Transparency & Accountability
Who the Foundation legally is, how to verify that independently, what happens to money given to it, and when its financial reports become public. Where a figure does not exist yet, this page says so rather than estimating one.
Nonprofit registration details
The Foundation is a tax-exempt organisation recognised by the United States Internal Revenue Service. These are the details as they appear on its determination.
- Legal name
- Embedded Operating Systems Research Foundation
- Organisation type
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- Public charity classification
- 509(a)(2)
- Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- 41-4821627
- Effective date of exemption
- March 11, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- United States
- Accounting period ends
- December 31
- Contribution deductibility
- Contributions are deductible under IRC Section 170
Verify this without taking our word for it
The IRS publishes its own record of every exempt organisation. Search the Tax Exempt Organization Search for EIN 41-4821627 to confirm the Foundation's status, classification and deductibility directly from the source.
Open the IRS Tax Exempt Organization SearchWhat happens to money given to the Foundation
The Foundation is funded by donations, membership and corporate sponsorship. It does not sell software, licences or support contracts, so contributions are the whole of its income.
Donations fund programmes, not products
Contributions are spent on the five programmes described on the Mission & Scope page: platform engineering, education, research, workforce development and community stewardship. Nothing the Foundation builds with donated funds is then sold back.
No platform fee is taken from your gift
Online donations are processed by Zeffy, which charges the Foundation no platform fee. Zeffy may offer you an optional tip toward its own costs at checkout; that tip is separate from your donation and can be set to zero.
Restricted gifts stay restricted
Where a donor designates a gift for a specific programme, it is used for that programme. If the Foundation cannot use it as designated, the donor is asked before it is redirected.
Funding does not buy technical direction
Sponsorship and membership are recognised publicly but confer no authority over the roadmap. Technical decisions run through the same public governance process for everyone.
When the numbers become public
The Foundation's exemption took effect on March 11, 2026, so 2026 is its first tax year. That year has not closed, which means no annual return exists yet — for anyone, including us. Rather than publish an estimate, here is the schedule on which real figures arrive.
- March 11, 2026
Exemption effective
The IRS recognises the Foundation as a 501(c)(3) Public Charity. Contributions made from this date forward are deductible.
- December 31, 2026
First accounting period closes
The Foundation's fiscal year ends. Income and expenditure for the year are final from this point and can be compiled.
- May 15, 2027
First annual return due
The Foundation files the Form 990-series return required for its size with the IRS — due the fifteenth day of the fifth month after the accounting period ends, later if an extension is filed. Filed returns are public records and are republished by the IRS.
- After filing
Published here
The filed return and a plain-language annual report are linked from this page. Until they exist, this page carries no financial figures.
What we commit not to do
These constraints are part of the Foundation's scope, repeated here because they are what a donor is actually relying on.
We do not sell software, licences or access.
Every Foundation repository is MIT licensed. There is no paid tier, no commercial edition and no feature withheld from the free release.
We do not carry advertising or monetise visitors.
This site runs no ad network, no affiliate links and no third-party advertising scripts. Nothing on it is paid placement.
We do not accept funding that buys technical influence.
Sponsorship and membership confer recognition, not authority over the roadmap. Technical decisions are made through the public governance process regardless of who funds the Foundation.
We do not certify devices for regulatory approval.
Foundation software is a building block. Safety, medical and aviation certification remain the responsibility of the organisation bringing a device to market.
We do not give medical, clinical or legal advice.
Health-related research describes the technology, not treatment. It is not a substitute for advice from a qualified professional.
The policies that govern the Foundation
Every policy the Foundation operates under is published as a web page on this site — readable without a download, an account or a PDF reader.
Something here not answered?
Financial, governance and donation-receipt questions go to the Foundation directly, and are answered in writing. If you need documentation for a grant application or a donor-advised fund, ask and we will send it.