GitHub Sponsors Cheat Sheet

Who Can Use GitHub Sponsors?

Sponsors

• Individuals

• Organizations

• Can sponsor:

  • Open-source contributors on GitHub

  • Contributors via Patreon (linked accounts)

Sponsored Accounts

• Personal GitHub accounts

• Organizations

• Must meet eligibility requirements (e.g., open-source focus, supported country)

Key Benefits

For Sponsors

• Centralized sponsorship management

• Optional organization attribution



• Transparent billing and invoices

• Public or private sponsorships

For Maintainers

• Predictable income via recurring sponsorships

• Custom sponsorship tiers

• Sponsor-only updates and benefits

• GitHub profile visibility

Finding Contributors to Sponsor

• Visit contributor profiles and check for the Sponsor button

• Use GitHub’s Explore and repository contributor lists

• View recommendations in the Sponsors dashboard

Sponsorship Types

Payment Models

• Monthly recurring sponsorships

• One-time sponsorships (if enabled by maintainer)

Visibility Options

• Public: Sponsor name visible

• Private: Sponsor remains anonymous

Fees, Taxes, and Payments

Sponsoring via Patreon

• GitHub Sponsors can be linked to Patreon

• Sponsorships appear on GitHub, but payments are processed by Patreon

• Patreon fees and policies apply

• Patreon account can be unlinked at any time

Managing Sponsorships

Sponsors Can:

• Upgrade or downgrade tiers

• Cancel sponsorships

• Switch between personal and organization attribution

• View payment history and invoices

Maintainers Can:

• Edit tiers and benefits

• View active and past sponsors

• Send sponsor-only updates

• Pause or disable sponsorships

GitHub Sponsors Dashboard

The dashboard allows:

• Tracking sponsorships and revenue

• Viewing sponsor lists

• Managing payouts

• Exporting financial data

Organization Sponsorships

Attribution

• Sponsorships can be attributed to:

  • An individual

  • An organization (for compliance and reporting)

Billing

• Organizations can:

  • Pay by invoice

  • Centralize sponsorship spend

  • Assign billing managers

Setting Up GitHub Sponsors 

Personal Account

1. Apply for GitHub Sponsors
2. Complete identity and payout setup
3. Create sponsorship tiers
4. Publish sponsor profile

Organization Account

1. Enable GitHub Sponsors for the org
2. Assign admins
3. Set payout and tax details
4. Configure tiers and goals

Conclusion

References

https://docs.github.com/en/sponsors/getting-started-with-github-sponsors

https://docs.github.com/en/sponsors/sponsoring-open-source-contributors

https://docs.github.com/en/sponsors/receiving-sponsorships-through-github-sponsors/