Understanding Contributions

Learn more about how Contributions work on the Open Collective platform.

Why should I give to a Collective?

If you get value out of what a project produces or stands for, you can support it to maintain and grow. You can also get recognition by appearing on their page as a financial contributor.

How do I contribute financially to a Collective?

Go to the Collective page of the project you want to support. Select a contribution tier and set up a recurring or one-time donation.

What is a platform tip?

Open Collective does not charge fees directly to Collectives. The platform is supported by voluntary payments added to contributions at checkout called "Platform Tips". Tips enable us to keep building and improving the software that powers it all.

How can I find Collectives to support?

Check out the Discover page or search.

You can also find open-source dependencies using Back Your Stack.

What payment methods can I use?

You can usually pay by credit card through a Collective's page. Some Fiscal Hosts enable payments via bank transfer, PayPal, or other means for their Collectives, in addition to or instead of credit card payments. When you go through the contribution flow, you'll see all the available payment methods for that Collective.

Can I leave a message with my contribution?

To leave a message with your contribution, navigate to the Our Contributors section of the Collectives page and find your Name.

Click on "Leave a public message (optional)" and write your message.

Are my donations tax-deductible?

It depends on the Fiscal Host of the Collective. If the host has tax-exempt status, then your donation can be tax-deductible. It may also matter which country the host is in.

The Open Source Collective is a 501(c)(6) non-profit that serves as a Fiscal Host to most open-source software projects on Open Collective. Unfortunately, the IRS does not consider producing open-source software to be a charitable activity in itself and therefore does not grant tax-exempt status. Donations to Collectives under Open Source Collective 501(c)(6) are not tax-deductible.

Can my Collective give to another Collective?

If both Collectives are in the same Fiscal Host, you can donate using the balance of a Collective. For example, most open-source projects are hosted by the Open Source Collective, so they can contribute to each other.

To make a Collective-to-Collective donation, go to the page of the Collective and select your contribution amount. You will be given the option to donate from the Collective's balance.