A group of notable open source programmers and a venture-capital investor launched a nonprofit called the Open Source Endowment to address sustainable funding for open source maintenance and development.

Backers include high-profile figures and companies tied to GitHub, HashiCorp, Supabase, NGINX, Vue.js, cURL, Elastic, Spotify, and more, with a donor pool totaling over 50 organizations.

The piece cites past fundraising mechanisms for open source, such as Linux Foundation grants and corporate donations, and recalls incidents like the OpenSSL Heartbleed episode to illustrate funding vulnerabilities.

Vinogradov argues private endowment funding is the most sustainable model for long-term open source support, stressing patience and long-horizon investing to build lasting impact.

The Endowment plans to provide sustainable, long-term support for maintainers and projects by separating funding from venture or corporate sponsorships, aiming to reduce burnout and dependency on donors.

Konstantin Vinogradov, a venture investor in open source and AI, leads the initiative and has assembled a board; the fund will invest in projects based on user base and critical dependence, prioritizing those lacking sufficient external funding.

Context notes that open source is deeply embedded in the tech stack (about 55%), with many developers working unpaid, highlighting burnout and sustainability concerns.

The Endowment has formed a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and has raised over $750,000 in commitments, with a target of $100 million in assets within seven years.