Software Freedom Conservancy Inc

SFC PROMOTES,IMPROVES,DEVELOPS,FACILITATES, AND DEFENDS FREE AND OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE (FOSS). SFC ADVOCATES FOR THE SOFTWARE RIGHTS AND FREEDOM OF THE PUBLIC. SFC PROVIDES A HOME & INFRASTRUCTURE TO FOSS PROJECTS & INITIATIVES, & INCREASES DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN FOSS.

FOSS DEVELOPMENT, DOCUMENTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, SUSTAINABILITY, & PROJECT SUPPORT: DURING THE TAX YEAR, SFC ENGAGED 21 DIFFERENT SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS AS INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS TO IMPROVE THE SOFTWARE IN ITS GODOT, INKSCAPE, MICROBLOCKS, PHPMYADMIN, REPRODUCIBLE BUILDS PROJECTS, AS WELL AS IMPROVING FOSS FOR SFC'S OWN ACCOUNTING INFRASTRUCTURE. ALL CODE WAS RELEASED FREELY TO THE PUBLIC UNDER LICENSES THAT ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO USE, SHARE, AND MODIFY IT. THESE CONTRACTORS ALSO COORDINATED VOLUNTEER SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS TO CONTRIBUTE FURTHER SOFTWARE CODE. SFC STAFF ALSO ASSISTED VOLUNTEERS IN OUR PROJECTS ON A DAILY BASIS WITH ADMINISTRATION, COORDINATION, LEGAL AND INFRASTRUCTURAL TASKS AND COSTS (AS LISTED AT HTTPS://SFCONSERVANCY.ORG/MEMBERS/SERVICES/ ). SFC MADE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS TO 6 INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPERS. SFC GAVE GRANTS TO TWO ORGANIZATIONS: A FINAL GRANT TO SUGAR LABS, INC. AND AN INITIAL GRANT TO THE EVERGREEN PROJECT CORPORATION (BOTH NOW OPERATING AS THEIR OWN, SEPARATE CHARITIES). WE MENTOR LEADERSHIP OF PROJECTS BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OUR ORGANIZATION TO IMPROVE THEIR NON-PROFIT MANAGEMENT SKILLS. FINALLY, SFC STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS COORDINATED, DISCUSSED, AND PLANNED HOW TO BEGIN RAMPING UP FOSS EVENTS AND CONFERENCES ONCE THE PANDEMIC SUBSIDES.

OUTREACHY AND THE INSTITUTE FOR COMPUTING RESEARCH (ICR): IN THE TAX YEAR, WE FUNDED 184 INTERNS VIA OUTREACHY - AN INITIATIVE THAT ENCOURAGES PARTICIPATION IN FOSS FOR THOSE WHO ARE SUBJECT TO SYSTEMIC BIAS AND IMPACTED BY UNDERREPRESENTATION IN THE TECHNICAL INDUSTRY WHERE THEY LIVE. OUTREACHY INTERNS IMPROVE FOSS AND ITS DOCUMENTATION, AND INCREASE THE DIVERSITY OF THE FOSS COMMUNITY WHILE ALSO LEARNING VALUABLE SKILLS. ICR MENTORS AND TRAINS STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL TO DO RIGOROUS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH USING FOSS. DURING THIS YEAR, ICR HAD 28 INTERNSHIPS. BOTH INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS ARE PAID PROGRAMS WHICH ENABLE THOSE FROM LESS PRIVILEGED BACKGROUNDS TO PARTICIPATE.

LICENSE COMPLIANCE ACTIVITY: MANY OF CONSERVANCY'S PROJECTS ARE AVAILABLE UNDER "COPYLEFT" LICENSES, SUCH AS THE GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE (GPL). "COPYLEFTS" ARE FOSS LICENSES THAT ALLOW EVERYONE TO FREELY SHARE, COPY, MODIFY, AND INSTALL MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THE SOFTWARE. HOWEVER, "COPYLEFT" LICENSES ADDITIONALLY REQUIRE THAT EVERYONE WHO RECEIVES THE SOFTWARE HAS AN EQUAL RIGHT TO ENGAGE IN THOSE ACTIVITIES. SFC IDENTIFIES SITUATIONS WHERE DISTRIBUTORS FAIL TO MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS. SFC THEN ENFORCES THE COPYLEFT LICENSE AND REQUIRES THESE DISTRIBUTORS TO PROVIDE THE SAME RIGHTS TO COPY, SHARE, MODIFY AND INSTALL MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THE SOFTWARE TO ALL THOSE WHO RECEIVE THE SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION (JUST AS THOSE DISTRIBUTORS HAD INITIALLY RECEIVED THOSE RIGHTS. THROUGH THIS PROCESS, SFC ENSURES THAT THE PUBLIC HAS EQUAL RIGHTS TO USE, IMPROVE, AND STUDY THE SOFTWARE, AND TO EXPERIMENT WITH THEIR OWN MODIFICATIONS TO THE SOFTWARE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE RIGHTS OF CONSUMERS TO REPAIR THE SOFTWARE ON THEIR DEVICES IS RESTORED. RARELY, IN PARTICULARLY EGREGIOUS CASES OF A GPL VIOLATION, SFC SEEKS REMEDY IN THE COURTS THROUGH LITIGATION. THE PRIMARY GOAL OF ALL THESE COPYLEFT ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES IS ALWAYS TO ENSURE THAT ALL WHO RECEIVE COPIES OF THE COPYLEFTED SOFTWARE (OR MODIFIED VERSIONS THEREOF) CAN FREELY ENGAGE IN COPYING, MODIFYING, IMPROVING AND INSTALLING MODIFIED VERSIONS.