Grants:Project/Rapid/Wikipedia Day LA, 2019/Report

Report accepted

This report for a Rapid Grant approved in FY 2018-19 has been reviewed and accepted by the Wikimedia Foundation.

• To read the approved grant submission describing the plan for this project, please visit Grants:Project/Rapid/Wikipedia Day LA, 2019.
• You may still comment on this report on its discussion page, or visit the discussion page to read the discussion about this report.
• You are welcome to Email rapidgrants at wikimedia dot org at any time if you have questions or concerns about this report.

Target outcome	Achieved outcome	Explanation
Activate and grow the Los Angeles User Group	No	While we did not see a dramatic increase in membership, we did educate attendees about the LA User Group.
Educate new and veteran editors on WP initiatives and issues.	Yes	Josh Lim spoke about the tool he worked on, Cite Unseen; Jane Park spoke about the new search utility on Creative Commons; the journalism panel addressed credibility and sourcing and diminishing perspectives; Rosie Stephenson Goodnight spoke about gender diversity; Safiya Noble talked about bias and how it is reflected in research
Build local awareness of Wikimedia activities within the region.	Yes	There were discussions about upcoming Art+Feminism edit-a-thons, the Wiknic, and discussed ideas for meetups.
Socialize with community members and build offline relationships.	Yes	Wikipedians at the event met in person for the first time.

Learning

Projects do not always go according to plan. Sharing what you learned can help you and others plan similar projects in the future. Help the movement learn from your experience by answering the following questions:

• What worked well? Wikipedia Day LA is about engagement, connection, and dialogue. We got fantastic feedback on the panels from people in attendance - Wikipedians and non -- and from the panelists themselves. Each of the panels were provocative, and there were lively Q&As after each session. I think a lot of us left with new ideas for articles and ways to approach working collaboratively. We also saw that the Wikimedians of Los Angeles community had started to gel - there were relationships this year that did't exist last year, and that's a huge benefit of Wikipedia Day. Several people became members of the User Group as well.

• What did not work so well? The flow of the day was problematic. We built too much into a short period of time, and we had to rush through some presentations. There were also some AV issues that we should have/could have addressed prior to the start of the WP Day celebration.

• What would you do differently next time? Encourage everyone involved to be bossy and opinionated. Plot out the day far more carefully. Schedule a run-through (with AV) prior to the actual event.

Finances

Remaining funds

Remaining funds from this grant have been returned to WMF in the amount of US$207.84 (reflects deduction of bank fees).

Do you have any remaining grant funds? Yes, $232.84 (returned to WM, less bank fees, by check, 5/28)

• Cakes, cupcakes, candles Hansen's: $86, $43, $12
• Supplies (Staples) $11.26
• Transportation, Julie Farman, Turo, 1 day car rental; pick up cakes and supplies; transport to site $35.
• Transportation, Stacey Allan, Lyft to Ace $19.99
• Parking, Ace Hotel $90.00
• Drinks and snacks, Ace Hotel $120.00
• Honorariums: Speakers and presenters $550.00
• Tip, main room attendant, Ace Hotel $40.00
• Admin fees, PayPal $12.81

Anything else

Anything else you want to share about your project?