This is an automated email from the ASF dual-hosted git repository. rbowen pushed a commit to branch rbowen-why in repository https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/comdev-site.git
commit 5bed759660379a09870b9fac5341e157e4abd90a Author: Rich Bowen <[email protected]> AuthorDate: Tue Jun 9 14:13:03 2026 -0400 Emphasize the why. This whole section should be about persuading companies that participating in open source is to their benefit, rather than being about giving stuff away. This is a reorg that focuses on *WHY* companies should participate, and emphasizes that this is in the interest of their business and customers. --- source/companies/advocacy.md | 50 +++++++-- source/companies/benefits.md | 118 +++++++++++++++----- source/companies/employ.md | 249 +++++++++++++++++++++---------------------- source/companies/sponsor.md | 96 +++++++++++++++-- 4 files changed, 339 insertions(+), 174 deletions(-) diff --git a/source/companies/advocacy.md b/source/companies/advocacy.md index b0cfb47c..071b41e1 100644 --- a/source/companies/advocacy.md +++ b/source/companies/advocacy.md @@ -6,21 +6,38 @@ tags: ["companies", "advocacy", "branding"] # Open Source Advocacy +How your company talks about ASF projects directly affects how willing +those communities are to work with you. Companies that speak +respectfully about open source projects — giving credit to the +community, and respecting project brands — [build the reputation and +trust](/companies/benefits.html#reputation-and-trust) that opens doors +to deeper collaboration. + Since the earliest days of the Apache Software Foundation, companies have built their business and reputation around ASF projects, and we -have always encouraged that. We, in turn, depends on the good will of +have always encouraged that. We, in turn, depend on the goodwill of companies. How companies speak about ASF projects is a critical part of -our public image. +our public image — and of yours. + +{{% toc %}} ## Respect Our Brands -Like any organization, the ASF has [Trademark -Policy](https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/) which describes -appropriate and inappropriate ways to use the brand of the ASF, and of +Like any organization, the ASF has a [Trademark +Policy](https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/) that describes +appropriate and inappropriate ways to use the brand of the ASF and of ASF projects. We expect companies to familiarize themselves with these policies, just as they would when working with another company or partner. +Respecting project brands isn't just a legal obligation — it signals +that your company understands how open source governance works, which +builds [credibility with the project +community](/companies/benefits.html#reputation-and-trust) and +strengthens your [strategic +partnerships](/companies/benefits.html#business-and-strategic-advantages) +with other participants. + ## Be Proactive About Education Be sure that anyone speaking on behalf of your company understands @@ -39,15 +56,30 @@ about how best to represent your work in and around these communities. When you mention ASF projects, we ask that you put the community first. It's great to celebrate what your company and employees are doing in and -around ASF projects - we welcome and encourage that! - but be sure to +around ASF projects — we welcome and encourage that! — but be sure to give credit where it's due. The community as a whole makes our projects work, and contributes to your success. Some companies make claims about their involvement in ASF projects that -imply that they own the project, or are primarily responsible for it. +imply they own the project, or are primarily responsible for it. Phrases like "creators of ..." or "primary contributors to ..." devalue the work that the rest of the community does, and unfairly take credit -for the work that others have done to contribute to your success. We ask -that you not do that. +for the work that others have contributed. + +Getting this wrong has practical consequences: projects that feel their +work has been appropriated are less likely to prioritize your feature +requests, less willing to coordinate releases with your schedule, and +more skeptical of your contributors' motives. Getting it right — giving +genuine credit — earns goodwill that [accelerates everything +else](/companies/benefits.html#influence-the-roadmap) you're trying to +achieve in the project. + +## See Also +- [Benefits of open source participation](/companies/benefits.html) — + why your company's reputation in project communities matters +- [Employing contributors](/companies/employ.html) — practical ways to + participate +- [Project Independence](/projectIndependence.html) — why the ASF + values vendor-neutral governance diff --git a/source/companies/benefits.md b/source/companies/benefits.md index a4af404b..d592562f 100644 --- a/source/companies/benefits.md +++ b/source/companies/benefits.md @@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ url: /companies/benefits.html tags: ["companies", "benefits", "business value"] --- +> Contributing upstream is not charity. It's a strategic investment in +> influence, talent, velocity, and business continuity — for the +> software you already depend on. + # Benefits of ASF Participation Companies that actively participate in ASF projects realize significant @@ -11,55 +15,113 @@ strategic and operational advantages that extend far beyond cost savings. It's important to think strategically about how, where, and why you will participate and measure impact. +{{% toc %}} + ## Influence the Roadmap While it can