The PKI Consortium is a Utah non-profit that advances trust in digital communications through open collaboration, education, and community events.
Everything we do is free — and we intend to keep it that way. Membership is free. Our conferences are free to attend. Our resources, working groups, and publications are open to all. There are no dues, no ticket sales, no paywalls.
We deliberately choose voluntary donations over ticket sales so that no one is ever turned away from an event because of a registration fee. This model lets us host events anywhere in the world and keeps the focus on the community.
The real cost of “free”
Keeping membership free ensures that every practitioner — regardless of employer size or budget — can participate in working groups, access resources, and shape PKI standards. The moment we charge membership fees, we lose the voices that matter most.
Keeping conferences free and open means anyone can attend — not just those whose employer will pay a registration fee. That openness is what makes our events uniquely valuable: the full spectrum of the PKI community in one room.
But free is not without cost. A professional event costs $150–$300 per attendee per day — venue, A/V, catering, travel support, and logistics. A typical three-day event costs us $450–$900 per person we welcome through the door. We rely on sponsor funding and voluntary donations to make it happen — and the more we raise, the more seats we can offer.
Your donation keeps all of this free and growing:
- Free membership for all practitioners, regardless of ability to pay
- Free conferences open to everyone, hosted around the world
- Research and working groups advancing PKI best practices
- Open-source tooling and developer resources
Without voluntary donations, we would have to cap event attendance, reduce conference frequency, or introduce fees — excluding the very practitioners who benefit most from being here.
What your gift makes possible
Every amount has a direct use — and forty people giving $50 equals two people giving $1,000. Both matter.
| Amount | What your gift makes possible |
|---|---|
| $2,500 | Helps us welcome 3–5 attendees for a full three-day event — covering venue, A/V, and catering |
| $1,000 | Funds a working group publication or covers the full cost of 1–2 conference attendees |
| $500 | Covers one attendee for the full event — the real per-person cost. This is what it takes to keep one seat free |
| $250 | Supports open-source tooling development, or covers one full day of attendance for one person |
| $100 | Helps keep membership free for practitioners whose employers cannot contribute |
| $50 | Joins the community effort — many gifts at this level fund a workshop or expand event capacity |
