May 2024

A month for open source maintainers to gather, share, and be celebrated.

Welcome to Maintainer Month!

Open source runs the world, but who runs open source? Open source maintainers are behind the software we use everyday, but they don't always have the community or support they need. That's why we're celebrating open source maintainers during the month of May.

Theme For Maintainers

Every open source project starts with a human spark of creativity, of curiosity, of problem-solving. Sharing software is an act of hope and generosity. As a maintainer, what sparks the fire of your joy for open source? If your fire is burning low, how do you find your way back to what sparked joy about open source? Last year we focused on burnout, a serious issue maintainers frequently face. This year, we’re talking about the flip side: the energizing aspects of open source.

Theme For Companies

Maintainers keep the software ecosystem running, but they’re humans, not machines. Do you know who the maintainers you rely on are? Do you know what kind of support those individuals actually need? Ask what you can do for them, and be ready to listen.

Latest News

Learn about open source governance!

We're collecting resources, guides, exercises, experiments, insights, wisdom and best practices on how to tackle the governance challenges that open source projects face.

See more news

How do I get involved?

Calling maintainers!

Illustration by Ariel Davis of a person thanking an open source maintainer on social media

Share your story

Let others know what it’s like to be a maintainer with the hashtag #MaintainerMonth & add it to our library! Interested in sharing your story on a podcast or post with one of our partners? Sign-up here and we'll introduce you to a partner if there's a good fit.

Connect with other maintainers

Take a look at the Maintainer Month activities on the calendar and attend an event where you can meet other maintainers. We’re always adding more activities to the calendar, check back often!

Join the Maintainer Community

Request an invitation to the Maintainer Community, a private space for maintainers to connect with peers, preview GitHub features, and learn from each other.

Interested in Partnering?

Illustration by Ariel Davis of people at a tool-specific maintainer summit for open source projects

Highlight maintainers

Feature open source maintainers on your podcast / stream / social media with #MaintainerMonth during the month of May. If you would like us share potential maintainers you can feature, let us know. Add your event to our calendar or share stories in the library!

Host events to convene maintainers

Host an event that brings maintainers together! Give them space to connect and learn from each other. Submit an issue to get your event listed on our website.