An honest look at our finances – and why we all need to act now

The budget for the next fiscal year has been negotiated and unanimously approved by the board. We want to give the community a clear and honest picture of where we stand, because the numbers tell an important story.

We still have a meaningful financial buffer – around $205,000 across our bank and savings accounts as of June 2026 – so we are not in immediate danger. But that buffer is shrinking. The current fiscal year (FY 2025/26) is on track to close with a net loss of approximately $49,000, and our reserves have come down noticeably as a result.

The income side: a steep decline

The main driver is a sharp drop in income. This year, our income came in at only around $10,000 – a fraction of what we used to bring in, and a decline of roughly 85% compared to two years ago. This fall is driven above all by a collapse in sponsorship revenue. With income this low and our costs broadly stable, the gap is being covered directly from our reserves.

Where the money goes

A fair question many people ask is: where does all the money actually go? The honest answer is that our spending is dominated by essential, largely unavoidable obligations – above all legal counsel and accounting, which together make up a major share of our expenses. These are the costs of keeping a foundation of Joomla's size and visibility legally sound and properly managed. The remainder goes to core operational needs. In short, this is not lavish spending; it is the cost of running OSM responsibly.

A major opportunity: the Sovereign Tech Fund

There is also real reason for optimism. One of our most important current efforts is our engagement with the Sovereign Tech Fund. We are currently in promising discussions about significant investment dedicated to major accessibility improvements in Joomla. This would be a substantial investment in the software itself: making Joomla more inclusive and usable for everyone, and adding real, lasting value to the CMS that benefits our entire community of users and site owners.

It's important to understand what this investment means. STF support is directed toward contractors who improve Joomla itself – strengthening the software, its accessibility, security, and infrastructure. It is not money that "keeps the lights on" at OSM, but it is a major opportunity to invest in the project's technical future and to strengthen both Joomla and OSM at a critical moment. This support has now been formally secured and marks a genuine turning point for the project.

How you can help – starting today

Rebuilding our income can no longer rest on a few shoulders. Above all, we urgently need to build a dedicated Capital Team. At the moment, we effectively have no team driving our fundraising at all – and that has to change if we want to secure Joomla's financial future. We are actively looking for people willing to step up and help build this team from the ground up. If you have experience in fundraising, sponsorship, partnerships, or outreach – or simply the motivation to help – we want to hear from you. This is one of the most important contributions anyone can make to the project right now.

And if you want to act today, you can. You can support Joomla directly through our GitHub Sponsors page: https://github.com/sponsors/joomla. Every contribution, large or small, helps extend our runway while we rebuild sustainable income. We are also preparing to launch a Supporters Club soon, which will give individuals and organisations a new way to back the project on an ongoing basis – more details will follow shortly.

Investing in the future, responsibly

Even in this situation, we continue to invest where it matters most. Particular priority has again been given to the Production department, supporting sprints, code development, security, accessibility, and documentation. The Outreach department is funded for marketing, events, social media, the upcoming Joomla 6 & 7 promotion, and our 21-year anniversary activities. We are choosing to keep investing in Joomla's future – but we can only justify that if we also rebuild our income.

With this budget, the board balances strategic investment with financial reality. Our reserves give us time, but not unlimited time. The goal must be to fund our work through sustainable income rather than by spending down savings year after year. The budget will be reviewed in six months, and we ask every part of the community to help us turn this trend around and secure Joomla's long-term financial stability.