Empowering non-code contributors
· 2 min read
One of the nicest things about being in the CNCF is projects can generate their own governance. Our layperson description for how CNCF governance works is typically "Do what you say you do on the tin."
12 posts tagged with "Community"
CNCF community news and updates
View All TagsCloud Native Security Controls Catalog: Refreshed, Structured, and Machine-Readable
· 3 min read
Revised security guidance has been released by CNCF advisors to streamline cloud-native project security assessments.
Initially created in 2022 by CNCF's TAG Security and Compliance (TAG-SC), the Cloud Native Security Controls Catalog (CNSC Catalog) is a direct, actionable list of controls mapped to NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5. To incorporate emerging technologies, tools, and research, a new version of the catalog has been created and released in 2026.
Cloud Native Project Monthly (CNPM) June 2026 Newsletter
· 5 min read
Welcome to the June 2026 edition of the Cloud Native Project Monthly (CNPM) Newsletter.
We look forward to seeing many of you at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Japan next month!
CNCF staff will be at the various maintainer-focused activities on July 29-30.
Please take a moment to complete the 2H 2026 Maintainer Survey. Your feedback is essential for us to serve you better in the second half of the year.
Strengthening LFX Mentoring: A Fairer Stipend Model and a Shared Standard of Excellence
· 3 min read
This post was originally published on the Linux Foundation blog.
Two updates that help our growing mentorship community do its best work.
LFX Mentoring has grown into one of the largest open source mentorship programs in the world, connecting new contributors with experienced maintainers across hundreds of projects every year. As the program scales, we're making two updates that keep it fair, sustainable and welcoming for everyone.
A more equitable stipend model
At its core, LFX Mentoring is all about providing unique opportunities to learn, grow, and become part of the global open source community. By participating, mentees get to work on exciting technology and receive invaluable coaching directly from experienced practitioners. Because the heart of this program is professional development, it is fundamentally designed as a learning experience, not employment. While many open source mentorships are entirely unpaid, some of our participating projects choose to offer stipends. These stipends can be thought of as educational grants that help offset basic living expenses so mentees can focus their energy on learning and contributing. Since these stipends are intended to offset basic living expenses (and not intended as compensation or wages), these amounts are calculated to reflect the cost of living in a mentee’s country.
Mentee stipends are calculated using a formula based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP): we start from a $6,000 USD baseline and adjust for each mentee's country, so a stipend’s real-world value is comparable wherever a mentee lives. We review these amounts periodically to keep them aligned with industry standards and economic conditions.
For programs that start on or after July 1, 2026, we've refreshed the schedule. We keep PPP and the $6,600 maximum, and we've lowered the minimum to $1,000 so that stipends more closely reflect regional cost of living and align with other popular open source mentoring programs. This lets us reinvest in the program and extend mentorship to more people each term.
These updates apply only to future programs. If you've already been accepted into a program that starts before July 1, 2026, you'll continue to receive the amount listed in your acceptance letter. Full country-by-country amounts are published in the mentee stipend documentation.
A shared Standard of Excellence
We're also publishing the Linux Foundation Mentoring Standards of Excellence: a clear statement of the collaborative, respectful, and professional behavior we encourage from every mentor, mentee, and candidate.
The Standards highlight what makes mentorship work: supporting one another, giving constructive feedback, communicating with respect, and accepting evaluations and selection decisions gracefully. They also explain how to raise concerns through the right channels. The goal is simple: every participant has a positive, productive experience and the clarity to do their best work.
Learn more
Explore open mentorships and apply at LFX Mentorship.
Cloud Native Project Monthly (CNPM) May 2026 Newsletter
· 4 min read
Welcome to the May 2026 edition of the Cloud Native Project Monthly (CNPM) Newsletter.
We didn't send out an edition in April due to the volume of other staff messages sent to the maintainer mailing lists.
We look forward to seeing many of you at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon India next month!
CNCF staff will be at the various maintainer-focused activities on June 18-19.
Cloud Native Project Monthly (CNPM) March 2026 Newsletter
· 5 min read
Welcome to the March 2026 edition of the Cloud Native Project Monthly (CNPM) Newsletter. We hope you’re excited for KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe in Amsterdam in a few days!
CNCF staff will be at the Maintainer Summit and the Project Pavilion throughout the week. Please find us if you have any questions about support for your projects.
