irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $885KOutreachy and The Institute For Computing Research (ICR): In the tax year, we funded 60 interns via Outreachy - an initiative that encourages participation in FOSS for those who are subject to systemic bias and impacted by underrepresentation in the technical industry where they live. Outreachy interns improve FOSS and its documentation, and increase the diversity of the FOSS community while also learning valuable skills. ICR mentors and trains students in high school to do rigorous scientific research using FOSS. During this tax year, ICR had 27 internships. Both internship programs are paid programs which enable those from less privileged backgrounds to participate.
- #2 $423KLicense Compliance & Enforcement: Some FOSS is available under "copyleft" licenses, such as the General Public License (GPL). These licenses allow everyone to freely share, copy, modify and (re)install modified versions of software. SFC identifies situations where distributors fail to meet the copyleft requirements & requires them to provide the same rights to all those who receive the software distribution. Through this process, SFC ensures that the public has equal rights to use, improve and study software & experiment with their own modifications so that the rights of consumers to repair the software on their devices is restored. During the tax year, SFC continued litigation against a maker of Linux-based televisions in California state court in which SFC seeks the complete, corresponding source (CCS) for the copylefted components in the televisions. During the tax year, SFC also provided a grant to an individual to undertake a legal action in Germany where he successfully sought the CCS for the LGPL'd components on the router he purchased. We also designed & built a new wireless router, the OpenWrt One which gives people the ability to modify and fix their router out of the box. The OpenWrt One is an example of how to comply with copyleft licenses & overcome challenges cited in the industry. We also conduct talks and discussions at conferences to educate companies and consumers.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Fiscal Sponsorship for FOSS Projects
Provides legal, administrative, and financial infrastructure to Free and Open Source Software projects, enabling them to receive tax-deductible donations and manage funds
License Compliance & Enforcement
Enforces copyleft licenses such as the GPL by ensuring distributors provide source code and comply with user rights, including through litigation when necessary
Outreachy
Paid internship program that supports individuals from underrepresented and marginalized groups in contributing to Free and Open Source Software projects
The Institute for Computing Research (ICR)
Mentors high school students in rigorous scientific computing research using Free and Open Source Software tools and methodologies
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Free and Open-Source Software Advocacy & Development 7 activities
- Design and deployment of hardware demonstrating copyleft complianceDesigned and built the OpenWrt One wireless router to demonstrate adherence to copyleft licenses and empower users with the ability to modify and repair their devices.
- Development and maintenance of free software tools and forksDevelops, maintains, and improves key free software tools including GNU Automake, Taylor UUCP, and core GNU utilities. Also actively maintains community-driven forks of Bambu Studio and Orca Slicer, and hosts reverse-engineering efforts for Bambu Lab’s networking libraries to ensure compliance with AGPLv3 licensing.
- Fundraising and litigation support for software right to repair and copyleft enforcementConducted a fundraiser that raised $250,007 to support Right to Repair work and enforce copyleft rights in the 3D printing community, including hiring full-time litigation counsel. Funds were specifically directed toward legal action related to Bambu Lab's AGPL violations.
- GPL compliance enforcement through litigation and public advocacyEngages in strategic litigation to enforce copyleft licenses, including ongoing court cases in California to obtain complete corresponding source code for Linux-based televisions and past lawsuits against 14 companies for GPL violations that enabled community firmware development. Files cases in U.S. courts to ensure public transparency of legal proceedings and asserts consumer rights as third-party beneficiaries under the GPL.
- Public communication and media engagement on platform governanceEngaged in public discourse on GPL compliance through media interviews and announced a public exit from GitHub to advocate for open source developers to migrate away from proprietary platforms.
- Public education and stakeholder coordination on software freedom in 3D printingProduces educational content and convenes stakeholders to address software freedom and right-to-repair issues in the 3D printing community. Established a standing committee for regular collaboration and develops resources such as tutorials, Q&As, and podcasts to support FOSS contributors using LLM-backed tools.
- Technical and organizational support for free software projects and developersProvides infrastructure, technical maintenance, and agile project management support to free software organizations such as April (via OpenStack cluster management) and FSF France (through leadership and resource provision). Also founded Upstream University to train developers in contributing effectively to free software projects.
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AI Governance and Ethical Research 2 activities
- Advocacy for AI transparency legislation and policy recommendationsSupports California’s Artificial Intelligence Transparency Act by publishing policy recommendations aligned with its requirements, particularly regarding LLM-backed generative AI systems. Provides reusable advocacy materials—including template letters and documents in LaTeX, Markdown, and PDF formats—to enable public engagement with legislators on SB 1000 and similar bills.
- Research and publication on AI and FOSS policy alignmentPublished technical and policy recommendations for integrating LLM-backed generative AI into free and open source software development in ways that comply with transparency standards, particularly those proposed in California legislation.
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Industry-Specific Student Scholarships and Competitions 1 activity
- Funding internships to increase diversity in free and open source softwareFunds internships through Outreachy and The Institute for Computing Research to support participation in FOSS by individuals from underrepresented and systemically biased backgrounds, including 60 interns via Outreachy and 27 high school students conducting scientific research using FOSS tools.
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Organizational Governance & Leadership Development 1 activity
- Project evaluation and membership governance for open source initiativesOperates an Evaluation Committee responsible for assessing open source projects and recommending them for membership within the organization.
