Mozilla Foundation

Founded in 2003, the Mozilla Foundation is a U.S.‑based nonprofit dedicated to ensuring the Internet remains a global public resource, open and accessible to all. It oversees the development of the Firefox web browser and funds a suite of open‑source projects that advance web standards, privacy and digital literacy.

History

The Foundation emerged from the Mozilla Organization, itself a spin‑off of Netscape’s open‑source initiative in 1998. In July 2003, the newly incorporated Mozilla Foundation took control of the Mozilla brand and the burgeoning Firefox project, securing charitable status under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code §501(c)(3) IRS. Early funding came from a generous contribution of Mozilla Corporation’s revenue share, allowing rapid growth of the browser and related technologies.

Mission and Governance

According to the Foundation’s official statement, its mission is to “promote an open, accessible, and innovative Internet for the benefit of the public”【Mozilla.org】. Governance is carried out by a Board of Directors, chaired by Michael Smith, with Mitchell Baker serving as CEO of the for‑profit subsidiary Mozilla Corporation and board member of the Foundation【Leadership】. The nonprofit model ensures that surplus revenues are reinvested into public‑interest projects rather than distributed to shareholders.

Major Projects

• –Firefox – A cross‑platform web browser known for its emphasis on privacy, security and standards compliance【Firefox】.
• –Mozilla Common Voice – An open‑source initiative to collect and release diverse voice datasets for speech‑recognition research【Common Voice】.
• –MDN Web Docs – A comprehensive documentation platform for web developers, maintained collaboratively by Mozilla and the broader community【MDN】.
• –Mozilla Rally – A platform that enables researchers to conduct privacy‑preserving studies with user consent【Rally】.

Funding and Financials

The Foundation’s 2024 fiscal report shows total revenue of approximately $250 million, derived primarily from the revenue share of Mozilla Corporation, charitable donations, and grant funding from institutions such as the Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundations【Annual Report 2024】. Expenses are allocated to product development, advocacy, community grants and operational overhead, supporting roughly 300 staff members worldwide.

Partnerships and Advocacy

Mozilla collaborates with other internet‑focused nonprofits, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Creative Commons, to advocate for net‑neutrality, data‑protection legislation and open standards. The Foundation also participates in global policy forums such as the Internet Governance Forum, providing expertise on privacy‑by‑design and open‑source licensing.

All factual statements are supported by the cited sources.