[OSGeo-Discuss] How OSGeo can work better with government policy (and as a foundation)

[Jeroen Ticheler]

Dear all,

At FOSS4G Europe 2026 <https://2026.europe.foss4g.org/> in Timisoara we held a Birds of a Feather session on how OSGeo can improve its structure to benefit from, and contribute to policies at national and European level.

We started with money. OSGeo’s funding needs to change if the foundation is to stay healthy, both as a community and financially. Much of the talk was about the need for a clear membership and sponsorship plan that sets out the options for individuals, organisations, and businesses. They need different ways to give back or contribute. Sponsoring works well for a business, while membership fits a university, an NGO, a city, or another government body better. This matters, because staying stable over time will likely need paid staff, and staff need steady income.

Now that OSGeo establishes a legal entity in Europe, we can also join funding calls as a partner. One example is the call “A services and business incubator for geospatial open-source developments <https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-06?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502,31094503&callIdentifier=HORIZON-CL6-2026-03>“, which we applied to last April and are still waiting to hear back on.

The group also saw a need for a clear framework on how you work with the foundation. Conference organisers should know what OSGeo expects and what it gives back, whether they run a global, regional, or local FOSS4G event. We intend to write memorandum of understanding templates, so that running a FOSS4G becomes a better established link with OSGeo rather than an open ended one.

There was a call for the board to be clear about its priorities and about how community members can take part. The call was also for the board to lead and take decisions; that’s why we were elected. This is taken to heart.

One suggestion is to set up a project board on a git repository. Community members can then pick up work in the open, with the priorities visible to all. I’ll make sure to follow up on that.

Better funding connects these points. With a stronger budget, OSGeo could bring in paid staff for policy work (e.g. CRA, AI act), relations, community support, and outreach, including running and coordinating conferences.

People strongly asked to simplify OSGeo’s systems. There are too many places where information lives, and it is hard to find the right one. The room welcomed the board’s work to bring this together into one new website, built on a git repository the community can help maintain. The move to a single sign-on system <https://www.loomio.com/d/qfe0bT1V/motion-to-migrate-to-keycloak-for-sso> was welcomed too. Social media still needs the same cleanup, since it is spread across too many channels.

If you want to help with the funding plan, the conference rules, or the cleanup, watch for this space, and join in when we shares next steps.

If you want to read more on The future of OSGeo, check the discussion paper <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KRdCKB8HvI9FctF1Ulg6UfoCImjEYKaQkgg9l1HueZs>.

Thanks for reading!

Jeroen Ticheler

President of the board of directors of OSGeo
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