A promise you can follow.
Where the money goes, what stays yours, and the records behind it. The important commitments are written down and open to everyone.
Public benefit comes first.
The Association has no distributable private profit. Routed funds cannot go to project owners, contributors, members or the Association itself.
Published rules cap running costs charged to fees at 15% and reserve retention at 5%, calculated on net Purpose Fee proceeds: after the payment provider's fee, without the taxes charged at purchase, and after refunds and chargebacks. No cap is ever raised for a purchase already made.
Transfers go directly to recipients, within a published deadline for each payment-rail payout.
The money rules and breakdown →
The complete financial pledge and its rules
100% of net Purpose Fees go to the listed charities within 30 days of each payout, after published, capped costs: running costs at most 15% of a year's net fees, and the reserve at most 5% of each payout until it holds six months of costs, so at least 80% every year. Listed supporters lower the costs, never what is passed on. No cap is ever raised for a purchase already made. Every cost and transfer is published monthly.
Under the maximum running-cost and reserve deductions, at least 80% of a financial year's net Purpose Fee proceeds is passed on: the fees after the payment provider's fee, without the taxes charged at purchase, and after refunds and chargebacks. The reserve starts empty, so its deduction can apply to every payout until it reaches its target. How the calculation works.
The statutes protect the public-benefit destination, set the ceiling on costs, including invoices and paid work, and require direct, timely transfers.
The work stays with its people.
Contributors keep their copyright. The Association manages records and funds; it does not take ownership of projects it registers for others.
The licence gives each software release its own four-year Apache-2.0 conversion date. Versions already covered by a paid term remain covered permanently.
These commitments are backed by the limits on the Association's role and the licence text and reading guide.
If the movement ever needs to wind down
The published exit rules explain what happens to records, funds and existing coverage. Continuity and an orderly exit →
Where things stand.
The Association is founded: a Swiss association based in Aargau.
The legal notice records its identity and register status. Purpose Source License 1.0 was published on 2026-10-01; it is the text a project adopts. The public registry opens with the first registered projects; waivers come with the platform’s claim process.
Licence credentials are sold through our online reseller Paddle. Checkout opens at launch; no payment is taken before then. No real disbursements or issued certificates are claimed. Sample entries are labelled as such.
Go straight to the evidence.
The public ledger, project directory and governing documents let you check the details behind these commitments.
Money and participation records
Governance and operating rules
If something is unclear, get in touch. You can also browse the complete reference library.