MOSS

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Program Overview

Mozilla Open Source Support (MOSS) is a grant program specifically focused on supporting the Open Source and Free Software movement, with an initial allocation of USD $1 million.

Mozilla is a part of the Open Source and Free Software movement. We were born out of this movement. We prosper because of the technology and activism which comes from this movement. And we know that Open Source and Free Software remains a key part of the Internet and the online life we seek to build. We have had an ad-hoc grants program for many years. MOSS is a systematic way to provide a new level of support to this community.

The Mozilla Open Source Support program is designed to recognize and celebrate communities who are leading the way with open source projects that contribute to our work and the health of the Web. It encompasses both: a) a “give back” element for Open Source and Free Software projects that Mozilla relies on; and b) a “give forward” element for supporting other projects where financial resources from Mozilla can make our entire community more successful. We will identify crisp names for these elements as we go forward.

"Projects Mozilla Relies On"

Mozilla relies on a number of open source and free software projects (please help fill out that list). In some cases the software produced by these projects is incorporated into Mozilla products. In other cases we rely on as part of our infrastructure or to get our jobs done.

Project Criteria

Projects which Mozilla uses or relies on and who are in need of funds are welcome to apply for an award. Awards should be jointly submitted by the leader of a project and an established Mozillian who will champion the grant. The project/people need to meet the following criteria:

  • Grant requests should be for the amount of financial support that helps accomplish a clear and current project goal. Projects that don’t have a need for funds at this time can be considered when such a need arises. A $10,000 grant request is just as valid as a $50,000 or $100,000 request.
  • The money must be used to benefit the project, but it does not have to be used on things which themselves would directly benefit Mozilla.
  • The project’s home can be anywhere in the world where we can make payment without undue burden. We have a reasonably strong preference for funding legal organizations rather than individuals representing projects, although exceptional circumstances could lead to some flexibility.
  • The Mozillian champion may be (but does not need to be) a project contributor to the project they are championing.
  • The Mozillian champion must vouch for the usefulness of the software, commit to monitoring the project, and report on the effectiveness of the grant after the money is spent (perhaps using a standardized form). They will also make themselves available to the application evaluation committee to help them assess the appropriateness of the grant to the needs of the project.

We expect the vast majority of MOSS grants to be singular rather than regular - that is, support for doing a particular defined thing, rather than ongoing support for a project in general. However a previous award proposal, successful or unsuccessful, does not disqualify a project from applying again.

Selection Criteria

These are a work in progress; further feedback is welcome on the MOSS mailing list until November 8th. All criteria are indicative rather than determinative - that is to say, they will make us more or less likely to make an award, but none will guarantee a particular outcome.

  • How reliant is Mozilla on the project's technology?
  • Do others also rely on it outside of Mozilla products?
  • Is the technology unique? Are they doing something different?
  • What role does the project play in the open source ecosystem?
  • What sort of reputation does the project have in general, if any?
    • This includes reputation in technical, inclusion and other areas
    • Is the project known for something besides the code we are relying on?
  • Will this grant make a significant impact on the project?
  • Is the level of funding appropriate for the task to be accomplished?
  • Does the person (or group) who will receive the money have a track record of delivering?
  • What does the champion have to say? Is the case compelling?

Selection Committee

We have formed a selection committee of 7 participants, as follows:

  • Senior Mozilla Alumni - they are no longer actively involved with Mozilla on a day-to-day basis but have a deep understanding of our project and a different/outside perspective.
  • Other Open Source Experts - they bring knowledge of the role of different projects within the open source ecosystem.

Other Tracks

In the future, MOSS will have other tracks. We are developing one with a particular focus on providing security audit and remediation for key projects with a significant attack surface and exposure. These may have similar or different application criteria, or they may not have a public application process at all.

How To Apply

The application form is here.

FAQs

What does it mean to “champion” a project for a MOSS Award?
Being a champion means you believe in the project and its impact. You believe that funds from a MOSS Award would make a meaningful difference in the success and effectiveness of the project. And you believe the range of funds requested in the Award proposal is appropriate. In the case of the “give back” category of awards you should also also believe that project has meaningful impact on Mozilla’s work.
A champion does a few different things:
  • sponsors the project’s award proposal (it is akin to vouching for someone);
  • serves as the liaison between that project and Mozilla with regard to the award;
  • reviews the effectiveness of the award funds after an agreed upon period, to help Mozilla improve the effectiveness and impact of the MOSS program.

