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 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. PayPal account information, an address for a check in the mail).

Please submit grant proposals to psf@python.org and allow up to 4 weeks for processing - the board typically meets twice a month, if a request is urgent please note that in the request.

A related source of funding is the PSF Sprints Committee. The Sprints Committee provides organizational and financial support to Python-focused coding and hacking sprints. This includes work on modules or frameworks, Python 3 module ports, etc.

If you are working on a project focused on diversity or outreach to under- represented demographics in the Python community, the Outreach and Education Committee may also be able to assist with funding and promotion.

Example Grant Proposal

Grant Proposal: $600 for speaker travel costs for the Boston Python User Group Alternative Pythons Extravaganza.

Grant objective: Bring in high-quality speakers for a Boston Python User Group meetup on alternative Pythons on September 20th, 2011. We have 3 experts lined up to speak on PyPy, Jython, and IronPython but need help covering their travel expenses.

Grant size: $600 total -- $200 for each of 3 speakers coming in from out of town for the event.

Grant beneficiaries: We are a 1000-member Python User Group (http://meetup.bostonpython.com), and our average meetup brings in 60-80 members. We had people tentatively RSVP for this event and received 90 RSVPs, so we expect between 60 and 90 Python users from the Boston area to benefit from these excellent speakers. This event will have material relevant to Python users of all experience levels. We also hope to use this event to spur interest in some meetup-led hackathons on these alternative Pythons.

Grant follow-up: We will report on the success of the grant on our blog and mention the PSF as providing the grant. The PSF will receive an email pointing to the blog posting once it is published.

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. Will the PSF fund a grant request for food for a workshop, sprint or hackathon?

A. Yes! But not through the Grants program. Please submit grant requests for workshops, coding sprints, and hackathons to the PSF Sprints Committee.

Q. Will the PSF fund a grant request to cover travel costs to fly in a speaker for a PUG event?

A. Yes. However, please note that we can only reimburse for reasonable speaker travel expenses, preferably based on invoices and bills sent to our treasurer.

Q. Will the PSF fund grant requests for 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.

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

A. A typical conference grant size is USD 10 per attendee, with exceptions for smaller conferences that need extra financial assistance.

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

A. A typical educational program grant size is USD 50 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.