Supporting the project

[gantoine]

RomM is and will always be free and open-source software.

TL;DR: Support the project by contributing on our Open Collective page.

Over the past year of building RomM, we've received tremendous support from users who love the project and want to help sustain its development financially. While we previously offered the option to donate through BMAC, it lacked the transparency and flexibility needed for a rapidly growing project. Therefore, we've decided to move our fundraising efforts to a new platform: Open Collective.

Why Open Collective?

Open Collective (OC) allows users to support projects they care about through a simple and transparent platform. With OC, you can set up recurring contributions, support different projects, and see exactly how your money is being used. While OC is a for-profit platform, it provides the legal and financial tools necessary for transparency and accountability, freeing us from the complexities of running a non-profit.

Key benefits of OC include:

• Public transparency: All contributions and expenses are recorded and can be viewed by the public.
• Fund security: All funds are held in trust by the Open Source Collective, a US-based 501(c)(6) fiscal host. This ensures that the funds are not at risk of being misused.
• Flexible contributions: Supporters can make one-time or recurring contributions to the project.
• Privacy: Supporters can choose to remain pseudonymous, and information will not be made public or shared with the team.

How will the funds be used?

Currently, we need to cover some expenses that we currently pay for out of pocket, such as hosting, domain registration, and server costs.

As our development team grows, we'd like to provide our developers with the necessary tools to continue their work on RomM. This might include costs for software licenses or AI tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot), and eventually, physical hardware such as laptops, home servers (Raspberry Pi), or handheld gaming devices (Miyoo Mini, Anbernic, etc.) for testing device sync.

In the long term, we hope that other developers in the community will build tools that integrate into the ecosystem, such as plugins for various platforms, cloud sync services, or mobile apps. We'd like to financially support these efforts where possible and provide resources to help them succeed.

How can I support the project?

To give our community members more flexibility, we've set up three different contribution "tiers":

True Believer: One-time payment of $25 USD

If you believe in supporting high-quality, open-source software that prioritizes privacy, this option is for you. With this one-time payment, you’ll not only support our vision but also earn a permanent spot as a True Believer within our community. You'll automatically receive access to any future perks reserved for recurring supporters (if and when we offer them).

Developer's Club: $2 USD/month

Joining the Developer's Club directly supports our developers in building amazing features. Your contribution will help cover server costs, purchase the hardware and software we need, and keep the project on track.

Supporter: Custom contribution

If you love this project and want to support it on your own terms, this option is for you. Your support helps us cover regular expenses and fund exciting initiatives across the community. You can contribute as little as $1 USD, either as a one-time or recurring donation.

If you're interested in supporting the project, please visit our Open Collective page. And if money a bit tight, there are many other ways to support the project (which we'll write more about very soon).

We hope you continue to enjoy using RomM! ❤️