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Human Rights Advocacy Funding 1 activity
- Supporting international copyleft enforcement through legal fundingFunds legal actions abroad to uphold free software license compliance, such as supporting a case in Germany that enabled an individual to obtain complete corresponding source code for LGPL-licensed router software.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$3.21M
Contributions & grants$2.49M77%
Program service revenue$550K17%
Investment income$160K5%
Other revenue$13K
expenses
Total expenses$3.81M
Program expenses78%
Admin / overhead18%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$1.30M
Grants paid out$53K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$5.40M
Cash$2.17M
Investments$2.67M
Liabilities$1.11M
Net assets$4.29M
Liquid reserves15.3 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +29.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 4
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karen M Sandler | President and Executive Director | 45 | $241K |
| Rick Sanders | General Counsel | 40 | $193K |
| Sage Sharp | Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion | 40 | $163K |
| Bradley M Kuhn | Director, Policy Fellow, Outgoing Treasurer | 40 | $154K |
board members · 6
- Allison Randal — Board Chairperson, Vice President, and Director
- Anthony K Sebro Jr — Director
- Bdale Garbee — Director
- Jeremy Allison — Director
- Laura Fortunato — Director
- Mark Galassi — Director
relationships · 25
Who they work with
- Amateur Radio Digital Communications Funder — Provided grants to support Software Freedom Conservancy's GPL compliance work, including litigation efforts.
- April Partner — Collaborates with April, a grassroots organization promoting Free Software, through technical maintenance and contribution coordination.
- Ask Noah Show Partner — Hosted an interview with SFC's Policy Fellow on GPL compliance in RHEL.
- Bambu Lab Partner — Addressed AGPL violations by Bambu Lab through advocacy and a dedicated fundraiser to support Right to Repair work.
- Bambu Lab Partner — Subject of enforcement and advocacy efforts regarding AGPL compliance for 3D printer firmware.
- Civil Eats Partner — Covered right to repair issues connected to the organization's broader technology ethics work.
- FSF France Partner — Provides support to French free software developers through leadership and resource provision at FSF France.
- FULU Partner — Drew public attention to Bambu Lab's AGPLv3 violations and supported SFC's response through public advocacy.
- Free Software Foundation Network — Former Executive Director of the Free Software Foundation, indicating organizational alignment and ongoing network connection.
- Free Software community Partner — Collaborated with volunteers from the Free Software community to co-draft generative AI policy recommendations.
- GNOME Foundation Partner — Co-organizes the Outreach Program for Women with the GNOME Foundation.
- LWN Partner — Published an article featuring the organization's executive director on labor issues in free software.
- NPR Partner — Reported on regulatory developments in tech policy aligned with the organization's advocacy.
- Outreachy Partner — Funds and supports internships through the Outreachy program to increase diversity in Free and Open Source Software.
- Paweł Jarczak Partner — Collaborates with Software Freedom Conservancy on the baltobu project, contributing technical work to support AGPLv3 compliance for Bambu Lab devices.
- Senator Becker Government — Target of advocacy efforts regarding California's AI Transparency Act (SB 1000)
- Senator Becker Government — Target of advocacy efforts regarding California's SB 1000 AI Transparency Act.
- Sustainer Partner — Recurring donors supporting ongoing advocacy efforts.
- TechCrunch Partner — Reported on the organization's call for open source developers to leave GitHub.
- The Institute For Computing Research Partner — Partners to mentor and train high school students in scientific research using Free and Open Source Software.
- The Next Web Partner — Covered the organization's criticism of GitHub Copilot's use of open source code.
- The Register Partner — Covered the organization's advocacy efforts regarding GitHub and open source licensing.
- Upstream University Partner — Founded and operates Upstream University to train developers in effective free software contribution practices.
- Wired Partner — Published coverage on ethical issues in open source software relevant to the organization's mission.
- b3nsn0w Partner — Contributed research and public advocacy regarding Bambu Lab's AGPLv3 violations, supporting SFC's compliance efforts.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Driven Policy Development with Iterative Refinementmethodology: community-driven policy developmentBy developing policy guidance through collaborative public sessions and ongoing community feedback, we ensure alignment with the needs of FOSS contributors and evolving technological landscapes, because inclusive and adaptive processes produce more resilient and widely adopted standards.
- Copyleft Enforcement for User Rightsmethodology: copyleft-enforcementBy enforcing copyleft licenses such as the GPL, we ensure public access to source code, which enables users to study, modify, and repair software on their devices, because legal compliance directly empowers user freedom and software repair rights.
- Developer Education and Agile Coordination for FOSS Contributionmethodology: developer-educationBy teaching developers to contribute efficiently and organizing their work through agile methods, we improve coordination and productivity in free software projects, because structured education and development practices lower barriers to entry and sustain long-term project health.
- Public Education to Counter Disinformation and Promote FOSS Rightsmethodology: public-education-against-disinformationBy clarifying misconceptions about AI transparency laws and their compatibility with FOSS, we protect software freedom rights and support user empowerment, because public understanding reduces policy backlash and strengthens advocacy for repair and modification rights.
- Strategic Legal Advocacy and Litigation as Last Resortmethodology: legal-advocacyBy using impact litigation and dedicated legal counsel as a last resort, we enforce software freedom rights and deter non-compliance, because legal action maximizes compliance when voluntary measures fail, while preserving community trust through measured enforcement.