Open source embodies the spirit of selfless collaboration, where contributors unite to craft exceptional tools freely accessible to all. At first glance, it might seem too good to be true, and you wouldn't be entirely mistaken.

The challenge arises when these projects fall behind in terms of technology, security, design, and crucially, support from the original author. This is where the community steps in; we rely on developers willing to invest their time and skills for free since open source is, at its core, about shared contributions. The concept of maintaining an open source project without funding may seem unconventional, even absurd, but this culture has sustained itself for years. Unfortunately, a significant number of open source projects face abandonment due to the lack of ongoing support from the original author and insufficient contributions from the community. Startlingly, research indicates that a staggering 95% of newly created open source projects meet abandonment within a year.

In the face of this daunting statistic, it becomes important to explore sustainable ways of supporting open source projects. Three primary approaches come to light: backing by corporations, support from the community, and donations. Each of these approaches carries its own set of advantages and challenges, shaping the landscape of open source sustainability.

Backed by corporations

If a project is used in some very popular corporate service (like Facebook) there is a high chance that they will support that open source project (financially and with “dev power”) and it’s highly unlikely that it would “die” — example: React (javascript framework). Issue is that most open source projects are not that lucky to be supported by a huge corporation.

Read more about pros and cons of corporated open source.

Support by the community

In the world of open source, community-driven development stands out as a powerful force. While challenges like building a large community and managing coordination arise, the approach remains honorable, emphasizing people helping each other.

Read more about pros and cons of community driven open source.

Support by donations

While donations have been the lifeblood of open source for a significant duration, they come with inherent weaknesses. Since donations are voluntary, they lack regularity, making it challenging for contributors to build a sustainable career solely on donations. On the flip side, donors face difficulty in contributing funds as they lack visibility into where the money goes and whether it will have a meaningful impact.

Read more about supporting opensource with donations.

Revolution

In light of these considerations, we are actively working on OpenPledge — a platform dedicated to issue-based donations. Here, donors can exercise full control over the destination of their contributions, ensuring transparency in the process. Additionally, contributors will have the opportunity to receive financial support for their valuable efforts. OpenPledge endeavors to make every moment spent on free time contributions worthwhile.