FOSS Foundations

I conducted research on FOSS Foundations and published two reports:

Growing Open Source Projects with a Stable Foundation

This primer covers non-technical aspects that the majority of projects will have to consider at some point. It also explains how FOSS foundations can help projects grow and succeed.

This primer explains:

• What issues and areas to consider
• How other projects and foundations have approached these topics
• What FOSS foundations bring to the table
• How to choose a FOSS foundation

You can download Growing Open Source Projects with a Stable Foundation.

Research report

The research report describes the findings of the research and aims to help understand the operations and challenges FOSS foundations face.

This report covers topics such as:

• Role and activities of foundations
• Challenges faced and gaps in the service offerings
• Operational aspects, including reasons for starting an org and choice of jurisdiction
• Trends, such as the "foundation in a foundation" model
• Recommendations for different stakeholders

You can download the research report.

Acknowledgments

This research was sponsored by Ford Foundation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The research was part of their Critical Digital Infrastructure Research initiative, which investigates the role of open source in digital infrastructure.