The price of contribution
Why I decided to not ask for sponsorship beforehand and how you can help!
I always wanted to sponsor myself with my business to contribute to WordPress, including the organisation of WordPress events such as WordCamp Europe. Therefore I did not want to be sponsored for my contribution time! This has changed and I’m now searching to being sponsored for my time contributing to the WordPress project, because I have only half of my time for the rest.
I might sponsor myself for a part of the monthly 80 hours in the future. Still, until I draw a sufficient income from my businesses, allowing me to contribute to WordPress sustainably, I need sponsors and consider contributing to WordPress like a job.
About WordCamp Europe specifically, it costs money to go to events like for any attendee, and this is the same for organisers. I know sponsors prefer developers, but we all agree that organising events is an essential part of the WordPress project, right? Some might say I should contribute less, but I know I bring value to important projects such as the Contributor Mentorship Program, WordCamp Europe, mentoring WordCamps, organising local events, and much more…
As a co-organiser of WordCamp Europe 2024, I went 3 times to Torino, one time in November and one time in April for venue visits and in June for the event. Some people thought that organisers were paid, that it was part of the WordCamp Europe budget, but it is not, and they were surprised when I told them.
Some organisers are paid by their companies if they work for a company in the WordPress ecosystem and/or by third party companies, both via the Five for the Future initiative. Their travel costs and accommodation are usually covered. This is not my case.
Why didn’t I ask beforehand? because it would not have been honest to say “without funding, I cannot attend” as it wouldn’t have been true. I put my priorities on WordCamp Europe as a co-organiser.
But I am now facing financial consequences.
I know that some people asked for funding to be able to come, and I appreciate for example how Birgit Olzem did, stating every cost and mentioning why her presence would be very beneficial because she was asked to lead the DEIB table at the Contributor Day.
I found that very honest, very well crafted and elegant. Sponsors were assured that all the money they gave was well spent. She didn’t ask any arbitrary or extravagant amount to cover extra time.
But for me, I didn’t want to do it before the event, because money was not a condition for me to be there. However, I state my costs at the bottom of the Sponsor page and if any company wants to participate to it, I will be very grateful, I will list you at the top of my Sponsor page, on a blog post and on social media!
I know that some companies make huge amounts of money, some of them give back to WordPress by sponsoring contributors (their employees or third-party contributors), and that’s great, but some companies never give back even though their success is based on WordPress. See more information about Five for the Future here.
Four ways to help
Sponsoring my contribution time – Ongoing
To sponsor my contributions to the WordPress project via the Five for the Future Initiative, like a lot of paid contributors, see my Sponsor page and GitHub sponsor page.
One time sponsorship to cover costs
WordCamp Europe 2024
To help me recover the costs for WordCamp Europe 2024, see my Sponsor page and GitHub sponsor page.
You will find my detailed costs for WordCamp Europe there at the bottom of the page.
WordCamp Europe 2025
Let’s discuss sponsorship if you want to cover accommodation and gas.
Other WordCamp events
Let’s discuss if you want me to wear your T-shirt and be an ambassador for your brand at WordCamp events when I’m neither an organiser nor a volunteer. We need to discuss first, to see if we share values.
Be a sponsor in my professional project WPMondo
WPMondo is aimed at the international WordPress community at large.
We are new media, we have a webshow and an upcoming directory as well as a news aggregator. You can sponsor our webshow episodes, even if of course, sponsoring a show with very few episodes so far can look a bit weird, but how great would that be to be the first sponsor! 馃槈
At the time of writing (5 August 2024), we have 2 episodes published (with Bob Dunn from DotheWoo, one in French with Eddy Boels from Whodunit) and 4 episodes coming up, in different categories: Host the host, where the first episodes will be in several languages, and the other categories will be “Contributor focus”, “Fun and misc” and “Solution/Founder stories” to also showcase your products, your companies, your agencies. We also plan to address the “younger generation media”.
If you are interested to sponsor one or several episodes, please head to this page on WPMondo, and if you are interested to be a guest, the form is there.
We can’t wait to start this with you!
Non-financial help
Now, I have several business projects, and that would really help if you shared posts and like/share/promote social media entries from:
- WPMondo, aimed at the international WordPress community at large.
(X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Mastodon, Facebook) - Interaction Site, membership site for small businesses, solo-entrepreneurs as service providers, artists and people with an impactful message.
(X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Mastodon, Facebook)
Soon, opening on 5 August - Web Presence Care, where I start offering WordPress services again, in a network with other independent and skilled service providers.
(X/Twitter, LinkedIn, soon on the Fediverse, Facebook)
In all of my projects, professional or contribution related, the focus is always to bring people from different languages and different backgrounds together!
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