Welcome to the Everything Open Source Community Management Working Group!
This is the home for everyone in the Everything Open Source community who is passionate about building, growing, and sustaining open-source communities. This is where we meet, share resources, document our processes, collaborate on projects, and support each other's growth as community builders and managers.
If you are just getting started in community management or have years of experience, you are welcome here. Open source is built by people, and this Working Group exists to make sure those people are supported, celebrated, and set up to thrive.
- [About This Working Group](#about-this-Working Group)
- Who This Is For
- [Working Group Leads](#Working Group-leads)
- How to Join
- How We Meet
- What We Work On
- Our 2026 Goals
- Repository Structure
- How to Contribute
- Resources
- Community Guidelines
- Stay Connected
The Community Management Working Group is a domain-focused space within the Everything Open Source community for contributors interested in the human side of open source — building communities, supporting contributors, managing engagement, and creating spaces where people feel welcomed, valued, and empowered to contribute.
We exist to:
- Create a dedicated space for community builders and managers to connect, learn, and collaborate
- Document processes, frameworks, and best practices for managing open-source communities effectively
- Support contributors who want to grow their skills in community management
- Lay the foundation for the Everything Open Source Working Group ecosystem by piloting the Working Group model in 2026
- Build a body of knowledge and a set of reusable resources that will help launch and sustain new Working Groups across other domains in 2027 and beyond
This Working Group is also about building the Everything Open Source community itself. The work we do here directly shapes how contributors experience open source across Africa and beyond.
This Working Group is open to anyone interested in community management and the human side of open source, including:
- Community managers and community builders
- Developer advocates and developer relations professionals
- Contributors interested in onboarding, engagement, and contributor experience
- Open-source project maintainers who want to build healthier communities around their projects
- Students and early-career professionals exploring community management as a career path
- Anyone who believes that open source is about people first and code second
- Complete beginners who want to learn what community management in open source actually looks like
You do not need a title or formal experience to join. If you care about people and want to help build something meaningful, you belong here.
| Name | GitHub | Role |
|---|---|---|
| (Lead name) | @handle | Working Group Lead |
| (Co-lead name) | @handle | Working Group Co-Lead |
The Working Group leads are responsible for facilitating meetings, welcoming new members, keeping the repository active, and connecting the Working Group to the broader Everything Open Source community.
Want to become a lead or co-lead? Open a discussion and let us know.
Joining is simple and open to everyone. Here is how to get started:
- Star and watch this repository so you stay updated on everything happening in the Working Group
- Introduce yourself by opening a new GitHub Discussion under the Introductions category — tell us who you are, what draws you to community management, and what you are hoping to learn or contribute
- Join our Discord channel at (add Discord channel link) where the Working Group connects in real time
- Attend a meeting — check the meeting schedule below and show up to the next one
Just show up and bring your curiosity.
Meeting cadence: (e.g. Every two weeks on Thursdays) Time: (e.g. 5:00 PM WAT / 4:00 PM GMT) Format: (e.g. Virtual via Google Meet / Discord voice) Meeting link: (add link)
All meeting notes are published in the meetings/ folder of this repository within 48 hours of each session. If you
cannot attend, you can always catch up by reading the notes or watching the recording where available.
Upcoming meetings:
| Date | Agenda | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| (Date) | View agenda | (link when available) |
| (Date) | View agenda | (link when available) |
Want to add something to the agenda for an upcoming meeting? Open an issue using the Meeting Agenda template.
The Community Management Working Group focuses on the following areas:
Building and sustaining open-source communities We explore what makes open-source communities healthy, welcoming, and sustainable, and we document what we learn so others can benefit from it.
Contributor onboarding and experience We develop and improve resources, processes, and frameworks that help new contributors find their footing in open source quickly and confidently.
Community engagement and retention We explore strategies for keeping contributors engaged, recognized, and motivated beyond their first contribution.
Working Group development A major focus for 2026 is building and documenting the Everything Open Source Working Group model so that it can be replicated across new domains in 2027. Through this Working Group, we are designing the blueprint for how all Everything Open Source Working Groups will operate.
Community management as a career We create resources and conversations that support people who want to pursue community management and developer relations as a professional path.
Current projects:
| Project | Description | Status | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working Group Blueprint | Documenting the EOS Working Group model for 2027 rollout | 🟢 Active | (Name) |
| Onboarding Playbook | A reusable onboarding framework for new contributors | 🟢 Active | (Name) |
| Community Health Metrics | Defining how we measure community health at EOS | 🟡 Planning | (Name) |
| CM Resource Library | A curated library of community management resources | 🟡 Planning | (Name) |
| 2027 Working Group Roadmap | Planning the launch of new domain Working Groups in 2027 | ⚪ Proposed | (Name) |
Want to propose a new project? Open an issue using the Project Proposal template.
