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Software for the Public Good

The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) exists to provide software for the public good. We believe in the power of community over code, known as The Apache Way. Thousands of people around the world contribute to ASF open source projects every day.

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Enabling Strong Communities

The Foundation’s community practices are considered industry standards, including the widely adopted Apache License 2.0, the incubator program, and a consensus-driven decision model that enables projects to build strong communities and thrive.

Licensing

We maintain one of the most relied-upon open source licenses in the world.

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Creating Equity

Diversity and Inclusion project is dedicated to understanding and promoting the diversity and inclusion of ASF’s open source communities. It develops tools and frameworks to foster inclusion and increase diversity in all phases of Apache projects.

Learn More about Diversity & Inclusion

Institutionalizing Open Source

ASF is a U.S. 501(c)(3) charitable organization funded by individual donations and corporate sponsors, and is run almost exclusively by volunteers that provide support for hundreds of projects. Since 1999, we have provided an established framework for intellectual property and financial contributions that enables millions of people around the world to collaborate and deliver freely available software.

How the ASF Works

Read Our History

Servant Leaders

The Foundation itself is a collaborative project of the ASF, which means our leadership is elected by Members and maintains its own governance. Our leadership is composed entirely of volunteers who are committed to advancing ASF’s mission of providing software for the public good.

Meet ASF Leadership