Like any project it needs to pay for its infrastructure and that comes from donations and sponsors.
The foundation also holds trademarks including the GNOME trademark that it is required to defend.
The foundation was setup to protect the project from legal issues, help fund the infrastructure,and build relationships that lead to fundraising and influence.
You might recall that GNOME had to defend its trademark at least once and was also hit with a patent troll.
Edited to add:
The money also goes to help fund GUADEC and hackfests where maintainers meet to work on goals. So there is more than just the executive director - there is a whole team that manages events, finances, and brand.
The foundation also holds trademarks including the GNOME trademark that it is required to defend.
The foundation was setup to protect the project from legal issues, help fund the infrastructure,and build relationships that lead to fundraising and influence.
You might recall that GNOME had to defend its trademark at least once and was also hit with a patent troll.
Edited to add: The money also goes to help fund GUADEC and hackfests where maintainers meet to work on goals. So there is more than just the executive director - there is a whole team that manages events, finances, and brand.