When the project you lead needs community support

There’s a particular kind of vulnerability that comes with asking for help. Especially when you’re leading something that tens of thousands of people depend on.

Mautic is launching a fundraiser this month. We need to raise between $40,000 and $60,000 by the end of March to address a revenue shortfall and maintain the operations that keep the project running. The gap came from a combination of company re-budgeting decisions and membership tier changes that we didn’t anticipate at the start of the year.

We have a solid recovery plan. We’ve already implemented cost reductions, refocused our strategy, and started executing on the revenue initiatives that will make us sustainable long-term. The fundraiser gives us the runway to implement those initiatives properly rather than just reacting to immediate pressure.

But what strikes me most about being in this situation isn’t the financial mechanics or the strategic planning. It’s the broader question of how we think about open source sustainability and what it means to truly support the projects we depend on.

The relationship between users and projects

Most people who use open source software have a transactional relationship with it. You find a tool that solves your problem, you use it, maybe you’re grateful for it existing, and you move on with your work.

That’s completely understandable. Open source is supposed to be free as in freedom and in some cases, free as in beer. The whole point is that you can use it without barriers.

Somewhere in that transaction, however, there’s a gap between using something and supporting it. Between benefiting from a project and investing in its sustainability.

I don’t say that as criticism, I’ve been that user plenty of times. You don’t think about the infrastructure costs, the people whose time goes into maintaining documentation, the work required to keep dependencies updated, or the strategic planning needed to keep a project viable five years from now.

You just use the thing that works. Until maybe one day it doesn’t work anymore because the people maintaining it couldn’t sustain the work.

What we’re learning

Leading Mautic through this financial challenge has clarified some things about open source sustainability.

First, you can’t rely on the assumption that product value automatically converts to a willingness to provide financial support. Mautic powers marketing for tens of thousands of organisations. Some of them are running significant operations on it, we even have million- and billion-dollar companies using, and in some cases, selling Mautic. The value is clearly there. But value doesn’t pay infrastructure costs or enable people to work on the project unless someone actively chooses to convert that value into financial support. Thankfully over the years some of these big players have been a huge support to Mautic, but there are many out there who have not.

Second, diversification of funding matters more than you think it will. When a significant portion of your revenue comes from a small number of sources, you’re vulnerable to changes you can’t control. Company budgets shift, priorities change, and suddenly the income you were counting on isn’t there anymore. This can be a very significant risk for open source projects, especially when the wider economy shifts lead to general ‘tightening of belts’ and companies realise they can still get what they need from the open source project, without having to financially contribute to it at the same level.

Third, asking for help feels different when you’re responsible for something that others depend on. There’s a weight to it. You’re not just asking for yourself. You’re asking on behalf of everyone who contributes to the project, everyone who uses it, and everyone who will benefit from it continuing to exist and evolve.

The broader pattern

Mautic isn’t unique in facing sustainability challenges.

Most open source projects are operating on thin margins, in recent years several have ceased active development and others are in similar financial situations where unexpected financial shortfalls lead to significant impacts on the project’s sustainability.

Other projects are facing the need to completely reorient how they attract financial support. We heard recently that Tailwind had to lay off three of their four engineers, citing a reduction in paid plans (and a resulting 80% drop in revenue) due to people using AI tools to read documentation instead of accessing their docs pages, where the paid plans are advertised. Many maintainers I’ve spoken to have shared that they are only one or two financial decisions away from potential collapse due to the narrow base of funding sources.

Many open source projects are increasingly held together by a small number of people who are working far more hours than is sustainable because they believe in what they’re building. The ecosystem depends on that work, but we haven’t collectively figured out how to fund it in a way that matches the value it creates.

Some projects solve this by getting acquired or building commercial offerings around the open source core. Some find foundation support or corporate sponsorship. Some rely on volunteer contributions and hope it’s enough.

We’re trying a mix of approaches. Member organisations who pay annual donations in exchange for perks, trying to improve conversion from our free trials where we receive a 40% commission on sales, building a certification programme, and yes, running a fundraiser when we hit a gap that other revenue streams won’t cover quickly enough.

None of these approaches is perfect. All of them require active engagement from people who benefit from the project.

What you can do

If you use Mautic, the most direct thing you can do is contribute to the fundraiser. Any amount helps. $50 gets you some recognition and stickers. $500 gets you a personal thank you card from me. $1,000 includes a conference ticket. $5,000 gets you VIP recognition and a call with me and Council members.

But beyond Mautic specifically, I’d encourage you to think about the open source projects you depend on. The libraries that underpin your applications. The tools that make your work possible. The platforms that give you alternatives to proprietary software. 

Find out how those projects are funded. See if they have a way to contribute financially. Even small recurring donations add up when enough people participate. The next time you see a banner or popup asking for financial support for an open source project, maybe don’t auto-dismiss it - perhaps take time to read and contribute if you’re in a position to do so. 

If your company benefits from open source, make the case internally for supporting the projects you rely on. Corporate sponsorship often makes the difference between a project that’s barely surviving and one that can invest in its future.

If you can’t contribute financially, contribute in other ways. Documentation, testing, answering questions in forums, writing about your experience using the tool. All of that reduces the burden on core maintainers and makes projects more sustainable.

Looking ahead

We’re going to get through this period with Mautic. We have a plan, we’re executing on it, and I’m confident about where we’re headed.

But I’m also thinking about what we’re learning and how it applies more broadly. Open source sustainability isn’t solved. We’re all figuring it out as we go, trying different approaches, learning from what works and what doesn’t.

The projects you depend on are probably facing similar challenges, whether you’re aware of it or not. The question is whether we collectively decide to support the infrastructure that we all benefit from, or whether we wait until projects start failing before we recognise their value.

I hope we choose the former.

Support Mautic’s fundraiser here.

If you have thoughts on open source sustainability or want to discuss any of this, I’m always interested in the conversation. You can reach me at ruth@ruthcheesley.co.uk or reply below.