Packagist Founder Urges Industry to Prioritize Open Source Funding

In a call that underscores the urgent need for sustainable open-source investment, Packagist Conductors founder Nils Adermann is challenging companies to take financial responsibility for the very software infrastructure on which their businesses depend.

Adermann outlined his concerns in a recent blog post titled “The Reality of Funding Open Source.” Citing the widespread reliance on open-source libraries, he warned that underfunding key projects leads to maintainer burnout, security risks, and overall ecosystem instability.

“The future of software development depends on creating sustainable funding models for open source,” 

Adermann wrote. 

“At Packagist Conductors, we found our own way to fund a major open source project, and managed to avoid becoming full-time fundraisers.”

In the blog post dated February 7, 2025, Adermann detailed how his eight-person company has contributed financially to vital PHP ecosystem projects—allocating a total of $26,714 in 2024. The bulk of that support went to the PHP Foundation and the Symfony framework. By drawing revenue from its Private Packagist service, Packagist Conductors has been able to channel funds back into the Composer and Packagist.org platforms, tools widely used by PHP developers worldwide.

Broader Open Source Efforts

While Packagist Conductors’ pledge focuses on the PHP community, other open-source groups have implemented similar strategies to address sustainability. The Drupal ecosystem, for instance, has programs such as the Ripple Makers initiative for individual contributors and the Drupal Certified Partner program for organizations—both designed to tackle the “maker-taker” problem, where large entities benefit from open source but invest little in its upkeep. Other free software communities have also grappled with issues of volunteer maintainers shouldering disproportionate workloads without sufficient corporate backing.

Meanwhile, the WordPress (WP) community has been embroiled in a high-profile dispute. According to multiple recent news reports, Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com) and WP Engine have clashed over trademarks, business practices, and public criticism, leading to lawsuits and accusations of corporate greed. The conflict escalated further when Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic, reportedly revoked commit rights for developers who critiqued him, openly challenging dissenters to fork the project if they so desired. This has sparked a broader debate about open-source ideals within one of the largest content management communities in the world.

A Model for Collective Action

Adermann’s message highlights the pressing need for more comprehensive solutions, including greater corporate engagement and long-term funding commitments rather than sporadic one-time donations. He called on companies to audit their open-source dependencies, set dedicated budgets, and factor open-source support into strategic business planning.

 “We challenge you to set aside a specific budget for open source contributions,” 

Adermann wrote, emphasizing that sustainable support is crucial for ongoing innovation, security, and the well-being of maintainers.

With various initiatives—like the PHP Foundation, Open Collective, Tidelift, GitHub Sponsors, and others—seeking to address funding challenges, Adermann’s approach stands as a reminder that real progress requires the collective action of corporations, developers, and the wider tech industry.

As he noted,

Will you join us in ensuring the sustainability of the open-source ecosystem we all rely on?