docs: sponsorship blog

src/site/content/blog/2026/04/community-effort.adoc

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+= Apache Shiro: A New Chapter Driven by Community
+:jbake-author: Lenny Primak
+:jbake-date: 2026-04-02 00:00:00
+:jbake-type: post
+:jbake-status: published
+:jbake-tags: blog, community, open source, sponsorship, oss
+:idprefix:
+:icons: font
+
+Apache Shiro has entered a new chapter—one filled with opportunity.
+
+For years, Shiro has quietly powered authentication, authorization, cryptography, and session management for countless applications around the world. Its simplicity and flexibility made it a favorite among developers who needed security without unnecessary complexity.
+
+Today, with the conclusion of past corporate sponsorships of Shiro's individual contributors, the project is maintained entirely by dedicated volunteers who believe in its mission and its value to the ecosystem.
+
+Open source has always thrived because of community support. Some of the most resilient and innovative projects exist because individuals and organizations stepped up when it mattered most. Shiro is now at that moment.
+
+== Why This Matters
+
+* Shiro remains a critical dependency for many production systems
+* Its lightweight, framework-agnostic design fills a unique niche
+* Continued maintenance ensures security, stability, and trust
+
+== What’s Needed Now
+
+* Contributors to help with development, testing, and documentation
+* Organizations willing to link:/commercial-support.html[financially sponsor] ongoing work via commercial support
+* Advocates who believe in sustainable open source
+
+If you rely on Shiro—even indirectly—this is the time to invest in its future. Financial involvement isn’t just support; it’s a way to ensure the tools you depend on remain secure, modern, and well-maintained.
+
+And if you’re an engineer looking to make an impact, this is a rare chance to shape the direction of a widely used security framework.
+
+Open source doesn’t disappear when funding changes—it evolves based on who shows up next.
+
+Let’s make sure Shiro continues to be a project worth relying on.
+
+== What you can do right now
+* Consider link:/commercial-support.html[commercial support] for the project to ensure its sustainability
+* Contribute code, tests, or documentation
+* Spread the word
+
+== Tags
+
+#OpenSource #ApacheShiro #Security #SoftwareDevelopment #OSS #Community