[kfichter]

Not quite the same thing, but the Optimism Collective runs a program called Retroactive Public Goods Funding that sort of works like this: https://www.optimism.io/retropgf

A round is currently active and dependencies are encouraged to sign up. Quite literally millions worth of crypto up for grabs for the ecosystem's dependencies on a recurring basis. Frequency is about twice per year right now but I think the goal is to get to at least once per quarter.

(Disclaimer: I work for a company called OP Labs which does work for the Optimism Collective)

(And yes, it's a crypto project, but I'm hoping the common goal of constructing systems that can sustainably fund open source software might bridge the HN gap)