation amount.

• Authorization is required to donate on behalf of the organization.

• The minimum donation for an individual is $5 (Individuals can donate using a Credit Card only)

• Prepare for Reimbursement

• Set Up a Reimbursement Account in Expensify

• Create and Submit an Expense Report

Prepare for Reimbursement

Consider the following financial aspects of reimbursement:

• The Linux Foundation uses — a third-party expense management and payment application.

Set Up a Reimbursement Account in Expensify

You will receive an invitation email from the Expensify Concierge stating that you are added to a Linux Foundation Travel Funds Policy. Use the same email address linked to your travel funding approval to sign into an existing account or set up a new one. If you are using a United States bank, link Expensify to your bank or financial service account.

1. Sign in to Ensure that you use the same email address linked to your travel funding approval.

2. Depending on your location:

United States: Set up your Expensify reimbursement account: .

International: Upload a completed The Linux Foundation Wire Transfer Form in addition to your receipt(s).

Create and Submit an Expense Report

To Create or Submit an Expense Report:

1. Sign In to .

2. Create and submit an expense report. For details, see . After you submit your report, the approver reviews your reimbursement request and approves or rejects it. Next, a Linux Foundation administrator validates the expense and approves or rejects the reimbursement. Expensify funds your account.

3. Upon approval notification, go to your account to access your reimbursement money. It may take up to 45 business days for the funds to be deposited to your bank account.*

*Wire Transfer recipients will get the funds deposited to their account directly from Linux Foundation.

Travel Fund Details

What are the benefits of hosting my project on LFX Crowdfunding?

Hosting your project on LFX Crowdfunding offers several benefits:

• Simple and managed fundraising process: Raise funds from donors to reimburse project contributors for expenses.

Project Details

The following table lists all the fields in the Project Details panel of the Security Audit Application:

You can submit an application to raise funds for any initiative for an open source project. In the application, add individuals (beneficiaries) details who you want to sponsor. These beneficiaries will receive an invitation from Expensify (an expense management application)to submit reimbursements for their travel expenses.

Event Details

The following table lists all the fields in the Event Details panel of the Event Application:

Event Location

The following table lists all the fields in the Event Location panel of the Event Application:

Event Branding

The following table lists all the fields in the Event Branding panel of the Event Application:

Event Beneficiaries

Event Beneficiaries are individuals who receive invitation from Expensify (an expense management application) to submit for their expenses.

After you enter the name and email address of the beneficiaries, click +Add beneficiary to add the person to the list. To add more beneficiaries, click + Add beneficiary and complete the fields that appear.

Event Budget

Sponsorship Goal is a total funding goal amount for the year. The amount is a sum of the individual goal amounts.

Fund Distribution

Fund Distribution enables goals for how you want to distribute funds for your event. Enter a percentage of your total sponsorship goal amount to designate towards the goal. Following are various goals towards which you can distribute your fund:

• Venue: You can use funds allocated for this category to pay for a venue for your event. Ensure that you have enough funds to accommodate your event.

• Food and Beverage: You can use funds allocated for this category to buy coffee, snacks, foods and beverages, and so on for event attendees.

• Travel: You can use funds allocated for this category to provide travel assistance to community members to attend events organized by you. Ensure that you have enough funds to sponsor air tickets, hotel stays, and so on for eligible members.

Event Funding Goal(s) (Optional)

If you want to add custom goals for your event, click Add Event Goal and complete the fields that appear. These goals can include an all-attendee reception at a separate venue or the funds needed to bring in a featured guest speaker.

Click Delete next to Custom Goal to delete any custom goal that you have added.

The following table lists all the fields in the Custom Goal panel of the Event Application.

Event Sponsorship Tier(s) (Optional)

You can offer your event sponsors different tiers of sponsorship. Each tier should have a unique name (for example, "Platinum Sponsorship" or "Lunch Sponsorship"), and tiers have different benefits attached to them like a logo appearing on a website and signage, or being included in email announcements promoting the event.

To add sponsorship tiers to your event, click Add Sponsorship Tier and complete the fields that appear.

Financial Summary

The Financial Summary shows the annual financial goal and progress towards it by individual goal. A distributed report is shown based on your selection in the Fund Distribution section.

Terms and Conditions

Read and agree to the Terms and Conditions, and Submit the application.

Beneficiaries submit their requests for project-related expenses for reimbursement through Expensify.

Note: All expenses appear in the project's public ledger (transaction list) for full transparency.

• Prepare for Reimbursement

• Set Up a Reimbursement Account and Create a Report

Prepare for Reimbursement

Consider the following financial aspects of reimbursement before you make a request:

• LFX Crowdfunding uses Expensify, a third-party expense management and payment application that allows users to create expense reports. After an expense report or invoice is reimbursed through that application, it is synchronized with the LFX ledger as well to maintain full transparency.

Keep the following items ready before you begin:

• Receipts for the expenses that you want to submit for reimbursement

• The Expensify policy invitation email that you received from the Linux Foundation.

Set Up a Reimbursement Account and Create a Report

You set up an Expensify account and link it to a bank or financial service account to receive reimbursements.

As a beneficiary, you receive an invitation email from the Expensify Concierge informing you that you have access to the LFX project policy. Use your email address to sign in to Expensify.

1. Sign in to Ensure to use the same email address that the Expensify Concierge used to send you the invitation.

3. Record expenses in a report to submit them to the project administrator and the Linux Foundation for reimbursement.

Depending on your location:

United States: Set up your Expensify reimbursement account: .

International: Upload a completed The Linux Foundation Wire Transfer Form in place of a receipt.

Submit an Expense Report:

1. Follow these to create and submit an expense report. After you submit your report, the approver reviews your reimbursement request and approves or rejects it. Next, a Linux Foundation administrator validates the expense and approves or rejects the reimbursement. Expensify funds your account.

2. Upon approval notification, go to your account to access your reimbursement money. It may take up to 30 business days for the funds to be deposited to your bank account.*

*Wire Transfer recipients will get the funds deposited to their account directly from Linux Foundation.

General Fund Details

General Fund Branding

General Fund Beneficiaries

General Fund beneficiaries are individuals who can benefit from the funds or people who you want to sponsor for related activities. They receive invitations from Expensify (an expense management application) to submit reimbursements for their expenses.

Note: You will be automatically added as a beneficiary when you submit a new general fund application. To add more beneficiaries, click + Add beneficiary and complete the fields that appear.

Click after you enter the name and email address of the person you want to add as a beneficiary.

General Fund Funding Goal

In the Annual Funding Goal filed, provide an initial funding goal estimated for the general fund.

Terms and Conditions

Read and agree to the Terms and Conditions, and Submit the application.