Financial Contributors FAQ

Why should I give to a Collective?

If you get value out of what a project produces or stands for, support them to maintain and grow it. You can also get recognition by appearing on their page as a financial contributor.

How do I contribute financially to a Collective?

Go to the Collective page of the project you want to support. Select a contribution tier and set up a recurring or one-time donation.

What is a platform tip?

Open Collective does not charge fees directly to Collectives. The platform is supported by voluntary payments added to contributions at checkout called "Platform Tips". Tips enable us to keep building and improving the software that powers it all.

Where does your contribution go when you give money to a Collective?

Join Alanna as she runs through the simplified and detailed contribution money flow

How can I find Collectives to support?

Check out the Discover page or do a search.

You can also find open source dependencies using Back Your Stack.

What payment methods can I use?

You can usually pay by credit card through a Collective's page. Some Fiscal Hosts enable payments via bank transfer, Paypal, or other means for their Collectives, in addition to or instead of credit card payments. When you go through the contribution flow, you'll see all the available payment methods for that Collective.

Can I leave a message with my contribution?

To leave a message with your contribution navigate to the Our Contributors section of the Collectives page and find your Name.

Click on 'Leave a public message (optional)' and write your message.

Are my donations tax-deductible?

It depends on the Fiscal Host of the Collective. If the host has tax-exempt status, then your donation can be tax-deductible. It also may matter which country the host is in.

The Open Source Collective 501(c)(6) is a non-profit that serves as fiscal host to most open source software projects on Open Collective. Unfortunately, the IRS does not consider producing open source software to be a charitable activity in and of itself and therefore does not grant tax-exempt status. Donations to Collectives under Open Source Collective 501(c)(6) are not tax-deductible.

Can my Collective give to another Collective?

If both Collectives are in the same Fiscal Host, you can donate using the balance of a Collective. For example, most open source projects are hosted by the Open Source Collective, so they can give to each other.

To make a Collective-to-Collective donation, go to the page of the Collective and select your contribution amount. You will be given the option to donate from any Collective you are a core contributor of.