OpenStreetMap is an extraordinary all-volunteer community and project, but even though the map is free to all and free to edit, it is not free to make. OSM’s software and hardware are funded by donations to the OpenStreetMap foundation. Corporate memberships provide much of the funding, but to meet OSM’s operating budget, we are calling for donations of all sizes from the OSM community, OSM-using companies, and the global geospatial and FOSS communities.

This guide can help you use your social media to spread the message to support OpenStreetMap

If you want more detail on the fundraising campaign, here are a few resources:
- [Fundraising Guidelines ](https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Fundraising_Guidelines)
- [Accenture analysis of OSM’s value](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/w/images/8/80/Accenture-Navigating-OpenStreetMap.pdf)

# What to Post

**The most helpful thing you can do is like, comment AND share the main OSM channel posts.** If you do nothing else, that will be a big deal.

Then, if you can post in your personal social media or groups, this will also help. Your posts can be in any/all of your social media or communications channels from WhatsApp to Telegram to Twitter to Mastodon to Facebook, and etc. You should post in whatever is your most comfortable language for this kind of request.

Your posts should have at least three things:

- A reason to give or a reason to love OSM
- A link to the donation page https://supporting.openstreetmap.org/
- A hashtag

They can also have the following:
- OSM Logo
- Your country’s flag
- A mapping meme
- A screenshot of something you’re editing
- A selfie taken from an OSM event
- A map “in the wild”
- a graphic from this folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19O-xfNdg5ZWwFPEPk_exrpMEJ_H5OpNn

**Hashtags to use**
#WeAreOSM
#SupportOSM
#OpenStreetMap

**Frequency**
Once a week across your primary social media channels between August 9 - December 30

# Sample Social Media posts
Post 1
What’s your favorite OpenStreetMap tag?
I map [list tags]
https://supporting.openstreetmap.org/
Donate to support the map!
#Openstreetmap @openstreetmap #GivetoOSM
<attach photo of a changeset or feature></attach>

Post 2
What I ♥️ about OpenStreetMap:
My fellow mappers in the [tag name of your local community]
Donate to support the map!

https://supporting.openstreetmap.org/
<attach photo of mapping friends></attach>

Post 3
What I ♥️ about OpenStreetMap:
Going to State of the Map! [tag your local or favorite SotM]
Donate to support the map
https://supporting.openstreetmap.org/
#Openstreetmap @openstreetmap #GivetoOSM
<attach photo of SotM></attach>

Post 4 :
OpenStreetMap is the largest open source geospatial data set in the world. It’s free to edit and use, but it’s not free to maintain. Help us support the map!

https://supporting.openstreetmap.org/
#Openstreetmap @openstreetmap #GivetoOSM #FOSS #GIS
<attach photo of an aerial photo or similar></attach>

Post 5
Help support the global #OpenStreetMap community! If you can make a donation of any size, please click the link. And whether you can give or not, RT with the name of your city, your first language, and your country’s flag.

Let’s show everyone how big the world of OSM is.

https://supporting.openstreetmap.org/
#Openstreetmap @openstreetmap #GivetoOSM #FOSS #GIS
<comment on your own post with your city, language and flag.

Post 6
Do you know that a company of any size can support the stability and strength of OpenStreetMap by becoming a member of the OSM foundation? Corporate memberships start at 750 euro!
Don’t just use the data! Join OSM to support the map!
https://join.osmfoundation.org/corporate-membership/
#Openstreetmap @openstreetmap #GivetoOSM #FOSS #GIS

Post 7
What’s your favorite tool in the OSM ecosystem?

Shout out to [name of tool]
Help us support the OSM ecosystem!
https://supporting.openstreetmap.org/
#Openstreetmap @openstreetmap #GivetoOSM #FOSS #GIS
optional photo or link to the tool

# Facts about OSM For Posts

- 1.3 billion maps are displayed per month
- There have been 2 billion new nodes, ways, and relations since 2021, for a total of 8 billion in the map
- There are 18 formally established local chapters on 5 continents and dozens of informal chapters
- OSM got its first full-time sysadmin in 2022.
- There are more than 700 active communications channels in OSM

You could also use any one of the many databases to pull interesting statistics about OpenStreetMaps users, features, and reach.