Oregon · Nonprofit
PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION
PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION (Oregon) receives grants from 20 organizations whose IRS filings report $1,287,031 to it, the largest being PAYPAL CHARITABLE GIVING FUND ($760,209). 7 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 89% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- Revenue FY2024
- $4.1M
- Funders on record
- 20
- Grants received
- $1.3M
- Net assets
- $3.4M
What Python Software Foundation does
Mission
The mission of the Python Software Foundation (PSF) is to promote, protect, and advance the open source Python programming language and to support and facilitate the growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers. The PSF: (1) Produces the core Python distribution including the Python language, its standard libraries and documentation, installers, source code, educational materials, and assorted tools and applications, (2) Establishes PSF licenses conform to the Open Source Definition and ensures the public to freely obtain, use, redistribute, and modify PSF intellectual property, (3) Protects the Python name, and the names, service marks and trademarks, (4) Raises funds to support PSF programs and services, (5) Publicizes, promotes the adoption of, and facilitates the ongoing development of Python-related technology, research, grants, conferences, and educational resources in the public interest.
As stated on its FY2024 Form 990.
Programs
PyCon US is the largest annual gathering for the community that uses and develops the open-source Python programming language. PyCon US 2024 was offered in a hybrid format for the third time with 2,551 in-person attendees in Pittsburgh, PA and 440 online attendees. A record 1,752 Pythonistas were first-time attendees! The conference included high-quality talks, tutorials, keynotes, and meeting spaces for attendees to learn about our sponsors, discover the job market, explore Python projects and meet fellow Python community members. 198 speakers offered 167 sessions for attendees of all skill levels including tutorials, keynotes, Charlas tracks, and lightning talks. Please see our blog post for more information about PyCon US 2024: https://pycon.blogspot.com/2024/08/.
$2,511,830 spentof which $195,124 as grants$2,105,145 earned by the program51% of program spendingThe PSF awarded $637K in grants to projects and events related to the development of Python, Python-related technology, educational programs, and resources. Events include worldwide conferences, PyLadies and Django Girls workshops, education, and training programs related to the establishment and promotion of the free and open source programming language Python. 149 groups or projects in 61 countries received grants from the PSF during 2024. Several worldwide Python Meetups reactivated during the year, bringing the Python Meetup network up to 117 groups covering 37 countries and over 260,000 members. The PSF also awarded $297K in travel grants at PyCon US 2024 (with $72K funded by PyLadies), PyCascades 2024, PyOhio 2024, PyLadiesCon 2024 Equipment Grants.
$665,592 spentof which $585,344 as grants13% of program spendingThe PSF provides fiscal sponsorship for Python-focused user groups, events, and projects. These groups hold regular education and networking meetings and/or present regional Python conferences. The PSF and each fiscal sponsoree work together to manage donor contributions wisely and maximize our ability to pursue the PSF's charitable mission. The PSF continued fiscally sponsoring 20 groups including: Bandit, BAPYA (Bay Area Python Groups), Boston Python, ChiPy, Denver Python User Group, Jazzband, North Bay Python, Pallets (Flask), PyOhio, PhillyPUG, PuPPy, PyBeach, PyCascades, PyHawaii, PyLadies PyMNtos, PyPA, PyRVA, San Diego Python, and Twisted.
$412,921 spentof which $89,464 as grants$435,835 earned by the program8% of program spendingThe PSF funds programming development efforts to advance and maintain the core Python language, its associated libraries, and significant allied projects central to the Python community. These efforts include the Packaging Work Group, which improves and maintains the Python packaging ecosystem through fundraising and disbursement of raised funds. The Packaging Work Group focuses on efforts such as PyPI, pip, packaging.python.org, setuptools, and cross project efforts. These program initiatives also include funds for trademark and copyright investments. The PSF received several major grants focused on continuing security work during 2024. Amazon Web Services, Inc. provided a third grant for PyPI Security efforts and Linux Foundation renewed the OpenSSF Alpha-Omega Grant, which supports the Security Developer-in-Residence. The PSF received a second year of funding from Meta for the CPython Developer-in-Residence, who focused on CPython improvements and bug tracking and fixing plus many other important tasks. Bloomberg granted funds for a new Deputy CPython Developer-in-Residence and the CPython Steering Council funded a Supporting CPython Developer-in-Residence. The CPython Steering…
$1,335,600 spentof which $82,010 as grants$1,049,374 earned by the program27% of program spendingThe Python Software Foundation relies on volunteer efforts to achieve many of its goals. The PSF Board of Directors offers recognition of work which significantly improves the Foundation's fulfillment of its mission and benefits the broader Python community including contributions of code and efforts in community action. The intention of these awards is to demonstrate that service to the Python community does lead to recognition and reward, rather than to provide a direct incentive to contributors.
$18,318 spent0% of program spending
The 5 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $4,944,261.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2018 to 2019, from $3.5M to $4.7M (+34%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
67% of PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION’s revenue is contributions — about as donation-reliant as the typical peer (68% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 2 of the last 8 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Deborah Nicholson
Secretary, Executive Director, Director
Board chair
Dawn Wages
Chair, Director
As listed on its FY2024 Form 990.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 1 funder to 7 funders, grant income fell $126k → $53k.
7 of 20 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 89% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION leans on a few funders — its largest provides 59% of grant income and the top three 86%; half comes from just 1 funder.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 1 funder to its left
100% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 100% · 2018 100% · 2019 58% · 2020 81% · 2021 48% · 2022 57% · 2023 61% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
80% of PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 35% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
89% of PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION's grant income arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors, whose addresses record where the money is held rather than where the donor is. Of the $144k that is directly attributable, 100% of it comes from funders outside Oregon, across 11 states.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $1.1M arriving through sponsors registered in 7 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION is better cushioned than half of the 482 science & tech nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 482 science & tech nonprofits $1M–$10M, FY2024
Government funding PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION receives
Grants and contracts to this organization from federal (USASpending) and state checkbooks, reconciled to its EIN. $67k on record.
- Department of Justice$56k
- Executive Office of the President$10k
Federal grants vs contracts are distinguished; state line items keep their reported category. Matched by name + geography (the BMF), so coverage is partial and precision-first.
Organizations like PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Oregon
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
86% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
98%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION?
- PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION (Oregon) receives grants from 20 organizations whose IRS filings report $1,287,031 to it, the largest being PAYPAL CHARITABLE GIVING FUND ($760,209). 7 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 89% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- How many funders does PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION have?
- IRS filings report 20 organizations giving $1,287,031 in grants to PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION, 7 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION?
- PAYPAL CHARITABLE GIVING FUND is the largest funder on record, with $760,209 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Oregon. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2024 (financials across 2017–2024), and the filings of 20 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 22, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing