Since 2018, the Babel team has been conducting a funding experiment through the Open Collective platform, aiming to assess whether full-time work on Babel could be financially sustained. The team’s conclusion, however, was less than optimistic. They revealed that the funding they have collected is not enough to cover the costs of maintaining and improving the project at the level required. In fact, the team estimates that it needs at least $333,000 per year—double what they are currently receiving—to fully support their paid maintainers and ensure that the project can continue its high standard of development.
While individual donations are appreciated, the core team is now focusing its efforts on attracting more corporate sponsors. Several major companies, including AMP, Airbnb, Salesforce, and Gitpod, are already backing Babel, but the team is hopeful that more businesses will step up to ensure the project’s survival. Funding through platforms like Open Collective and GitHub Sponsors will be key to securing the resources necessary for Babel to continue its work. In addition to financial contributions, the team has also made their contact information available, encouraging potential sponsors or contributors to reach out directly.
With sufficient funding, the Babel team aims to expand the number of paid core members, which would allow for ongoing improvements and optimizations to the tool. Key goals include streamlining Babel’s configuration, enhancing its performance, and producing more efficient output. The team is also focused on improving Babel’s documentation to make it easier for developers to use. However, without the necessary financial backing, the project risks stagnation, which could have a significant impact on the broader JavaScript development ecosystem that depends on it.