#50forFOSS
The short version
On the first Friday of each month, you pledge to give 50 dollars to support a free and open-source software project of your choice.
Why pledge?
Free and open-source software (FOSS) is at the heart of all modern technology, but its maintainers—working-class developers and hobbyists around the world—are rarely paid and receive little appreciation for their work.
This isn't getting better on its own. Most open-source projects are no longer maintained. Several of the surviving ones have been commercialized, and over time, they're becoming expensive and difficult to use.
Many of us depend on FOSS for work, entertainment, and productivity at home. But we have no say in its future because we haven't participated. If we don't pay for it, a corporation will—or worse, they won't. Either way, we lose.
50 for FOSS is a monthly community event in service of changing the status quo. We believe it's time to insist on paying for the software we use. It's the only way to keep it alive.
Who is this for?
Most participants are tech workers or enthusiasts, but everyone is welcome to participate.
In particular, if you:
- Work with computers
- Make enough money to comfortably pay all your bills
- Regularly use free and open-source software
We invite you to take the pledge. You can help the software you use stay free, independent, and sustainable.
How do I participate?
On the first Friday of the month:
- Pick any FOSS project.
- Give $50 to the maintainer(s), no strings attached.
- (Optional) Share your donation on social media with the hashtag #50forFOSS.
There's no middleman, no nonprofit, no gatekeeper or committee. It's just you, your wallet, and a maintainer who's about to have a very good day.
FAQ
How do you give $50 to a stranger?
Start by finding their website or code repository. Look for a Sponsorship section or a link to Ko-fi, Patreon, Buy Me a Coffee, PayPal, or Open Collective. If all else fails, open an issue or send an email and ask the maintainer how to pay them.
If they have any questions, send them to 50forFOSS.org.
What if I'm not from the United States?
Give an equivalent amount in your local currency.
What if $50 is a lot of money to me?
Give less. $50 was chosen as a small, yet significant amount for the average tech worker, but if you would have to budget for it, there's no shame in adjusting the numbers. It still counts.
Aren't there better causes to support?
Yes.
This isn't a zero-sum game. You can support the software you care about and give to the local food bank. Good causes are not in competition; giving leads to giving.
Don't software developers make enough money?
Some software developers are wealthy. Most are not. Open-source software is made by a diverse group of people from different countries, economic backgrounds, and professions. The maintainer of an app you use daily could be a staff engineer in San Francisco, a college student in Ghana, or a taxi driver in Ukraine.
Regardless, supporting a FOSS project isn't just about the maintainer's material needs (although those are important). It's also about our rights as users: the right to have a stake in the things we use, to pay and not be paid for, to be a customer and not a product. We pay so our software can answer to us, not the first advertiser or investment bank to come calling. We pay so our apps won't become abandonware and have to be replaced every three years.
Doesn't this defeat the purpose of free software?
No. FOSS is a gift that everyone can access, no matter who they are or how much money they have—and that's a powerful thing. But its continued existence isn't guaranteed. Sustainability is a huge problem in FOSS, and far too many projects have been ended by burnout, abusive user behavior, and dwindling resources. Our contributions can fight back, providing much-needed motivation, positive feedback, and financial stability to the maintainers who make FOSS possible.
What's the exact definition of "FOSS"?
What counts as "free software" or "open-source" is a hotly debated topic. We're not here to split hairs. Any piece of software you consider "free" is eligible, whether it's a tiny Python script that saved you two hours on a home automation project, a massive C# package your team uses every day at work, or a 2-factor authentication app you use on your smartwatch. There's plenty of appreciation to go around.
How can I find projects to give to?
FOSS is everywhere you look:
- Applications on your computer.
- Web apps you access online.
- Plugins and extensions in your web browser.
- Mods for your video games.
- Apps on your smartphone.
- Add-ons for your productivity and notetaking tools.
- Web services on your home server or NAS.
- Dependency files in your code repositories.
- The Linux distribution you use.
We invite you to dig deep and notice the small, underappreciated projects that make everything work, in addition to the big projects whose names you immediately recognize.
Are there other ways to give?
If hand-picking a project every month isn't for you, consider participating in another way:
- Use thanks.dev to automatically fund the libraries in your dependency tree.
- Talk to your employer about signing the Open Source Pledge or subscribing to Tidelift.
- Set up a recurring donation to the Free Software Foundation, the Apache Software Foundation, Software in the Public Interest, Software Freedom Conservancy, or any other nonprofit software foundation.
50 for FOSS is not affiliated with any nonprofit, company, or group.
How can I stay updated on 50 for FOSS?
Sign the pledge to join our email list, or follow @isaaclyman@toot.cafe on Mastodon.