MOSS

Program Overview

Mozilla Open Source Support (MOSS) is an awards program specifically focused on supporting the Open Source and Free Software movement, with a yearly budget of around $3 million.

Mozilla is a part of the Open Source and Free Software movement. We were born out of this movement. We prosper because of the technology and activism which comes from this movement. And we know that Open Source and Free Software remains a key part of the Internet and the online life we seek to build. We have had an ad-hoc grants program for many years. MOSS is a systematic way to provide a new level of support to this community.

The Mozilla Open Source Support program is designed to recognize and celebrate communities who are leading the way with open source projects that contribute to our work and the health of the Web. It encompasses a “give back” element for Open Source and Free Software projects that Mozilla relies on (the "Foundational Technology" track), a “give forward” element for supporting other projects whose goals are in alignment with ours (the "Mission Partners" track), and soon, an element for improving the security of the open source ecosystem (the "Secure Open Source" track).

• MOSS Track 1 - Foundational Technology
• MOSS Track 2 - Mission Partners
• MOSS Track 3 - Secure Open Source (under development)

Use the links above to find out about each track, including details on how to apply. To stay informed about and involved with MOSS in general, please join the MOSS discussion forum.

Selection Committee

We have formed a selection committee of 7 participants to assess awards on Tracks 1 and 2, as follows:

• Current Committed Mozillians - they bring a good working knowledge of Mozilla's day-to-day activities and how various open source projects are used.
  • Benjamin Kerensa
  • Laura Thomson
  • Doug Turner

• Senior Mozilla Alumni - they are no longer actively involved with Mozilla on a day-to-day basis but have a deep understanding of our project and a different/outside perspective.
  • Stormy Peters
  • Mike Shaver

• Other Open Source Experts - they bring knowledge of the role of different projects within the open source ecosystem.
  • Rich Bowen
  • Tony Wasserman

Mentors

Some projects may want to apply for a MOSS award but be nervous about preparing a proposal. We have identified three mentors who are willing to help with this, and you should feel free to contact any of them:

• David Bryant. David is Mozilla's VP of Platform Engineering, so he is obviously clueful about software, and he’s also signed on to assist with the topics of project needs, possible solutions and appropriate amounts.
• Pascal Finette. Pascal launched WebFWD when he was a Mozilla employee and now runs Singularity University’s accelerator program. Pascal has a long history and an abiding love of working with people to build things. He has great expertise in this type of task, matching by his abiding interest in contributing to Mozilla.
• Jim Cook. Jim is Mozilla's Chief Financial Officer, and can provide assistance for those interested in the financial side of things. Jim knows a lot about cost and value!

FAQs

What if my project doesn’t have a legal organizational home? I see this is disfavoured, and exceptional circumstances are required. What might count as "exceptional"?

You tell us. If a project doesn't have a legal organizational home, we will be handing a large sum of money to an individual with only limited accountability. This means a higher level of complexity and risk. So you need to describe why it's reasonable and important for us to accept that additional risk. We will listen because Mozilla is a pretty flexible organization, but we can’t promise the result will be as you hope.

What about tax?

Recipients are responsible to determine the tax implications of receiving an award, based on their respective countries’ tax laws and compliance requirements. Amounts applied for should be sized such that any tax or other liability that will be incurred is accounted for. Mozilla reserves the right to use different payment mechanisms or tax characterisations for different awards in the MOSS program based on a number of factors specific to the award.