The WP Community Collective develops programs that directly support open source contributors to ensure the long-term health of the open source ecosystem .
The WPCC creates programs in collaboration with our members and our partners that support innovation and sustainability within the open source ecosystem, including software, communities and individual contributors.
The WPCC’s programming includes four main areas, built to focus resources in alignment with the needs of open source and open source communities: Projects, Fellowships, Initiatives and Rapid Response.
Projects
Projects are targeted efforts to build tools, resources, and infrastructure supporting selected open source projects and communities.
Each project goes through a member-focused project development process to develop a clear project scope, including timeline, budget, deliverables and project roles.
When developing projects, The WPCC prioritizes paid contributor roles, filled by individuals who bring the expertise needed to complete the work and funded through sponsorship and fundraising.
Projects within the scope of in-house resources, such as staff or the Board of Directors, or that can’t be otherwise funded may be handled internally with The WPCC team and board members.
Fellowships
Each Fellowship focuses on specific contributor areas, such as accessibility, documentation, or security. Fellows are a paid role appointed by Members of The WPCC for a specified term, usually six months or longer.
While Fellows may intersect with and work on projects for The WPCC, the role of the Fellow is to provide ongoing, sustained contributions in their area of focus.
Initiatives
Initiatives are where The WPCC puts our values into action and supports the community beyond tangible project outcomes. Each initiative focuses on a theme, such as contributor recognition, sustainability, or equity, and provides a container for multiple campaigns across time and events.
Initiatives aim to provide visibility, appreciation, and support for individual contributors, which in turn supports the health of the greater open source ecosystem.
Rapid Response
Sometimes members of the open source or WordPress community are faced with urgent needs. Sometimes there is a critical vulnerability, a sudden opportunity, or an unexpected gap in contributor capacity.
Rapid Response is The WPCC’s way of meeting those needs quickly. These are small-dollar funds designed to provide one-time, targeted support to The WPCC member community. Every Rapid Response request is voted on directly by The WPCC members.