GraphQL Project Governance

GraphQL was open sourced by Facebook in 2015, and became a neutrally governed project managed by the Linux Foundation in 2019. In keeping with best practices, the technical governance of the GraphQL project is separate and distinct from the financial and policy governance of the GraphQL Foundation.

Technical governance

The GraphQL project is a chartered under the Joint Development Foundation (JDF). JDF is a part of the Linux Foundation family, and is an organization specifically dedicated to making open standards easier to manage.

The GraphQL specification, the GraphQL Working Group, and all other sub-working groups and implementations in the GraphQL GitHub organization are governed by the GraphQL project charter.

The Technical Steering Committee, or TSC, is established in the technical charter as the top technical decision-making body. It consists of representatives from the GraphQL technical community and is responsible for overseeing specification and development work, and approving new releases. TSC members serve a two-year term.

Financial and policy governance

The GraphQL Foundation provides financial support for the GraphQL project. In keeping with best practices, the Foundation is a separate organization, which helps to ensure that technical decisions are made upon their own merit and independent of financial contributions. The GraphQL Foundation uses the funds raised through membership dues to support the work of the GraphQL Project through investments in infrastructure, coordination support services, developer grants, and mentorship programs.

The GraphQL Foundation is supported entirely by membership dues, from companies who wish to support the long-term sustainability of the GraphQL ecosystem.