sometimes take months, or years, to gain expertise and trust in an established community, showing up to do the daily -project maintenance -- issue and PR triage; reviewing PRs; planning and -executing community events; answering user questions -- you'll quickly -begin to establish that you can be trusted, which will make it easier -for you to influence the direction of the project. - +project maintenance — issue and PR triage, reviewing PRs, planning and +executing community events, answering user questions — you'll begin to +establish credibility, which makes it easier to influence the direction +of the project. + Decisions about the direction of Apache projects are made by the people who show up to participate in the conversation. If you don't join the conversation, then your competitors will decide how tomorrow's technology will shape up. Make sure someone on your team is reading the project [mailing -lists](https://www.apache.org/foundation/mailinglists.html) every day, -and advocating for your priorities. That's what community means -- -showing up to own the future of the project. +lists](https://lists.apache.org/) every day, +and advocating for your priorities. That's what community means — +showing up and having a say in where the project goes. + +When you have engineers who regularly participate in a project, you're +more likely to earn a seat at the table where roadmap decisions happen — +deprecations, API changes, release timelines. You learn about breaking +changes months before they ship, not after. You can advocate for +features your teams need rather than working around their absence. -While trust does not necessarily transfer to other employees, over time, -as project participants see your company actively contributing to the -project, and demonstrating ownership, they'll be more willing to work -with you. +This isn't about control. It's about having a voice proportional to your +stake. To understand the path from contributor to trusted community +member, see the [contributor ladder](/contributor-ladder.html). -## Recruiting +## Recruiting and Talent Development By working upstream on projects, you directly showcase to potential employees what they might be working on. This helps attract the right kind of talent to work on your priorities, and they'll begin to see your company as a partner in the project, and an attractive place to work. -Being involved in the day-to-day life of the project -gives you direct access to the most qualified people in the world to -work on your team. And you know they'll be arriving with the skills you -need. +Being involved in the day-to-day life of the project gives you direct +access to the most qualified people in the world to work on your team. +And you know they'll be arriving with the skills you need. + +Engineers who contribute upstream also develop skills that are difficult +to acquire any other way: navigating large unfamiliar codebases, +collaborating asynchronously across organizations, writing code that +meets a high external bar for quality and documentation. These are +exactly the skills that make senior engineers effective internally, and +they're developed through practice, not training courses. And the skills +aren't purely technical — upstream participation also builds the ability +to clearly present and defend ideas, build consensus, and advocate for a +technical direction in a community of peers. + +Companies known for upstream contributions attract engineers who value +that work — a self-reinforcing talent advantage. + +## Faster Problem Resolution + +When your engineers have existing relationships with maintainers, bug +reports often get triaged faster. Design discussions are more likely to +include your perspective. Security patches may be coordinated with you +rather than being a surprise. In many projects, the difference between +"anonymous issue reporter" and "known contributor" can be the difference +between weeks and days. + +## Reduced Integration Cost + +Contributing fixes upstream means they ship in the next release for +everyone — including you. The alternative is carrying internal patches, +rebasing them every release, and hoping they don't conflict with +upstream changes. Every patch you push upstream is maintenance you're +far less likely to carry yourself. + +## Ecosystem Health as Business Continuity + +The projects you depend on are maintained by a small number of people, +often without dedicated funding. When those maintainers burn out or move +on, the project stalls — and your dependency becomes a liability. +Contributing engineering time is a direct investment in the continuity +of software your business relies on. It's cheaper than building an +alternative. The ASF also accepts [financial +sponsorship](https://www.apache.org/foundation/sponsorship.html), which +supports the infrastructure that all projects share. + +## Reputation and Trust + +In the open source ecosystem, reputation is currency. Companies known +for contributing — not just consuming — can earn trust from foundations, +maintainers, and the broader developer community. That trust opens +doors: partnership opportunities, early access to emerging projects, and +goodwill that's impossible to buy with sponsorship dollars alone. + +In Apache projects, trust is earned by individuals — this is a core +principle of [The Apache Way](https://www.apache.org/theapacheway/). +Don't assume that one person's reputation will necessarily rub off on +other members from the same team or organization. Over time, your +company may gain a reputation for participation and trustworthiness, but +that's always built on