Brussels / 31 January & 1 February 2026

schedule

The FOSDEM charter

Below is the full text of the charter governing the FOSDEM organisation, as it stood at the time of publishing, November 12th 2025. For an overview of the history of the organisation, please see the "About" page.

1. Terminology

2. Goals

FOSDEM's main goal MUST be to run the yearly FOSDEM conference. All other goals come secondary to that. FOSDEM MAY pursue additional goals, like FOSDEMx, as well.

2.1 FOSDEM conference

The FOSDEM conference is a free and non-commercial event organised by the community for the community. The target audience are free and open source software developers, users, and their communities.

It is a place to:

Participation and attendance is and will always be free, both as in beer and as in speech.

We reserve the right to disinvite anyone going against the Code of Conduct (Art. 11.1).

2.2 Project development

FOSDEM MAY engage in project development to support its goals. For example, software and hardware development. All proceeds SHOULD be published under an OSI or DFSG approved, or Creative Commons Share-Alike compliant licence.

2.3 Outreach and support

Excess funding MAY be used to engage in outreach and support of our goals outside of the FOSDEM conference. For example, to run a FOSDEMx or support a like-minded event, for example by making our equipment and knowledge available to these organisations and fostering collaboration.

Teams within FOSDEM willing to engage in active outreach or collaboration MAY receive funding from FOSDEM vzw. Any such funding MUST be approved by FOSDEM on a case-by-case basis. For example, support might include travel and lodging, shipping and insurance, or hardware and/or equipment.

FOSDEM MAY choose to financially support attendees.

3. Independence

FOSDEM MUST remain independent from external influence.

4. Inclusiveness

Decisions on content and participation MUST be made from a neutral perspective.

FOSDEM aims to provide a safe and inclusive environment. FOSDEM does not discriminate against individuals based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, or sexual identity or orientation, and does not allow attendees to do so either. To ensure this, FOSDEM enforces a Code of Conduct and reserves the sole right to exclude any individual or organisation from participation.

FOSDEM aims to enable attendees with bodily limitations to participate as far as reasonably possible. For example, with reserved seating in wheelchair-accessible areas with good audio.

FOSDEM events should make attending as affordable as reasonably possible. For example, the FOSDEM conference will always be free to attend.

FOSDEM attendees are not required to submit personal information to attend unless law or safety mandate it.

FOSDEM MAY require additional information from FOSDEM contributors. For example, an email address or phone number for contact.

FOSDEM engages in active outreach to underrepresented groups. We acknowledge that this is a form of positive discrimination and aim for a fair balance overall.

5. Finances

5.1 Prudence

To ensure continuity and financial independence, the finance team SHOULD have 150% of the previous FOSDEM conference's budget in savings. Any surplus MAY be assigned to other purposes, with the consensus of FOSDEM staff.

5.2 Financing

FOSDEM vzw is financed by individual donations, sales, sponsorship, and/or public funding.

FOSDEM SHOULD make a reasonable effort to prioritise funding sources which come with the least amount of obligations.

5.2.1 Donations

Donations are monetary contributions to FOSDEM vzw under Belgian tax law. They do not entitle the donor to public thanks.

5.2.2 Sales

FOSDEM vzw MAY sell merchandise, food, beverages, or other items.

5.2.3 Sponsorship

FOSDEM MAY choose to accept sponsorship and MAY choose to publicly thank sponsors.

Public thanks for conference sponsorship MUST be bound to the specific conference and MUST be limited to:

With the consensus of FOSDEM staff, sponsors MAY receive additional visibility in return for additional value, for example by sponsoring free coffee.

Submissions by sponsors MUST NOT any preferential treatment over other submissions for devrooms, stands, content, or similar.

FOSDEM MAY reject sponsors. In particular if no clear link to free and open source or long-standing support can be shown, or if the funding targets have been reached.

FOSDEM delegates all decisions on what sponsors to accept to the sponsorship team. The sponsorship team MUST follow the FOSDEM charter.

