Sign in required — You must be signed in with your LF ID to make a donation.
Starting a donation
Open any published initiative page and click the Donate button. A drawer will open with the donation form.
Step 1 — Choose an amount and frequency
Select a preset amount or enter a custom amount in the input field.
Then choose your donation frequency:
- One-time — a single charge processed immediately
- Monthly — a recurring charge on the same date each month
Optionally, you can allocate your donation to a specific funding goal (e.g. Development, Marketing, Travel) if the initiative has defined funding categories. By default your donation goes toward all project needs.
If the initiative offers sponsorship tiers, you'll see a set of tier cards (e.g. Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) instead — select one to set your amount to that tier's goal, or choose a custom amount below the tiers.
Step 2 — Payment
Enter your card details:
- Card number
- Expiry date
- CVC
If you have previously saved a card, it will be shown here. You can use it directly or click Use a different card to enter new details.
Order summary — The drawer shows a breakdown of your donation amount and total. The Linux Foundation underwrites all transaction fees, so 100% of your donation goes to the initiative.
Click Donate to process your payment. For cards that require additional verification (3D Secure — an extra authentication step your bank may require), you may be prompted to authenticate before the payment completes.
Anonymous donations
LFX Crowdfunding does not currently offer a donor-selectable anonymous option. Your name and avatar will be displayed publicly on the initiative's backer list. If your donor information is unavailable at the time of processing, your name will appear as Anonymous on the initiative page.
After donating
Once your payment is processed, you will see a confirmation screen with the initiative name and amount. From there you can share your donation on X or LinkedIn, or go to My Donations on LFX to view your giving history.
An email acknowledgement is sent automatically after each successful payment.
Related sections
- Managing Your Donations — view history and cancel subscriptions
- Sponsorship Tiers — how fixed giving levels work
- Backers — how your name appears on the initiative page
- Payment Account — update your saved card