Recent Grants

Grant awards are typically announced to the public through the Python Software Foundation News blog. You can also find historical grant approvals in the Python Software Foundation Resolutions of the Board of Directors.

Grant Proposals

Proposals should be for specific projects with a clear objective, rather than support for ongoing activities. Proposals should be brief (a few pages of text at maximum), and they should explain:

1. The objective of the grant, including the date by which funding must be received.
2. The grant size. If the grant is funding several components of a project, please provide a breakdown of the cost of each component. Please note that the PSF may only be able to provide partial funding for a proposal.
3. A description of the beneficiaries of the grant (e.g. if the grant is for a Python User Group (PUG) event, state the size of the group, the anticipated size of the event, and who in particular from the PUG benefits from the grant).
4. A description of the planned grant follow-up activities. The PSF would like to see how the grant was used, so we ask to receive information on the event, project or program that was funded. This could be blog postings, post-event write-ups, web pages, project updates, etc.
5. The preferred method of funds delivery and delivery details (e.g. bank account information, an address for a check in the mail).

Please submit grant proposals to psf@python.org at least 4-6 weeks prior to the event - the board typically meets twice a month and this will allow sufficient time for discussion and resolution.

Example Grant Proposal

Grant Proposal: The fifth annual PyCon Atlantis will be taking place this June, and sponsorship from the Python Software Foundation would be much appreciated.

Grant objective: In an effort to keep our ticket prices affordable, we've secured corporate sponsorship to cover the catering costs, and are hoping that the PSF will be able to help us pay for the venue rental and A/V fees. The conference runs Friday to Sunday, and the venue rental fee is $500 per day. The A/V costs are $500 for the whole weekend.

Grant size: $2000 total ($1500 for venue, $500 for A/V). To thank you for your sponsorship, we will place the PSF logo on our site and offer you 3 free tickets to PyCon Atlantis to distribute as you see fit.

Grant beneficiaries: We are expecting 300 attendees this year. We will also be recording the talks, and will make them available online a few days after the event.

Grant follow-up: We will post a summary of PyCon Atlantis on our blog and mention that the PSF sponsored the event. The PSF will receive an email pointing to the blog post once it is published, as well as additional pictures from the conference.

Preferred method of funds delivery: a check written out to:

FAQ

Q. Is there a maximum grant size that can be awarded?

A. There is no set maximum, but grants are awarded with consideration for the annual PSF grant budget and the other grant requests that have been submitted and awarded. The Foundation reserves the right to make a grant smaller than the total you request. If this would not be acceptable you should state such in the application.

Q. I am running a Python conference. How big a grant should I ask for?

A. The maximum conference grant size is typically USD 10 per attendee, with a preference towards helping new events to establish themselves in their local community. Larger conferences (300+ attendees) are expected to have access to additional local funding options and hence may be granted a lower amount per attendee. Conferences that are running separate educational programs may also apply for a separate educational grant.

Q. I am running a Python educational program or workshop. How big a grant should I ask for?

A. The maximum educational program grant size is typically USD 25 per student, provided the students each receive at least 6 hours of Python instruction as part of the educational program. We give preference to students who would otherwise not be able to attend such classes. If the class has an educational hardware component such as a Raspberry Pi that the students get to keep, you may request up to USD 50 per student. Please note that subsequent funding requests for workshops in the same region may be funded at a lower rate to encourage sustainable, long-term relationships with local sponsors. When submitting your workshop grant request, it helps the board to see a brief budget for your event. Here is a sample based on one we have received from a recipient:

Q. Will the PSF fund grant requests for Python sprints?

A. Yes, the PSF will consider grants up to USD 300 for Python-related sprints. Please provide information about focus and goal of the sprint in your application, as well as the number of expected participants. And don't forget to include some photos in your grant follow-up so that we can run a blog post on the PSF blog about your sprint :-)

Q. Is there anything I need to know about fund disbursements?

A. We prefer to make payments at an organization-to-organization level when possible due to US IRS accounting rules. If you will be requesting a wire transfer, adjust your request to account for wire transfer fees. PayPal payments to organizations may incur service fees that will need to be paid by the grant recipient.

Q. Are there any restrictions on how I describe receiving a grant from the PSF?

A. Yes, there are. Specifically, the PSF awarding a grant to support a community activity is not the same as formally endorsing a particular project or commercial offering in any capacity, and should not be represented as such. This can be readily achieved by sticking to phrasing like "We have received funding from the PSF" or "This event was sponsored by the PSF".

Q. Will the PSF fund grant requests for Python User Group (PUG) website hosting costs?

A. Yes, the PSF allocates money each year for PUG website hosting costs and subscriptions to event advertising sites like meetup.com. However, if you are developing a hosting or event advertising plan for your PUG, please research the following open source options before applying for a grant:

1. Oregon State University's Open Source Lab (OSU OSL) hosting services: the PSF has a partnership with OSU OSL for website and server hosting for free or discounted for open source-affiliated projects.
2. Read the Docs is a free platform for creating, hosting, and browsing documentation online.
3. civiCRM is a free, open source, web-based, internationalized relationship management and event management platform.