The Drupal ecosystem's strength lies in its rich collection of contributed modules, but this strength has become a vulnerability. Essential modules that power millions of sites are often maintained by single individuals working in their spare time, creating sustainability risks that threaten the entire ecosystem.

The launch of Drupal CMS 1.x has elevated many contrib modules to "essential" status, while upcoming Site Templates will likely increase dependency pressure on key maintainers. Meanwhile, governance discussions reveal concerning gaps between well-funded initiatives and volunteer-maintained critical infrastructure. Some modules struggle for months to provide stable releases compatible with new Drupal versions, leaving site builders in limbo.

This BoF brings together contrib maintainers, site builders, agency leaders, and community stakeholders to explore practical solutions beyond traditional funding models. We'll examine what maintainers actually need - whether it's financial support, development assistance, governance clarity, or community backup systems. Drawing inspiration from successful open source sustainability models, we'll brainstorm actionable strategies for supporting the people behind our most critical dependencies.

Who should attend:
- Contrib module maintainers facing sustainability challenges
- Site builders dependent on essential contrib modules
- Agency leaders managing client sites with contrib dependencies
- Community members interested in ecosystem health
- Anyone with ideas about funding, governance, or support models
- People who've experienced contrib maintenance issues firsthand

What we'll explore:
- Identifying which modules truly need community support
- Practical assistance models beyond monetary funding
- Early warning systems for maintenance sustainability issues
- Community response protocols when essential modules become unmaintained
- Governance frameworks that respect maintainer autonomy while ensuring continuity
- Learning from other successful open source sustainability programs

Come prepared to:
- Share your experiences with contrib maintenance or dependency challenges
- Discuss specific modules you consider essential but vulnerable
- Propose concrete support mechanisms or success stories
- Connect with others facing similar challenges
- Collaboratively develop actionable next steps

Already existing efforts and issues:
- The Project Update Working Group: https://project.pages.drupalcode.org/governance/charters/project-update…
- DrupalCMS - [policy] Impact on contributed projects and its maintainers: https://www.drupal.org/project/drupal_cms/issues/3491176
- The "golden contrib" concept from 14 years ago: https://www.drupal.org/project/drupal/issues/1255674#comment-4917546

This isn't just about identifying problems - it's about building community-driven solutions that ensure Drupal's contrib ecosystem remains healthy and sustainable. Whether you maintain modules, depend on them, or simply care about Drupal's future, your perspective is valuable in shaping how we support the contributors who make our platform possible.

The future of Drupal depends on solving this challenge together. Let's start the conversation that leads to real change.