Feed: Slashdot
Feed Link: https://slashdot.org/
---

Title: Python Foundation Donations Surge After Rejecting Grant - But
Sponsorships Still Needed

Link: https://developers.slashdot.org/story/25/11/0...

After the Python Software Foundation rejected a $1.5 million grant because it
restricted DEI activity, "a flood of new donations followed," according to a
new report. By Friday they'd raised over $157,000, including 295 new
Supporting Members paying an annual $99 membership fee, says PSF executive
director Deb Nicholson. "It doesn't quite bridge the gap of $1.5 million, but
it's incredibly impactful for us, both financially and in terms of feeling
this strong groundswell of support from the community." Could that same
security project still happen if new funding materializes? The PSF hasn't
entirely given up. "The PSF is always looking for new opportunities to fund
work benefiting the Python community," Nicholson told me in an email last
week, adding pointedly that "we have received some helpful suggestions in
response to our announcement that we will be pursuing." And even as things
stand, the PSF sees itself as "always developing or implementing the latest
technologies for protecting PyPI project maintainers and users from current
threats," and it plans to continue with that commitment. The Python Software
Foundation was "astounded and deeply appreciative at the outpouring of
solidarity in both words and actions," their executive director wrote in a
new blog post this week, saying the show of support "reminds us of the
community's strength." But that post also acknowledges the reality that the
Python Software Foundation's yearly revenue and assets (including
contributions from major donors) "have declined, and costs have
increased,..." Historically, PyCon US has been a source of revenue for the
PSF, enabling us to fund programs like our currently paused Grants Program...
Unfortunately, PyCon US has run at a loss for three years - and not from a
lack of effort from our staff and volunteers! Everyone has been working very
hard to find areas where we can trim costs, but even with those efforts,
inflation continues to surge, and changing U.S. and economic conditions have
reduced our attendance... Because we have so few expense categories (the vast
majority of our spending goes to running PyCon US, the Grants Program, and
our small 13-member staff), we have limited "levers to pull" when it comes to
budgeting and long-term sustainability... While Python usage continues to
surge, "corporate investment back into the language and the community has
declined overall. The PSF has longstanding sponsors and partners that we are
ever grateful for, but signing on new corporate sponsors has slowed."
(They're asking employees at Python-using companies to encourage
sponsorships.) We have been seeking out alternate revenue channels to
diversify our income, with some success and some challenges. PyPI
Organizations offers paid features to companies (PyPI features are always
free to community groups) and has begun bringing in monthly income. We've
also been seeking out grant opportunities where we find good fits with our
mission.... We currently have more than six months of runway (as opposed to
our preferred 12 months+ of runway), so the PSF is not at immediate risk of
having to make more dramatic changes, but we are on track to face difficult
decisions if the situation doesn't shift in the next year. Based on all of
this, the PSF has been making changes and working on multiple fronts to
combat losses and work to ensure financial sustainability, in order to
continue protecting and serving the community in the long term. Some of these
changes and efforts include: - Pursuing new sponsors, specifically in the AI
industry and the security sector - Increasing sponsorship package pricing to
match inflation - Making adjustments to reduce PyCon US expenses - Pursuing
funding opportunities in the US and Europe - Working with other organizations
to raise awareness - Strategic planning, to ensure we are maximizing our
impact for the community while cultivating mission-aligned revenue channels
The PSF's end-of-year fundraiser effort is usually run by staff based on
their capacity, but this year we have assembled a fundraising team that
includes Board members to put some more "oomph" behind the campaign. We'll be
doing our regular fundraising activities; we'll also be creating a unique
webpage, piloting temporary and VERY visible pop-ups to python.org and
PyPI.org, and telling more stories from our Grants Program recipients... Keep
your eyes on the PSF Blog, the PSF category on Discuss, and our social media
accounts for updates and information as we kick off the fundraiser this
month. Your boosts of our posts and your personal shares of "why I support
the PSF" stories will make all the difference in our end-of-year fundraiser.
If this post has you all fired up to personally support the future of Python
and the PSF right now, we always welcome new PSF Supporting Members and
donations.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

---
VRSS v2.1.180528