Grants:PEG/FF portal/Frequently asked questions

May 14, 2012: The Wikimedia Flow Funding idea was first mentioned by TSB while participating as a member of the Funds Dissemination Advisory Group.
May 23, 2012: Barry Newstead (WMF) joined the discussion with TSB, Tango, Wittylama, Jan-Bart, SJ and Solstag, and agreed with the idea of a structure that could complement the work of the FDC and other standard grant approaches. Barry shared he "would be supportive of considering a proposal for a pilot project using a portion of WMF's Grant budget" and TSB offered to draft a pilot project.
October 26, 2012: The Wikimedia Foundation Grants Advisory Committee approved a USD 20,000 budget to test the Flow Funding Pilot designed by TSB with support from Daffy123, IbrahimPsy111, Solstag, Thuvack, Islahaddow, Ilario, Lpagola and Kiril Simeonovski.

Flow Funding Overview

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What is the mission and purpose of the Flow Funding Process?

The purpose of the Flow Funding process is to entrust Wikimedia volunteers with decision-making power to fund projects aligned with the Wikimedia movement strategic goals.

Eligibility

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Who is eligible to apply for funds through the Flow Funding?

A description of the eligibility criteria can be found here.

Funding Process

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What types of funds can be received through the Flow Funding process?

Each flow funding member is entrusted with autonomous decision-making power to allocate financial resources to projects that show potential for impact within the global movement's priorities and targets. The funding criteria accommodates a wide range of grassroots initiatives identified by flow funding members, while excluding their own projects or that of a relative.

Is there a minimum/maximum funding limit that can received through Flow Funding?

Yes. In the Pilot phase, each Flow Funding member can allocate between USD500 and USD2,000. Funds will be disbursed directly by WMF (the flow funders never handle any money), within the constraints of US law (i.e. we won't be able to fund people or groups on the Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals list).

Can someone receive funds from the Flow Funding more than once

Yes.

What is the difference between the Flow Funding and the Wikimedia Foundation Grants Program?

There are a number of differences between the Flow Funding and Wikimedia grants program that are summarized in this table.

Can someone receive funds from both the Flow Funding and the Wikimedia Foundation Grants Program?

Yes.

How can someone apply for funds through the Flow Funding process?

Information about the application process is outlined in the application section of the portal.

When can someone apply for funds through the Flow Funding process?

The Flow Funding Pilot will start on November 19, 2012 and end on July 20, 2013.

What language should applications and reports be submitted in?

Applications and reports should be completed in the same language of the location where the project is implemented.

How can someone get help when applying for funds through the Flow Funding process?

Everyone can seek input, feedback, and support from Flow Funding members and from voluntary peer reviewers by drafting their applications on the portal and reaching out to request support.

Project Evaluation, Recommendation, and Decision-Making Process

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What roles do the Flow Funding members and support team play in making allocations through the Flow Funding process?

Flow Funding members are entrusted with autonomous decision-making power to recommend allocations of financial resources to projects that show potential for impact within the global movement's priorities and targets. Flow Funding members are expected to draft a cover letter with the basic details of the recipient who will receive the funds and a clear impact statement from the Flow Funding member's own perspective. Once the funded project is over, Flow Funding members and funded individuals/groups/entities are expected to report separately on how the money was spent and what impact was achieved. The Flow Funding coordinator will then analyze the incoming reports and openly share his inputs.

By what criteria will projects be evaluated?

Projects will be evaluated on their impact against the goals of the Wikimedia movement. A more complete set of eligibility criteria can be found here.

Is it possible that someone might receive partial or no funding?

Yes, flow funding members have decision making power to assess and recommend that a project should receive partial or no funding.

Reporting

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What type of reports will be required once funds have been transfered through the Flow Funding process?

Flow Funding members are expected to draft a cover letter with the basic details of the recipient who will receive the funds and a clear impact statement from the Flow Funding member's own perspective. Once the funded project is over, Flow Funding members and funded individuals/groups/entities are expected to report separately on how the money was spent and what impact was achieved. The Flow Funding coordinator will then analyze the incoming reports and openly share his inputs.

What is the purpose of the reporting requirements?

Effective reporting is fundamental to assure openness and transparency in the movement for editors and donors. Reporting enables the Wikimedia community to evaluate its projects, learn from each other, and contribute to the movement's knowledge of what it takes to achieve high levels of impact.

Flow Funding Membership

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How were Flow Funding members selected?

For the Pilot Project, around 150 Wikimania Scholarship recipients and Grants Advisory Committee members have been surveyed to gauge their interest in acting as flow funding members. The volunteers that showed interest were invited to participate in a Flow Funding Pilot Project that will take place from November 19, 2012, until July 20, 2013. More information about the Flow Funding members is available here.

The commitment and development of flow funding members will be assessed throughout the Pilot Project by monitoring:

Participation in meetings, edits on Meta and announcements on mailing list
Contribution to the identification and reviewing of grassroots initiatives
Allocation of funds to and reporting back on grassroots initiatives

Are Flow Funding members compensated?

NO.

Flow Funding Process Continuous Improvement

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What does it mean that the Flow Funding is a “Pilot”?

The Flow Funding model is in a trial period with special oversight and evaluation in addition to the regular process outlined above. The Pilot coordinator and and the WMF will play a special role in the development and assessment of the Flow Funding model during this period. Please visit the continuous improvement page for more information about the pilot phase.

How will the Flow Funding Pilot assess its progress and evolve to increase its effectiveness over time?

The Flow Funding Pilot Project was designed to assess if and how a Flow Funding model can contribute towards building a stronger community of Wikimedia volunteers while leveraging the growth of the Wikimedia Movement. As suggested by the WMF Global Development Officer, three critical aspects will be assessed in the Pilot Project with respect to the Flow Funding model within a Wikimedia context:

Assess supply of reviewers to collaborate and work in a decentralized way. The commitment and development of flow funding members will be assessed throughout the Pilot Project by monitoring:

Participation in meetings, edits on Meta and announcements on mailing list
Contribution to the identification and reviewing of grassroots initiatives
Allocation of funds to and reporting back on grassroots initiatives

Assess demand from fund-seekers not served in the current option set. The quantity, quality and impact of initiatives identified and supported by flow funding members will be assessed during the Pilot Project by monitoring:

Number of projects selected to receive funds
Efficiency of the proposed use of funds
Community and chapter members' feedback on initiatives’ outcomes
Knowledge contributed to the Wikimedia movement
Impact within the global movement's priorities and targets

Assess potential problems of gaming the system. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with a decentralized funding model would be monitored throughout the pilot project by:

SWOT analysis of the Flow Funding model within the Wikimedia Movement

How can I submit feedback on how to improve the Flow Funding process?

The Wikimedia community is encouraged to participate in the continuous improvement process for the Flow Funding model. One way to do this is to provide feedback on the process.

Community Involvement

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How can the community be involved in the Flow Funding process?

There are three ways community members can get involved in the Flow Funding process:

Reviewing and evaluating funded projects.
Becoming a flow funding member yourself.
Submitting feedback on the Flow Funding process

Visit the community participation section of the Flow Funding portal to learn more.