Grants:PEG/WM US-DC/Bootstrapping grant

Funded

This submission to the Wikimedia Foundation Grants Program was funded in the fiscal year 2011-12. This is a grant to an organization.

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This project has been funded, completed, and a project report has been reviewed and accepted by WMF Staff.
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Legal name of chapter or nonchapter group: Wiki Society of Washington, DC Inc.
Grant contact name: James Hare
Grant contact username or email: User:Harej
Grant contact title (position): Treasurer, Chairman of Fundraising Committee
Project lead name: Katie Filbert
Project lead username or email: User:Aude
Project lead title (position), if any: President of Wiki Society of Washington, DC
Full project name: Chapter bootstrapping
Amount requested (in USD): 5,195.13
Provisional target start date: October 1, 2011
Provisional completion date: ~~September 30, 2012~~ 30 September 2013

Budget breakdown

$100.00 To reimburse the person who used his own money to open the corporate checking account.
$77.00 To file for incorporation in the District of Columbia.
$55.00 To file a trade name with the D.C. government, "Wikimedia District of Columbia" upon approval from the Wikimedia Foundation to use that name. This registration will last two years.
$750.00 To file IRS Form 1023 (to receive a non-profit determination from the IRS).
$330.00 To file for a D.C. Charitable Solicitation license.
$198.00 To pay for two years of operating a P.O. Box. ($102 first year, $96 second year.) Two years for the P.O. Box so that it may be renewed through Wikimania.
$90.00 To pay for a registered agent service in the District of Columbia for one year.
$431.86 To pay for a Linode 1024 web hosting plan for 12 months
$149.98 To pay for a two-year SSL certificate.
$113.29 To pay for two years of domain registration, through the end of 2012:
- $33.29 wikidc.org
- $40.00 wikimediadc.org + wikimediadc.com
- $30.68 wikimania2012.org + wikimania2012.com
$2,000.00 To pay for two years of a $2 million D&O insurance plan from Sacker Insurance.
$500.00 Cash reserve.
$400.00 Grants:GLAM_NARA/Events_fund -- c/o Dominic McDevitt-Parks

Total: $5,195.13

Project scope

The Wiki Society of Washington, DC Inc. is the voice of wikis and free culture in the greater Washington, D.C. area, including the states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. The organization, recently recognized as a Wikimedia chapter, is running the annual Wikimania conference in July 2012. Beyond Wikimania, the Society is interested in local outreach projects, including working in conjunction with regional cultural institutions and universities.

The purpose of this grant, however, would be to cover basic administrative costs pertaining to the chapter's existence as a corporation in the District of Columbia. Currently, many of these costs are being absorbed by the directors themselves. This grant would reimburse persons who have generously advanced money, as well as pay for other anticipated expenses. Currently, $279 of the items described above have been paid for by money advanced by people.

Project goal

The goal is to complete all necessary paperwork in order to exist as a 501(c)(3) educational charity in the District of Columbia. This includes paying for filing forms and for services not yet rendered and to reimburse people who paid on behalf of the chapter.

Non-financial requirements

The Society seeks the Foundation's assistance in completing the 501(c)(3) application so that it complies with IRS requirements for educational charities.

Fit to strategy

The Society was recently recognized as a Wikimedia chapter. As such, it is necessary that all applicable laws and regulations are adhered to. This is in line with the Foundation's wish for chapters to exist responsibly and with full accountability. Having a legally sound non-profit organization in place will help with outreach with local institutions, as it gives a professional face to Wikimedians in the Greater D.C. area.

Measures of success

The goals of this grant:

To obtain recognition from the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization.
To be granted a charitable solicitation license from the District of Columbia.
To have a P.O. Box operating through June 2013.
To have an assured registered agent. (With our current RA, there is a risk that she would not be available to receive an official request such as a subpoena in the event it comes while she is at work.)
To have an operational website for the chapter's purposes, including receiving Wikimania registrations.
To have D&O insurance.
All persons who have advanced money to the corporation will have been reimbursed in full.

Team members

The Board of Directors of the Wiki Society of Washington, DC Inc.

For grantees

If you are the grantee or representative that wrote this grant submission, you may request changes by using these links:

Create a request for an extension of the approved project completion date.
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