the track record of individual contributors. ## Business and Strategic Advantages For more than 25 years, the ASF has been a place where industry -standards have been set and implemented. Collaborating in those -projects is the most effective way to shape industry standards and best -practices. You'll be building trust with current and potential -customers, and building strategic partnerships with other companies -working in the same space. +standards have been set and implemented. Collaborating in +[those projects](https://projects.apache.org/) is one of the most +effective ways to shape industry standards and best practices. You'll be +building credibility with current and potential customers, and building +strategic partnerships with other companies working in the same space. And by collaborating with your peers on the common tasks, you'll be able -to better focus on your unique business differentiators. -Collaborate on what all share; Compete where you excel. - -*The benefits of open source participation compound over time, creating -sustainable competitive advantages and fostering innovation that drives -long-term business success.* +to better focus on your unique business differentiators. Collaborate on +what you have in common; compete where you're distinctive. diff --git a/source/companies/employ.md b/source/companies/employ.md index f8855643..ede57907 100644 --- a/source/companies/employ.md +++ b/source/companies/employ.md @@ -6,12 +6,13 @@ tags: ["companies", "employment", "contributors"] # Employing or Contracting with Open Source Contributors -If your business relies on an open source project, employing, contracting with or -otherwise financially supporting, -contributors to the project is the most effective way to ensure that -your priorities are reflected in project decisions. -(See also [Recruiting and Employee -Satisfaction](/companies/benefits.html#recruiting-and-employee-satisfaction)) +If your business relies on an open source project, employing, contracting with, or +otherwise financially supporting +contributors to the project is the most effective way to [influence +project decisions](/companies/benefits.html#influence-the-roadmap) and +ensure your priorities are reflected in the roadmap. +(See also [Recruiting and Talent +Development](/companies/benefits.html#recruiting-and-talent-development)) This goes [far beyond code contributions](/contributors/non-code.html), although that is the most obvious and visible way that you can participate. @@ -23,180 +24,174 @@ community? Are those positions being adequately covered? Dedicating employee or contractors' time to positions like marketing, events, and end-user support, as well as software development, significantly -increases your influence and trust in the project community. +increases your [influence and +trust](/companies/benefits.html#reputation-and-trust) in the project +community. + +{{% toc %}} ## Effective Ways to Contribute While many companies contribute here and there to open source projects, having a carefully considered strategy for doing so will lead to more -consistent, measurable results, and greater influence in the project's -decisions and roadmap. +consistent, measurable results, and greater [influence in the project's +decisions and roadmap](/companies/benefits.html#influence-the-roadmap). ### Allocate Dedicated Time -Earning trust in open source projects takes consistent engagement, and -visibility to the community. Thus, having guaranteed dedicated time to -focus on upstream work will result in better long-term results. +[Earning trust](/companies/benefits.html#reputation-and-trust) in open +source projects takes consistent engagement and visibility to the +community. Having guaranteed dedicated time to focus on upstream work +will produce better long-term results. -Giving employees a specific time allocation - 10-20% of their schedule -is typical - will ensure that they remain visible to the community, and +Giving employees a specific time allocation — 10-20% of their schedule +is typical — will ensure that they remain visible to the community, and are able to have focused time to build their skills. -Trust earned by one contributor does not necessarily rub off on your -other employees. So don't assume that you can just swap out one employee +Trust earned by one contributor does not necessarily transfer to your +other employees. Don't assume that you can just swap out one employee for another. ### Recognize Contributions Include open source contributions in performance reviews and career -advancement considerations. Define specific metrics, such as PRs +advancement considerations. Define specific metrics — PRs accepted, reviews, public speaking engagements, or promotion to -committer or PMC member, which are tied to promotion opportunities. This -will help employees feel appreciated, and communicate that engagement in -open source projects is not considered charity or altruism, but is a key -part of company goals. +committer or PMC member — and tie them to promotion opportunities. This +communicates that engagement in open source projects is a key +part of company goals, not charity or altruism. + +When employees see that upstream work is valued internally, they invest +more deeply in it — and that deeper investment is what produces the +[talent development](/companies/benefits.html#recruiting-and-talent-development) +and [roadmap influence](/companies/benefits.html#influence-the-roadmap) +your company is looking for. ### Support Conference and Meetup Participation Fund employee attendance at relevant conferences and encourage speaking -opportunities. Understand