5.2.4 Public and non-corporate funding

FOSDEM SHOULD undertake reasonable effort to find sustainable public and non-corporate funding, in particular to safeguard financial independence.

6. Staff

Staff MUST work to support FOSDEM during the year and SHOULD have responsibilities outside of the FOSDEM conference.

The list of current staff members SHOULD be made public on the FOSDEM website. Staff MAY choose not to be publicly listed or MAY choose to be listed under a nickname.

6.1 Becoming staff

Staff candidates MUST be nominated by current staff. This SHOULD happen days or weeks before a decision is made. Candidates SHOULD be recruited from multi-year volunteers. The nomination MUST be discussed before a vote. Existing staff SHOULD share relevant information and experience about each candidate before the vote.

In the common case, nominations SHOULD be discussed and voted on during the post mortem. This MAY also happen on the staff mailing list or during the kick-off meeting.

6.2 Staff duties

Staff MUST

Staff SHOULD

6.3 Retiring, suspending, or removing staff

Staff MAY retire at any time, by announcing so on the staff mailing list.

Staff MAY hibernate, pausing their own active staff status until the next kick-off meeting. Hibernated staff MAY request an extension of their hibernation until the next kick-off meeting. Any extensions MUST be voted on by active staff. Reasons for hibernation include because of chronic illness, significant family reasons, or similar.

When retiring or hibernating staff SHOULD aim to leave enough time to support an orderly handover of duties and delegations.

Staff MAY be suspended by a supermajority vote. For example, while allegations leading to a removal vote are being investigated.

Staff MAY be removed from staff by a supermajority vote.

Staff who have not helped or attended at the FOSDEM conference, nor been active on the staff mailing list until the next kick-off are automatically put up for a removal vote at the next kick-off or, provided they have still not been active, any point thereafter.

Staff MUST be removed upon death.

Retired, suspended, or removed staff MUST be removed from all privileged access. Accounts of retired or removed staff MUST be deleted.

Staff not retired, hibernated, suspended, or removed are considered active staff.

Ex-staff MUST NOT receive special treatment if wanting to rejoin staff.

7. Governance

The chair leads the meetings by default, the vice-chair assist them and stands in if they are absent. All regulations which apply to the chair also apply to the vice-chair.

Any staff member can self-nominate for the vote as chair. The chair vote is run via condorcet voting. A sitting chair MUST be reconfirmed by a single majority vote at the beginning of every conference kick-off meeting. If the chair is not confirmed, there is no sitting chair and MUST be voted upon. The second-ranked staff member running becomes vice-chair.

The chair MUST work towards making sure that all delegations for the next conference are made and fulfilled. The chair SHOULD work towards a collaborative environment among staff. The chair MAY determine rough consensus as per RFC 7282.

Any staff member MAY call for a vote to challenge or confirm rough consensus or any other topic or decision not otherwise covered by this document.

The sitting chair or vice-chair MAY be removed at any time through a supermajority vote.

7.1 Decision making

FOSDEM takes decisions by consensus, unless a vote is requested by at least one staff member.

Any decision (whether by consensus or by voting) reached will be faithfully executed by every staff member, regardless of personal disagreements. In public, every staff member will stand by the decision and will not make any disagreements public outside of the FOSDEM organisation.

7.2 Votes

Some decisions MUST be decided by a vote, and any staff member MAY call a vote at any time.

Votes MUST be held on the staff mailing list.

Voting MUST ONLY be possible for active staff members. Votes about suspending or removing staff MUST NOT be voted on by the staff member in question.

All votes MUST be open for at least one week or until the result is clear, whichever comes first. The end date SHOULD be clearly stated in the call to vote.

Votes MUST be called explicitly in a separate thread on the staff mailing list. The subject MUST be prefixed with [VOTE]. In the body, the call to vote MUST state the proposal being voted on. It SHOULD reference any discussion leading up to this point.

Votes MAY take the form of a single proposal, with the option to vote yes or no, or the form of multiple alternatives.

