Apache Community Development

Apache Community Development (ComDev) is a project within the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) focused on fostering healthy, inclusive, and sustainable open-source communities. It provides tools, guidance, and support to help contributors and projects thrive, whether they are newcomers or experienced committers. ComDev plays a key role in mentoring, outreach, and community-building across the ASF ecosystem.

Features

• Mentoring programs for individuals and projects
• Contributor guides and onboarding resources
• Community health tools and reporting systems
• Diversity and inclusion initiatives
• Event support including ApacheCon and partner conferences
• Travel assistance programs for contributors
• Educational materials and sample presentations
• Tools like the Apache Projects Directory and Committers Phone Book
• Wiki and documentation for community practices

Capabilities

• Supports new contributors in finding and joining Apache projects
• Helps projects improve governance and community engagement
• Provides structured mentoring for incubating and mature projects
• Facilitates outreach through events, meetups, and barcamps
• Maintains tools for tracking project activity and reporting
• Enables collaboration across projects and working groups
• Offers guidance on project independence and branding
• Encourages adoption of “The Apache Way” in development practices

Benefits

• Strengthens the ASF ecosystem by nurturing contributors
• Promotes sustainable and inclusive community growth
• Reduces barriers to entry for new developers
• Enhances project visibility and contributor retention
• Builds bridges between projects and external communities
• Supports global participation through travel and event assistance
• Encourages best practices in open-source governance
• Provides a central hub for community-related resources