PSF Annual Report

The Python Software Foundation (hereafter ‘PSF’) had a year of growth in 2019. Our team continued to grow, our donations increased, and our service programs expanded. We are happy to share these updates with the community through our second annual impact report.

The PSF’s Grants Program processes over 300 requests yearly. In 2019 the Grants Program provided $324,500 USD in support to initiatives around the world. This support requires substantial accounting work and since the PSF is a non-profit organization, it is vital that our accounting roles are staffed adequately as we continue to grow the support we provide for the Python community. This not only helps us handle incoming and outgoing grants, but also provides better support for our Fiscal Sponsorees. At the beginning of 2019 we hired two folks to help with the PSF’s accounting needs in the capacities of Financial Analyst and Accounting Manager. We are thrilled that our staff continues to grow.

2019 was also a major year for incoming grants. The PSF Packaging Working Group was awarded $407,000 USD to support work on pip in 2020, thanks to Mozilla and to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Funding from the Open Technology Fund brought translations, improved accessibility, two-factor authentication, and API tokens to PyPI In addition, Facebook Research has donated $100,000 to implement advanced security features for PyPI.

Trademark support is also increasing worldwide. The PSF continues to file necessary trademarks for PyCon and PyPI. As the PSF sets up to support the new PyLadies governance plan, we also began filing the PyLadies trademark in many countries at the end of 2019. This work helps strengthen and protect terms that are staples within our community.

Another staple in our community is PyCon US, which is produced by the PSF. In 2019, PyCon US generated 63% of the PSF’s revenue. That revenue helps the PSF further its mission in so many ways. Thanks to increased sponsor support, we awarded $137,200 in financial aid to 143 PyCon 2019 attendees, which was a 17% increase from 2018! We look forward to increasing PyCon US accessibility in the coming years.

In addition to increasing the amount of financial support we provide through PyCon US, the PSF was able to fund two Python in Education projects thanks to our increased revenue in 2019. A $50,000 grant was awarded to the BeeWare Project to improve Python on Android. The PSF also awarded a grant of $12,000 to Meg Ray, to work on creating a Python in Education website where we can curate educational information from all over the world. Throughout 2020, we will publish more details on the grants the PSF approved from this initiative.

For 2020, our intentions are set on community collaborations and support. We want to continue to strengthen the support we currently provide the Python community and add new services as well. The PSF is having longer discussions about strategic planning and how we can improve community support. We look forward to sharing these updates with everyone as they develop.