1.. _rfc-80:
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3=============================================================
4RFC 80: NumFOCUS relationship and sponsorship program
5=============================================================
6
7============== =============================================
8Author:        Even Rouault (with content from Chris Holmes)
9Contact:       even.rouault @ spatialys.com
10Started:       2021-Apr-15
11Status:        Development
12============== =============================================
13
14Summary
15-------
16
17The GDAL project will apply for Fiscal sponsorship to `NumFOCUS <https://numfocus.org>`__,
18under the "Grantor-Grantee" model
19
20Motivation
21----------
22
23GDAL's funding model to date has been using the overhead of new feature
24implementation to support the maintenance activities. While this is a common
25open source funding model, it is no longer sustainable given the maturity that
26GDAL has reached. Undirected financial resources will give the project the
27ability to target challenges that have proven too big or too structural to
28otherwise attack.
29
30Details
31-------
32
33The GDAL project has determined that joining NumFOCUS for Fiscal sponsorship
34will help address those challenges. NumFOCUS will receive donations given by
35sponsors of the GDAL project.
36
37GDAL is well aligned with the requirements for a project to join NumFOCUS, most
38of them are inherited from being an OSGeo project:
39
40- Be scientifically oriented.
41- Be open.
42- Be kind.
43
44More precisely, GDAL will apply for Fiscal sponsorship under the "Grantor-Grantee"
45model. It is described at https://numfocus.org/projects-overview and put inline
46below for convenience:
47
48::
49
50    The Grantor-Grantee Model is a "lightweight" option for fiscal sponsorship,
51    for when a project is in need of an entity to receive and manage grant
52    funding. In this model, the project remains a separate entity responsible
53    for managing its own tax and liability issues. NumFOCUS ensures that the
54    project will use the grant funds received to accomplish the ends described
55    in the grant proposal, in alignment with our purpose as a 501(c)(3) public
56    charity in the United States.
57
58
59Funds donated to GDAL will be earmarked to it (minus the commission received by
60NumFOCUS for its operations, typically 15%, to be confirmed).
61
62The project has already submitted a `first document <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-cZzyctrfvpqF_Cymkn0M9yKYClCA_5MGAmJ_frAi98/edit#heading=h.iq2vc7xizie0>`__ presenting what GDAL is and why it wants to join NumFOCUS:
63
64We now need to formally apply through their `application form <https://numfocus.typeform.com/to/VUPE35>`__
65so that the application is passed to the NumFOCUS board for approval.
66
67The proposed answers to that application form are at:
68https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bc5jdpCe1axdyBHxbJnun7e0DTyDoZI_eFYgJYnOhB8/edit
69
70A `Pre-approved Grantor/ Grantee Agreement <https://docs.google.com/document/d/12KGmSD_EGWqlzh0fiaHNIiN6xPWgdTy--NYf4QR-5k8/edit>`__
71will also have to be signed by 3 members of the GDAL PSC.
72
73General use of funds
74--------------------
75
76This topic will be refined in a further document, but we will underline here
77the general principles.
78
79Funds obtained through NumFOCUS should be used in a way that is for the general good
80of the project, as well as its key open source dependencies (such as PROJ, libgeotiff,
81libtiff, shapelib, etc.).
82
83The tasks candidate to funding will be along (non-exhaustive
84list):
85
86- ticket triaging and fixing,
87- code contribution review,
88- continuous integration maintenance and improvements,
89- monitoring of mailing list,
90- addressing reports raised by security monitoring infrastructure,
91- documentation improvement,
92- software releases,
93- co-operation with other funded developers (in particular onboarding),
94- reports of those activities
95
96More generally, all tasks that are needed for a project to strive on the long term, but are
97typically hard to get directly funding from, as not being directly tied to a
98particular feature. It is expected that new features and
99improvements will go on being submitted as code contributions by the interested
100parties in capacity to develop them, or through service providers they might hire
101for that purpose.
102
103Sponsors will not be able to direct particular developments, nor receive priority
104support through the sponsorship program. For such purposes, they may use
105community support or refer to service providers, as for other GDAL users.
106However, we will offer a way to sponsors to give feedback, as detailed afterwards.
107
108GDAL Advisory Board
109-------------------
110
111The GDAL Advisory Board is a newly forming group that is tasked with ensuring the project is evolving to meet the needs of its largest supporters. There will be periodic meetings with the advisory board, GDAL PSC members wishing to participate, and persons benefiting from funding, providing a forum to give feedback on the latest GDAL work. Board members will also be expected to share how they are using GDAL in their organization (in as much detail as is possible, understanding that some can only talk in general terms). Though the GDAL PSC owns the decision making around how the sponsorship money is allocated, the advisory board will provide key input on the maintenance priorities of the sponsors.
112
113Our hope is that these sessions can also lead to new feature development in GDAL through joint funding initiatives between top sponsors, providing more structure to the way GDAL features are funded today. This ideally leads to more cost-sharing as organizations will be able to be more strategic when they know what everyone else is interested in. These efforts will be above and beyond the core maintenance sponsorship, but the Advisory Board will be a key forum to enable it.
114
115The Advisory board will have an email list, with members of the GDAL PSC on it, and will meet on a periodic schedule, to be determined as the group forms. It will consist of one representative from each of the Platinum sponsors, one representative for every three Gold sponsors, and one representative from Silver sponsors.
116
117Acknowledgment of NumFOCUS and sponsors
118---------------------------------------
119
120The GDAL website will be updated to have a page dedicated to the sponsoring
121program, acknowledging sponsors and NumFOCUS, providing a detailed FAQ on what
122the sponsorship program consists in and a "sponsoring prospectus" that can be
123used by candidate sponsors. A work-in-progress version of this update is available
124at https://github.com/OSGeo/gdal/pull/3681
125
126Impacts on OSGeo relationship
127-----------------------------
128
129GDAL and will continue to remain a OSGeo project for all other concerns than
130NumFOCUS-related sponsorship.
131
132Voting History
133--------------
134
135+1 from PSC members EvenR, KurtS, FrankW, MateuszL, DanielM, HowardB and NormanB
136
137