Fundraising Discussion

Future of fundraising discussions - Index edit
Guiding Principles discussion Introduction Fundraising principles Funds distribution principles Fundraising models/future discussion Introduction, timeline & faq Goals Zack's observations on online fundraising How long will the Fundraiser keep growing? Wikimedia Foundation staff memo and analysis Recommendations Final recommendations from Sue Editable recommendations based on Sue's final recommendations Draft Recommendations from Sue Draft Recommendations discussion Draft Recommendations Q&A Brainstorming about Recommendation 4 Pros and cons Questions flowchart Fundraising options Alternative recommendations and philosophies Alternative recommendations (Open to all contributions) Recommendations by Tango Wikimedia Foundation resolutions Resolution: Wikimedia fundraising principles (10-9-2010) WMF Board of Trustees letter regarding fundraising accountability (8-5-2011) Resolution: Developing Scenarios for future of fundraising (1-18-2012) Draft Board resolution (2-9-12) Final Board resolutions (3-30-12) FAQ Discussion Wikimedia chapter statements Wikimedia’s culture of sharing (Wikimedia DE) Resolution on principles (Wikimedia UK) The importance of being a Wikimedia chapter (Wikimedia IT) Iberocoop joint statement Opinion French chapter Questions for the German chapter Wikimedia UK response to Sue Wikimedia CH response to Sue Wikimedia NL informal statement Overview of relevant data Sign up to participate Initial Thoughts Draft grantmaking survey Funds Dissemination Criteria мой Resource list (for survey preparation) Where the money comes from today Outcomes Final Board resolutions Creation of the Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC)

Dear Members of the Community

In August the Wikimedia Foundation Board issued a letter with regards to improving our fundraising model, our design principles for doing so and criteria under which an organization could directly payment process. At that time we indicated that the timing for 2011 was very unfortunate (and we realise that many of you are still working through the consequences for that). Since then there has been a lot of contact between the WMF staff (who are trying to implement the decision that the Board has made) and fundraising chapters; this work has focused largely on the 2011 fundraiser.

The Board is now starting a process to come to the best scenario for the future of fundraising and funds distribution within the movement for 2012 and beyond, and we hope that you will all participate in that. We realize that each one of us has their own responsibility with regards to their own chapters or other stakeholders and that we might not always agree on everything. However, on a strategic level we should be all on the same page.

So how does this process look going forward?

First of all we want to establish a set of guiding principles for fundraising as well as funds distribution. We have made a start on these two pages but want to take a month to gather more input.

1. Draft Guiding principles with regards to fundraising
2. Draft Guiding principles with regards to funds distribution

After November 15th the Board will take the input that has been gathered here and make a final set of guiding principles. At that point we will ask Sue to develop, with community and staff involvement, one or more recommended scenarios for future fundraising and funds distribution that fits with these guiding principles (I know that a lot of you have already aired different ideas for the future as well). We hope to be able to complete this process at the chapter meeting in the beginning of 2012. Depending on how Sue wants to structure this, it could be that there will be meetups before then.
After the Board has made its decision comes the hard work: implementing the chosen route in the months before the 2012 fundraiser and making sure that we have a good system to distribute funding between all the players of the movement.
I hope that most of you will be able to find the time to participate in this process and that we can move towards a future that maximizes the revenue and allows us to use the proceeds most effectively, in the service of our shared mission.

Jan-Bart de Vreede