Wikimedia Deutschland/2012 annual report

Annual Report 2012

PDF version (English) of the printed report (German).

Wikimedia is a global movement to promote free knowledge. Like Wikipedia, this movement grew through volunteer efforts to make human knowledge freely accessible. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, is the first and most successful of many projects within the Wikimedia family.

Every day, tens of thousands of volunteers around the world are working to improve Wikimedia projects. All of these projects are operated by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation in San Francisco. Worldwide, 40 independent chapters support Wikimedia at the national level. The non-profit organization Wikimedia Deutschland is the oldest and largest among them.

The association was founded in 2004 to promote free knowledge. Our goal is to support Wikipedia and its sister projects, and to promote the concept of free knowledge by following their example: the primary objective is to provide free access to and free reuse of the sum of all knowledge. That is our understanding of the basic human right to education. The assocation’s work in pursuit of these objectives is funded by donations. In 2010, the Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft was founded, which solicits donations for the organization and for the international movement. There is a clear dividing line between the Fördergesellschaft (fundraising organization) and the Verein (the association itself), which implements projects to promote free knowledge. This report covers both organizations and their respective balance sheets, profit and loss accounts, and revenues.

Our goals for 2012

In 2012, Wikimedia Deutschland pursued seven key goals that provided the structure for our work on supporting free knowledge. This overarching objective includedvarious priorities, which guided our specific projects and our use of funds.As outlined below, these were:

Promoting volunteerism

Goal A – Sustainable support of volunteer efforts will make it easier to create and disseminate free knowledge.

In 2012, as in the previous year, Wikimedia Deutschland facilitated numerous educational meetings and major events for volunteers, and provided materials and scholarships. The number of community members supported in this way was significant, though not twice as large as the previous year – as we had hoped it would be.

Political work

Goal B – We aim at making it more difficult to restrict the production and distribution of free knowledge in the future. The organization’s key positions provide a basis for exerting political leverage.

This objective consisted of putting forward Wikimedia Deutschland’s issues in meetings with parliamentary groups and publishing ten position papers or statements. We were able to work towards both aims, although instead of the projected ten documents, only six were ultimately required. Among other issues, these focused on open data and on how to deal with orphan works.The focus on setting up meetings with members of the national parliament proved to be too narrow. As it transpired, meetings with members of parliamentary groups and party committees were also very productive.

Organizational development

Goal C – Nationwide discussion on topics related to free knowledge is promoted by setting up appropriate regional and local structures.

The relocation of the association’s Berlin office to larger premises facilitated numerous events with the communities and external partners. It wasn’t possible to establish any overarching regional and local structures in 2012. More than three-quarters of the planned discussion events in metropolitan areas took place.

Improving quality

Goal D – In order to improve the quality of Wikipedia content, Wikimedia Deutschland will develop technical tools for editing, including management of structured data.

The large-scale Wikidata and RENDER technical projects were the central measures for achieving this goal. Both of them are long-term projects to be completed in 2013. In 2012 they developed according to schedule. Wikidata provides structured data while RENDER provides quality indicators for editing within Wikipedia.

Gaining authors

Goal E – The association aims to overcome technical and social hurdles, in order to increase the number of author registrations and the editor retention.

Here the specific target was female participation. Our goal was to increase the number of female participants at Wikimedia Deutschland events and to increase the number of female contributors to Wikipedia.With female participation of almost 40 percent at the association’s workshops and other events ,the goal of 50 percent female participation was almost reached. Unfortunately, figures on Wikipedia participation could not be ascertained.

Freeing content

Goal F – Freeing quality content will be achieved through collaboration with at least two rights holders, which will encourage others to follow suit.

The German Archaeological Institute (DAI) and the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin (Berlin City Museum Foundation) are two institutions holding rights to high-quality content. As cooperation partners in the Wikipedian-in-residence program they serve as very effective role models for other potential partners.

Reuse

Goal G – A representative cross-section of German media will be using at least 50 % more high-quality content from Wikimedia projects while observing license terms.

