The FreeBSD project has sought $500,000 in donations by year end to allow it to continue to offer to fund, manage projects and sponsor FreeBSD events, developer summits and provide travel grants to FreeBSD developers. But with the end of this year fast approaching, it has raised just over $280,000, far short of its target.
As most people know Apple is BSD under the hood using Darwin as the core of Apple OS X. Apple borrows FreeBSD’s virtual file system, network stack, and components of its userspace. Much of FreeBSD now also forms the basis of Apple OS X and OS X Server. Apple, the first major computer company to make Open Source development a key part of its software strategy and continues to use and release significant quantities of open source software.
I do think that BSD is struggling with funding cause of Linux popularity boom over last few years. Linux has taken great strides to become more commercial and get more support on server backed end with Dell, HP and IBM. I do not see BSD having big leaps like that plus they need a better PR rep. Every customer I go to ask for Linux because we are a Linux shop on our commercial side I very rarely see anyone ask for BSD support or do I see many BSD servers in use.
If you would like to donate to the FreeBSD Foundation you can send them a donation on their site listed below.
http://www.freebsdfoundation.org/donate/
If you donate
The FreeBSD Foundation is a 501(c)3, United States based, non-profit organization that is committed to supporting and building the FreeBSD Project and community worldwide. All of our work is funded by donations. US-based donations should be fully tax-deductible on your federal return.