There are definitely cases where it seems to have worked out. My sense, like yours, is that it largely depends on how "community driven" the project is at that

There are definitely cases where it seems to have worked out. My sense, like yours, is that it largely depends on how "community driven" the project is at that point. If it has many independent core developers/main contributors, or many diverse companies relying on it, it seems to work ok (for now). That said, it feels like there is a missed opportunity in the space. Most large companies already donate money toward interests in their local communities, etc. Why isn't there an easy mechanism for tech companies to donate to sustainable funding of open-source that they all depend on? My guess is that because open-source projects are rarely set up as organizations, they can't achieve 501(c)(3). It would not only be tax advantageous for companies, but would also support business continuity and recruiting pipelines. It would also be great for open-source developers and the community. Maybe there are efforts out there to create something like this?