# Welcome

Welcome to the Open Collective Documentation.\
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Here, you’ll find guides and technical information to help you make the most of the Open Collective platform.

### What is Open Collective?

> *The Future is Collective. And Open Collective provides a simple and open way to get there.*

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[**Start a project**](https://opencollective.com/create)\
Starting your own collaborative group can be frustrating. You may need to obtain legal status, set up a bank account, and work out how to raise and spend your money fairly.

Through our platform, Open Collective allows any community to collect, manage, and disburse money transparently.\
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Open Collective also provides access to a network of "Fiscal Hosts".  Fiscal Hosts hold your money in their bank account and handle taxes, accounting, and other financial administration. They also enable you to collect and spend money without needing to form a formal legal entity.\
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[**Support a project**<br>](https://opencollective.com/search)Open Collective is also the place to discover other collectives, support their work, and engage with the community through updates, conversations, and events.&#x20;

{% hint style="info" %}
Thousands of groups use Open Collective; find a collective to support with our [Discover Tool](https://discover.opencollective.com/).&#x20;
{% endhint %}

### What do you want to do?

Know what you’re looking for? Jump to a section to get started:

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><a href="../collectives"><strong>Build a Collective</strong></a></td><td>Find out how to set up your public profile, add your team, and manage your budget.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="../giving-to-collectives"><strong>Give to a Collective</strong></a></td><td>Discover collectives around the world, help them grow, and spread the word</td></tr><tr><td><a href="../expenses-and-getting-paid"><strong>Get Your Expenses Paid</strong></a></td><td>Submit and track expenses on the platform.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="../fiscal-hosts"><strong>Become a Fiscal Host</strong></a></td><td>Learn more about Fiscal Hosting, and how to manage admin and finances.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="../our-organization"><strong>Learn about Open Collective</strong></a></td><td>Find out more about Open Collective, our mission, our team and our investors.</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Looking for something specific?

You can find a particular page in the docs by browsing the left-hand sidebar. You can search for words, phrases, or ask questions by typing in the search bar in the top-right corner.&#x20;

### Haven't found what you're looking for?

If you still can’t find an answer to your question, you can [contact our support team](https://opencollective.com/contact) or join our [Discord Community Space](https://discord.gg/bv36mu5Z) and let us know.<br>


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