Despite information and press releases on the subject of using high quality free content, this goal was not achieved. The misgivings of media representatives regarding the use of free licensed content remain substantial. A meaningful evaluation of the licensing practices of various media was not possible.

More than sums and parts

Fundraising requires convincing people of the worth of your goals. At Wikimedia Deutschland we see donors as an integral part of the organization. We promote free knowledge by working together.

Independence is one of Wikipedia’s core values. Wikimedia Deutschland also subscribes to this principle. We want to continue being independent and working transparently. Therefore, we are organized as a non-profit association funded by contributions from members and funded from donations. Donations make up the vast majority of the financial support received.The fundraising team is responsible for year-round communication with our donors.

Once a year we run a particularly high-profile appeal for donations on Wikipedia. Wikimedia Deutschland’s “fall campaign” has been conducted since 2008. In just six weeks between November and the New Year we remind users through online banners on Wikimedia projects that Wikipedia is created by thousands of volunteers, and is available free of charge, but that the operation, support, and furthering of the Wikipedia concept involves considerable costs.

In 2012, the willingness to donate was so great that for the first time Wikimedia Deutschland’s fundraising campaign was successfully concluded as early as December 31 with a thank-you message to the more than 230,000 donors. Despite the shorter duration of the campaign, we were able to increase the funds raised by 32 percent over last year: More than EUR 5.2 million were donated for Wikipedia and free knowledge between November 13 and December 31. The number of supporters has improved substantially on 2011’s figure of 160,000. The average amount donated was approximately EUR 22.50.As in previous years, it was not major donors that ensured the independence of Wikimedia projects, but instead a large number of individuals who wanted to give something back by making a small contribution.

The most important message that we find in the incredible support for our work is the trust that is placed in us by donors.To live up to this trust, each year we define an exact financial goal before we start fundraising. Once we have reached this goal, we stop requesting support, because our fundraising targets are exclusively and precisely calculated to cover the implementation of our projects and programs.Our annual goal planning includes provision for all promotional work, as well as the association’s educational and socio-political activities. We constantly examine how effectively we are operating and continuously seek ways to improve how we work. In 2013, for example, the planning of our projects will be underpinned by the newly created Evaluation Unit.

Looking back at the 2012 fundraising campaign, special thanks are due to the many volunteer Wikipedia activists, who have spoken for our campaign. Without them, this success would not have been possible.With their outreach, they represent the philosophy behind Wikipedia: that everyone can participate. Even small contributions have an impact. Anybody who shares knowledge freely with others is acting for the greater good. Both Wikipedia and Wikimedia Deutschland support these values. We motivate more people to share their knowledge, to benefit from knowledge and to help distribute knowledge. Each member and each donor is part of Wikimedia Deutschland and this mission. We all play our parts in achieving our common success.

Financials

• For the first time, the annual accounts were audited by KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft and were issued with an unqualified audit opinion.

Wikimedia Deutschland e. V. – Balance sheet

For the year 2011, Wikimedia Deutschland for the first time moved to full balance sheet accounting as per the German Commercial Code (HGB) to draw up its annual financial statement .Prior to this, the financial statement had been in the form of a profit and loss statement based on cash flows. This change has made the statement clearer and more transparent. The 2012 financial statement includes further developments.

In order to be transparent, it must be possible to compare the information provided for each year. The following financial data have been drawn up based on the expertise of the auditors KPMG. Wikimedia Deutschland now has a detailed foundation for the reports of the years to come and this will ensure that the data can be easily compared.This means that some of the individual items in the Annual Report 2011 were changed in this year’s report, so the individual items in the reports 2011 and 2012 do not match exactly. Theses changes, however, will lead to all items being exactly the same in future reports.

