The Heart of #OpenCode4BetterScience is its Community.
Scientific open source software (OSS) is more than lines of code — it’s a thriving, collaborative ecosystem of people. A global network of maintainers, contributors, and users working together to keep the wheels of innovation turning.
Those of you who are long-time maintainers, contributors, and users know this. And we appreciate you all — more than we can say.
But perhaps you’re new to the scientific OSS community. Or maybe you’re ready to get more involved. Or you’re looking for some renewed optimism as we head into 2025 . Regardless, this post is for you.
We’ll explore why the scientific OSS community is critical, who makes it up, and how you can help sustain its vital contributions. And, since this is part of our end-of-year fundraising campaign, we’ll talk about how important your monetary contributions are as well!
Donate and join the #OpenCode4BetterScience Movement
Why Community Support Matters
A thriving open-source ecosystem depends on collective effort, shared vision, and continuous innovation.
Empowering Collaboration Across Borders
Scientific OSS is more than just code; it’s a collaborative movement that connects minds across disciplines and geographies. Community involvement ensures that contributors from diverse backgrounds can share expertise, solve problems together, and create tools that benefit everyone — from researchers tackling climate change to analysts advancing artificial intelligence.
Enabling Continuous Improvement
Scientific OSS projects are only as strong as the people behind them. Community contributions — whether code, documentation, or feedback — drive the evolution of these tools. Fresh perspectives spark innovation, while a robust community ensures that bugs are fixed, new features are developed, and projects remain relevant to today’s challenges.
Building Resilience Through Shared Ownership
A thriving community ensures the sustainability of scientific OSS projects by distributing responsibility and knowledge. With more people invested in a project’s success, the software becomes more resilient to challenges like funding gaps, personnel changes, or shifts in technology trends. Community-driven development keeps critical tools alive and adaptable.
Fostering Education and Inspiration
The open-source ecosystem doubles as a learning environment where newcomers gain skills and established professionals mentor the next generation. [Read Mars Lee’s uplifting tale about their journey from Python novice to getting employment as a front-end developer and designer, all thanks to the scientific OSS community and events like PyData.]
Conferences, workshops, and online forums serve as platforms for exchanging ideas and cultivating passion for science and technology. These interactions not only sustain the community but also inspire tomorrow’s leaders in innovation.
Who is This Community?
1, 2, 3 (and 4 & 5), who do we appreciate? The entire, vibrant ecosystem of contributors, users, and advocates who are driving scientific innovation through open collaboration — and that’s you!
Scientific OSS thrives because of a passionate and diverse community united by a shared commitment to discovery, innovation, and accessibility. This community spans individuals and organizations across academia, industry, and government — each contributing their unique expertise to create tools that empower global research.
Maintainers: The Stewards of Innovation
At the heart of every project are the maintainers — dedicated individuals who oversee development, manage contributions, and ensure long-term stability. These unsung heroes invest countless hours into refining software that forms the backbone of scientific progress.
Contributors: Driving Fresh Ideas and Improvements
Developers, scientists, and engineers from around the world contribute to these projects by writing code, refining documentation, and addressing challenges. Their efforts inject fresh ideas and innovation into tools that continually evolve to meet the needs of cutting-edge research.
Academic Users: Advancing Knowledge and Discovery
Researchers and students leverage open-source tools to conduct groundbreaking studies, enabling reproducibility and collaboration across disciplines. These tools underpin discoveries in areas ranging from astrophysics to epidemiology, fostering a culture of shared scientific advancement.
Industry and Government Users: Scaling Solutions for Global Impact
Organizations in fields like biotech, healthcare, climate science, finance, astronomy, and artificial intelligence rely on these tools to solve real-world problems at scale. Government agencies, too, integrate open-source software into critical operations, driving efficiency, transparency, and public benefit.
Advocates: Champions of Open Science
Beyond the developers and users, advocates play a vital role in amplifying the message and importance of open-source science. From hosting meetups and conferences to mentoring newcomers, these individuals build connections and inspire the next generation of contributors.
How You Can Help (a little bit more)
Fueling the Future of Open Source Science
Your support empowers innovation, sustains collaboration, and drives discoveries that benefit the #OpenCode4BetterScience community.
But as you know, supporting scientific OSS in today’s world also costs money — cold, hard cash. That’s why we’re coming to all of you again, asking for donations to our end-of-year #OpenCode4BetterScience fundraising campaign.
In 2023 we were able to support over 30 projects with an average of over $8,000 via our Small Development Grants program — support that covers important activities which might not get done otherwise, like documentation. And since we’re only about 17% of the way to our goal as of this writing, your cash donations are crucial to sustaining that support.
Your tax-deductible gift* sustains the maintainers and contributors who keep these tools running, strengthens the communities that foster innovation, and accelerates the development of next-generation capabilities.
Ways to Contribute
- Make a Year-End Donation: Help us meet our goal for the #OpenCode4BetterScience campaign.
- Leverage Matching Funds. Check with your organization if they will match donations to qualified nonprofits such as NumFOCUS.
- Spread the Word: Share this post with colleagues and peers who value open source.
- Advocate for Organizational Support: Be the champion within your organization to allocate budgeted-yet-unspent funds to support NumFOCUS.
Corporate and Institutional Giving Opportunities
Join our 20@5K Initiative by becoming one of the first 20 organizations to pledge $5,000 by December 20. Your support includes:
- 2025 invite-only, online AI Thought Leader Roundtable discussion with UN Special Advisor Radia Funna, an internationally recognized futurist, theorist, strategist, and humanist whose xHuman theory explores the impact of advanced digital technologies on people, institutions, and societal structures.
- Project Leader Discussions for deeper engagement with scientific OSS development and strategy.
Join us in ensuring that these vital resources remain accessible and impactful for years to come.
Strengthening the Open Code 4 Better Science Community
Every scientific open source project is a testament to the power of collective effort. Maintainers, contributors, and users worldwide form a vibrant ecosystem driving scientific discovery and real-world solutions. But this ecosystem cannot thrive without dedicated support.
Your donation fuels more than code — it empowers people. It sustains the developers who create the tools, the communities that use and improve them, and the global collaboration that pushes science forward.
This #OpenCode4BetterScience campaign is your chance to be part of something extraordinary. Whether you give, share, or advocate, your actions have ripple effects that shape the future of science and technology.
Let’s build a brighter future together — one line of open code at a time.
All donations, except those directed to a specific project, will go toward our Small Development Grants. NumFOCUS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
