These guidelines help ensure that funds entrusted to your project,and to Open Source Collective on your project's behalf, are managed responsibly and used to support and sustain your open source work.
This document provides an overview of your responsibilities as an administrator of an Open Source Collective (OSC)- hosted project, including how your actions support OSC’s compliance processes and financial integrity standards.
Our shared goal is to ensure that all funds are used ethically and transparently in support of open source.
As an OSC project admin, you play a frontline role in supporting OSC to maintain our financial integrity. You help ensure:
All spending furthers your open source project’s goals and our mission to create a healthy and sustainable open source ecosystem.
Donors and contributors to your project can trust that their contributions are handled responsibly
Transparency: all project funds held by OSC must be accounted for through OSC’s systems and processes
Verification: every expense, transaction, and payee must be reviewed
Fairness: only legal, documented, and mission-aligned expenses are approved
Compliance: We abide by US sanctions laws and global best practices
Confidentiality: You may see sensitive information related to contributors and community members – handle it responsibly
Reviewing and Approving Expenses
Confirm that each expense submitted to your project supports your open source project’s purpose and goals.
Verify submitted documentation (receipts, invoices, and descriptions) and ensure they are well described
Do not approve personal, duplicate, or requests for pre-payment
If unclear, communicate with the expense submitter before approving
Contact hello@oscollective.org for support.
Supporting OSC’s compliance processes
Be alert for unusual or suspicious activity, such as:
Large or repetitive payments from unfamiliar accounts
Requests to pay unrelated third parties instead of the expense creator/vendor
Attempts to conceal identity, bypass documentation requirements, or avoid processes.
Report concerns to the OSC team by emailing hello@oscollective.org.
Protect Confidential Information
Treat any information concerning a donor or community member that is not publicly available as sensitive information.
Do not download, copy, or share sensitive information with other donors or community members.
If you believe sensitive information has been mishandled, contact hello@oscollective.org for support.
Expenses are legitimate and project-related
Documentation is clear and complete (receipts/invoices or written expense documentation)
No duplicative expenses
No personal (not related to the hosted project) or prepayment requests
Aligned with your project's purpose and goals
Contribution monitoring: We monitor contributions to ensure illegal or fraudulent contributions are rejected and/or refunded.
Payment Review: After you approve an expense for payment, OSC performs additional verification checks before processing any payment
Training and Support: OSC staff are available to clarify what qualifies as an expense, what documents are needed, and how to spot irregularities contact hello@oscollective.org.
External Oversight: We work with independent accountants to help maintain compliant and auditable accounts for each of our member projects.
If you see something concerning, report it to hello@oscollective.org
Good faith reporting is protected, and retaliation is not tolerated
Remember: asking questions before approving an expense is a sign of diligence, not distrust.
By following these steps, you help ensure that every dollar entrusted to your project and to OSC on behalf of your project is used for its intended purpose – supporting and sustaining open source.
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