OpenChain Community Reimbursement Policy

August 2026

• OpenChain Community Reimbursement Policy
  • Purpose
  • Expenses Pre-Approval Requirements
  • General Principles
  • Types of Expenses
    • Personal Reimbursements
    • Direct Vendor Payments
  • Reimbursement Requests
  • Direct Vendor Payments
  • Payment Process
    • Personal Reimbursements
    • Direct Vendor Payments
  • Questions and Assistance

Purpose

This policy explains how OpenChain community members can:

• Request reimbursement for approved OpenChain expenses, or
• Request direct payment to vendors by the Linux Foundation.

The goal is to:

• Support OpenChain activities and events
• Ensure expenses are approved and reasonable
• Keep the process simple and transparent

Expenses Pre-Approval Requirements

All expenses must be approved before any purchase or commitment is made.

The approval request should include:

• Purpose of the expense
• Estimated cost
• Event or activity name
• Travel or participation dates
• Whether it is:
  • A personal reimbursement, or
  • A direct vendor payment

Approval will be provided by:

• The OpenChain Executive Director
• Authorized Linux Foundation staff
• The OpenChain Governing Board if additional budget approval is required

Email approval is acceptable. Please include support@openchainproject.org in the request to make the process more efficient.

Please note that, after approval, the required documentation must be provided before a reimbursement or direct payment can be processed. Please refer to the sections below.

General Principles

Expenses must:

• Be related to OpenChain activities.
• Be reasonable and necessary.
• Be approved in advance.
• Include receipts and supporting documentation.
• Follow Linux Foundation financial procedures.

OpenChain may deny requests that do not follow this policy.

All reimbursement requests, vendor payment requests, and related questions should be sent to support@openchainproject.org.

Types of Expenses

Personal Reimbursements

A community member pays for an approved expense and later requests repayment from the Linux Foundation.

Direct Vendor Payments

The Linux Foundation pays a vendor directly for an approved OpenChain expense.

Whenever possible, larger expenses should be paid directly by the Linux Foundation instead of through personal reimbursement.

Reimbursement Requests

To request reimbursement, submit:

• Completed expense form (signed)
• Bank form (signed)
• Itemized receipts
• Copy of the approval

All reimbursement requests and supporting documentation should be submitted to: support@openchainproject.org.

Reimbursement requests must be submitted within 30 days of the expense being incurred or the event ending.

Direct Vendor Payments

For direct vendor payments, submit:

• Approved invoice addressed to the Linux Foundation
• Description of the OpenChain activity
• Vendor bank information
• Completed IRS Form W-9, W-8BEN, or W-8BEN-E, as applicable
• Copy of the approval

Invoices and supporting documentation should be submitted to support@openchainproject.org.

Invoices should be submitted as early as possible to allow processing time.

The Linux Foundation is the legal entity, and no one is authorized to sign documentation on behalf of The Linux Foundation. If an agreement is required, we will handle it. Please simply introduce the vendor by sending an email to support@openchainproject.org.

Linux Foundation Billing Address can be found here.

Payment Process

Personal Reimbursements

1. Obtain approval: Secure initial project/budget approval.
2. Payment: Pay the expense personally.
3. Submit Documentation: Provide the required documentation described in Section 5.
4. OpenChain Review: OpenChain and/or Linux Foundation staff review the request.
5. Finance Review and reimbursement: Approved reimbursements are processed for payment.

Linux Foundation staff will communicate any additional requirements and provide payment status updates as needed.

Direct Vendor Payments

1. Obtain approval: Secure initial project/budget approval.
2. Submit Documentation: Provide the required documentation described in Section 6.
3. Internal Processing: LF Staff will submit the internal request (documents from step 2 are required at this stage).
4. Agreement Signature: An agreement will be drafted and sent to the vendor. The signatory’s full name and email address are required.
5. Purchase Order (PO): A PO number will be generated for the vendor to include on their invoice.
6. Invoice Submission: The vendor updates the invoice with the PO number and submits it.
7. Finance Review: The LF Finance team completes their final review.
8. Payment: The Linux Foundation pays the vendor directly.

Processing times may vary depending on documentation and payment details.

Questions and Assistance

Questions regarding reimbursements, direct vendor payments, required forms, or the approval process should be directed to support@openchainproject.org.