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LFX Crowdfunding
San Francisco, California, United States
What it is
LFX Crowdfunding is a web service connecting open source projects with donors and sponsors. An initiative can support project development, an event, a third-party security audit, infrastructure, or a general-purpose fund. Each initiative receives a dedicated page with progress tracking, public donations and expenses, sponsor tiers, and a shareable link. Owners can define custom benefits for Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers. Supporters make one-time or recurring monthly donations and may cancel recurring gifts at any time. Stripe processes payments, and LFX Crowdfunding says it does not store full card details. Donors need an LF ID account and must sign in before payment. The Linux Foundation operates the service as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit and says funds are disbursed within five business days. The plan costs nothing with 0% platform fees; the Linux Foundation underwrites platform and payment processing fees until $10M in funding.
For and against
For
- Supports one-time and recurring monthly donations
- Provides public progress, donation, and expense information
- Allows custom sponsor tiers and benefits
- Funds are disbursed within five business days
- Charges 0% platform fees
Against
- Donors must create or use an LF ID account
- U.S. contributions are not federally tax deductible
- Expense submissions use an external reimbursement service
- Fee underwriting ends at $10M in funding
The verdict
LFX Crowdfunding gives open source initiatives a structured page for fundraising, sponsorship, and public financial visibility. It is free to use, but donors need an LF ID and contributions do not qualify as U.S. federal charitable deductions.
Who it suits
It suits open source projects with an active community and a clear funding need, along with individuals or companies that want to sponsor them. Companies can receive invoices, purchase-order billing, receipts, and finance documentation.
Plans and prices
LFX Crowdfunding
0% platform fees; the Linux Foundation underwrites platform and payment processing fees until $10M in funding
Read 7 Oct 2026 · crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org
On the record
- Account requirement
- Making a donation requires an LF ID account, and users are prompted to sign in before payment is processed.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Company support
- Companies can receive formal invoices, PO-based billing, compliance-ready receipts, and documentation for their finance teams.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Disbursements
- The About page says funds are disbursed within 5 business days.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Donations
- Donors can make one-time donations or set up recurring monthly donations, which they can cancel at any time.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Donation tax status
- Contributions to initiatives hosted on LFX Crowdfunding are not deductible as charitable contributions for U.S. federal income tax purposes.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Expense reimbursements
- Initiative owners and designated beneficiaries submit expenses through an external reimbursement service, while LFX Crowdfunding handles setup and approval flow.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Financial transparency
- Donations and expenses are publicly visible on initiative pages.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Fiscal host
- Funds flow through the Linux Foundation, which operates LFX Crowdfunding as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Initiative pages
- Each initiative gets a dedicated page with progress tracking, sponsor tiers, and a shareable link.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Initiative types
- Initiatives can fund an open source project, a third-party security audit, an event, or a general-purpose fund.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Payment processing
- Donations are processed through Stripe, and LFX Crowdfunding says it never stores full card details.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Project eligibility
- The site says a project should be open source, have an active community, and have a clear funding need.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- LFX Crowdfunding connects open source projects with donors and sponsors to fund development, events, infrastructure, and other needs.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Sponsor tiers
- Project owners can define sponsor tiers with custom benefits, including Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers.crowdfunding.linuxfoundation.org · read 7 Oct 2026