Table of contents
Cloud Native Project Monthly (CNPM) February 2026 Newsletter
· 6 min read
Welcome to the February 2026 edition of the Cloud Native Project Monthly (CNPM) Newsletter.
We hope you’re excited for KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe and plan to attend the Maintainer Summit!
You can learn more about the event and other worldwide KubeCon + CloudNativeCon opportunities in this month’s newsletter.
Cloud Native Project Monthly (CNPM) January 2026 Newsletter
· 8 min read
Welcome to the January 2026 edition of the Cloud Native Project Monthly (CNPM) Newsletter.
In 2025 we saw continued project growth, with the TOC accepting an additional six projects to close out the year. The speed at which projects join the CNCF and advance through levels has improved thanks to better processes, and we've expanded the variety of services available to maintainers through new partnerships with providers. We are committed to serving our 2,000+ maintainers and 300,000+ contributors even better in 2026.
Please take a moment to complete the 2H 2025 Maintainer Survey. Your feedback is vital for us to serve you better this year. The survey will close on January 30th, so please respond as soon as you can!
- Google Summer of Code 2026 opportunities
- Please take the Maintainer Survey
- KubeCon+CloudNativeCon 2026 – Scholarships & Travel Funding Deadlines
- KubeCon+CloudNativeCon 2026 – Maintainer Summit & Travel Info
- Call for Kubernetes AI Conformance applications and reference architectures
- GitHub Copilot guidance
- Docker Hardened Images are now free for projects
- CNCF Projects Calendar Migration
- Help us help you
- See you next month
CNCF Mentorship 2026 Term 1 Project Proposals Open + GSoC 2026 Opportunities
· 2 min read
The CNCF LFX Mentorship 2026 Term 1 (March - May) is open for project proposals. Since 2020, 25 LFX mentee alumni have gone on to become CNCF project maintainers. This is a great opportunity to grow your contributor community.
CNCF LFX Mentorship 2026 Term 1 Mar-May
Key LFX dates:
- Project Proposals Open: Wednesday, January 7 – Tuesday, January 20, 2026
- Mentee Applications Open: Monday, January 26 – Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 11AM PST (19:00 UTC)
- Application Review Period: Wednesday, February 11 – Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 11AM PST (19:00 UTC)
In addition to LFX, the CNCF is planning on being a Mentoring Organization again this year for Google Summer of Code (GSoC) and can help projects looking to participate in the program. This is a fantastic opportunity to increase your project's contributor community and get valuable work done!
In 2026, GSoC is actively looking to bring in more projects in the areas of Security and AI/ML.
Key GSoC dates:
- Organizations application period: Monday, Jan 19, to Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026
- CNCF Project proposals submissions recommendation: Wednesday Jan 14, 2026
- Note, proposals can still be submitted after this recommended date, but the Mentorship team needs time to evaluate the proposals and package our application. The more proposals we have, the stronger our org application will be.
We're looking forward to seeing all the project ideas you're interested in working on!
Cloud Native Project Monthly (CNPM) December 2025 (Year End Edition)
· 8 min read
Welcome to the Cloud Native Project Monthly (CNPM) December 2025 (Year End Edition).
It's been an amazing 2025 with record project growth, improvements in the speed that projects join the CNCF and move levels, and the breadth of new services we've made available to maintainers.
We look forward to helping your projects make an even greater impact in 2026.
And please take the 2H 2025 Maintainer Survey when you have a chance. It will help us serve you better in the coming year.
Thank you, we hope you enjoy the end of year downtime and we wish you the best in the new year!
- ✍️ Please take the Maintainer Survey
- 🚲 Upcoming project opportunity deadline (TODAY!)
- 🎥 Maintainer Summit recordings available
- 🚀 New contribute.cncf.io launched
- 📄 Call for Kubernetes AI Conformance applications and reference architectures
- 🧑🎓 CNCF LFX 2026 Term 1 call for proposals open soon
- 🔑 Google Summer of Code 2026 opportunities
- 🤖 GitHub Copilot guidance
- 🕵️ Kusari Inspector free for projects
- 🐳 Docker Hardened Images free for projects
- 📈 Telemetry collection and privacy guidelines
- 🙏 Please take the Maintainer Survey
- 🎉 Thank you for an amazing year