Free Software Support Network

“Free Projects, Free Communities”

Welcome to the Free Software Support Network

FSSN is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing assistance to Free and Open Source (FOSS) projects. FSSN's primary mission is to collaborate with projects and help them reduce the amount of time and effort spent on organizational and fiscal management. Projects collaborating with FSSN remain independent and are run by their own development teams while FSSN addresses all their administrative needs, helping projects reach their long-term goals safely and efficiently so developers can concentrate on making great software. FSSN does not govern or control its collaborating projects nor are projects prevented from entering into similar relationships with other organizations.

As FSSN is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, FSSN is able to accept earmarked tax deductible donations on behalf of collaborating projects that makes it possible for donors to claim a tax deduction for their donations. FSSN exercises independent judgment to ensure that the funds received are used for the benefit of the project and to advance the mission of free software development.

Maximizing project independence

Unlike other fiscal sponsors, including most other FOSS-dedicated fiscal sponsors, FSSN is setup to maximize the level of independence our collaborating projects can have consistent with the law. FSSN is interested in working with all kinds of FOSS projects. Whether you are in early stages of development or have been around for some time, we are able to tailor our service to suit your needs.

Range of Services

As independent organizations, collaborating projects are free to select any of FSSN's services based on their specific needs and organizational structure. For instance one project may choose to have FSSN hold its assets like trademarks or DNS names, while another project may choose to continue to rely on members of its core development team to maintain those registrations, but receive directed donations through FSSN.