that attending conferences is primarily about -creating opportunities to collaborate with peers, and this, in turn, -will accelerate your business priorities. - - -## Support Individual Contributors - -Supporting individual contributors financially (via B2B contracts, -individual sponsorships, fellowships, and third party sponsor programs) -can be a very effective way to contribute to a project if you don't have -full-time positions available on your payroll. - -### Bug Bounties +opportunities. Attending conferences is primarily about +creating opportunities to collaborate with peers, which in turn +accelerates your [roadmap +influence](/companies/benefits.html#influence-the-roadmap) and [talent +pipeline](/companies/benefits.html#recruiting-and-talent-development). -While the ASF does not ever directly pay for contributions to ASF -projects, as a matter of principle, there are many third-party "bug -bounty" sites that allow you to support individual contributors in their -work on projects that you care about. +See also [Event and Meetup Sponsorship](/companies/sponsor.html#event-and-meetup-sponsorship) +for ways to increase your visibility at these events. -The project -[bug-bounty-platforms](https://github.com/disclose/bug-bounty-platforms) -maintains a list of such sites, along with contact information. The ASF -does not endorse any of these sites, but developers are welcome to work -with them as they contribute to ASF projects. - -### Sponsor and Internship Programs - -There are many third-party programs through which you can support -contributors to open source projects, with [GitHub -Sponsors](https://github.com/open-source/sponsors) being one of the -best-known. - -Internship programs such as [Outreachy](https://www.outreachy.org/) -provide opportunties for individuals to work a paid internship for an -open source project. Companies can support these organizations, and thus -indirectly fund work on projects that they care about. - -## Project Independence - -Project independence is a central tenet of the ASF, and one of the most -common places that companies misstep in their interactions with ASF -projects. - -Take time to understand ASF ethos, the [ASF Trademark -Policy](https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/), and the reasons why -we value project independence. Trust takes a long time to earn, but can -be burned very quickly by misusing a project's brand. - -There are several very practical ways that you can contribute to overall -project health, while earning trust for your contributors. - -### Broad Project Ownership - -Ensure contributions align with long-term project goals rather than -solely short-term company priorities. That ensures that the project as a -whole remains healthy. - -Companies that focus only on contributions that support their own -specific business model quickly identify themselves as not valuing the -overall health of the project. It also makes it very difficult to -attract broader community interest in your proposed changes, since they -are seen as self-serving. - -### Chop Wood, Carry Water (Routine Maintenance) +## Chop Wood, Carry Water (Routine Maintenance) Open source communities sometimes use the phrase "chop wood, carry -water" to talk about doing the mundane maintenance tasks that are -required to keep a project going. +water" to describe the mundane maintenance tasks required to keep a +project going. -Many companies focus only on the flashy new features, and ignore the -fact that a software project needs daily care to keep going. +Many companies focus only on flashy new features and ignore the +fact that a software project needs daily care. But routine maintenance +is where [trust is built](/companies/benefits.html#reputation-and-trust) +and [problem resolution +accelerates](/companies/benefits.html#faster-problem-resolution). -#### Triage +### Triage -Participating in the weekly triage of new issue reports and pull +Participating in weekly triage of new issue reports and pull requests keeps a project healthy. It ensures that the project does not -appear abandoned. And it exposes your team to parts of the project on -which they would not otherwise gain expertise. - -It also identifies your contributors as people who care about the -overall health of the project, which, in turn, earns trust and increases -the community's willingness to work with you. +appear abandoned. It exposes your team to parts of the project on +which they would not otherwise gain expertise. And it identifies your +contributors as people who care about overall project health. Be sure to explicitly give your employees time to do these tasks. -#### Infrastructure +### Infrastructure While the physical infrastructure behind ASF projects is maintained by a [team of paid professionals](https://infra.apache.org/), there's more to project infrastructure than that. Keeping the CI system running effectively, understanding what supplementary infrastructure the project -depends, on, and generally being useful are key ways to ensure the -sustainability of the project. +depends on, and generally being useful are key ways to ensure +[sustainability of the project](/companies/benefits.html#ecosystem-health-as-business-continuity). -For projects that provide infrastructure, or other cloud services, +For projects that provide infrastructure or other cloud services, donating these to the project (talk to infra about how!) is critical to the health of ASF projects. -#### User Support +### User Support -Answering user questions is the very best way to understand the pain +Answering user questions is the best way to