cncf/foundation

The CNCF Foundation repository is a policy and governance documentation hub for the Cloud Native Computing Foundation.

This repository addresses the need for centralized, authoritative documentation of how the CNCF operates as an organization. It serves as the single source of truth for governance structures, policies, and community guidelines that shape the foundation's work. The approach is to maintain all foundational documents—from the charter and code of conduct to membership agreements and project guidance—in one accessible location, with clear processes for how changes are proposed and implemented.

Organizations and projects within the CNCF ecosystem should use this repository to understand the rules and expectations governing participation. It is essential for CNCF member organizations, project maintainers, and anyone contributing to CNCF projects who need to know the foundation's policies on licensing, website neutrality, copyright, and community conduct. The repository also maintains the authoritative list of project maintainers, with a dual-track system: projects using the newer `.project` process have maintainers managed automatically through their own repositories, while legacy projects maintain their records here through pull requests and email coordination.

The project shows steady engagement with governance matters, accepting issues and pull requests related to CNCF operations and policy clarifications. Documentation is maintained across multiple formats and languages, including translations of key materials like the code of conduct and cloud native terminology guides. The maintainer records system demonstrates active coordination between the foundation and its projects, with clear escalation paths through service desk tickets and dedicated email contacts for maintainer changes.