Assets

Assets 2012 (in euros)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
FIXED ASSETS
Intangible assets	4,016.00	7,200.00
Indefinite assets such as owned licenses or acquired usage rights	4,016.00	7,200.00
Tangible assets	122,006.00	95,508.00
Other property, plant and equipment	122,006.00	95,508.00
Financial assets	25,654.83	25,654.83
Shares in affiliated companies	25,654.83	25,654.83
Total fixed assets	151,676.83	128,362.83
CURRENT ASSETS
Receivables and other assets	2,657,016.32	18,997.52
Receivables from obligations related to forwarded funds – thereof from the Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft: EUR 1,200,000.00 (previous year: EUR 0.00) –	2,600,000.00	0.00
Accounts receivable	20,857.56	9,792.92
Other current assets	36,158.76	9,204.60
Cash and bank deposits	925,135.89	186,989.39
Total current assets	3,582,152.21	205,986.91
PREPAID EXPENSES AND DEFERRED CHARGES	11,431.25	4,094.47
TOTAL ASSETS	3,745,260.29	338,444.21

Equity and liabilities

Equity and liabilities 2012 (in euros)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
EQUITY
Statutory reserves	0.00	259,505.72
Commitments	0.00	132,871.21
Free reserves	0.00	126,634.51
UNUSED DONATIONS
Donations not yet used per the association’s charter	2,949,512.21	0.00
Thereof free reserves	126,634.51	0.00
ACCRUED LIABILITIES
Provisions	96,954.05	41,962.08
Provisions for taxation	218.01	0.00
Other provisions	96,736.04	41,962.08
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	698,644.03	36,976.41
Payables related to earmarked donations	619,022.35	0.00
Trade accounts payable	49,256.76	32,713.14
Other payables	30,364.92	4,263.27
DEFERRED REVENUE	150.00	0.00
TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES	3,745,260.29	338,444.21

Wikimedia Deutschland e. V. – Profit and loss statement

Donations play a particularly important role in the preparation of annual financial statements. Wikimedia Deutschland reports revenue from donations in the profit and loss statement for 2012 in accordance with a recognized standard that provides transparency in the use of funds.

The 2012 financial statements were prepared for the first time according to the guidelines of the Institute of Public Auditors in Germany (Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer in Deutschland e.V., IDW). This is based on a resolution adopted by IDW’s Accounting and Auditing Board (Hauptfachausschuss, HFA), which is known as the HFA 21 accounting principle. For Wikimedia Deutschland, the application of HFA 21 basically means that donations received will now be presented differently: They will not be reported as donation income until they have already been disbursed. The idea behind this approach is to not recognize donations already received but not yet spent as earnings in the annual financial statements. They will instead be disclosed as unused donations.

Income and expenses (in euros)	2012	2011
Donation income	2,707,265.66	736,870.44
Donations received in the fiscal year	3,416,294.50	736,870.44
Donations pledged in the fiscal year	2,600,000.00	0.00
Donations received in the fiscal year but not yet used	-3,309,028.84	0.00
Membership fees	127,461.50	54,442.00
Other cash inflow	123,273.49	49,843.16
Other operating income	3,010.69	4,035.31
Cost of materials	-218.41	-13,466.31
Cost of raw materials, consumables and supplies	0.00	-37.14
Cost of purchased services	-218.41	-13,429.17
Personnel expenses	-1,649,057.18	-788,983.42
Wages and salaries	-1,361,868.82	-659,975.72
Social security contributions and expenses for pensions and other benefits	-287,188.36	-129,007.70
Depreciation of intangible fixed assets and tangible assets	-72,963.01	-56,017.57
Other operating expenses	-1,238,830.83	-720,581.65
Other interest and similar income	58.43	4,703.30
Interest and similar expenses	-0.34	-29.54
Results from ordinary activities	0.00	-729,184.28
Taxes on income	0.00	0.00
Withdrawals from revenue reserves
From statutory reserves	0.00	741,305.66
Allocation to revenue reserves
To statutory reserves	0.00	-12,121.38
RETAINED EARNINGS	0.00	0.00

Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft – Balance sheet

The two separate balance sheets are a reflection of the clear-cut division maintained between Wikimedia Deutschland e. V. and the Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft. While the association implements projects aimed at advancing free knowledge, the Fördergesellschaft functions as an organization that collects donations for Wikimedia Deutschland e. V. and the Wikimedia Foundation.

