How can open source projects obtain license for commercial software without spending a lot of money? [closed]

Question

I just joined an open source project on codeplex. The project is based on the .NET compact framework. So the development tool is Visual Studio. Currently I am using some trial version of Visual Studio which is going to end and I wondered how can I obtain a valid license to work on the project without spending a lot of money. Please pay attention that the Express edition does not help me since my application is running on Windows Mobile 6.5 which is not supported on the Express edition (and the 2010 Express edition supports only Windows Mobile Phone 7 series development). In the general sense, are there some organizations that donate software licenses for open source projects?

Answer 1

Microsoft sometimes will give a complimentary MSDN subscription to open source developers that need more then the Express edition. You can try asking via CodePlex: https://www.codeplex.com/site/contact