SPDX Becomes Internationally Recognized Standard for Software Bill of Materials

The funding situation, I think, is really just an excuse.

There are pretty much two cases of standards: (i) when it is used to unify markets to everyone's benefit (e.g. electrical wiring) and (ii) when companies use standards as advertising and/or a political play to make their crap be used by everyone over a competitor's. The first case is something that works only if backed by big governments or corporations & thus makes sense for them to fund it and in the second case anyone other than the companies involved funding the exercise is unfair.

An example of a good model that works in some cases is the one USB had (don't know the situation with USB4): the text of the standard is available to everyone for free but if you want to sell a device claiming to be "USB compatible" with the logo you need to to pay the organisation some money. Thereby facilitating individuals access all the while making the ones, who have an interest and can, fund further development. I think HDMI before 2.0 had a similar model.