Our Mission

Building a sustainable future for open source software through community-driven funding

Our Mission

Fund2Fix was built by open-source maintainers for open-source communities. It was born from a simple observation: the most critical open source projects often receive the least financial support. While open source software powers the modern world, the developers who maintain these essential projects struggle to make ends meet.

Our platform addresses this fundamental imbalance by creating a sustainable funding model that connects users who benefit from open source software with the maintainers who keep it running.

The Open Source Sustainability Crisis

The Invisible Infrastructure Problem

The most critical open source projects are often the least visible. Libraries like OpenSSL, Log4j, and zlib power millions of applications but receive minimal recognition or funding.

When these foundational projects struggle, the entire software ecosystem is at risk.

Maintainer Burnout

Open source maintainers face overwhelming demands with little to no compensation. Many work full-time jobs while maintaining critical projects in their spare time, leading to burnout and project abandonment.

The result? Security vulnerabilities, stalled development, and lost innovation.

The Funding Paradox

Companies and individuals benefit enormously from open source software, but the funding model is broken. Traditional approaches like donations, sponsorships, and grants are insufficient and unreliable.

We need a new model that directly connects usage with funding, ensuring that those who benefit most contribute most.

Historical Cases: When One Open Source Fails, The World Suffers

Heartbleed Bug (OpenSSL, April 2014)

The Heartbleed vulnerability affected two-thirds of the internet's secure websites. OpenSSL, the library at the center of this crisis, was maintained by just two developers working part-time with minimal funding.

Impact: Millions of websites vulnerable, billions in potential damages, and a wake-up call about the fragility of our digital infrastructure.

References:

Left-pad Incident (March 2016)

A single developer removed a tiny package called "left-pad" from npm, breaking thousands of applications including major frameworks like React and Babel. This incident highlighted the fragility of the JavaScript ecosystem and the lack of sustainable funding for even small but critical packages.

Impact: Massive disruption to the JavaScript ecosystem, highlighting the need for better dependency management and maintainer support.

References:

Log4Shell (Log4j, December 2021)

The Log4Shell vulnerability affected hundreds of millions of devices worldwide. Log4j, a critical logging library, was maintained by volunteers with limited resources despite being used by virtually every Java application.

Impact: One of the most severe vulnerabilities in history, affecting major tech companies and government systems worldwide.

References:

Faker.js Sabotage (January 2022)

The maintainer of Faker.js, a popular library used by millions of developers, intentionally sabotaged the package after becoming frustrated with the lack of financial support despite massive usage by commercial companies.

Impact: Widespread disruption and a stark reminder of what happens when maintainers feel undervalued and unsupported.

References:

xz Backdoor (March 2024)

A sophisticated backdoor was discovered in the xz compression library, a critical component used by SSH servers and many Linux distributions. The backdoor was introduced by a maintainer who had gained trust over years of contributions, highlighting the risks of underfunded critical infrastructure projects.

Impact: Potential compromise of SSH servers worldwide, demonstrating how critical open source infrastructure can be weaponized when maintainers lack proper support and oversight.

References:

Our Solution: Community-Driven Sustainability

Direct Funding

Users directly fund specific issues that matter to them, ensuring maintainers get paid for their work.

Smart Prioritization

Our algorithm identifies the most impactful issues based on community engagement and ecosystem importance.

Community Ownership

The community collectively decides which issues to fund, creating a democratic approach to open source sustainability.

Why This Works

  • • Aligned Incentives: Users fund what they need, maintainers get paid for what they build
  • • Transparent Impact: Every dollar goes directly to issue resolution
  • • Sustainable Model: Continuous funding based on actual usage and need
  • • Ecosystem Awareness: Our dependency analysis ensures critical infrastructure gets proper funding

One Solution Among Many

Fund2Fix does not aim to be a one-size-fits-all solution to the general problem of open-source project sustainability. The challenges facing open source are complex and multifaceted, requiring diverse approaches and solutions.

Instead, we offer one proposal to sustain ecosystems through community-driven issue funding. We believe this model can complement other sustainability efforts like corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and platform-based funding mechanisms.

Join the Movement

Help us build a sustainable future for open source software. Whether you're a user who benefits from open source or a maintainer who keeps it running, your participation matters.

Join Fund2Fix