Should You Donate To Open Source Projects?

"Since you can't promise to fund all participants in an open source community, it's better to fund no participants so that everyone is equal within the boundaries of the community. If you're grateful an open source project exists and you want to support it financially, the very best thing you can do is buy things from members of the community (or support their charitable work if they are a non-profit).

"Buy a subscription. Buy training. Buy anything the project's co-developers make out their work in the project (well, as long as it respects your freedoms!). In general, the people paying for the administration of the community entity will be the people supplying those things (do check!). While it's OK to also contribute to the central entity so they can pay their staff, it's best to do that after you've started buying from or donating to the community members as they conduct the external interest that motivates them to work in the community."

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