X.Org Is Now A 501(c)3

The X.Org Foundation, which backs the development of the X11/X.Org Server and now a steward to other technologies like Mesa and Wayland, is a registered charitable organization.

The X.Org Foundation still hasn't publicly announced the completion and recognition of their 501(c)3 status, but the information has been publicly available since last Thursday's X.Org Board of Directors meeting on IRC.

23:25 [+keithp] Bart_Massey: with our new 501(c)3 status, we should be able to pass the hat around various corporations
...
23:26 [+alanc] oh, and are we going to announce to our membership (or at least to people not on the board list) that the IRS approved our 501(c)3?
23:26 [+Bart_Massey] alanc: That seems like a really, really good idea.
...
23:28 [+emmes] (talking about making the 501 status public)
23:28 [stukreit] I guess I should put some words together on the 501 thing

501(c)3 organizations are tax-exempt non-profits. The X.Org Foundation has been aiming for this status for what seems like years, but now they've finally completed all the forms and heard back from the IRS with their approval.

X.Org developers Egbert Eich and Luc Verhaegen celebrate the 501(c)3 status...?

Though if you're hoping the X.Org Foundation as a 501(c)3 will make them better organized and responsible, it sadly doesn't look that way. At the same meeting it was brought up they were late in paying their Delaware taxes, only now are they talking about a $15,000 that Intel evidently promised them two years ago for XDS Toulouse, and a host of other issues. (And heck, they still haven't even sent off a quick e-mail to publicly announce their new non-profit status themselves.) They may be phenomenal developers, but not the best at running an organization.

The X.Org Board of Directors IRC meeting logs from last Thursday's IRC session can be found on the X.Org Wiki.