In our last post, we shared that we were testing an optional tip on contributions to OSC-hosted Collectives. We are doing this because OSC’s funding commitment to support the platform’s transition to a nonprofit is ending, and because tips have proven to be the most reliable way to keep the Open Collective platform independent and sustainable.

That test has now run for five weeks, and across nearly 2,000 contributions, we saw no meaningful reduction in the amount of money donated to collectives when we included a tip request. Based on these findings, we'll roll out tips across all incoming donations today, October 15th, 2026. 

Here’s what we found and what happens next.

Since August 27, we've randomly assigned a percentage of contributors to an OSC-hosted Collective to one of two groups. One group saw an optional tip at checkout, with a 15% suggested tip preselected, and the other group did not see a tip option. We then compared the resulting donation amounts going to Collectives to ensure that transactions with tips enabled were not negatively impacted. 

Across 1,984 contributions, the group that saw the tip directed $27,941 to Collectives, compared with $28,886 in the group that didn't. That's 3.3% lower, or $945 over five weeks. It's a small difference, and within the range we'd expect from statistical variance. 

The tip-shown group also completed more contributions (1,015 vs 969), and the median contribution is $10 in both groups. If tips did harm, we would expect fewer contributions or a lower median in the tip-shown group.

The test showed what we hoped for: an optional tip did not materially affect the donation amount the collective received. Contributions completed went up, not down, and the median contribution was identical in both groups. Based on these findings, you’ll see a request for an optional tip on all donations to OSC-hosted Collectives starting today (October 15th, 2026).

Finally, based on feedback, we've updated the tip UX to make it easier for donors to opt out or set their preferred tip amount. We will continue to improve our donation flow and user experience.

Ending the test doesn't mean we stop paying attention. We'll continue to monitor the rollout. If we see these numbers fall, we’ll act immediately to ensure contributions to our collectives aren't affected.

And as always, we are here to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Please feel free to write to us at [email protected]