When is it Right to Say No to Funding?

With so many FOSS projects vying for funding opportunities and concerns about how to secure funding and bring stability to the FOSS ecosystem, it's hard to imagine deciding to decline funding that is immediately available. In this talk, we'll explore why accepting funding must be done thoughtfully. Not only should funding models support the fundamental goals of the project, but developers should also recognize that there are times when funding opportunities are not in their long term interests. We'll explore specific examples of circumstances where accepting funding from particular sources would compromise the project's brand or values, and when the expectations of the funder don't exactly match the developer's plans, leading to strained relationships going forward. These issues touch on a variety of topics including project governance, brand management, community management and ethics, in addition to fundraising strategies for long term donor relationships.