How Project Launch Works
Step 1 – Submit – Tell Us about your project
Fill out the form with a clear description of the problem, your solution, and the roadmap. The more specific and structured your information, the easier it is for supporters to understand and back your work.
Step 2 – Review & Structure – We review and help structure your data
Our team checks whether the project aligns with SW Foundation’s focus areas and funding model. Where needed, we help you refine the description, milestones, and funding breakdown so everything is transparent and easy to follow.
Step 3 – Publish & Fund – Launch and start receiving support
Once approved, your project appears on the platform with clear goals, milestones, and crypto donation options. You keep ownership of your work — we provide structure, visibility, and a transparent channel for funding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any team or individual working on an IT-heavy or technology-enabled project with public or community impact. This includes open-source maintainers, civic tech groups, nonprofits, research labs, and small product teams.
We focus on structured, infrastructure-like work: open platforms, data tools, automation that amplifies people, privacy and security tooling, and digital services for communities and public institutions. Pure marketing campaigns or purely commercial SaaS without clear public benefit are usually not a fit.
No. You can apply at idea or prototype stage, as long as you can clearly describe the problem, proposed solution, and realistic milestones. Ongoing and production projects are also welcome if you have a roadmap and clear funding needs.
Supporters donate directly to your project via crypto wallets you provide. SW Foundation helps with visibility, structure, and trust, but you remain in control of how funds are received and used. We strongly encourage transparent reporting on how each milestone is funded and delivered.
At this stage, SW Foundation does not take a cut from your donations. If this ever changes, it will be clearly documented and only applied with your explicit consent.
You’ll receive a confirmation email. Our team will review your project, ask follow-up questions if needed, and then either:
- approve it for publication,
- ask for revisions to better match the platform, or
- explain why it’s not a fit right now.
In all cases, you keep ownership of your ideas and code.