Why the Open Source Pledge is both relevant and timely

Today Sentry, in partnership with over 20 other organizations, launches the Open Source Pledge at https://opensourcepledge.com/. We at Open Source Collective think the timing couldn’t be better.

The Open Source Pledge is simple: pledge $2,000 per developer to open source software to become a member. The pledge leaves how and to who an organisation should give, it’s the amount that matters most.

This simple message is incredibly important.

Last year, we saw the broader impact of societal and financial shifts on the tech sector, hundreds of companies, big and small, scaled back. Thousands of people lost their jobs, including many who champion the support for open source software and the communities who sustain it within their organizations.

In 2023 Open Source Collective saw a 20% reduction in contributions to our member projects, all of which came from a drop in corporate sponsorships:

When we look at our history, this reduction is significant. Since 2016, we have seen a steady 30-50% increase in sponsorships for projects hosted by Open Source Collective each year. A 50% drop in a single year has had a profound effect on the sustainability of some of our most important projects.

While 2024 has shown a slight recovery, with contributions expected to be 10% higher than the dismal 2023 for open source, it’s clear that we need to take collective action to change the narrative and get back on track. Therefore, in collaboration with Sentry, Open Source Collective is committing significant funds to make it easier for companies to support the software they rely on. We’ll delve deeper into this in the coming weeks, but for now, let’s focus on the key message:

Companies: pay your share.

Thank you.