[Qgis-user] Funding sources for QGIS development (local groups)

Sat Sep 13 03:30:07 PDT 2025

And I forgot one really import service:

  * Several times a year we publish a email based newsletter with QGIS
    related news and events to the members of the user group and the
    Facebook group who has subscribed to the newsletter.

Med venlig hilsen / Best regards

Bo Victor Thomsen

On 13-09-2025 12:08, Bo Victor Thomsen wrote:
>
> Sorry of being late to the party, but here is how the Danish QGIS User 
> Group is working -
>
>   * We have a Danish Facebook group, that is very active. There is up
>     towards 2700 members in this group - even though we only have
>     around  200 actual members i the Danish QGIS User Group. I would
>     never have guessed that there was 2700 people i Denmark using QGIS 🙂
>   * We have been very diligent (and lucky) in persuading Danish,
>     QGIS-using organizations (like municipalities, federal agencies
>     and a lot of companies)  that voluntary supporting QGIS by being a
>     "organizational" member in our group is good for the general
>     development and survive-ability of QGIS.
>   * The persuasive script is something like: "500 euro a year is like
>     a dime in your back pocket. It is *nothing* compared to the
>     license you'd have to pay for using ArcGIS /MapInfo/ Intergraph.
>     QGIS has no license costs and supports every known GIS format,
>     database and spatial functions under the sun. So why don't you
>     think of the contribution as insurance ?"
>   * These members has a yearly membership fee of around 500 Euro. And
>     we have over 100 members like this. Our income is over 55.000 Euro
>     on a yearly basis. Of which we deliver ca. 50% to the
>     international QGIS organization (That is more than 6% of the total
>     income of the international QGIS organization).
>   * The rest is used on local QGIS development: plugins (mostly
>     plugins specific to the "Danish GIS environment") and sometimes
>     core development efforts. Plus different events - like on-line
>     meetings, some in-person meetings and the aforementioned Facebook
>     group. And sending a couple of GIS students to QGIS and FOSS4G
>     events abroad.
>   * A couple of our organizational members is also a sustaining member
>     directly for QGIS.org. However, these organizations are very much
>     aware of the relationships (financial and otherwise) between the
>     QGIS software, the Danish QGIS user group and the international
>     QGIS organization. So they have made an informed choice regarding
>     how to support QGIS.
>   * We have a homepage - qgis.dk -  for the Danish QGIS user group.
>   * We have talked about having a "market place", where our members
>     can advertise their services on the homepage but haven't yet made
>     a decision about this.
>   * But we do have a calendar function on our homepage, where everyone
>     can make a QGIS related contribution to. There is all kinds of
>     information on this calendar: Information about our own events,
>     "advertisement" about QGIS courses offered by private companies
>     and so on.
>   * And lastly, we have a blog space where everyone can submit an QGIS
>     related article to.
>
> I hope you can use the information. The "organizational generosity" 
> might be a Danish specialty, but who knows ?
>
> -- 
> Med venlig hilsen / Best regards
>
> Bo Victor Thomsen
>
> Board member of the Danish QGIS User Group
> On 03-09-2025 07:07, Michał Żugajewicz via QGIS-User wrote:
>>
>> Dear Colleagues!
>>
>> I am reaching out with an interest in learning more about how local 
>> QGIS user groups manage to secure funding and support for the 
>> development of the software and related tools, such as plugins and 
>> custom applications.
>>
>> Could you please share some insights into the typical sources of 
>> funding that your group or related initiatives rely on? For example:
>>
>>  *
>>
>>     Do you receive support from public institutions such as
>>     municipalities, government agencies, or universities?
>>
>>  *
>>
>>     Are there private companies, consultancies, or NGOs that
>>     contribute financially to your activities or sponsor specific
>>     development projects?
>>
>>  *
>>
>>     Do you make use of grants, donations, or membership fees to
>>     sustain your work?
>>
>>  *
>>
>>     Have you engaged in partnerships with organizations that benefit
>>     from QGIS to co-finance the development of plugins or other tools?
>>
>> I am particularly interested in understanding what models have proven 
>> effective and sustainable for your group, and whether there are 
>> strategies or best practices you would recommend for establishing 
>> these collaborations.
>>
>> Thank you very much for your time and for any details you can share. 
>> Your experience could be very helpful in shaping similar initiatives 
>> elsewhere 💚
>>
>>
>> Bests,
>>
>> 	
>>
>> *MICHAŁ ŻUGAJEWICZ*
>>
>> CEO at EnviroSolutions | QGIS Poland Representative
>>
>> ceo at envirosolutions.pl
>> +48 501 540 755
>> EnviroSolutions <https://www.envirosolutions.pl>
>>
>> LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/envirosolutions/>| 
>> Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/envirosolutionspl> | Instagram 
>> <https://www.instagram.com/envirosolutions_team/>
>>
>>
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