My FSCONS

Charities and NGOs represent a huge market for software systems and services. In the UK alone there are nearly 200,000 such organisations, the majority of which use little or no Free Software, and are dedicating significant resources to buying, learning and maintaining proprietary systems.

The current global financial crisis has led to a crippling reduction in financial support for 3rd sector organisations, often resulting in difficult decisions regarding cutbacks of staff and services. So why are so many charities in Europe still using costly non-freedom-respecting technology when Free Software alternatives are available?

This workshop aims to bring together people from different sectors, experiences, and areas of expertise and attempt to better understand the current low uptake of Free Software in charities and NGOs. Together we can develop a strategy for appealing to the 3rd sector, meeting their needs with Free systems, and ultimately boost the demand for Free Software within these organisations.