7.2.1 Majority vote

A majority is reached if more than 50% of active and eligible staff vote for one option. This vote MAY also be started and concluded during a staff meeting, in that case the outcome MUST be announced on the staff mailing list.

7.2.2 Supermajority vote

A supermajority is reached if more than 75% of active and eligible staff vote for one option.

7.2.3 Condorcet vote

A condorcet vote is organised using the condorcet method and the outcome is determined by the Schulze method. If there are multiple options with no defeats in the Schwartz set, the winner will be randomly chosen from those options, via a mechanism chosen and documented by organiser of the vote.

8. Teams

FOSDEM staff is divided into smaller teams. Teams are created or disbanded through rough consensus. Each team has one or more appointed leaders. Each team is responsible for a specific aspect of the yearly conference. If a team requires a budget, a reasonable request should be made to the finance team.

8.1 Assignment

Team leaders and members are assigned on a voluntary basis, and re-confirmed during each scheduled staff team meeting by rough consensus.

8.2 Operation

Each team has a clearly defined set of tasks to be carried out, and has full, sovereign authority over its execution within the definition of the task, the budget assigned and in line with this document. In the case of disagreements or discussions within the team, decisions need to be carried by team rough consensus. Team members MAY escalate to FOSDEM staff.

In the prolonged absence of the team leader, existing team members SHOULD take over with rough consensus from FOSDEM staff.

8.3 Collaboration

Teams SHOULD collaborate with other teams. The main point of contact for a team is its leader.

8.4 Reporting

Teams SHOULD report progress on their tasks before or during each scheduled staff team meeting. The respective team leader SHOULD provide this report.

Expected or actual budget overruns MUST be reported to FOSDEM staff immediately and MUST be updated on at the next regularly scheduled staff meeting.

8.5 Accountability

Each team MUST report during the post mortem and the report MUST be debated by FOSDEM staff. FOSDEM staff members MAY request a change in team membership or leadership.

9. Facilities, services and support

FOSDEM offers several facilities, services, and support to its staff team members. The choice of using them lies with each individual.

9.1 Office

FOSDEM MAY provide office and/or storage space. Staff MAY access the office and make respectful use of the available equipment. Any non-FOSDEM use of office, storage space, and/or consumables MUST NOT interfere with FOSDEM's goals and, if damaged or consumed, MUST be reimbursed in money or in kind within reasonable time.

FOSDEM delegates the day-to-day management of the office, along with all related responsibilities, to the office team. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to, routine maintenance, utility connections, legal compliance, insurance and meetings, negotiations or agreements with relevant bodies or authorities. The office team will serve year-round, until the next kick-off meeting.

9.2 Travel

Staff MAY claim reasonable expenses for attending the conference or a reasonable number of scheduled staff or team meetings. Staff claiming reimbursement SHOULD be physically present at the conference.

If disagreements about reimbursements are likely or already occurring they MUST be resolved on the staff mailing list as early as possible.

9.3 Accommodation

FOSDEM staff MAY be accommodated, commonly for two days before and one day after the conference. Choice of accommodation and extended accommodation is at the discretion of the hotel team.

9.4 Other expenses

Staff MAY claim expenses for costs directly incurred by the fulfillment of their tasks. Staff seeking reimbursement of expenses MUST fill in the appropriate expense claim form and submit it, along with any evidence, for approval to the finance team. Staff MUST clear expenses outside their tasks with the finance team before filing an expense claim.

Staff SHOULD work to have invoices sent to FOSDEM vzw directly instead of reimbursing expenses.

10. Meetings

Regular general staff meetings are held in the run-up to the conference. The organisation of the next conference is bootstrapped during the kick-off meeting, followed by scheduled progress meetings up until the conference itself. After each conference, a post-mortem meeting will be held, where the outcomes will be evaluated. Outside these general staff meetings, individual teams are encouraged to meet and work on their tasks, even before the kick-off meeting.

These meetings will be organised in person, while still enabling remote participation for those staff members who can not attend in person. The voice of remote participants is equal to that of the in-person participants.

