Frequently Asked Questions

This page is a work in progress. Please feel free to add your own questions OR answers. If you can correct or update some information, please do so. This is a collaborative effort. We need you to contribute. While we sort out our methodology, use the comments option to add your thoughts.

Questions about Open Source

What is Free Software? What is Open Source Software? And whats the difference?Free as in speech, not as in beer. __Libre__, but not (necessarily) __gratis__.The four fundamental software freedoms are:

• freedom to read the source code
• freedom to modify the source code
• freedom to redistribute the source code
• freedom to use the software for any purpose

The term 'Open Source' was coined to divert the emphasis from the political and ethical foundations of Free Software and focus more on the development methodology of many people working together.People often confuse Free Software with 'Copy Left'. Copy Left is one kind of Free Software that requires that any modified and/or extended versions of the software be free as well. For example, the GNU General Public License (GPL) is the first and most poplular copy left license. Why aren't you called the Nonprofit FreeSoftware initiative?That sounds good, but how does that help our nonprofit organization?Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) can provide solutions to many of the typical tasks a Non-Profit needs to do. By eliminating most licensing costs, FOSS solutions can enable scarce capital or operating funds stretch farther. However, like all technical solutions, FOSS does not run itself, and successful implementations are the result of careful planning and execution. Are there any open source projects specifically designed for nonprofits?Yes! There are projects developed for nonprofit organizations. Take a look at The Homeless Management Information System and the Debian-Non Profit project. Projects that serve the business world are useful to non-profits as well, like the SAMBA project. However, there isn't currently (as far as we know) a central catalog of projects and descriptions available for NPO's and NGO's interested in learning about or trying open source software. One of the things we would like to do is host such a list. How can I convince my executive director to use open source software?You can convince your Executive Director to use Open Source software by using examples of other, similar non-profits that are successfully using Open Source software and by downloading and sharing a copy of The Open Source Primer

Are there any open source programs I can run on windows?OpenOffice.org - General office productivity suite (word processing, spreadsheets, etc). - Compatible with Microsoft Office formatsMozilla - Web browser, mail/news client - Available as an integrated suite or as standalone browser and mail/news components.I heard that NOSI has a CD. What is OnTheCD?How many nonprofits are actually using open source software?Lots. We had a database of examples up, but we need to rethink how to make it useful. If you have any ideas about this, let us know.Are there any high profile examples of nonprofits using open source software?You tell us! 'Log':http://www.nosi.net/user/login into the website and edit this list!Will a FoundationFund? my open source project?Why should I open source the code that I develop for my nonprofit clients?