understand the pain that your own customers are experiencing with the project. It will make you more responsive to them, and build your own expertise, in a way that -no other activity will do. +no other activity can — which is why it directly contributes to [faster +problem +resolution](/companies/benefits.html#faster-problem-resolution) for your +own teams. -### Transparency +## Transparency -Many companies value secrecy in their roadmap, as they believe that it +Many companies value secrecy in their roadmap, believing that it gives them a competitive advantage in the market. This is in tension with the open source focus on transparency and collaboration. Finding an appropriate balance is key to your successful -participation in ASF projects. +participation in ASF projects. Being transparent about your company +priorities has several practical payoffs: + +- **Avoid conflicts** — Telling the project what you will be working on + can avoid conflicting with other work that is going in a different + direction. The project can discuss your plans and compromise on a + mutually agreed direction, saving you time going down a path which + will ultimately get rejected. (This is a direct example of [reduced + integration + cost](/companies/benefits.html#reduced-integration-cost).) + +- **Attract collaborators** — You may identify people from outside your + organization who share the same priority, who may work with you to + achieve your goals, providing ideas and innovation you would have + missed behind your company walls. (See [Business and Strategic + Advantages](/companies/benefits.html#business-and-strategic-advantages).) + +- **Earn trust** — Being transparent about your priorities shows the + project what you care about, rather than leaving them guessing. The + more you live up to what you say you're going to do, the more the + project will be willing to work with you. (See [Reputation and + Trust](/companies/benefits.html#reputation-and-trust).) + +## Respect Project Independence + +Project independence is a central tenet of the ASF, and one of the most +common places that companies misstep. Understanding [why independence +matters](/projectIndependence.html) will help you avoid burning the trust +you've worked to build. -Being transparent about your company priorities has several positive -outcomes. +A few practical guidelines: -#### Avoid Conflicts +- **Broad project ownership** — Ensure contributions align with + long-term project goals rather than solely short-term company + priorities. Companies that focus only on self-serving contributions + quickly signal that they don't value overall project health, making + it harder to attract community interest in their proposed changes. -Telling the project what you will be working on can avoid conflicting -with other work that is going in a different direction. The project can -discuss your plans, and compromise on a mutually agreed direction, -saving you time going down a path which will ultimately get rejected. +- **Respect the brand** — Familiarize yourself and your spokespeople + with the [ASF Trademark + Policy](https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/). See our [advocacy + guide](/companies/advocacy.html) for practical tips. -#### Attract Collaborators +## Support Individual Contributors + +If you don't have full-time positions available on your payroll, +supporting individual contributors financially — via B2B contracts, +individual sponsorships, fellowships, and third-party programs — is +another effective way to invest in [ecosystem health as business +continuity](/companies/benefits.html#ecosystem-health-as-business-continuity). -It can be a way to identify people from outside your organization who -share the same priority, who may work with you to achieve your goals, -and, in the process, provide ideas and innovation that you may have -missed had you done the work yourself behind your company walls. +### Internship and Fellowship Programs -#### Earn Trust +Programs such as [Outreachy](https://www.outreachy.org/) provide +opportunities for individuals to work paid internships on open source +projects. [GitHub Sponsors](https://github.com/open-source/sponsors) is +another well-known mechanism. Companies can support these organizations, +and thus indirectly fund work on projects that they care about. -It always comes back to earning trust. Being transparent about your -priorities shows the project what you care about. It doesn't leave them -guessing about your ulterior motives. The more you do this, and the more -you live up to what you say you're going to do, the more the project -will be willing to work with you. +See also [Financial Sponsorship](/companies/sponsor.html) for broader +organizational funding options. ## Getting Started @@ -204,11 +199,9 @@ will be willing to work with you. 2. Connect with existing contributors in your organization 3. Start with small, manageable contributions 4. Consider sending a weekly/monthly update to the project dev list - about what you're focusing on. (Discuss this with the project first - to be sure it's welcome.) + about what you're focusing on (discuss this with the project first + to be sure it's welcome) 5. Build relationships within project communities -6. Gradually increase involvement and responsibility (See [Becoming a +6. Gradually increase involvement and responsibility (see [Becoming a committer](/contributors/becomingacommitter.html)) -*Companies that invest in employing open source contributors create a sustainable model that benefits the entire ecosystem while building internal expertise and community relationships.