Piloting an in-house mentorship program, such as the AsyncAPI Maintainership Program, involves thoughtful financial planning. Thanks to generous donations through our Open Collective, the AsyncAPI Initiative has been able to allocate a fixed portion of its annual funds to support this program.
To ensure long-term sustainability, transparency, and impact, we annually evaluate our budget to determine the number of projects we can support, which includes providing fair stipends for contributors, recognizing mentor efforts, and covering essential administrative costs.
We’ve also created a dedicated Open Collective page specifically for the Maintainership Program. This helps organizers easily manage and track program-specific expenses while keeping them loosely coupled from the broader Initiative’s finances.
Budget Overview
Each project accepted into the AsyncAPI Maintainership Program is funded with a fixed $2,000 budget, designed to fairly support both contributors and mentors. Whether a project is led by one contributor or a small team, the budget remains consistent to encourage scope discipline, collaboration, and resource sharing.
Cost Breakdown (Per Project)
| Expense Item | Amount (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Contributor Stipends | $1,500 | Split equally among all contributors on the project. |
| Mentor Recognition / Honorarium | $500 | Given to the lead mentor (or split between multiple mentors if applicable). |
| Total Per Project | $2,000 |
If a project has two contributors, each will receive $750. If three, each receives $500, and so on. Mentor funds are fixed per project regardless of team size.
Annual Cohort Budget Projection
The number of project slots we support each year depends entirely on our available funding. For example, with a $16,000 annual budget, we can support up to 8 projects:
| Item | Per Project | Total (8 Projects) |
|---|---|---|
| Contributor Stipends | $1,500 | $12,000 |
| Mentor Honorariums | $500 | $4,000 |
| Total Budget Needed | — | $16,000 |
Note: Actual project slots may vary from year to year depending on the total funds raised and community needs.
This model allows us to scale based on financial support, ensuring every accepted project receives fair and consistent financial backing.
