"Hey, Boss, I want to spend money on something that we already have. The benefits that spending will return are conditional, probabilistic, and long term, if an

"Hey, Boss, I want to spend money on something that we already have. The benefits that spending will return are conditional, probabilistic, and long term, if any." Its not an easy sell. Several people have done fine work in providing example sales pitches, articulating the benefits of supporting open source generally and maintainers specifically. Even with that kind of help, it's still a hard sell. Many business are run for today with no regard for tomorrow, stiff suppliers and contractors and come back next quarter whining about "but if you won't extend more credit you'll be taking hundreds of jobs!" Actual legal obligations don't mean much to those people; they'll never care about a commonwealth. The better type of business still has far more things to do with their money than care for an apparently healthy and vibrant common ecosystem. Usually, the best they can do some public relations spending on par with the rest of their charity work.