The Gnome Foundation Struggling to Stay Afloat
The foundation behind the Gnome desktop environment is having to go through some serious belt-tightening due to continued financial problems.
The Gnome Foundation has announced some changes are underway due to some serious financial issues. Their current budget was approved on October 1, and they have been forced to make some very tough decisions to ensure long-term sustainability.
Those decisions include layoffs, most notably Caroline Henrikson, Creative Director, and, Melissa Wu, Director of Community Development. The foundation also indicated that, unless more funds are secured, they will have to make serious changes in how they market, fundraise, and even attend events.
One area that did not see cuts is Gnome's two major conferences, Gnome Asia and GUADEC. Fortunately, these events are backed by corporate sponsorship, so they have been spared (for the time being). As well, the Gnome Foundation internship programs and the group's participation in Google Summer of Code are not impacted by the current cuts.
Part of the reason for these cuts is that the Gnome Foundation has been living off a surplus of funds. Unfortunately, those funds dwindled until, in April 2024, Robert McQueen (Gnome Foundation president) announced that the surplus was gone.
The Gnome Foundation is currently searching for a new executive director (details for this position can be found here) and applications for that position are due October 15.
The Gnome Foundation is asking for community support by way of volunteering, idea sharing, and donations.
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