Open Source Collective manages the financial and legal overhead for thousands of open source projects so they can focus on doing the work they love.
To Open Source Communities
Open source, but for money
There are many incentives to contribute to open source software. We believe money can be one of them.
By using the Open Collective platform, our hosted organizations can easily raise funds, pay or reimburse contributors, share financial administration, and publish their finances openly.
Accounting
We take care of invoices, bank transfers, tax filings, contracts, and legal issues. As a fiscal sponsor, we help open source communities focus on the work they love to do rather than the work they have to do.
Services
In addition to being our projects' legal and financial home, we provide:
Fundraising, budgeting, and grantmaking tools.
Backend integration with other fundraising platforms, like GitHub Sponsors.
Virtual debit cards linked to your project’s balance that you can use online.
Administrative support for organizations participating in funding campaigns or support programs.
Vendor registration and invoicing on behalf of corporate supporters.
Register and hold trademarks on behalf of your project.
Representation and unity
With over 3,000 registered projects, we are one of the largest fiscal host organizations in the world. We are here to represent you, your community, and the broader ‘open source’ movement in conversations that impact our work.
Networking, development, and peer support
We provide forums to learn from one another, help one another, and work to solve the challenges that our community faces. We do this through events, forums, debate, and mentorship programs.
Opportunities
We continue to experiment with ways and reasons to contribute to open source projects, partner with individuals and organizations to build capacity and develop skills within projects, and work with institutions to bring the benefits of open source to under-resourced communities.
To Financial Contributors and Sponsors
Flexibility
Whether you lead an open source project or a team looking to sponsor projects, we offer a range of flexible ways to manage your money. We can work with and alongside other foundations, charities, and organizations to give you more freedom in how you choose to manage your projects.
Services
Through us you can:
Manage the financial support of multiple open source projects in a single place with Open Source Collective acting as a single ‘supplier’ to your organization.
Support projects instantly on a one-time or recurring basis using a credit card, PayPal, or electronic bank transfer.
Hold funds with us in a dedicated 'pool' to cover your contributions throughout the year.
Issue gift cards to your staff, which can be used to contribute on behalf of your organization.