Conference Policy

Open Source Collective's conference support policy

For Attendees

We're delighted to support to open source maintainers to attend non-technical conferences. We recognize that many maintainers find themselves in a leadership role within their community but may not have the necessary resources to expand their knowledge outside of technical areas. We believe that by attending these events, maintainers can improve their project management skills and become more well-rounded leaders.

We encourage collectives to use their budget to reimburse their members for attending such events. However, we understand that not all collectives have the financial means to do so. In such cases, we're happy to cover the cost of your ticket.

You can find more information about our decision and the types of conferences we support on our announcement here.

Next Steps

To apply for funding, simply submit an expense here from your Collective and make sure to include the cost of the ticket.

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For Organizers

In addition to supporting individuals with conference attendance, we're also excited to share that OSC offers support to open source conferences. Please read below to learn more.

Financial Support

We can help with specific costs, such as venue fees, room sponsorship, and accessibility options. We also understand that organizing an event involves many different elements, so if there’s another area where you could use support, we’d love to hear about it.

The amount of financial support we provide will depend on the event's specific needs and the availability of our sponsorship funds.

Promotional Support

To boost awareness and attendance, we can help promote events through our channels, such as our monthly community update sent to our hosted collectives.

When deciding to sponsor an event, we consider:

Shared Values

• Events must align with OSC’s mission to promote open source sustainability, focusing on community, learning, and education, not major industry gatherings.

• Supported events must have a code of conduct, be inclusive, and feature diverse speakers.

Open Source Focus

• We prioritize events benefiting open source maintainers, especially those sharing content openly.

Financial Need

• We prioritize smaller events needing financial support over large, well-funded ones.

Impact and Reach

• We support conferences that make a difference, offer in-person and virtual attendance, and encourage participation over lectures.

Next Steps

1. Email us

   • Email us at [e-mail]. Provide some basic details about the the conference you're organizing, what you’re hoping to achieve, and what kind of support you need, considering the criteria listed above.
   • In your email, please include the following:

     • What type of support you're requesting: funding or promotional

     • Event overview and objectives

     • What specifically you’re asking OSC to sponsor

     • How our support will impact the open source ecosystem

     • Any other sources of funding your event is receiving

2. Review and Decision

   • OSC will review inquiries based on the criteria above and reach out with questions.

   • Please send any requests for funding at least 30 working days before the event.

After Your Event

We'd love to hear about your event's success! Please follow up with us afterward, as we’d love to share your event’s materials with our hosted projects. We'd appreciate it if you could share:

• A summary of the event

• Photos or videos you're comfortable sharing

• Links to recordings or other materials

Not only does this help us showcase the impact of our support to the broader community, but it also increases your event’s visibility, potentially attracting future collaborators and participants.