Wikimedia Deutschland is an independent association, yet also a chapter of the Wikimedia movement according to the association’s purpose as laid down in its charter and thus carries out tasks related to the movement. The founding of a Fördergesellschaft whose sole task is to collect donations and forward them to the association and the Wikimedia Foundation serves this purpose of the association. The exclusive purpose of the Fördergesellschaft is to acquire funding for the tax-privileged purposes of other corporations, namely those of Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. and Wikimedia Foundation Inc., which is based in the United States. As a non-profit organization, the Fördergesellschaft can issue donation receipts for tax purposes and does not primarily follow its own economic interests.

Assets

Assets 2012 (in euros)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
FIXED ASSETS
Intangible assets	10,539.00	15,808.33
Indefinite assets such as owned licenses or acquired usage rights	10,539.00	15,808.33
Tangible assets	1,012.00	0.00
Other property, plant and equipment	1,012.00	0.00
Total fixed assets	11,551.00	15,808.33
CURRENT ASSETS
Receivables and other assets	289,952.26	362,063.20
Accounts receivable	5,736.97	0.00
Other current assets	284,215.29	362,063.20
Bank deposits	5,449,033.70	2,956,948.99
Total current assets	5,738,985.96	3,319,012.19
PREPAID EXPENSES AND DEFERRED CHARGES	400.76	0.00
TOTAL ASSETS	5,750,937.72	3,334,820.52

Equity and liabilities

Equity and liabilities 2012 (in euros)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
EQUITY
Subscribed capital	25,000.00	25,000.00
Revenue reserves	0.00	3,297,239.21
Operational reserve	0.00	220,000.00
Reserve for forwarded funds	0.00	3,077,239.21
Total equity	25,000.00	3,322,239.21
UNUSED DONATIONS
Donations not yet used per the association’s charter	280,000.00	0.00
ACCRUED LIABILITIES
Other provisions	88,840.45	3,650.00
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	5,357,097.27	8,931.31
Payables from obligations related to forwarded funds	5,343,317.92	0.00
Trade accounts payable	8,060.38	8,931.31
Other payables	5,718.97	0.00
TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES	5,750,937.72	3,334,820.52

Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft – Profit and loss statement

The Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft was founded in 2010. The centerpiece of all its activities is the fundraising campaign conducted every year in the fall. The lion’s share of its income is realized during this time. For the Fördergesellschaft, this means: growing support needs growing structures.

With more than 230,000 individual donations during 2012’s fall campaign, the Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft again increased its number of donors by nearly 50 percent over the previous year’s campaign. Given this growth and to ensure that it can continue to function professionally over the long term, the team of employees was reinforced by the addition of interns and student trainees. Since January 1, 2012, the staff members responsible for managing donations have also been employed directly by the Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft and not by the association, as was previously the case.

Upon conclusion of the 2012 fundraising campaign, 83,000 donation receipts for tax purposes were mailed to donors at the beginning of the next calendar year – over twice as many as in the previous year. In preparation for this tremendous increase in the administrative burden, investments were made in 2012 to set up a professional database for managing donations.

Income and expenses (in euros)	2012	2011
Donation income	9,093,611.87	3,850,119.63
Donations received in the fiscal year	6,296,372.66	3,850,119.63
Donations received in the fiscal year but not yet used	–280,000.00	0.00
Use of donations received in the previous year	3,077,239.21	0.00
Other operating income	1,152.58	0.00
Cost related to forwarded funds	8,960,820.69	-682,453.11
Personnel expenses	-116,253.95	0.00
Wages and salaries	-95,604.78	0.00
Social security contributions and expenses for pensions and other benefits	-20,649.17	0.00
Depreciation of intangible fixed assets and tangible assets	-5,607.15	0.00
Other operating expenses	-256,218.11	-93,995.92
Other interest and similar income	24,165.70	12,732.99
Interest and similar expenses	-30.25	-182.25
Results from ordinary activities	-220.000,00	3,086,221.34
Transfer to operational reserve	0.00	-220,000.00
Use of operational reserve	220,000.00	108,283.00
Withdrawal of reserve for forwarded funds	0.00	102,734.87
Transfer to reserve for forwarded funds	0.00	–3,077,239.21
RETAINED EARNINGS	0.00	0.00

Revenue performance (Wikimedia Deutschland and Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft)

As a non-profit organization, Wikimedia Deutschland relies on donations to implement its projects and to provide its volunteers with the best possible support. The association has enjoyed years of continuously increasing financial support from hundreds of thousands of people.

