To back this up with an example, we (DuckDuckGo) tried to look for open source projects with 501(c)3 status or similar for donations, but many projects or organ

To back this up with an example, we (DuckDuckGo) tried to look for open source projects with 501(c)3 status or similar for donations, but many projects or organisations don't make it clear. The alternative was to look through online IRS records which not every donor will do. Another problem was finding up-to-date info about whether funding is actually needed and what for. Donors usually want to donate to a project that is needy and in line with their values. My advice for any OSS project looking for donations is: * Have a dedicated easy-to-find donations page or donations.md file. * Explain what you need funding for. Specific is better. * Indicate how to donate and how to contact you for donation questions. * Make your tax status clear, even if you're not a non-profit. * To reduce bureaucracy, consider joining a non-profit umbrella organisation such as OSTIF ( https://ostif.org/ https://ostif.org/ ) or Riseup Labs ( http://riseuplabs.org/ http://riseuplabs.org/ ). * If you do get donations, report the effect of the funding either publicly or to the donor. This builds trust and increases the chance of repeat donations in future. * Include non-financial donation ideas and link to your developer page or contributing.md file (or equivalent). EDIT: The OpenBSD Foundation is a good example of easy-to-access information about donating, activities, and current and past fundraising campaigns: http://www.openbsdfoundation.org/ http://www.openbsdfoundation.org/