I believe we have reached a point where it is time to discontinue donations to the Free Software Foundation, in light of the outrageously poor judgment shown by its board of directors in reinstating Richard Stallman to the board. I haven’t seen other free software community members calling for cutting off donations yet. Even the open letter doesn’t call for this. Edit: I’ve been pointed to the line “We urge those in a position to do so to stop supporting the Free Software Foundation,” which surely implies a call to stop donating, so I was wrong about that.
I have no doubt there will be follow-up blog posts explaining why cutting off donations is harmful to the community and the FSF’s staff, and will hurt the FSF in the long-term… but seriously, enough is enough. If we don’t draw the line here, there will never be any line anywhere. Continued support for the FSF is continued complicity, and is harming rather than helping advance the ideals of the free software community. So, where should you donate instead?
The Software Freedom Conservancy is a great choice. It hosts many member projects you’re probably familiar with, including Outreachy and git, among many others. It does some GPL compliance work and takes a strict view on software freedom. For US donors, it is a 501(c)(3), so your donations may be tax-deductible. This is where I send my free software donations not directed to GNOME. Read its statement on recent events at the FSF.
Another good option, especially for people in the EU, is the Free Software Foundation Europe, an independently-run sister organization of the FSF. If you’re not familiar with FSFE, think of it as a more moderate version of the FSF, with a special focus on Europe. It shares the same goals as the FSF, but with more reasonable leadership and much less popcorn. Read its statement on recent events at the FSF.
Most people reading this blog are likely GNOME users. Contributing to GNOME is a great way to support the desktop you use to get things done. Monthly sustaining donations are especially appreciated. Despite the historical association between GNOME and GNU, GNOME has had little to do with GNU for a long time now. The GNOME Foundation is run independently and has formally signed the open letter calling for the resignation of the FSF’s board of directors. For US donors, it is a 501(c)(3). (If you use KDE, donate to KDE here.)
It should be obvious, but this is a personal blog. None of the above organizations have endorsed cutting off donations to the FSF, to my knowledge. They would probably find it to be in poor taste to abuse a crisis to solicit funds. But I doubt they’d object if you send some money their way.