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<h1>Overview</h1>
<p>The Software Freedom Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization that
<p>Software Freedom Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization that
helps promote, improve, develop, and defend Free, Libre, and Open Source
Software (FLOSS) projects. Conservancy provides a non-profit home and
infrastructure for FLOSS projects. This allows FLOSS developers to
focus on what they do best — writing and improving FLOSS for the
general public — while Conservancy takes care of the projects' needs that
do not relate directly to software development and documentation.</p>
<p>FLOSS projects whose <a href="/members/apply">applications are
accepted</a> become part of the Software Freedom Conservancy
(akin to a separate department of a large agency). Once joined, the
<a href="/members">“member project”</a> receives most of
the benefits of existing as a non-profit corporate entity without
engaging in the arduous work of forming a separate, new organization.
Conservancy aggregates the work of running a FLOSS non-profit
for <a href="/members/current/">its many members</a>.</p>
<p>The Conservancy provides <a href="/members/services/">many important services</a> for its
<p>Conservancy provides <a href="/members/services/">many important services</a> for its
member projects. Member projects can take directed donations, which
allows donors to earmark their donations for the benefit of a specific
FLOSS project. Conservancy provides fiscal oversight to ensure that
these funds are spent in a manner that advances the project and fits
with Conservancy's 501(c)(3) mission to promote, advance, and defend software freedom.</p>
<p>If the member project's leaders want, Conservancy can also hold other
assets and titles on behalf of the projects, such as copyrights,
trademarks, domain names, online hosting accounts, and title and ownership
of physical hardware. Also at discretion of the project's leaders,
Conservancy can assist in defending the rights represented in these
assets. For example, Conservancy is available to assist member projects