PSF Membership FAQ
The mission of the Python Software Foundation is to promote, protect, and advance the Python programming language, and to support and facilitate the growth of the international community of Python programmers.
—from the Mission Statement page
What does it mean to be a member of the PSF?
Being part of the PSF means being part of the Python community. In 2014, we changed the bylaws to make the PSF an open membership organization, so that everyone who uses and supports Python can join.
For those who wish to do more, we have classes of membership for those who contribute time, work, and money to the foundation.
What does the PSF do?
The majority of the PSF's work is focused on empowering and supporting people within the Python community. The PSF has active grant programs that support sprints, conferences, meetups, user groups, and Python development efforts all over the world. In addition, the PSF underwrites and runs PyCon US, the primary Python community conference.
The PSF serves as a primary point of contact for organizations seeking to work with Python, to support Python, or to sponsor Python development. The PSF provides a structure by which work, donations and sponsorships can be coordinated worldwide.
The PSF also holds and protects the intellectual property associated with Python and the Python community - like the word "Python," the two-snakes logo, and the terms "PyLadies" and "PyCon." We make sure that these terms are used appropriately and only for the benefit of the Python community.
What membership classes are there?
There are six classes of members: Basic Members, Supporting Members, Sponsor Members, Managing Members, Contributing Members and Fellows.
- Basic members are individuals or entities who are part of the
Python language community and who have decided to declare their support for Python and agree to the community Code of Conduct.
- Supporting members make an annual donation to the PSF
to sustain the Foundation and support the Python community. You can sign up as an supporting member at <http://www.psfmember.org>.
- Sponsor members are organizations that support the PSF
through a yearly fee, substantial in-kind donations, and dedicated work on behalf of the PSF and the community. Sponsor members may provide people to be delegates that participate in the work of the PSF. Sponsor membership details can be found here.
- Managing members are people who dedicate at least five hours per
month working to support the Python ecosystem in one or the PSF's working groups - by helping organize, manage, run infrastructure, etc.
- Contributing members are people who dedicate at least five hours per
month working on projects that advance the mission of the PSF, where the work relates to the creation or maintenance of open source software available to the public at no charge.
- Fellows are members who have been nominated for their
extraordinary efforts and impact upon Python, the community, and the broader Python ecosystem. Fellows are nominated from the broader community and elevated by a vote of the members.
Who is allowed to vote?
To vote you must be 1) eligible to vote, and then 2) elect to exercise voting privileges.
Who is eligible: Supporting members, sponsor delegates, managing members, contributing members, and fellows are eligible for voting privileges.
Exercising voting privileges: Each person that is eligible for voting privileges must then elect each year whether or not to exercise the right to vote. Voting is a use-it-or-lose-it privilege; missing four votes within a calendar year removes voting privileges for the rest of the year.
How does a person become a PSF Fellow?
The criteria for becoming a PSF Fellow are as follows:
For those who have served the Python community by creating and/or maintaining various creative contributions, the following statement should be true:
"[Nominated Person] has served the Python community by making available code, tests, documentation, or design, either in a Python implementation or in a Python ecosystem project, that 1) shows technical excellence, 2) is an example of software engineering principles and best practices, and 3) has achieved widespread usage or acclaim."
For those who have served the Python community by coordinating, organizing, teaching, writing, and evangelizing, the following statement should be true:
"[Nominated Person] has served the Python community through extraordinary efforts in organizing Python events, publicly promoting Python, and teaching and coordinating others. [Nominated Person]'s efforts have shown leadership and resulted in long-lasting and substantial gains in the number and quality of Python users, and have been widely recognized as being above and beyond normal volunteering."
In all that this person does, [Nominated Person] is an example of what we aspire to be in the Python community.
How can I ask other questions?
Please send questions to psf@python.org.