Core Features Sponsorship

Sponsorship can play a crucial role in driving the development of new features in open-source projects. If you have an innovative idea that you believe would enhance iDempiere, seeking sponsorship among the community is a great way to secure the necessary resources for its implementation. Here's a guide on how and who can ask for crowdfunding sponsorship for a new feature in iDempiere:

Purpose

The purpose of this initiative is to share costs among the community for the development of desired and significantly large new improvements. By following the steps explained on this page, you can effectively navigate the process of seeking sponsorship for a new feature in iDempiere. Remember that open-source communities thrive on collaboration, so your enthusiasm, dedication, and transparent communication will go a long way in gaining support for your innovative contributions.

Who can apply for official crowdfunding sponsorship

This initiative will initially be limited to top makers. While we learn how to do it, so it is better to start with people the project already has a strong relationship with.

Once we do it a couple of times and become more confident in the process, we can re-evaluate this constraint

How to apply

You can apply by submitting your idea through our official application form.

Some key points to apply are:

1. Identify the Value: Before approaching potential sponsors, thoroughly understand the value your proposed feature would bring to the project. How will it improve user experience, functionality, or efficiency? Prepare a clear and concise explanation of the feature's benefits.
2. Research the Project: Familiarize yourself with the iDempiere's mission, goals, and existing features. Ensure that your proposed feature aligns with the project's objectives and fits within its ecosystem.
3. Engage with the Community: Engage the community in discussions to gauge whether they find the proposed feature appealing or not. Engage in conversations, provide feedback, and establish a presence. Building relationships within the community can increase your credibility when proposing a new feature.
4. Document the Proposal: Create a detailed proposal outlining the feature's specifications, design, implementation plan, and potential challenges. Clearly articulate how the feature aligns with the project's vision.
5. Craft a Persuasive Pitch: When reaching out for sponsorship, tailor your pitch to the community's interests. Highlight the advantages of supporting your feature, such as increased enhanced functionality, or alignment with their objectives.
6. Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize that sponsorship is a collaborative effort. Assure sponsors that their contributions will be acknowledged and that the development process will be transparent, with regular updates on progress.
7. Define Terms: Negotiate the terms of sponsorship. Clarify expectations, funding amount, timeline, and any potential deliverables or milestones.
8. Implement and Communicate: With sponsorship secured, proceed to develop the feature according to the proposal. Keep the project informed about progress, and address any challenges or adjustments along the way.

By following these steps, you can effectively navigate the process of seeking sponsorship for a new feature in iDempiere. Remember that open-source communities thrive on collaboration, so your enthusiasm, dedication, and transparent communication will go a long way in gaining support for your innovative contributions.

Initiative workflow

1. The entity in charge of the development of the proposed new feature (backer) submits the application form.
2. The core team, assisted by the marketing committee, based on their knowledge of the core, evaluates the application.
   1. Evaluates the viability of the proposal.
   2. Ensures that the budget is sensible, e.g., not too low or too high.
   3. Analyzes potential side effects
   4. etc

Once the project is approved, the financial committee is expected to assume control over the initiative.

The marketing teams will continue assisting the core team and backer by performing the following tasks:

• Creating the campaign with the official user on the chosen platform (It is the responsibility of the backer to promote it through forums and actively seek sponsors).
• Promoting the campaign through official accounts, if previously approved by the committee. As long as the backer contributes the content that will be posted on official channels.

FAQ

When will the backer get the money?

The backer will get the money when the promised feature is committed and merged to the official iDempiere project. In the case of bigger projects, the campaign can be broken into smaller milestones with its corresponding partial payments.

What should I know before applying to know if my proposal will be accepted?

We cannot guarantee the acceptance of your proposal, however, there are some tips that might help you increase the chances:

• It is highly recommended to include the core team in the design phase of the solution to make the process smoother and avoid potential bottlenecks and rework.
• The budget should always include compensation for the efforts of the core team.
• Maintaining constant communication with the core team is essential for the success of these campaigns.

What happens if the desired amount is not reached?

The backer can decide how to proceed in this case after talking with the financial committee. The campaign can be chosen as all-or-nothing or flexible, meaning that if the backer considers that the amount that was gathered through crowdfunding is enough they will deliver the new feature into the core.