Donations surge for Python Software Foundation after it withdrew its government grant application

It has been discovered that the Python Software Foundation (PSF), which withdrew its application for a grant from the US government due to disagreements over the terms of the grant, has received a large amount of donations.

PSF Gets a Donor Surge After Rejecting Anti-DEI Federal Grant - The New Stack

In January 2025, PSF applied for a grant from the National Science Foundation, a federal agency, and was selected after a narrow selection process. However, it was discovered that the grant required PSF to not implement, and would not implement, programs promoting DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) during the grant period.

In response, the PSF withdrew its application, stating that it could not agree to the condition that 'DII will not be promoted' because its core values are 'to promote, protect, and advance the programming language, Python, and to support and foster the growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers.'

'It's infuriating that we've had to withdraw from a project that would have benefited everyone because they're trying to dictate our activities beyond security projects,' PSF Deputy Executive Director Loren Crary wrote on Reddit.

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However, the response to the PSF's decision not to apply for the grant was so overwhelming that the donation application page temporarily timed out, and Crary said that on the day the decision was made to withdraw the application, there were 300 new donations.

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Executive Director Deb Nicholson told The New Stack that the organization has raised $157,000 (approximately 24.2 million yen), including 295 new members who pay a $99 (approximately 15,300 yen) annual membership fee.

The grant that wasn't received is $1.5 million over two years, so it doesn't make up the difference, but Crary said, 'It means a lot to us both financially and in terms of the support we feel from the community. We never expected this amount of support.'

The PSF is considering expanding its funding sources, including European grants, revenue streams linked to corporate usage, and an expanded individual donation program. Nicholson said the use of Python and PyPI has steadily expanded, with Python in particular becoming essential to the growth of the AI field, while PSF funding has remained roughly flat, making expanding revenue streams essential.