The table below takes a look back at the revenues recorded in the last three calendar years. After total revenues came in at around EUR 2.3 million in 2010, this figure more than doubled in 2011 to over EUR 4.7 million. Revenues continued their rise in 2012, with the Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft posting income of EUR 9 million and the association nearly EUR 3 million. The use of the funds from the items listed here is itemized in the balance sheets and profit and loss statements found in this report. Details on the allocation of funds for the goals and project work are provided in the following section.

	2012 WMDE	2012 FG	TOTAL	2011 WMDE	2011 FG	TOTAL	2010 WMDE	2010 FG	TOTAL
Donations (total)	1,425,914.50	6,296,372.66	7,722,287.16	239,577.70	3,850,119.63	4,089,697.33	1,042,177.94	1,082,828.76	2,125,006.70
Private donations	120,316.12	6,178,110.42	6,298,426.54	127,009.69	3,764,823.16	3,891,832.85	1,022,332.00	1,082,828.76	2,105,160.76
Corporate donations	1,029.03	118,262.24	119,291.27	4,235.01	85,296.47	89,531.48	19,845.94	0.00	19,845.94
Donations earmarked for the realization of the Wikidata project	1,304,569.35	0,00	1,304,569.35	108,333.00	0.00	108,333.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Donations received in the fiscal year but not yet used	-3,309,028.84	-280,000.00	-3,589,028.84	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Use of donations received in the previous year	0.00	3,077,239.21	3,077,239.21	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Cash inflow from fines	2,470.00	0.00	2,470.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Membership fees	127,461.50	0.00	127,461.50	54,442.00	0.00	54,442.00	22,570.00	0.00	22,570.00
Allocations from FG to WMDE	1,970,000.00	0.00	1,970,000.00	470,000.00	0.00	470,000.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Donations pledged in the current fiscal year for the following fiscal year	2,600,000.00	0.00	2,600,000.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Royalties	25,000.00	0.00	25,000.00	25,000.00	0.00	25,000.00	25,000.00	0.00	25,000.00
Other income
Grants / income from various projects	80,453.62	0.00	80,453.62	34,428.53	0.00	34,428.53	97,149.95	0.00	97,149.95
Grants from other Wikimedia chapters	29,380.00	0.00	29,380.00	11,286.39	0.00	11,286.39	0.00	0.00	0.00
Income from continuing operations	7,881.57	1,152.58	9,034.15	10,456.29	0.00	10,456.29	28,574.74	0.00	28,574,74
Interest income	58.43	24,165.70	24,224.13	4,703.30	12,732.99	17,436.29	3,847.65	196.73	4,044.38
TOTAL REVENUES	2,959,590.78	9,118,930.15	12,078,520.93	849,894.21	3,862,852.62	4,712,746.83	1,219,320.28	1,083,025.49	2,302,345.77

Investing in free knowledge – cost distribution

Goals represent the end of a path. It was the task of the individual departments and their projects to decide how Wikimedia Deutschland selected and structured the paths to our seven goals for 2012.

Promoting volunteerism

The work of thousands of people has made Wikipedia a free knowledge success story. Most of these people did not know each other in person. They were not selected by anyone, nor were they authorized or coordinated by a central organization.They acquire the necessary skills, give one another mutual guidance and support, and create new forms of collaboration.They also organize face-to-face meetings, ranging from local meetups and team meetings on specific topics to photography trips and the WikiConvention, an annual symposium and a large meeting of the communities.

