Introduction

Choosing and Using Open Source Software: A Primer for Non Profits

by Michelle Murrain,
with
Rich Cowan, Reuben Silvers, Anders Schneiderman,
Amanda Hickman and Jamie McClelland

---

A booklet published by NOSI (Nonprofit Open Source Initiative).

Reviewed by Katrin Verclas, Carla Schroder and Andrew Gianni.

Designed by Linda Roistacher.

This primer was made possible by a grant from IBM International Foundation. In-kind contributions of staff time were provided by SEIU and Media Jumpstart.

© 2003, Nonprofit Open Source Initiative. This document is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 1.0 License: You are free:

• to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work
• to make derivative works

under the following conditions:

• You must give the original author credit,
• you may not use this work for commercial purposes, and
• if you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under a license identical to this one.

For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. Any of these conditions can be waived if you get permission from the author.Note: to provide feedback on the primer, email feedback@nosi.netTo inquire about the availability of bulk copies, email copies@nosi.net

---

Introduction

Many nonprofit organizations that have previously relied almost entirely on closed commercial software in their organizations are now considering the “open source” alternative. Open Source refers to software distributed with the condition that anyone using it must have access to, and the ability to give away unlimited copies of, both the program and the source code that is needed to make changes to the program.

Open source software refers to software distributed with the condition that the source code is published and that unlimited copies are available to the public. Commercial software, also called proprietary software, is software that is distributed under commercial license agreements, usually for a fee.

The open source model is proving to be a revolutionary development because it makes it easier for software designers to build on the work of others. As a result, the quality of open source software (OSS) has steadily improved so that in many cases open source software products rival or exceed the performance of their proprietary or commercial counterparts. Although the true cost of software is more than its initial purchase price, the fact that OSS is freely available, and freely upgradeable, along with other characteristics (security, stability, access to source code for customization, and the absence of marketing gimmicks in the software) have led to its recent popularity.

The for-profit and academic sectors have long recognized that OSS can be more secure, stable and cost-effective. This explains why they have adopted OSS in larger and larger numbers, particularly for network and web servers. Today OSS is also gaining acceptance for use on individual desktop computers.

This development is significant for charitable organizations. While in the 1980s and 1990s most small-to-medium sized nonprofits managed to get by with donated, “borrowed,” and 5-year-old copies of software products, new approaches to licensing and copy protection are bringing an end to the era of "free" proprietary software. Microsoft, for example, is requiring that every product installed on every machine require a unique install key. Some companies do away with even this approach, replacing software as a product with a new model of software as a service. Under this model, software customers will have to pay annual fees, thus removing the cost-saving option of using older versions of software.

Given these trends, it is easy to see why nonprofits are finding the community model of software development to be appealing. Social justice nonprofits have always struggled to build diverse coalitions based on shared resources and a commitment to strengthen the entire movement, rather than enriching an individual or single organization. Community development groups strongly advocate on behalf of community ownership of resources and property. The concept of community has always been of real importance to nonprofits seeking to build genuine relationships with the individuals and groups with which they work. The proliferation of small, special-interest nonprofits attests to the belief that one size does not fit all – every community and issue is different and requires new and original solutions.

In this primer, we examine how open source software is developed, how its costs and benefits are evaluated, how several nonprofits are using it today, and how you can take concrete steps to advance it in your organization. We also offer ideas on how to further advance the applicability of OSS to the nonprofit sector.