FUNDWP towards a better WordPress Project
London, UK
Advocating for a better way
Why FundWP was Started
FundWP is a vision shared by Dave Grey and Andrew Palmer, both seasoned veterans in the WordPress ecosystem. As ardent developers, site builders, and advocates for all things WordPress, they recognized a pressing need: independent and sustainable funding for the WordPress project. They believed that to preserve the integrity, innovation, and growth of WordPress, its financing should not depend on any single individual or company. This ensures that the community thrives equitably, and resources are available for everyone.
Our Mission
At FundWP, our mission is simple yet profound:
How do we secure consistent funding for WordPress?
How do we keep building upon this incredible open-source platform without compromising its principles?
We aim to bridge this gap by creating a system where financial contributions flow seamlessly into WordPress, supporting continuous development, security, and innovation.
The Current Landscape and Challenges
WordPress, over its 21 years of evolution, has achieved phenomenal success, becoming enterprise-ready and powering millions of websites worldwide. Despite this success, there are underlying issues. The big agencies and enterprises backing WordPress have massive coders and budgets, but smaller agencies and freelancers often struggle without similar resources.
The challenge isn’t just technical—it’s also about perception.
Proprietary platforms like Wix, Shopify, and Squarespace offer user-friendly entry points, making them attractive to new users. WordPress, while robust, can be daunting for beginners and small-scale developers due to its sheer complexity and lack of guided onboarding compared to these closed ecosystems.
Independent Financing for a Sustainable Future
The core ethos of FundWP revolves around establishing a diversified and independent funding mechanism.
We envision a future where:
- Every freelancer and agency contributing to WordPress financially supports the foundation. Imagine if every project built on WordPress included a small contribution to sustain the platform that enables their livelihood.
- Premium plugin and theme developers can contribute through affiliate programs seamlessly integrated into the WordPress.org ecosystem.
- A nominal contribution from hosts for each WordPress install can collectively generate substantial funds, ensuring the community’s needs are met.
Harnessing the Power of Community
WordPress’s strength lies in its community—thousands of contributors who tirelessly work to make it better with each release. Yet, voluntary contributions alone are not enough. At FundWP, we believe in rewarding these efforts, whether it’s through small tokens of appreciation like coffee vouchers or more significant financial support for sustained contributions.
The Path Forward
At FundWP, we advocate for:
- Transparency and Accountability: Clear and transparent financial practices that allow the community to see how funds are utilized.
- Fair Compensation: Ensuring that those who contribute significantly to WordPress receive fair compensation, bolstering their continuous involvement.
- Increased Sponsorship: Encouraging higher financial contributions from high-revenue companies benefiting from WordPress, ensuring that they give back proportionately to what they gain.
Join Us
We invite you to join us in helping to build a self-sustaining, financially independent WordPress ecosystem.
By fostering a culture of giving back, we can ensure that WordPress remains free, open, and thriving for future generations.
By letting your clients know the benefits of The WordPress eco system, you can help keep The WordPress Project sustainable for many years to come.
Andrew Palmer & Dave Grey
Co-Founders, FundWP
Let’s build a resilient future for WordPress, together.
If you decide to hit the Donate button, you will go directly to the WordPress Foundation to make a donation amount of your choice– we do not take a penny, a cent or a dinari!