Chapter 8: Conclusions

In the almost four years since we wrote the first version of this primer, much of the landscape around the use of free and open source software in the nonprofit sector has changed. In September of 2003, Jonathan Peizer argued that to realize the full promise of OSS in nonprofits, 'a proactive, well thought out strategy by a collaborative of progressive funders, developers and technology service providers' is required.Unfortunately, that proactive, well thought out strategy has not come to fruition. What has come to fruition is a great deal of maturity in all free and open source software as described in the first version of the primer, an increasing number of nonprofit-focused FOSS projects, the wholesale adoption of free and open source CMS platforms by nonprofit organizations, and increasing availability of support for FOSS by both nonprofit and for-profit technology providers. There are now examples of nonprofits that have completely converted to using free and open source software. Most basic office tasks (email, web browsing, office productivity) can be handled, in a way that is usable by even by non-tech savvy staff, and free and open source projects that still continue to improve. The primary hurdles to increasing adoption of FOSS software in the sector are missing applications, lack of information about support options, lack of training and familiarity of nonprofit staff on FOSS applications, and, finally, perception. It is primarily perception, in our opinion, that prevents the wider adoption of FOSS alternatives. There is still the perception that FOSS is 'for geeks only.' There is still the perception that FOSS is harder to support, or that it's not possible to find support for FOSS. There is the perception that nonprofit staff won't want to use FOSS, or won't be able to get used to it. As the examples in this primer show, everything from a small office converting entirely to Ubuntu desktops, to a 12,000 person conference, can be run on FOSS, with end-users able to use the software.Even as perception is the primary hurdle we see, real gaps remain in the realm of applications and support. There are some areas where FOSS options just don't exist to replace proprietary software. In particular, the alternatives to accounting packages and fundraising packages are few and far between, and those that exist are not mature enough. Many nonprofits depend on MS Access or Filemaker Pro databases for keeping track of clients or donors, but OOBase, the only FOSS alternative to desktop databases like Access is not mature enough to replace those databases (and migration to Base could be costly.) Although it is possible to find many technology providers in all major cities and most communities that are familiar with FOSS, they still are outnumbered by the providers that focus on proprietary (primarily Microsoft) tools. As FOSS gets more and more mature, and more people become familiar with it, there will be broader adoption over time. However, there are some areas, particularly 'vertical' nonprofit focused applications, such as case management, volunteer and project management, and fundraising and CRM, where there are few (or no) free and open source options, and little or no resources going into development and improvement of those options. It is in this area more than any, that free and open source options would provide nonprofits with huge value and benefit. These packages are often the most expensive, the most complex, and there are the least numbers of options (except for CRM and fundraising.) Developing free and open source applications in these realms that are extensible, use open standards and are interoperable would provide nonprofits with cost-effective alternatives that would increase their mission effectiveness. It is in this area more than any other, that we need a collaborative approach, bringing together nonprofits, funders, providers and others to build these tools.FOSS is, on many levels, a good fit for nonprofits. FOSS can provide less expensive, easier to maintain, more extensible, more secure implementations of software than proprietary alternatives. FOSS development and FOSS communities often work in ways that are consonant with nonprofit mission (in fact, many FOSS projects are nonprofit organizations themselves.) The development of FOSS specifically for the nonprofit sector provides the possibility of freely available community-driven, community-owned software, that can change and grow with organizations as they grow and change. Free and open source software still, after all these years, provides real promise for the nonprofit sector. Our challenge is to find ways to work together to further and more fully realize that promise.