Proposal to connect PrivateBin/PrivateBin to OpenPledge.io

[zigcBenx]

Describe the problem/question

Hi everyone,

I’d like to propose connecting PrivateBin/PrivateBin to OpenPledge, a platform where companies and individuals can fund specific issues in open source projects.

As part of our launch, the first 10 projects to connect will receive initial funding from OpenPledge for issues chosen by the maintainers. This could help prioritize and resolve critical issues while rewarding contributors for their work.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and discuss whether this aligns with the goals of the project. Let me know if you have any questions!

Best regards,
Žiga
Founder @ OpenPledge

Did you use the FAQ section?

• Yes, I have read the FAQ and I found no solution/answer there.

What you did?

...

What happens

No response

What should happen

No response

Additional information

No response

Server address

No response

Server OS

No response

Webserver

No response

PrivateBin version

No response

Browser and version

No response

Local operating system and version

No response

Issue reproducibility

No, I cannot reproduce it on https://privatebin.net.

[elrido]

Thank you for reaching out and sharing this offer.

We don't have an organization and the project is run by a loose group of people.

In order to accept sponsorships, I see the need to create at least some organizational structure, which needs to be registered in some country and we would need to start tracking finances. This is the reason why I could never conclude signing up for the github sponsoring thing - they insist on either a person or organization with fixed tax residence that we don't have (and I don't want to become). None of this is work that I'd be interested in.

We had in the past started accepting donations and the funds in the double digits disappeared into some third parties pockets. We maintainers mostly ended up feeling scammed, so I for one would insist on some transparency and minimal structures, if we started accepting money again.

It may be an option for us to join one of the open source foundations with our project, such as the FSFE, Apache Foundation, Software Freedom Conservacy or SPI, if they could handle accepting and tracking sponsorship money for us, and they may also provide the project with hosting infrastructure.

Personally I would not be motivated to work on specific tasks for PrivateBin, if offered money. I do have a paying day job and to me PrivateBin offers an enjoyable past-time where I get to choose and toy with aspects of software development that are of interest to me personally.

That said, other maintainers or new project members may be interested in this offer and get motivated by money to work on the less fun tasks, so other than the organizational issue (the lack of one) around how to track the money, I do not see reasons why others shouldn't be allowed to participate in such a scheme.

[zigcBenx]

Hey,

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences. With OpenPledge, we hope to solve the challenges you’ve faced with funding in the past.

No Need for a Formal Entity

You don’t need to set up a formal organization to join OpenPledge. Our goal is to handle transactions and forward funds directly to individual contributors, making it as simple as possible for open-source projects to receive support.

Secure Funding

We use Stripe Connect, a globally trusted financial platform, to process payments securely. Every company or individual receiving funds gets a dedicated Stripe dashboard, which also helps with tax documentation. This ensures transparency and simplifies financial management.

Fees & Transparency

To keep the platform running, OpenPledge takes a small percentage(currently 10%) from transactions, as does Stripe. However, we are committed to full transparency—every user will see exactly how much is taken and when. We also plan to allocate a percentage of the funds to maintainers who review and merge pull requests, ensuring their efforts are recognized.

Personal vs. Community Motivation

We understand that many people contribute to open source for fun and don’t seek financial rewards. However, as you mentioned, some contributors do appreciate monetary incentives, and some tasks are simply unpleasant enough that a financial push can help get them done. 🙂

I really appreciate your insights, and I’d love to dive deeper into your thoughts on funding open source. If you have 20-30 minutes, I’d greatly appreciate a quick call or private chat.

You can reach me at ziga@openpledge.io.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Kind regards,
Žiga
Founder @ OpenPledge.io

[rugk]

Sorry to ask, but is this answer AI generated?

[ppfeufer]

Sounds more like a sales pitch …

[zigcBenx]

That’s a fair question :) this answer was developer’s(mine) attempt to give a sales pitch on Github😅
Not really good at it yet to be honest :)