Justin Gibbs of The FreeBSD Foundation has said exactly this, regular yearly donations are very important. The one time donations are great for building a war

Justin Gibbs of The FreeBSD Foundation has said exactly this, regular yearly donations are very important. The one time donations are great for building a war chest, but it is hard to forecast a cash flow without regular contribution. Paying back into open source is part of Cost Of Good Sold, and companies that seem to have longevity are realizing this.