Microsoft has announced a new Sponsorship feature on NuGet.org, designed to help package maintainers receive direct financial support from the community. As stated in the official announcement, the goal is to make it easier than ever for consumers to recognize and support the authors behind their favorite packages while strengthening the overall .NET ecosystem.
According to the NuGet team, the new feature allows package authors to add a sponsorship URL directly to their NuGet.org package listing. This link appears as a heart icon or a Sponsor this package button on the package’s page. When clicked, it redirects users to trusted external funding platforms such as GitHub Sponsors, Patreon, Open Collective, Ko-fi, Tidelift, or Liberapay. These integrations are intended to provide visibility to maintainers’ funding needs while offering an easy way for consumers to contribute.
As reported by the team, the feature benefits both sides of the open-source ecosystem. Maintainers can now directly highlight their need for support where developers discover their work, and consumers can give back through small or recurring contributions. The announcement noted that even small contributions can make a big difference in keeping critical packages maintained and secure. This initiative aligns with Microsoft’s broader goal of promoting sustainability and resilience within the .NET ecosystem.
(Sponsor button on Nuget.org, Source: Official Microsoft DevBlog)
Setting up sponsorship requires that the user be an owner or co-owner of a NuGet.org package. Package maintainers can select from the approved sponsorship platforms and configure their link from the package management page. Once added, the sponsorship information automatically applies to all versions of the package, including previously published ones. If the sponsorship URL changes, it can be updated at any time, with the change taking effect immediately across all versions.
With a notice regarding the terms of privacy, NuGet.org does not store or process any financial information. All transactions occur through the external platforms selected by maintainers. As noted in the FAQs, NuGet.org also does not track analytics such as click counts for sponsorship links. Maintainers who wish to view engagement data can do so directly through their chosen sponsorship platform.
Regarding the community voice, the announcement received a positive response from the developer community, with many noting that open-source sustainability has been a recurring challenge within the .NET ecosystem. Developers have long relied on community-maintained packages, and this new sponsorship feature provides an official, secure mechanism to give back.
The official announcement also provides detailed steps for both package publishers and consumers. It explains how maintainers can configure sponsorship links for their packages and how users can identify and support their favorite projects directly on NuGet.org.
