The open source funding landscape is changing. Funders struggle to effectively measure and communicate the impact of their programs beyond case-by-case stories. This disconnect threatens the long-term sustainability of funding and thus the sustainability of FOSS. We spent the last year talking with FOSS funding organizations and grant recipients to understand their approach to grant funding, impact reporting, and FOSS sustainability. We also sought to understand the disconnect between the needs of FOSS projects and what funders can provide.

In this talk, we share early insights from our interviews. We will share current funder challenges, like differentiating between reactive vs. proactive impact reporting and translating technical outcomes into policy-maker language. Interestingly, we’re are hosting a workshop here at FOSDEM with FOSS funders to co-design on a shared Funding Impact Taxonomy and Measurement Guidelines co-designed. We will share with the audience the the latest learnings and offer a space for further discussion. We may not bring any solutions but we will advance the dialog, so that funders and FOSS projects can better understand each other.