Grant eligibility

Some projects on OnlyDust may be eligible for grant funding. We work with sponsors who support high-impact open source projects and want to see them grow. Grants can reach up to $5,000 (it can be higher) over a period of 3 months, based on:

• Consistent activity: regular progress on issues, merged PRs, and updates

• Contributor engagement: welcoming and onboarding contributors effectively

• Clear direction: execution on a roadmap, even if lightweight

We also keep a few grant spots open for promising early-stage projects -especially those that show initiative, strong structure, and responsiveness.

Where do the grants come from?

The grants come from our sponsors. 72% of these grants go into projects and fellowship program.

Currently, we have ongoing grants from Starknet, Stellar and Flare Network.

How to increase your chances

Participation and visibility go hand-in-hand. Here’s what can help you get noticed:

• Join the OSS Wave: Projects in Waves are featured more prominently and reviewed more frequently

• Engage with contributors: Be responsive, present, and communicative during contributor activity

• Structure your repo (check out the Best Practices section for more info):

  • Write a clear README

  • Maintain a roadmap

  • Label and scope your issues

  • Include onboarding and contribution docs

• Show that you're active: Regularly open and close issues, merge PRs, and summarize progress monthly.

Visibility is earned, not automatic. We manually review activity and engagement across the platform on a rolling basis.

What we look for

We assess projects using a combination of visibility signals and contribution quality:

• Activity: merged PRs, issue velocity, responsiveness to contributors

• Structure: clear roadmap, well-described and tagged issues

• Community-building: onboarding, mentoring, and inclusive practices

• Relevance: alignment with real-world use cases and ecosystem maturity

Consistent quality and contributor experience matter most.

New vs. Existing Projects

Being new is not a disadvantage. Mature projects may have more data and traction, but newer projects can rise quickly if they:

• Ship consistently

• Onboard contributors clearly and kindly

• Present a compelling, structured vision

Visibility and funding eligibility are reassessed monthly - if you're not hitting the marks, you can be dropped out.

Not Eligible Yet? We still have your back

If your project isn’t yet eligible for a grant, you may still benefit from a Fellow Contributor (more info in the OnlyDust Fellowship section).

Fellows are selected developers, funded by OnlyDust, who contribute actively to projects we (and the sponsors) believe in. They bring:

• High-quality engineering support

• Increased project velocity

• Mentorship for other contributors

• A commitment to open source values

Fellows are matched with projects based on skills, needs, and potential impact. We handle the logistics and the introduction - your job is simply to collaborate and integrate them into your team.

FAQ

Do top projects get all the funding? Funding is prioritized for top-ranked, high-quality projects, but it's not exclusive. Projects showing consistent growth, strong community engagement, and good structure can still be selected for grants in future cycles.

How is a “top-ranked” project defined? Through a mix of quantitative signals and manual review, including:

• Contribution history and recent trends

• Roadmap and issue quality

• Contributor onboarding success

• Relevance and real-world utility

How can smaller or less visible projects attract contributors? Focus on being contributor-friendly:

• Write clear, scoped, and labeled issues

• Respond promptly to PRs and questions

• Offer documentation to onboard newcomers

• BE ACTIVE. In general. Not just during the OSS Wave. Show that you care about your repo.

Still have questions? Go into our Discord and ask there.