The Apache Software Foundation

The Apache Software Foundation is an American nonprofit corporation that helps support many open-source software projects. It began with developers who worked on the Apache HTTP Server and became an official group on March 25, 1999. By 2021, it had about 1000 members.

The Apache Software Foundation is a place where developers work together. The software they make is shared under the Apache License, a special kind of open-source license that lets anyone use, change, and share the software freely. Each project has a team of experts who help improve the software.

The Apache Software Foundation cares about keeping its volunteers safe and making sure only the right people can use the "Apache" name. It also holds several Community Over Code conferences each year to discuss its projects and new technology ideas.

History

The Apache Software Foundation started with a group of developers working on a special kind of computer program called the Apache HTTP Server. In February 1993, eight developers began improving an existing program called the NCSA HTTPd. They officially created the Apache Software Foundation on March 25, 1999.

The group chose the name “Apache” after watching a documentary about Geronimo and the Apache people, a Native American tribe. One of the founders, Brian Behlendorf, thought the name was interesting for their project.

Projects

See also: List of Apache Software Foundation projects

The Apache Software Foundation groups its work into areas called "top-level projects." These areas are led by volunteers. Before a project can join Apache, it must agree to share its rights with the foundation. This helps protect the projects and lets everyone use and improve them freely.

Board of directors

The board of directors of The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) helps manage the foundation. They look after the foundation's money, property, and tools. They also choose leaders for daily work. But each project makes its own technical choices with its own group of members, not the board.

The board members as of March 6, 2025, are: Rich Bowen, Zili Chen, Shane Curcuru, Jim Jagielski, Justin Mclean, Jean-Baptiste Onofré, Greg Stein, Sander Striker, and Kanchana Welagedara.