Wolfware’s 20% Giving Policy: Supporting Open Source & Life-Saving Research

Introduction

At Wolfware, we believe a business should stand for more than profit. That’s why from day one we established a 20% Giving Policy — a commitment to dedicate 20% of our net profits to causes beyond our own products and services. Under this policy, 10% of net profits go to open-source projects and another 10% support scientific research (for example, childhood cancer research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital). We adopted this policy not as a marketing angle, but because it felt like the natural extension of our values. We benefit every day from open-source tools and live in a world where scientific breakthroughs save lives; supporting both is simply our way of saying “thank you” and doing the right thing.

This post explains the heart behind our 20% Giving Policy — why we support open-source software and scientific research, how it ties into our vision for the future, and why we think this commitment matters to our customers and community.

Why Open Source?

We rely on open-source software every day. Like most tech companies, Wolfware builds its products on a foundation of open-source frameworks, libraries, and tools created by a global community of developers. From programming languages and operating systems to web frameworks and database engines, open-source technology powers our work. We know firsthand that we stand on the shoulders of open-source giants. In fact, many companies (including us) build their business on open-source software — code that would cost an estimated $8.8 trillion to develop from scratch if it weren’t freely available​. That staggering figure highlights just how valuable the open-source ecosystem is to businesses everywhere.

Giving back to open source is a responsibility and a thank-you. Open-source projects are often maintained by small teams or volunteers who pour countless hours into making great software freely available. These projects don’t charge us license fees; in many cases, they survive on community support and goodwill. We feel a strong responsibility to contribute back to these communities that have enabled us to grow. By committing 10% of our net profits to open-source projects, we’re helping ensure that the tools we all rely on continue to thrive and improve. This might mean sponsoring the development of a new feature in a framework we use, donating to foundations that support open-source infrastructure, or funding grants for open-source developers. It’s our way of keeping the cycle of innovation going.

It’s also an investment in innovation. Supporting open-source isn’t just charity; it strengthens the very software we depend on. When we fund an open-source project, we’re effectively investing in making that project better for everyone — including Wolfware and our customers. Over time, those improvements lead to more secure, efficient, and powerful tools for us to build with. In that sense, giving to open source is win-win: we’re helping the developer community and shaping a better tech stack for the future. More importantly, we believe in the collaborative spirit of open source. Wolfware’s team doesn’t just send money; we also contribute code and participate in the community where we can. We want to be active members of the open-source world, not just beneficiaries.

By supporting open-source projects, we’re saying that Wolfware is committed to the idea of knowledge-sharing and community-driven development. We’ve gained so much from open source, and we’re determined to give back in a meaningful way.

Why Scientific Research?

Because some challenges extend beyond tech. While open source is the backbone of our daily work, we’re also humans who live in a world facing big challenges. We believe companies can play a role in addressing those challenges. For Wolfware, that means supporting scientific and medical research that can save lives and improve our global community. We chose to direct 10% of our net profits to scientific research, with a focus on causes close to our hearts — one example being childhood cancer research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This cause resonates with us because it speaks to giving the most vulnerable a fighting chance. Every child deserves a healthy future, and if our contributions can help inch closer to a cure or better treatments, we consider that money well spent.

Why St. Jude and childhood cancer? St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, based not far from our home community, is an institution leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer. Their model is inspiring: they combine cutting-edge research with compassionate care, and families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – so they can focus on helping their child get better. In other words, St. Jude uses donations to remove the financial burden from families and push the boundaries of medical knowledge. Wolfware is proud to support such work. We know we’re a software company – we’re not developing new medicines in our office – but we recognize that our financial support can empower those who are experts in medicine and science. By funding research efforts, whether at St. Jude or other research institutions, we feel connected to the broader fight to solve hard problems like cancer, climate challenges, and other issues that affect people everywhere.

Science and technology go hand in hand. As a tech company, we deeply appreciate innovation and rigorous problem-solving — the same principles that drive scientific research. In many ways, supporting scientific research is analogous to supporting open source: both are about pushing the frontiers of knowledge and improving lives. Just as open-source developers collaborate to improve software, scientists collaborate to advance understanding in medicine, biology, and more. Wolfware wants to champion both. Our contributions to research are an investment in a better future for everyone. We like to think that some of the breakthroughs we help (even in a small way) fund today will become the solutions that make the world safer, healthier, and brighter tomorrow.

The Long-Term Vision

Baking giving into our growth. Wolfware’s 20% Giving Policy isn’t a one-time pledge or a short-term campaign — it’s a permanent part of our business model. We deliberately set this policy in place early on because we wanted generosity to grow in lockstep with our success. The math is simple: if Wolfware grows, our contributions grow as well. In five years, if our profits have doubled, that means twice as much funding for open source and research than we could give today. This prospect excites us. It means our success as a company directly translates into more support for developers, engineers, and scientists doing important work. In effect, our customers’ support enables us to amplify positive change year after year.

Staying true to our values as we scale. It’s easy for a company’s ideals to get lost in the shuffle of rapid growth. By formalizing our giving policy as 20% of net profits, we’ve made it a built-in checkpoint that keeps us aligned with our core values no matter what the future holds. As we launch new products or enter new markets, this commitment remains a constant. It also influences our internal culture: every team member at Wolfware knows that part of the work we do will always be in service of something bigger. This sense of purpose boosts morale and attracts like-minded talent. People want to work at a place where doing the right thing is part of the job description, not an afterthought.

Inspiring a cycle of giving and innovation. Our long-term vision is not just about writing checks; it’s about fostering a cycle where giving and innovation reinforce each other. We imagine an ecosystem where the open-source projects we support lead to new technological capabilities that benefit businesses and users worldwide (including Wolfware and our customers), and where the scientific research we fund leads to breakthroughs that improve lives and create new opportunities for humanity. In a small way, we hope our commitment encourages other companies to consider similar models. If more businesses, big or small, set aside a portion of their success to give back, the collective impact could be enormous. We’re optimistic about a future where contributing to the common good is just a normal part of doing business.

Closing

We’re sharing our 20% Giving Policy here not to pat ourselves on the back, but to be transparent with you — our customers, partners, and community — about what matters to us. At the end of the day, we measure success at Wolfware in more than dollars. Success means nothing if we can’t share it in ways that help others. Dedicating 10% of our profits to open-source projects and 10% to scientific research is simply what we feel is right, given how much we’ve gained from both realms.

We know our contributions are just a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things, but drops accumulate over time. We’re excited to watch those seeds we’ve helped fund grow into new software, new cures, and new hope. To our customers: thank you for making this possible. Your support of Wolfware doesn’t just enable us to build great products for you — it also becomes support for developers around the world and for life-saving research. We don’t see our giving policy as charity; we see it as a joyful duty and a core part of who we are. As Wolfware continues to grow, we’re committed to growing our positive impact right alongside it, because we truly believe it’s the right thing to do.

In the long run, we hope that when you think of Wolfware, you think of a company that not only delivers excellent solutions for your needs, but also shares its success to make a difference. That’s the journey we’re on, and we’re grateful to have you with us on the ride.