Skip to content

RetroPGF on Drips

Retroactive Public Goods Funding (RPGF) is a powerful mechanism for funding impactful work that has already been completed. Instead of funding promises about future work, RPGF allows communities to identify and reward projects and individuals who have already provided demonstrable value. This "results-based" approach helps ensure that funds are directed effectively towards proven contributors.

Drips provides a comprehensive, on-chain platform to run your own RPGF rounds from start to finish.

An example RPGF round on Drips.
An example RPGF round on Drips.

The Anatomy of an RPGF Round

On Drips, the entire RPGF process is organized into discrete events called Rounds. While every round is unique, they generally follow three main stages:

  1. Application: Projects and individuals submit applications to showcase their past work and impact, hoping to be considered for funding.
  2. Voting: A group of designated voters, often called badgeholders, review the applications and vote to allocate the round's funding pool among the applicants they believe have created the most value.
  3. Payout: Once voting is complete, the results are tallied and the funds are distributed to the winning applicants based on the voting outcomes.
A typical RPGF round on Drips flows from application intake to voting and finally to fund distribution.
A typical RPGF round on Drips flows from application intake to voting and finally to fund distribution.

Why Run Your RPGF Round on Drips?

Drips is designed to be the best place to run your RPGF program. Our suite of tools provides a seamless experience for round administrators, applicants, and badgeholders alike.

A Complete End-to-End Solution

Drips handles the entire lifecycle of your funding round. From building a custom application form and managing submissions to facilitating the voting process and executing the final payouts, our platform is a one-stop solution.

Payouts Directly to GitHub Repositories

Leveraging the core Drips protocol, you can distribute funds directly to open-source projects via their GitHub repositories.This eliminates the massive operational overhead of chasing down wallet addresses and ensures that funding reaches projects and their declared dependencies automatically.

Amplified impact

Projects receiving funds on Drips can forward a percentage of their funds to their software dependencies, which can greatly amplify the reach of your RetroPGF round.

Fully Customizable Application Forms

Every funding round is different. Drips features a flexible form builder that allows you to create a bespoke application experience tailored to your round's specific needs. You can add various field types and even mark certain fields as "private" to securely collect sensitive information that will only be visible to round administrators. Public application data is also attested to on-chain by applicants, ensuring transparency.

Transparent & Verifiable Data

For full transparency and analysis, round admins can easily download the raw application and voting data at any time. This data is provided in a simple CSV format, allowing you to build custom dashboards, perform deeper analysis, or simply keep a record of your round's history.

A Best-in-Class User Experience

We believe that great tools lead to great outcomes. We've obsessed over the details to provide a world-class experience for every participant. Applicants enjoy a straightforward submission process, while badgeholders are equipped with an intuitive interface to thoughtfully review applications and cast their votes.

Where to Go Next

Whether you're looking to run a funding round, apply for a grant, or help evaluate contributions, here are the guides for you.

For Round Organizers

If you want to create and manage your own RPGF round, these guides cover the entire process from start to finish.

  • Create your round: A step-by-step walkthrough of setting up your round's parameters, schedule, and application form.
  • Administering your round: Learn how to review applications, publish results, and distribute rewards.

For Applicants

If you are a project or contributor looking to get recognized and funded for your past work, this guide is for you.

  • Apply to a round: Learn how to prepare your Drips Project and submit a strong application.

For Badgeholders

If you've been selected as a voter to help allocate funds based on your expertise, this guide explains your role.

  • Vote on a round: A complete guide to the voting process, from building your ballot to submitting your votes.