One of the tasks of the Communities Team at Wikimedia Deutschland is to support and finance these kinds of meetings. This was a key task once again in 2012. Wikimedia Deutschland also awarded literature scholarships and provided access to libraries. It lent people special photo equipment and supported other community initiatives. A total of EUR 638,451.59 was spent on these and other measures, including the community project budget (CPB).

Political work

The Politics and Society Department coordinated the measures involved in this goal.Various position papers and statements were produced and published in 2012, including papers on orphan works and open data. We were invited to attend the hearing on open data by the Bundestag’s Subcommittee on the New Media, where we lobbied for state-funded media files to be made accessible via free licenses. In addition, we published educational materials on topics including Creative Commons and ACTA. We followed up these topics in a series of meetings with members of the parliamentary groups at the federal and state level. A total of EUR 130,647.94 was spent on measures related to the goal of political work.

Organizational development

In April 2012, Wikimedia Deutschland moved into a larger office that provides space for community members and meetings. However, the goal of organizational development was to facilitate a Germany-wide exchange on issues of free knowledge at both the regional and local level. In order to achieve this goal, we planned and held a series of 14 events – the Wikimedia Forum – throughout Germany. The series will be continued in 2013. The draft 2013 Annual Plan was presented in five conurbations in 2012. The large-scale project Wikidata was presented to audiences in six cities. The costs for all of these measures came to EUR 104,852.60 in 2012.

Improving quality

The developer team began working on the Wikidata project in March 2012. This project makes structured data available to Wikimedia projects and beyond. Project RENDER is developing two new tools for Wikipedia readers and editors – a Task List Generator and a tool that provides an overview of possible quality indicators for Wikipedia articles. Both RENDER and Wikidata, which are long-term projects, were on schedule in 2012. Expenditure came to EUR 1,030,491.70 in 2012.

Gaining authors and author diversity

We organized a total of 114 workshops for groups including teachers, school pupils, older Internet users, and university students and lecturers in order to attract new contributors, particularly to Wikipedia, and to reach a range of target groups. The workshops were mainly given by members of our network of experts. Funding of EUR 290,534.99 was available for the necessary resources and the accompanying information material.

Freeing content

We set up three collaborative projects with partner organizations in order to achieve this aim. Two of these projects were organized with the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut and the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin as part of the Wikipedian-in-residence project. In a broader context, these measures formed part of the cultural partnerships, which included co-organization of the conference Shaping Access! – More responsibility for cultural heritage. This was the third collaborative project. In order to present the association as an expert contact on shaping free access to knowledge, Wikimedia Deutschland worked on this event with the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, the Jewish Museum Berlin, the Open Knowledge Foundation, iRights.Lab, and Internet & Gesellschaft Co:llaboratory. The total expenditure was EUR 191,874.94.

Reuse

The goal was to improve the long-term and correct reuse of licensed images and texts from Wikimedia projects.One of the measures to achieve this goal was the publication of press releases on examples of best practice, with the aim of reaching the specially defined media group. These included publications on the free licensing of images held by the German Aerospace Center, on the international photography competition Wiki Loves Monuments, and on the extensive media coverage of the partnerships in the Wikipedian-in-residence project. We also produced and financed information material on free licenses, including a brochure on the disadvantages of non-commercial license models. EUR 130,281.60 was spent on this goal.

Expenditure by department

Expenditure by goal

• Note on Improving quality: this includes the Wikidata project, which received external funding from Google, the Moore Foundation, and the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence. A budget of EUR 870,000 was allocated to Wikidata in 2012. The actual expenditure was around EUR 794,000.

Development of direct to indirect project expenditure

	2012 (in euro)	in %	2011 (in euro)	in %	2010 (in euro)	in %
Direct project expenditure	2,517,135.36	75.49	1,173,321.81	74.30	586,881.33	70.63
Indirect project expenditure	817,439.12	24.51	405,756.68	25.70	243,997.48	29.37
WMDE	443,773.62
WMFG	373,665.50
TOTAL (INCL. WMFG)	3,334,574.48	100	1,579,078.49	100	830,878.81	100

Looking ahead to 2013

Wikimedia Deutschland began preparing its 2013 annual goals in 2012. The following provides a brief overview of this process and its results.

