Amplifying the Impact: FIL-RetroPGF-2 with Drips

Congratulations to all FIL-RetroPGF Round 2 recipients! With Drips as the mechanism powering the distribution of the funds for this round you have a chance to amplify its impact further. This blog explores how you can leverage it to maximize sustainability and foster a thriving Filecoin ecosystem and beyond. 

By now we know you are all familiar with Drips as a decentralised toolkit for funding open source software. It’s based on Continuous Dependency Funding mechanism, whereby people voluntarily assess dependencies and maintainers decide how to redistribute income. Recipients are encouraged to share funds with the projects and maintainers they depend on, creating a dynamic dependency graph that highlights what’s most important in the ecosystem.

Drips’ mission is to ensure that all parts of the ecosystem receive the support they deserve, fostering collaboration and sustainability.

Why splitting funds matters The power of retroactive dependency funding is in amplifying the impact of innovation. By splitting your funds between your project’s team, maintainers, and the critical dependencies your work relies on, you ensure:

• Sustainability: Dependencies receive recognition and resources to thrive  
• Fairness: Direct funds to often-overlooked but crucial projects
• Ecosystem resilience: Helps sustain foundational tools and ensures long-term viability
• A culture of collaboration: Creates a culture of mutual support and sustainability in the FIL ecosystem & beyond.

This approach magnifies the impact of this funding round, ensuring that resources flow to all contributors who make our decentralized systems work.

Case Study

A great example of the dependency graph is action can be seen with the project Ethers.js - one of the most popular Ethereum-focused javascript libraries. From the funds the project receives from various sources who rely on their work, they have chosen to split 40% to their own dependencies. Some of those dependencies in turn have chosen to split up to 60% of their funds creating impact for many more projects and individuals far beyond the initial project. 

How to Split

As a recipient of funds from this round we encourage you to take inspiration from the dependency graph and use this opportunity to amplify your impact.

We know the majority of you have already claimed your project on Drips, so now you can create a Drip List where you configure the split of the funds you receive. 

Firstly designate the dependencies and contributors you want to support, and allocate a percentage of your incoming funds to each. Once configured, your funds will automatically route to your chosen recipients as you receive them.

For a detailed guide, check out the Drips documentation. By thoughtfully splitting your funds, you can take this opportunity to catalyze growth and foster collaboration across the FIL ecosystem and beyond. For more inspiration and resources check out Drips and CDF.