Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I get a charitable tax receipt for my donation?
  
  No. The Eclipse Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, not a charitable organization, so we are unable to provide charitable tax receipts.
  
  
• What methods of payment do you accept for contributions?
  
  We are using PayPal to process your donation. PayPal enables you to use a credit card or a PayPal account.
  
  
• What if I want to pay by cheque or direct deposit?
  
  At this time, we are only set up to accept contributions through PayPal. It is free to sign up for an account at www.paypal.com.
  
  
• What is the difference between contributing money to Eclipse and becoming a Friend of Eclipse?
  
  Individuals can contribute any amount of money they want to the Eclipse Foundation. However, those that give US$35 (but less than US$100) qualify for "Friend" status. "Friend" status lasts for a period of 12 months and provides access to a Friends of Eclipse mirror and use of the "Friend" logo. Individuals that give US$100 or more qualify for the "Best Friend" status. "Best Friend" status lasts for a period of 12 months and provides access to the "Friend" benefits, an Eclipse t-shirt and a discount for EclipseCon events.
  
  
• What amounts may I contribute?
  
  You may contribute any amount you like. A contribution between US$35 and US$99.99 gives you access to the "Friend of Eclipse" benefits and a contribution US$100 or more qualifies you for the “Best Friend” benefits.
  
  
• What do you plan to do with the money?
  
  We plan to use these donations to increase the services provided by the Eclipse Foundation. Examples of activities would include providing more bandwidth to users, hosting more servers for project websites and sending students to EclipseCon.
  
  
• What should I do if I made a mistake when submitting my contribution?
  
  Please email friends at eclipse.org with all your contact information and an explanation of what you need corrected.
  
  
• What is the Friends of Eclipse Mirror?
  
  The Friends of Eclipse mirror is a high-capacity download server for Friends of Eclipse. Unlike our main downloads servers, the Friends mirror has priority access to our bandwidth, typically resulting in faster downloads. Although a local mirror in your country may still provide a faster download due to the proximity, the Friends mirror is our way of saying 'thank you' for your donation.
  
  
• Does this mean the Eclipse download site will be slower?
  
  The Eclipse download site's performance varies from day to day, depending on new project releases. Although Friends' downloads get priority bandwidth, the Eclipse Foundation will add bandwidth as required to ensure an adequate level of performance from our main download site.
  
  
• How do I get access to the Friends of Eclipse mirror?
  
  Everyone that donates US$35 or more to the Eclipse Foundation will automatically be flagged as a Friend of Eclipse. This gives them access to the Friends of Eclipse Mirror for 12 months. When you register your donation, you will be asked to enter your Eclipse.org account email address. This will be used to login to the Friends of Eclipse Mirror.
  
  
• Who can use the Friend of Eclipse Logo?
  
  Any individual that has donated more than US$35 to the Eclipse Foundation may use the Friend of Eclipse logo on a personal blog or web site. The Friends of Eclipse program is for individuals, so the logo should not be used on an organization web site.
  
  
• What does the t-shirt, included in the "Best Friend" package look like?