Rust Foundation tries to stop maintainers corroding

The Rust Foundation has launched a Maintainers Fund to support developers sustaining the language, addressing a long-standing challenge in open source software.

The announcement is long on laudable ideals, but short on detail - no fund size, award amounts, or eligibility critera are disclosed.

The Foundation promises transparency, and said: "this work will build on lessons from earlier iterations of our grants and fellowships to create a lasting framework for supporting Rust's maintainers."

This move tackles the critical sustainability challenge in open-source. Maintainers - often volunteers - manage code, engage communities, and ensure project stability.

Yet the pressure can be intense and burnout rates run high - a syndrome all too familiar in the community. Rust is no exception.

In 2024, a senior engineer on the developer team claimed: "The number of people who have left the Rust project due to burnout is shockingly high," adding that many remaining contributors teeter on the ...