Let me use an #OpenSource project I'm involved in -...

Let me use an #OpenSource project I'm involved in - @thunderbird - to demonstrate the importance of simply asking for donations.

In Dec 2022, for the 1st time, we introduced a one-time, in-app appeal. When our users updated to the newest release, their default browser opened the page I've attached.

They only saw this page ONCE.

We received an astounding $3.5m in donations, doubling our 2022 revenue goal in one month. It was the project's biggest month in history.

#FOSS #Linux #Funding

Did you know that less than 1% of Thunderbird users fund all the work we do? Not too long ago Thunderbird was on the verge of extinction. It's because of donations from that small group of users that we are here today! We don’t show advertisements or sell your data and we are completely funded by donations from our community. Help keep Thunderbird / e Thunderbird’s mission is to offer a time and privacy-respecting, customizable communication experience that gives you control of your data and experience. Free to everyone! Accomplishing that mission means keeping Thunderbird secure, maintaining complex server infrastructure, updating old code, fixing bugs and developing new features. These activities aren’t cheap - requiring talented software engineers and robust infrastructure. So today we’re asking you to help us out. If you get value from using Thunderbird, please consider giving a donation to support it!

Like 1 14 Feb 2023 at 10:00 | Open on layer8.space