For projects that have their own foundation or are part of an umbrella organization, the primary goal is often to provide a mechanism to fund development of the software.
Most of these groups are structured as nonprofit–charity organizations.
This list includes no businesses that aim to make money from free and open-source software.
The following organizations host, and provide other services, for a variety of different open-source projects: The following organizations host open-source projects that relate to a specific technical area.
A large number of single-project organizations (often called "foundations") exist; in most cases, their primary purpose is to provide a mechanism to bring funds from the software's users, including both individuals and companies, to its developers.