* - diff --git a/source/companies/sponsor.md b/source/companies/sponsor.md index b1e37b87..80e45813 100644 --- a/source/companies/sponsor.md +++ b/source/companies/sponsor.md @@ -6,19 +6,31 @@ tags: ["companies", "sponsorship", "funding"] # Financial Sponsorship -The sustainability of our projects relies on consistent funding for +Financial sponsorship is a direct way to invest in the [business +continuity](/companies/benefits.html#ecosystem-health-as-business-continuity) +of projects your company depends on, while gaining visibility and +[talent access](/companies/benefits.html#recruiting-and-talent-development) +in project communities. + +The sustainability of ASF projects relies on consistent funding for infrastructure, legal services, marketing, events, and many other -expenses. Financial sponsorship is a direct way to participate in -keeping the lights on. +expenses. When you sponsor, you're helping keep the lights on for +software that's already in your supply chain. + +{{% toc %}} ## ASF Sponsorship Companies can sponsor the ASF with an [annual donation](https://apache.org/foundation/sponsorship.html), -[conferences sponsorship](https://communityovercode.org), +[conference sponsorship](https://communityovercode.org), targeted donations to a particular project, or in-kind donations of products or services. +ASF sponsorship is acknowledged publicly on the Foundation website and +at events — giving your company brand visibility across the entire +Apache ecosystem. + ## Event and Meetup Sponsorship In addition to the [main ASF conference](https://communityovercode.org), @@ -26,12 +38,15 @@ many ASF projects have their own events. These are usually listed on [events.apache.org](https://events.apache.org), and announced within the project community itself. -Sponsoring, and speaking at, these events, is perhaps the fastest way to -raise your profile in a project community, and for your employees to -earn trust and visibility within the project. +Sponsoring and speaking at these events is perhaps the fastest way to +[raise your profile](/companies/benefits.html#reputation-and-trust) in a +project community, and for your employees to earn trust and visibility. +It's also a direct path to [talent +recruitment](/companies/benefits.html#recruiting-and-talent-development) +— you're meeting the most engaged contributors in person. -Supporting local gatherings of open source enthusiasts is a great way to -foster community growth, and can help your company attract and retain +Supporting local gatherings of open source enthusiasts fosters +community growth and can help your company attract and retain experts in your employ. See also the [Apache Local @@ -39,4 +54,67 @@ Communities](https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/COMDEV/Apache+Local+Com for local and regional groups where you can engage with other ASF enthusiasts. +## Supporting Individual Contributors + +Not all financial support needs to go through the Foundation. Companies +can also fund individual contributors directly — via contracts, bounty +programs, fellowships, or sponsorship platforms — to accelerate work on +projects they care about. + +This is particularly useful when you don't have headcount to [employ +contributors directly](/companies/employ.html), but still want to +invest in [ecosystem +health](/companies/benefits.html#ecosystem-health-as-business-continuity) +and [faster problem +resolution](/companies/benefits.html#faster-problem-resolution). + +### Bug Bounties and Contract Work + +While the ASF does not directly pay for contributions to ASF +projects as a matter of principle, there are many third-party "bug +bounty" platforms that allow you to fund individual contributors for +work on projects you depend on. + +The project +[bug-bounty-platforms](https://github.com/disclose/bug-bounty-platforms) +maintains a list of such sites, along with contact information. The ASF +does not endorse any of these sites, but developers are welcome to work +with them as they contribute to ASF projects. + +Companies can also contract directly with individual contributors for +specific work — fixing bugs, implementing features, or improving +documentation — as long as the resulting contributions go through the +normal project review and acceptance process. + +### Internship and Fellowship Programs + +Programs such as [Outreachy](https://www.outreachy.org/) provide +opportunities for individuals to work paid internships on open source +projects. [GitHub Sponsors](https://github.com/open-source/sponsors) is +another well-known mechanism. Companies can support these organizations, +and thus indirectly fund work on projects that they care about. + +## Choosing Between Sponsorship and Employment + +Financial sponsorship and [employing +contributors](/companies/employ.html) are complementary strategies: + +- **Sponsorship** supports shared infrastructure and community events + that benefit all participants. It builds broad visibility and + goodwill. +- **Employing contributors** gives you direct [roadmap + influence](/companies/benefits.html#influence-the-roadmap) and [faster + problem resolution](/companies/benefits.html#faster-problem-resolution) + on specific projects. + +Most companies that are serious about open source engagement do both. + +## See Also + +- [Benefits of open source participation](/companies/benefits.html) — + the strategic case for all forms of engagement +- [Employing contributors](/companies/employ.html) — staffing open + source work directly +- [ASF Sponsorship program](https://apache.org/foundation/sponsorship.html) — + official sponsorship tiers and details