Wikimedia Deutschland was founded in 2004, initially as a pure volunteer organization. After completing its first projects, the association hired employees in the following years to look after new and increased activities. In 2012, Wikimedia Deutschland had just under 50 employees working in full-time and part-time positions. The association switched its strategic working method to target-oriented planning for the first time in 2012. What does this mean? The staff continued to develop, organize, and evaluate projects, but did so under new strategic priorities. The association’s seven goals from the 2012 Annual Plan were drawn up collaboratively and were points of orientation for the entire year, so that the staff could draw conclusions for their work and evaluate their activities: Are we taking the right steps to achieve our goal? What is the most effective path from the task to the desired result? Goal planning makes it easier to find answers to these questions.

Wikimedia Deutschland went a step further for 2013. For the second time, it drew up and published an annual plan with goals. In January 2013, it then published additional project planning for the entire year. This includes 22 individual projects, which are assigned to the four key goals listed below. The brief descriptions of all 22 projects, which were published in January 2013, provide information on how the projects will be planned and organized.

Planned projects aimed at achieving planned goals are one thing. But dovetailing the projects and goals in day-to-day work is another matter. Working environment structures have a large impact on how successfully goals are reflected in what is actually done. Since late 2011, Wikimedia Deutschland has been organized as departments focused on particular topics. The Communications Unit supports the work of the Education and Knowledge, Politics and Society, Research and Development departments and of the Communities Team. The Evaluation Unit and the International Affairs Unit were also set up in 2012. This new structure grew closer together over the course of the year. Leadership roles were also assigned within the departments. All of this has created the conditions to be able to work even more effectively and in an even more focused way on the association’s goals in the future.

Our four goals for 2013

Wikimedia Deutschland will simplify and improve cooperation with and within the communities on a permanent basis

Here, we will focus above all on applying a new understanding of the association’s role to supporting the communities in their decision-making processes, and to encouraging and motivating more volunteers by offering more support.

Wikimedia Deutschland will enable readers to bring their personal perspective into Wikimedia projects

In order to achieve this goal, the association plans to collect data on reader interests. A second step must ensure that the findings are reflected in Wikimedia projects.

Wikimedia Deutschland will increase the diversity of knowledge in Wikimedia projects

This goal involves getting more people involved in Wikimedia projects in the long term. In this regard it is particularly important to develop a concept for increasing diversity.

Wikimedia Deutschland will form new cooperations to establish the concept of free knowledge on a broader basis

This goal includes expanding cultural partnerships, preparing advocacy groups on the EU level, strengthening the status of freely available content in the education system, and opening up access to state-owned works.

Thank you!

Reviewing Wikimedia Deutschland’s activities in 2012 involves looking back at a year of collaboration with many different communities, partners and supporters. A big thank you to all individuals and organizations who were a part of our 2012!

First and foremost, we would like to thank all those individuals who offer their voluntary services on a daily basis, making contributions that help improve Wikipedia and its sister projects. Free knowledge would not be the major topic it has become within society today if it were not for tens of thousands of volunteers across the globe investing their time and knowledge in Wikimedia projects – be it correcting punctuation, uploading photos, expanding articles or writing completely new ones.

The Wikimedia movement also includes our donors and association members, as every contribution, in terms of expertise, time or money, helps promote free knowledge. Thank you for putting your trust in our organization! We are also delighted about the big increase in membership numbers that 2012 brought. We have also enjoyed the privilege of being able to develop our activities in dialogue with our active members. Active members have various opportunities to help shape the future of the association, not least at the half-yearly general assembly, where they can vote on various important issues. They can also elect the members of Wikimedia Deutschland’s Supervisory Board. All representatives of the committee are volunteers, who dedicate a great deal of time, energy and commitment to the association and its vision. Thank you so much!

In 2012 Wikimedia Deutschland worked with a large number of partners. Wikipedians engaged in long-term projects with, for example, the German Archaeological Institute and the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin.