Wikimedia Meta-Wiki

Grants:PEG/Cascadia Wikimedians User Group/4Q 2015 and CY2016 grant/Midpoint report

< Grants:PEG | Cascadia Wikimedians User Group/4Q 2015 and CY2016 grant
Interim report accepted
This interim report for a Project and Event Grant has been reviewed and accepted by the Wikimedia Foundation.


Grants:PEG/Cascadia_Wikimedians_User_Group/4Q_2015_and_CY2016_grant


Project status

edit
Are you complying with the requirements specified by WMF in the grant agreement?
Partially yes, partially no. We have accomplished some of our goals but are also lagging in some areas, primarily due to human resources and financial constraints.
Do you expect this project to be completed by the date specified in the approved grant submission?
Mostly yes. Unused funds may be returned to WMF at the end of the grant period.
Did you use any of the grant funds?
Yes.

Activities and lessons learned

edit

Activities

edit
  • 2016
    • January
    • February
      • Seattle monthly meetup
    • March
    • April
      • Spring 2016 UW Community Data Science Workshops
      • WALRUS online meeting
      • Peaceray attended WMCON in Berlin
      • WikiConference USA 2016 planning continued

Lessons learned

edit
What lessons were learned that may help others succeed in similar projects, or that may change the way you are doing this project?
What went well, or is going well?
We have participated in a variety of events and begun a relationship with the Wing Luke Museum. We have supported a variety of one-time events. The legal arrangements of the organization are now in a good position to support expansion. The relationships among the members of the group are good. Our members consistently and energetically create and edit content on Wikipedia, Commons, and Wikidata.
What did not go well, or is not going well?
The lack of an outreach coordinator is a persistent problem. We need to do more outreach in order to grow our number of participants, our number of partnerships, and our impact. We are significantly under-performing our potential due to the lack of human resources to support growth. Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver B.C. all have numerous opportunities for partnerships and volunteer recruiting that we are unable to connect with under the current circumstances.
The lack of an outreach coordinator, and the consequential shortage of engaged volunteers, is also impacting our planning regarding whether or not there will be a WikiConference USA 2016.
Also, we had difficulty with finding an attorney or CPA who is willing to help us with the 501(c)(3) process, possibly due to the relatively small amount of money involved for legal fees ($2000). We might have finally found an attorney who is willing to work with us. We are in the process of reviewing the letter of engagement.
From your answers above, do you plan to change anything you are doing as your project continues?
Given the lack of an outreach coordinator, our capacity to grow is limited by the amount of time that volunteers are able and willing to provide. The addition of a part-time paid outreach coordinator would allow us to grow our outreach work significantly and to sustain partnerships.

Outcomes and impact

edit

Outcomes

edit
  • Goal 1: GLAM and education outreach goals:
  • Develop relationships with the UW librarians, the Wing Luke Museum staff and volunteers, and other GLAM staff and volunteers particularly in the Seattle and Portland areas.
  • Increase the motivation and/or activity levels of existing Wikimedians, particularly in the Seattle and Portland areas.
  • Recruit and train new Wikimedia contributors at GLAMs and universities.
  • Goal 1 report:
  • Despite expending considerable volunteer time at UW, we were unable to recruit and cultivate sustained interest in Wikipedia editing among students outside of class time. There might be more success in engaging instructors and administrators in an effort to involve them with the Wikipedia Education Program, but that requires sustained outreach effort that we lack the human resources capacity to do.
  • We had an initial editathon with Wing Luke that we considered successful. However, staff turnover at Wing Luke and other factors have resulted in this relationship fading.
  • Due to lack of human resources, we are falling far short of our potential to recruit and train new Wikimedia contributors at the many GLAMs and universities in the Cascadia region.
  • Existing Wikimedia volunteers are all working full-time or full-time students, and motivation seems to be decreasing rather than increasing due to the demands placed on volunteers, the lack of staff support, and the lack of sustained success in our outreach so far.


  • Goal 2: The group's Sony a5000 camera will be used at least 4 times by members in 2016, and uploads will be tracked using a hidden category on Commons.
  • Goal 2 report:
  • This camera receives occasional use. When multimedia uploads and tagging are complete then we will have a better sense of the success of this investment. Given that the investment is a fixed asset the risk of a serious problem is low.


  • Goal 3: Fundraising
  • After 501c3 registration is complete, we will raise at least $10,000 in external funds and/or in-kind donations within 3 calendar years.
  • These funds may be used for supporting outreach and content creation activities, as well as for infrastructure and administration as needed. Expenditures from these funds may be budgeted when more specific income amounts and dates are known so that expenditures can be budgeted realistically.
  • Goal 3 report:
    • We may have finally found an attorney who is able and willing to assist us with the 501(c)(3) registration process. Please see comments above in the "What did not go well" section regarding possible options.


Provide an overall assessment of how your project is going according to these measures.
We are falling far short of our potential. The limitations of volunteer capacity, the lack of sustainable successes in our outreach work so far, and reduced availability of our existing members are all cause for concern. Many of these problems would be addressed if we had a part-time paid outreach coordinator that could grow our human resources capacity.


While doing this project, have you decided to track any other measures of success not listed in your grant submission? If so, please list them here.

Metrics reports

edit

From the Magic Button

edit
  • Cohort size: 15
  • Sample range: 1 April 2015 - 23 April 2016
  • Rolling active editors: 11
  • Bytes added: 8,295,395 (excluding Commons files)
  • Newly registered: 0
  • Pages edited: 17,397
  • Pages created: 4,429
  • Existing editors: 15

