General FAQ

How can I contact Open Source Collective? Where can I go with questions or concerns?

Email us at [e-mail]. We answer Monday-Friday and strive to respond within 3 business days. If you are having issues with the platform, feel free to check out our help page.

You can also join our Slack to get in touch with the entire Open Collective community. Check in at the #opensource channel.

What is the difference between Open Collective and Open Source Collective?

Open Collective (OC) is the software platform, which is made by a company called Open Collective Inc.

Open Source Collective (OSC) is a separate 501(c)(6) entity that uses the OC platform to provide fiscal hosting services.

The two entities are legally completely separate, but share some of the same staff members and community guidelines.

What is the difference between fiscal hosting and fiscal sponsorship?

These two terms mean the same thing. See our Fiscal Hosting page for a detailed description.

What are your fees? Why do you charge a fee?

Our fees are 10% plus any payment processing fees. You can check our transparent budget to see where the money goes!

How does paying people from my collective work?

Payees should go to the collective page and submit an expense: either a reimbursement (with receipt) or invoice (for goods or services). A payee can receive payment via bank transfer (through Wise, f.k.a. TransferWise) or Paypal. A collective admin must then approve the expense, and then an OSC admin will process the payment. See how to submit an expense here. Collective admin can also invite payees to submit an expense.

When are payments processed?

Approved expenses are paid out by OSC twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, US time. If there are any issues with the payment or you can expect delays, an OSC admin will comment below the expense and you will receive an email about it (note comments are private to admins and payees). Generally approved expenses take less than a week to be paid out and to hit your account, but could be more if there are issues or the payment processor takes longer.

How can people donate to my collective?

To support, donors should go to the Collective page of the project they want to support, select a contribution tier, and set up their donation. Individuals and organizations can contribute to your collective in a variety of ways, including by credit card, bank transfer, and, if the collective has opted in, cryptocurrency. They can contribute on a one-time or a recurring basis, and you can incentivize different tiers of giving, or raise money towards specific Projects.

Will our application be approved?

If your group is legitimate and meets all of the acceptance criteria, and has no conflict with the Terms of our program, you can expect to be approved. We will follow up with you via email if we have any questions or concerns about your application. You can expect a response within a week, and you’re welcome to follow up if you haven’t heard from us at [e-mail].