About us
Note: This is a machine translated page. We’ll improve the translation in the future.
An Initiative to Build a Sustainable Free/Open Source Software Ecosystem
FOSS for All is an initiative launched by various communities and projects, both domestic and international, to build a sustainable Free and Open Source ecosystem. Starting with registration as an organization recognized as a corporation and hosting the first conference, we aim to carry out various activities such as establishing a non-profit corporation, obtaining public interest (donation) organization status, and building networks among projects, communities, companies, and users in the mid- to long-term.
Through this, we aim to support various open source projects and communities in Korea and around the world so that they can focus more on what is important without having to establish a corporation, deal with a lot of paperwork, or go through trial and error to find necessary information for operation. This will contribute to building a sustainable free/open source ecosystem.
Main Goals and Projects of the Organization
Fiscal sponsorship
We aim to provide fiscal sponsorship so that free/open source communities and projects can raise and use public funds through corporate or individual sponsorships without registering as an organization or establishing a corporation, and to manage public funds and other assets conveniently and transparently. This is one of our mid- to long-term goals to be pursued after establishing a non-profit corporation.
FOSS for All Conference
We aim to hold an annual conference where various free/open source communities, both domestic and international, can interact, spread lesser-known projects, and discuss common and new concerns of community participants.
Through this, we hope that conference participants will become more active and continuous contributors to free/open source projects.
Building a Network Among Ecosystem Participants
We aim to build a network among various participants in the free/open source ecosystem (maintainers, contributors, enthusiasts, users, companies, related organizations, etc.) and have FOSS for All act as a catalyst among them.
We will not only enable the sharing of various cases and experiences among participants, but also provide necessary support so that they can collaborate and create synergy when needed.
Organization’s Long-term Roadmap
Establishment of an Unincorporated Association
Most of the people participating in the promotion of the organization and the long-term roadmap and projects are new to running a non-profit organization and have their own main jobs. Therefore, we decided to start with the establishment of an unincorporated association, which is less burdensome, register as an “organization recognized as a corporation” at the tax office, and accumulate operational experience through activities.
The establishment of the unincorporated association was completed in the first quarter of 2025.
Hosting the FOSS for All Conference
After the establishment of the unincorporated association, the organization is working on hosting a conference. Through the conference, we aim not only to connect various free/open source communities, projects, and ecosystem participants, but also to spread the organization’s long-term vision. Through this, we hope to build trust and consensus on the purpose of the organization, regular goals, vision, and roadmap, and form networks with individuals, institutions, and organizations that can cooperate together to promote the next steps.
Research on Fiscal Sponsorship Cases
While there are already many cases of fiscal sponsorship overseas in the US, Taiwan, and Europe, it is rare in Korea, especially in the free/open source community, where most cases use overseas organizations. Fiscal sponsorship, which can also be translated as financial sponsorship, ultimately means that an organization manages the assets of another organization, so it is not only a matter of trust but can also be complicated in terms of tax and legal issues. Along with promoting the conference, the organization plans to study cases of overseas non-profit organizations that already provide fiscal sponsorship, such as Open Culture Foundation, Open Source Collective, and Software in the Public Interest, and research how these can be applied to the domestic environment.
Establishment of a Non-profit Corporation and Launch of Fiscal Sponsorship Service
If the previous activities are successful, we plan to move on to the next stage based on accumulated experience, funds, and concrete plans. The next step is to consider establishing and registering a non-profit incorporated association, and then start the fiscal sponsorship service. For fiscal sponsorship, we plan to operate it on a trial basis for a small number of domestic free/open source communities first, and then gradually expand the scope of support.
Designation as a Public Interest Corporation under the Inheritance and Gift Tax Act
If the activities after the establishment of the non-profit corporation are also successful, we are considering obtaining designation as a public interest corporation under the Inheritance and Gift Tax Act through a separate procedure to support the issuance of donation receipts. If this is achieved, we expect that it will help make it easier to raise funds necessary for operation, as we will be able to support the issuance of donation receipts when individuals or companies donate to free/open source communities or projects supported by the organization through fiscal sponsorship.
Contact us
If you have any inquries or would like to discuss about collaborations, feel free to contact us with email!