Reporting and documentation of expenditures

edit

This section describes the grant's use of funds

Expenses

edit

Please see this Google spreadsheet for additional details

Item description - - Budgeted cost Expended to date (4/24/2016) Notes
Startup expenses
IRS 501c3 registration $850.00 $0. See information about 501(c)(3) application in the sections above. See http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Form-1023:-Amount-of-User-Fee. Note that $850 fee is required for orgs that have "annual gross receipts have exceeded or will exceed $10,000 annually over a four-year period". We might be eligible for Form 1023EZ; the filing fee would still be $850
Attorney fees for reviewing bylaws $0.00 Not budgeted
Attorney or CPA preparation services for 501c3 registration $2,000.00 $0. See information about 501(c)(3) application in the sections above. This is a maximum amount, per Garfield
Attorney/accountant fees for British Columbia registration $0.00 Not budgeted; may be pursued in 1st half of 2016
Camera: Sony A5000 $142.34 $142.34 Already purchased. Includes lens. Price includes tax. For the sake of comparison, the lowest ebay price on 11/7/2015 is $203.81+tax=$223.17
Canon 32GB VIXIA HF R52 camcorder (Videos from events are frequent requests. This camcorder allows live streaming via wifi.) $492.70 $382.64 -
Memory card for camera and video recorder (Transcend 128 GB High Speed 10 UHS-3 Flash Memory Card) $65.65 $45.98 Current price on Amazon, including tax. For use in camcorder and/or stills camera
Startup expenses subtotal: $3,550.68 $570.96
Recurring general & administrative expenses. Note that some costs listed as registration costs above will not recurr, but in future years there will be annual costs for licenses and registrations
Business licenses and registrations
Seattle license (revenue <$20k) $55.00 $55.00 For annual income <$20k.
Seattle B&O (revenue <$100k) $0.00 Requires annual filing
City of Portland & Multonmah County registration $0.00 Registration must be done but there is no fee
City of Portland & Multonmah County annual license $0.00 Annual exemption request required. Amt shown is for organizations with revenue <$50k
State of Washington nonprofit corporation renewal $10.00 $10.00 Secretary of State: http://www.sos.wa.gov/corps/NonprofitCorporationsONLINEandpaperregistration.aspx
State of Washington charity license ($60 registration, $40 renewal) $60.00 $0.00 This will allow us to solicit funds in Washington State.
State of Oregon charity registration $0.00 I thought I found a place where Oregon said $50 but I can't find it again, instead I see info about no registration fees but annual fees being due
State of Oregon annual fee (revenue >=$25k and <$50k: $25 annually after startup year) $0.00 $25 annually after first year if revenue is above $25k and below $50k
British Columbia license and registration costs $0 Not budgeted; may be pursued in 2nd half of 2015. Phone number to call to ask if registration is necessary: 1-866-705-1785
Website registration and hosting $0.00 Assumes continued services from our existing provider
Website design $0.00 Not budgeted; may ask for volunteers to do this or may incorporate into other budgeted hours
Accounting software (online): Xero (15 months, October 2015-December 2016) $147.83 $68.985 $9 (plus tax) per month, for accounting for up to 5 bills and 20 transactions per month
Reimbursing Pine for Xero costs not covered by WMDC grant (through September 2015) $67.15 $76.15 (over budget; apparently this was miscounted by $9 when the budget was originally made)
Sales tax on Xero costs through September 2015 not covered by WMDC grant (payment due in early 2016) $20.52 $12.82
Phone service: Google Voice $0.00
Registered agent $0.00 Services donated by Patty Henry; estimated cost for paid service $150 per 12 months
Event signage, business cards for board/officers/volunteers, office supplies, and printing costs $50.00
General Liability insurance applicable to US; 2-year costs included here due to starting insurance in October and cycling ever 12 months $500.00 $250.00 In the State of Washington, general liability insurance above certain thresholds also provides some protection to volunteers in their individual capacities
Officers & Directors Liability insurance applicable to US; 15-month estimate $0.00 Currently not budgeted. We will likely need this once we have any paid employees, including temp employees and interns.
General Liability insurance applicable to Canada $0.00 Covered by General Liability policy purchased above
Officers & Directors Liability insurance applicable to Canada; 15-month estimate $0.00 Currently not budgeted. We will likely need this once we have any paid employees, including temp employees and interns.
Commercial automobile insurance $0.00 Paid individuals must not drive on the clock; volunteers must not drive
on behalf of CWUG on a regular basis. The use of public
transportation is ok. Volunteers should see their personal auto policies for information about their coverage
Office space and post office box
Bellevue / Seattle Impact HUB
Monthly fee ($25 per month starting November 2015; 14-month expense shown here which inludes a single $21 expenditure in October 2015) $371.00 $150.00 ($21 expenditure for October not necessary.) Gets us a legal registered business address, access to meeting space, and access to gigabit internet that we can use for live video meetings and/or large file transfers.
Monthly mailbox fee: $25 - 40% discount = $15; can be canceled or changed $15.00 $0* (October now included in amounts below) Single expense shown here for October 2015; starting in November this service is donated by Patty Henry who is letting us have our mail delivered to her business P.O. box
Retro payments to Pine for months not funded by WMDC, through Sept (WMDC paid Feb and March) $216.00 ($129.00 for Apr, May, June, July) +($100+1.04 loan) = $230.04. [Remaining amount covered by other sources. This amount now includes October because of the delay in the grant payment; ($36+21+36+36+36+36)=$237 is the total amount for April through Oct.]