2026 is a foundational year for the Everything Open Source Working Group ecosystem. The Community Management Working Group is the first Working Group we are launching, and one of our most important responsibilities this year is to prove the model works.
Here is what we are working toward in 2026:
Build a thriving, active Working Group
- Establish a consistent meeting cadence and maintain it throughout the year
- Grow Working Group membership to (add target number) active members
- Publish meeting notes for every session without exception
- Celebrate and recognize Working Group contributors regularly
Document the Working Group model
- Build a comprehensive Working Group blueprint that captures everything we learn about running an effective Working Group at Everything Open Source
- Create reusable templates, frameworks, and guides that can be used to launch new Working Groups in 2027
- Document what works, what does not, and what we would do differently so future Working Group leads have a head start
Build a community management resource library
- Curate and publish a library of high-quality community management resources relevant to open-source communities
- Produce original content including guides, playbooks, and frameworks that reflect our own experience and learning
- Make all resources freely accessible in this repository
Support Everything Open Source sprints
- Actively participate in Everything Open Source sprints and represent community management as a meaningful contribution domain
- Support sprint participants who want to contribute through community management rather than code
- Document community management contributions at each sprint and share them publicly
There are many ways to contribute to this Working Group beyond attending meetings:
-
Share resources: Found a great article, podcast, course, or framework relevant to community management in open source? Open an issue using the Resource Suggestion template and share it with the group.
-
Write or improve documentation: Help us build out our playbooks, guides, and templates. Open a pull request with your additions or improvements.
Share your experience: Have you managed or built a community before? Share your experience, lessons learned, and frameworks with the Working Group. Even a short write-up or a discussion thread can be enormously valuable to others.
Lead or co-lead a meeting: Volunteer to facilitate an upcoming meeting. Let the Working Group leads know in Discord or open a discussion.
Propose and lead a project: Have an idea for something the Working Group should build, document, or explore? Open a Project Proposal issue and share your thinking.
Mentor a newcomer: If you have experience in community management, offer to support someone newer to the field. A conversation, a resource recommendation, or a quick introduction can open doors for someone just starting out.
Help build the 2027 Working Group roadmap: One of our most important projects this year is laying the groundwork for new Working Groups launching in 2027. If you have ideas about which domains should be prioritized or want to help plan the expansion, get involved in this project.
Contribute at a sprint: Everything Open Source runs regular sprints where contributors work alongside open-source project maintainers. Community management is a meaningful sprint contribution domain and this Working Group actively supports sprint participants who want to contribute in this area. Learn more about sprints →
Please read our CONTRIBUTING.md before making your first contribution.
A curated collection of resources to help you grow as a community manager and open-source community builder:
- The Community Manager Handbook — FeverBee's comprehensive resource for community professionals
- CMX Hub — the largest network of community professionals with resources, events, and a job board
- Open Source Guide: Building Welcoming Communities — GitHub's guide to building healthy open-source communities
- The Art of Community by Jono Bacon — a foundational book on building vibrant communities, available free online
- Open Source Guide — a collection of guides for running and contributing to open-source projects
- TODO Group — resources and guides for open-source program offices and community management
- CHAOSS Metrics — community health analytics and metrics for open-source communities
- GitHub Discussions — for asynchronous community conversations
- Discord — for real-time community communication
- Open Collective — for transparent community fundraising and finance
- Orbit — for community analytics and member engagement tracking
- (Add relevant course or certification with link)
- (Add relevant podcast with link)
- (Add relevant newsletter with link)
- (Add resources specific to building tech communities in Africa)
- (Add relevant organizations or networks)
Have a resource to add? Open a pull request.
This Working Group is part of the Everything Open Source community and operates under our shared Code of Conduct.
We are committed to maintaining a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive space for everyone regardless of experience level or background. This is especially important in a Working Group focused on community management, where how we treat each other is itself a demonstration of the values we are trying to build.
Please read the Code of Conduct before participating. If you experience or witness behavior that violates it, please report it to everythingopensource@gmail.com. All reports are handled with confidentiality and care.
- Discord: (add Working Group channel link)
- GitHub Discussions: Start or join a conversation
- Everything Open Source Website: everythingopensource.my.canva.site
- Everything Open Source GitHub: github.com/EverythingOpenSource
- Twitter/X: (add handle)
- Instagram: (add handle)
- LinkedIn: (add handle)
- YouTube: (add link)
The Community Management Working Group is the foundation of the Everything Open Source Working Group ecosystem. What we build here in 2026 will shape how every Working Group that follows is designed, launched, and sustained. Thank you for being part of this from the very beginning.
Everything Open Source everythingopensource.my.canva.site | github.com/EverythingOpenSource | everythingopensource@gmail.com