Community & Charter Projects

Many of the best OpenStreetMap projects emerge organically as personal projects built by members of the global community. Informal structures can be great for getting a project off the ground, but at some point they become a barrier to a project’s growth and sustainability. The OpenStreetMap US Community Project and Charter Project programs provide a framework to support the long-term stewardship of projects that are integral to the open mapping ecosystem.

OpenStreetMap US aims to empower projects that align with our mission to support OSM in the United States and beyond through geospatial education, open data availability, map quality improvement, and active collaboration. The Community and Charter Project programs actively encourage the development of tools, programs, and services that contribute to making OpenStreetMap the world’s best map.

How does a Community Project differ from a Charter Project?

The Community Project program is for small-scale, low-budget, volunteer-run projects. Maintainers remain in operational control of their projects while benefiting from OpenStreetMap US’s brand visibility and network of partnerships. Community Projects also receive basic financial support from OSM US through a modest monthly stipend. If a Community Project grows significantly, it can transition into a Charter Project.

The Charter Project program provides a formal nonprofit framework to sustain tentpole projects in the OpenStreetMap ecosystem. Charter Projects have bank accounts, budgets, fundraising expectations, and reporting mechanisms. They can hire paid employees and contractors, apply for grants, and accept large donations.

Why partner with OpenStreetMap US?

OpenStreetMap US provides many benefits to both Community Projects and Charter Projects:

• High brand visibility that will make your project a focal point of the OpenStreetMap community
• Exposure to our large, engaged audience on our website, mailing lists, and social media
• Affiliation with a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity
• Affiliation with an official local chapter of the OpenStreetMap Foundation
• Integration with our growing ecosystem of tools, projects, and programs
• Connection to our extensive network of community, government, corporate, and nonprofit partners
• OSM US Tileservice usage at the Partner Tier without an additional application

In addition, Community Projects enjoy:

• Financial support of up to $25 USD per month

While Charter Projects instead enjoy:

• A dedicated bank account
• Accounting services
• Ability to solicit and accept grants and tax-deductible donations
• Agency to hire employees or independent contractors
• Insurance coverage for any specific liability needs

Evaluation criteria

To be considered for acceptance, your project must:

• Support the stated mission and purpose of OpenStreetMap US
• Provide ongoing value to the OpenStreetMap community
• Have a free and open source license
• Not already be organized as a legal entity such as a 501(c)(3)
• Have one or more active maintainers

What might not qualify?

• One-time events, mapathons, workshops, sprints, etc.
• Fixed-length or short-term projects
• Projects looking for one-time grants
• Projects in the early idea stage
• Projects whose maintainers want to retain full ownership

Full guidelines

Our guidelines lay out the arrangement between your project and OpenStreetMap US. Please take a moment to read and understand the guidelines before deciding to apply.

• Community Project Guidelines
• Charter Project Guidelines

Apply

If you think your initiative may be a good fit to become an official OpenStreetMap US Community or Charter Project, we would love to get to know you! Applications are currently reviewed on a rolling basis. OpenStreetMap US is looking to build strong, long-term relationships with projects, so expect the application process to take 4 to 6 weeks, or up to 12 weeks for Charter Projects.

• Community Project Application
• Charter Project Application