Linux International has announced the formation of the Linux Development Grant Fund, an international fund designed to both promote development for Linux by awarding grants to Linux developers and to give Linux users a way to support Linux development in an organized and efficient fashion.

Everybody wins as Linux International creates a grant fund to both promote development and to offer Linux users a way to support that development.

by Linux Journal Staff

Linux International is a worldwide, non-profit organization devoted to promoting Linux development and growth in the international marketplace. The organization has branches in several countries on most continents and, because of this structure, it is able to efficiently collect donations and distribute monies to individual developers with less overhead than if the money came from individual personal contributions. All 100 percent of the monies donated to the fund will be given out in the form of grants; Linux International will not retain any portion of the funds for administrative expenses.

By collecting the funds and then converting many donations at once, a smaller portion of the funds will be lost to currency conversion fees than if the donations were made separately to developers. This is especially important for smaller donations given from one person to someone else with a different local currency; currency conversion carries a fixed rate of about $7 to $15 (sometimes higher), and it can be difficult to do without a cooperative bank.

How will developers be selected to receive grants? Anyone developing free software for Linux with a specific need for funds to further development (for instance, to purchase hardware or documentation) may submit a request. Developers and potential developers can receive information on submitting grant proposals by sending e-mail to grant-submissions-info@li.org. If you do not have e-mail access, send paper mail or a fax to Linux International at the address below.

Who decides who will receive a grant? The Grant Fund is controlled by a board of three members appointed in a more-or-less democratic manner. The board members will each serve one-year terms. The first board members are well-known in the Linux community: Matt Welsh, Ian Murdock, and Michael K. Johnson.

All of the grants awarded will be announced in the comp.os.linux.announce newsgroup. Additionally, a list of all the donors, except for those who choose to remain anonymous, will be published periodically. (A single check-mark on the donation form is sufficient for donors who choose to remain anonymous.)

Donations may be made by credit card, international money order or check and may be sent by paper mail, e-mail or fax. If you wish to send your credit card number via e-mail, you will probably wish to encrypt it with PGP to avoid fraud. Linux International's PGP public key is available by fingering donations@li.org.

Donations to the Grant Fund can be made in almost any currency. However, to avoid excess currency conversion costs, US dollars, Deutsch marks, Pounds Sterling, or Australian dollars are preferred. However, do not send cash through the mail—it is not likely to arrive.

E-mail donations may be sent to donations@li.org, fax donations to +61 9 331 2443 in Australia or (203) 454-2582 in the US, and paper mail donations to Linux Development Grant Fund, c/o Linux International, P.O. Box 80, Hamilton Hill, WA, Australia, 6163.

A form for donating may be requested by sending e-mail to donations-info@li.org; one will be sent to you by return mail.

Because of very complex national laws determining charitable organizations, donations to the Grant Fund are not tax exempt at this time. However, businesses may count donations as business expenses in many countries; consult your local tax experts for details.

If you have any comments or questions about the fund, you may send them to donation-comments@li.org.