Decision Brief: Integrating 'Open Collective', 'Patreon', and 'Liberapay' for Kubuntu's Funding
Purpose
This brief proposes a comprehensive strategy for enhancing Kubuntu's funding and financial contributions by adopting 'Open Collective' as the primary management platform and integrating 'Patreon' and 'Liberapay' as additional revenue streams. It aims to present a unified approach to manage contributions across different platforms, leveraging the strengths of each to maximize funding opportunities and transparency.
Background
Sustaining and growing open-source projects like Kubuntu requires a multifaceted approach to funding. Diversifying revenue streams can attract a wider range of contributors and provide more stable financial support. Integrating these streams through a central platform can streamline management and maintain transparency and trust within the community.
Proposed Integration
Open Collective: The Central Hub
Open Collective will serve as the central hub for managing Kubuntu's finances, offering transparency, expense management, and community engagement features as outlined previously. It will centralise the financial contributions from various platforms, providing a single, transparent view of all funds.
Patreon: Building Recurring Support
Patreon allows creators to receive funding directly from their supporters on a subscription basis. It's ideal for building a community of dedicated fans willing to provide regular financial support. By integrating Patreon with Open Collective, Kubuntu can attract recurring contributions while maintaining transparency over how these funds are utilized.
Key Features:
Recurring support from individuals. Rewards and tiers for different levels of support. Direct engagement with supporters through updates and exclusive content.
Liberapay: Simple, Voluntary Donations
Liberapay is a platform that facilitates regular, small donations. Unlike Patreon, it doesn't tie contributions to rewards or content, focusing instead on simple, no-strings-attached support. Integrating Liberapay offers an avenue for those who wish to contribute regularly without the expectation of direct returns.
Key Features:
Emphasis on regular, anonymous donations. No rewards or transaction fees (outside of payment processing). Simple, straightforward support mechanism.
Integration Benefits
Diversified Revenue Streams:
Combining one-time, recurring, and bounty-based contributions appeals to a broader audience of potential supporters.
Centralised Management:
Despite the integration of multiple platforms, all funds flow into Open Collective, ensuring centralised management and spending oversight.
Enhanced Transparency and Trust:
By maintaining a transparent record of all contributions and expenditures on Open Collective, Kubuntu strengthens trust with its supporters, regardless of the donation platform.
Administrative Efficiency:
Managing diverse revenue streams through a single platform reduces administrative burdens and allows for streamlined financial operations.
Considerations
Platform Fees and Integration Costs:
Each platform has its fee structure, and integrating them with Open Collective may involve additional costs or technical challenges.
Community Communication:
Clearly communicating the purpose and benefits of each platform and their integration with Open Collective is vital to ensure community support and engagement.
Adaptation and Management:
The Kubuntu team must adapt to manage contributions across these platforms effectively, ensuring that donor engagement and satisfaction are maintained.
Conclusion
The strategic integration of Open Collective, Patreon, and Liberapay presents a robust approach to funding Kubuntu's development and community support initiatives. This multi-platform strategy aims to maximize contributions by catering to the diverse preferences of potential donors, ensuring financial sustainability through centralized management and transparency. The Kubuntu Council is encouraged to approve this integrated funding strategy, recognizing its potential to significantly enhance the project's financial health and community engagement.
Councillor Decision Record
Councillor | For/Against | Date:Time |
---|---|---|
Aaron Honeycutt | +1 | 3/10/24 7:03 PM MT |
Darin Miller | +1 | 15/03/2024 15:49 UTC |
Rik Mills | ||
Myriam Schweingruber | +1 | 15/03/2024 16:23 UTC |
Rick Timmis | yes For | 10/03/2024 12:05 UTC |
Valorie Zimmerman | Yes For | 10/03/2024 09:30 UTC |