This review process might involve answering a set of standard assessment questions at the mid-point and at the end of the grant period, and giving your written opinion of the overall success of the award. The time commitment should not be massive, but it will require thoughtfulness and honesty.

What if the project I care most about doesn’t have a legal organizational home? I see this is disfavored and exceptional circumstances are required. What might count as "exceptional"?
You tell us. If a project doesn't have a legal organizational home, we will be handing a large sum of money to an individual with only limited accountability. This means a higher level of complexity and risk. So you need to describe why it's reasonable and important for us to accept that additional risk. We will listen because Mozilla is a pretty flexible organization, but we can’t promise the result will be as you hope.
How can I, as a Mozillian, get started while the terms of the application and evaluation process are being finalized?
Here are some things you can do immediately:
  • Do some due diligence with other community members. Find out if others share your sense of a project’s impact.
  • Identify a contact inside the project who is a good person to talk to about such things. Not every project needs funds all the time. Explore whether there is a current need within the project that could be met with a MOSS award. If there is such a need then turn to exploring the size of the amount. Think about the impact that could occur at several different ranges of money.
  • If you find a project you care about has other types of needs, note that in the project list above. We aren't yet thinking about non-financial support, but we may do that in the future.
  • If you are interested in participating in the finalization of the program criteria, join the discussion.
Can I get help with thinking about or preparing a proposal? I’m not that practiced at figuring out ranges of funding, or I’d like help in thinking about the need.
So far we have three identified mentors: David Bryant, Pascal Finette and Jim Cook. David is obviously clueful about software, and he’s also signed on to assist with the topics of project needs, possible solutions and appropriate amounts. For those of you who don’t know Pascal, he launched WebFWD when he was a Mozilla employee and now runs Singularity University’s accelerator program. Pascal has a long history and an abiding love of working with people to build things. He has great expertise in this type of task, matching by his abiding interest in contributing to Mozilla. Our CFO Jim Cook will provide assistance for those interested in the financial side of things. And Jim knows a lot about cost and value! We’ll look into adding to this list.
Is there an amount of an award that is expected? Or a size that is too big or too small?
In the next week we expect to identify a range within which we prefer the Awards proposals land, and to have some guidance what to do if you believe an Award really should be smaller or larger. At the moment, we are looking at a minimum of $10,000, and a maximum of $250,000.
What’s the evaluation process?
That’s being worked out. Input welcome.
What’s happening by Orlando?
Identification of the first set of projects we want to celebrate and fund. This way we can make the program tangible while we are together.
How does the $1 million work? Does it all get allocated at Orlando? How does the $1 million figure interact with the “up to 10 projects” goal?
The $1 million is the initial allocation for the MOSS program. We will evaluate the program as we go. It is our hope and expectation that the program provides value to the recipients and the Open Source ecosystem, and we expect to make additional allocations to the MOSS program in the future.
We want to focus on making up to 10 good awards, to projects we think are great, where an award can make a real difference, and where we’ve had time to interact with the project and its leadership. More than 10 is difficult to impossible to do well before Orlando. Indeed, 10 may turn out to be more than we can manage.
It is conceivable that the 10 awards could use the entire first $1 million allocation, but this is not a goal, and seems unlikely.
How can I stay informed and involved with this work?
Please join the MOSS public mailing list.
This program seems unfinished right now. Why are you launching it in this state?
The foundational elements are clear. We are going to invest in the open source and free software projects. We are going to start with a significant amount of money. We will start with open source and free software project that Mozilla is relying on. This is a crisp, clear criteria and a good way to start our larger program. We have an aggressive timeframe for a first set of grants to demonstrate we mean action.
Once we got the foundations clear, we could have taken a couple of different approaches. One would have been to go off and create a fully polished program where we’ve already decided exactly how things will work. Another approach is to present the program while there is real room for your ideas, and for the cluefulness that is spread through Mozilla to make a program that represents all of us.
I (Mitchell) have chosen the latter approach. The cynical of you may say “hah, time is short, and that favors announcing this before all the terms are finalized.” You are correct that time is short. However, the latter approach also reflects our view that many Mozilla activities are better when people of different perspectives and unexpected expertise and interest are involved. We hope you prove us right!
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