Open Source Software is generally speaking a great community collaboration, at least that is when it works best, in my view. However it can also work well in more controlled circumstances.
Take a look at How to Contribute to Open Source - Open Source Guide for a great introduction on the many ways you can get involved and how Open Source works.
When working with open source projects there are often resources that are needed or useful that are usually paid for and hence not so easy to find for free, or at a reasonable price. One example is Code Signing Certificates, however some organisations do help. For example see Opensource Code Signing.
One area Open Source Software sometimes struggles with is getting quarantined by anti-malware or anti-virus software. This is because often the installer is not signed and the usage is low. One option is to request the release be examined and whitelisted. Symantec offer this service via their Software Whitelisting Request. I have not actually used this but it looks promising.
The issue of licensing when working with Open Source is often a significant concern, especially in a commercial situation. Have a look at Open Source License Selection in Relation to Business Models | TIM Review which should help.
Historically people have not thought about Microsoft in the context of Open Source but see Open Source - Microsoft for all the details.