Annual tax preparation services $0.00 Straightforward 990-N IRS form with revenue under $50k,
local forms also straightforward.
Background checks for board members and staff: http://www.hirerightexpress.com/express/Background-Check-Services/default.aspx $382.98 $153.20 $0. Need to work on this. Per our bylaws, these will be done once every three years per person. If there is turnover in officers at the end of 2016 (for the start of the 2017 term) then the new people will need background checks; we're not budgeting for any new checks at this time but they might be needed. Addendum: per Siko, WMF will fund checks only for the 2 individuals who have access to the bank account
President, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and executive director: $69.95+tax each
Costs for shipping camera and camcorder between Seattle and Portland, including shipping insurance $50.00 $0 For use in Portland-area events in case no one from Seattle travels to a Portland event, but the camera or camcorder would be useful in Portland
Camera insurance $0.00 Not budgeted; see email sent to the Treasuers list with general outline of premiums and deductables
Annual Meeting: venue and snacks budget; excludes any travel expenses $0.00 not budgeted
Recurring general & administrative expesnses subtotal: $1,945.47 $1581.69 $852.995
Programmatic and travel costs
Food, snacks, beverages, and event expenses budget (excluding travel) $50 To be allocated between British Columbia, Washington State and Oregon for Wikipedia 15 birthday cake, party supplies, etc. We can request supplemental budgets if we get larger events and/or want to have more events
December holiday event with TA3M (they paid 100% of the cost in 2014. However, the TA3M mailing list seems to have gone offline in the past month, so if they won't join us then we may downscale the end-of-year event to a Wikipedia event with lightning talks, and adjust the budget downward accordingly.) $200.00 $153.66 The costs listed here exclude reimbursable travel costs that are budgeted elsewhere
Wiknic ($8 per person * 20 people in Seattle; $8 per person * 10 people in Portland) $0 Not funded in fall quarter 2015; may fund in a future quarter
UW events snacks: estimate $1.50 per person * 8 people per event (cancelled funding for this due to the delays in the budget process) $0.00
Seattle Undergound Tour: $18 per adult ticket * 8 participants $0 Not funded in fall quarter 2015; may fund in a future quarter
Edit-a-thons and photography events (possibly themed, such as gendergap-themed per WMSE's blog post):
6 events * 10 people per event * $6 per person") $0 Not funded in fall quarter 2015; may fund in a future quarter
Event expenses for caretaking of dependents $0 Not funded in fall quarter 2015; may fund in a future quarter
Certificates & certificate printing for UW event participants $30.00 $0
"Barnstar" paper punch for certificates (reimbursing Pine, who got a good deal on an elaborate one at a thrift store) $4.37 $4.37 Includes tax
Wiki Loves Pride events in Portland $0.00 Not funded in fall quarter 2015; may fund in a future quarter
ArtAndFeminism events in Portland $0.00 Not funded in fall quarter 2015; may fund in a future quarter
Feminism+Wikipedia edit-a-thon at UW in Seattle $0.00 Not funded in fall quarter 2015; may fund in a future quarter
Press passes for Ballard Locks tour $0.00 Not funded in fall quarter 2015; may fund in a future quarter
GLAM events
Museum passes, such as for the Museum of Flight and Seattle Asian Art Museum $0.00 Not funded in fall quarter 2015; may fund in a future quarter
Transportation and travel
Bus fares, tolls and parking fees $300.00 $0. Expense reimbursement requests not yet solicited. See bylaws for reimbursement and expense policies.
Long-distance trips (primarily between Seattle, Portland, Pullman, and Vancouver BC) $300.00 $0. Expense reimbursement requests not yet solicited. For train, BoltBus, or similar fare and/or milage reimbursement; includes lodging reimbursement if needed
Member scholarships for overnight accomodations at distant events $0.00 Money may be divided between WikiConference USA and Wikimania events, and may be 100% or 50% sponsorships, at the discretion of the Board or the Board Program Committee.
Wikimania: estimate $1500 all-expenses cost (flight, hotel, per diem) per person
WikiConference USA: estimate $1400 all-expenses cost (flight, hotel, per diem) per person
Wikimedia Conference: paid by WMDE/WMF $0.00
Programmatic and travel expenses subtotal $884.37 $158.03
Administration, management and support expenses
Google Apps subscription $0 Not budgeted. Google Apps will become free for us once we successfully are set up with Google for Nonprofits, which requires a successful 501(c)(3) registration
Administration, management and support expenses subtotal $0.00
Reserve (10% of combined subtotals) $638.05 $615.07 requested, $614.26 received The amount actually disbursed to us was $6765.00. We are adjusting the reserve amount so that the line items add up to the amount actually disbursed. This change was approved by User:KHarold (WMF).
Total budget request $7018.58 $6765.81
Amount received $6765.00
Total amount expended $1581.985

Totals

edit
Total amount spent on this project so far (with currency)
$1581.985 WMF funds + $6.96 of non-WMF funds = $1588.945
Total amount of WMF grant funds spent on this project so far (with currency)
$1581.985
Based on your spending, will you need to request any changes to your budget? If you do, please see the guidelines for requesting changes to your budget.
Yes. We will need to discuss with WMF the possibility of obtaining grant funding from WMF for the outreach coordinator position. This might involve shifting around funds that we had budgeted for other activities.
Retrieved from "https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grants:PEG/Cascadia_Wikimedians_User_Group/4Q_2015_and_CY2016_grant/Midpoint_report&oldid=24878989"