10.1 Kick-off meeting

The kick-off meeting is the first scheduled staff meeting leading up to the conference. The agenda SHOULD include the appointments of team leaders and members, as well as amending or re-affirming the composition of the VZW members. A schedule for the progress meetings as well as the post-mortem meeting MUST be devised.

10.2 Progress meetings

Progress meetings are held at regular intervals in the months leading up to the conference. Team leaders or their appointees report on the progress of individual tasks. In the exceptional case where neither the team leader or an appointee can attend, a progress report SHOULD be shared with the team before the meeting.

10.3 Post-mortem meeting

The post-mortem meeting serves as a moment of reflection on the past conference. Points for improvement SHOULD be discussed across teams. Volunteers having been identified as possible staff candidates are discussed within the team, after which an invitation to join can be extended.

Staff MUST express their intention to organise the next conference, or not. A date, time, location for the kick-off meeting MUST be set.

11. Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct is a formal, public text, explaining our values and the guidelines all staff and participants MUST follow.

11.1 Content

In order to keep FOSDEM a fun, interesting and positive experience for everybody, we expect participants to follow our guidelines:

FOSDEM aims to be a free, open and cooperative event. This means we expect collaboration from all the FOSDEM participants, and for everybody to behave respectfully towards all others, including those that are different or think differently from themselves.

Please be helpful, considerate, friendly, and respectful towards all other participants and respect the environment. We don't condone harassment or offensive behaviour at our conference. We consider it against our values as human beings. We're voicing our strong, unequivocal support of exemplary behaviour by all participants.

Please remember that all FOSDEM participants are here by invitation of the conference organisers and the ULB. We expect all participants to follow this Code of Conduct during the conference and related events. This includes conference-related social events at off-site locations, and in related online communities and on social media. Participants asked to stop a particular behaviour by staff are expected to comply immediately. Conference participants violating this Code of Conduct may be expelled from the conference and/or banned from formal participation in future events.

Please know that if you start legal action, or threaten legal action, against a FOSDEM attendee, volunteer, staff member, speaker, the FOSDEM VZW or any other party participating in a FOSDEM-related event you may be banned temporarily of permanently from any FOSDEM-related; at the discretion of the FOSDEM team upon consultation with the Conduct Team.

Any decision is at the discretion of the FOSDEM Code of Conduct team. Decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

Please bring any concerns to the immediate attention of our coordinating team (contact details below).

Thank you for your help in making FOSDEM a success and pleasant for all the people involved.

11.2 Practicability

The conduct team is responsible for handling any issues or violations of the Code of Conduct brought to their attention or otherwise perceived. The team is expected to handle and respond to these in a timely fashion. Decisions on specific actions to be taken are to follow the general team guidelines.

After finalising the conduct team's handbook, it should be included here.

The conduct team may decide not to disclose information to the FIT team for privacy or legal reasons.

12. Not For Profit organisation

FOSDEM vzw is at the service of FOSDEM and makes no decisions regarding the day to day operations or engagements. It will only have absolute and overruling power in case of legal or serious financial consequences, in order to safeguard the future of the organisation and to shield its members against any legal or monetary repercussions.

FOSDEM vzw will consist of minimally five members (president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, witness), the lead of the VZW is its president. Decision making within the VZW happens according to the legal bylaws published in the Belgian national journal.

Members of the VZW are FOSDEM staff members, and MUST resign from any position in FOSDEM vzw when they are no longer staff.

13. Amending the FOSDEM charter

Amending the FOSDEM charter requires a proposal for amendment to be submitted by a staff team member, and requires a condorcet vote.

14. Disbandment

FOSDEM MAY decide to disband itself. Active staff MAY file a motion to that effect. Any remaining funds are to be transferred to the organisation(s) appointed in the motion for disbandment, in line with the VZW bylaws. This requires a condorcet vote with a minimum participation of two-thirds of the staff team members. The members of the VZW will then be required to take any necessary legal actions to this end.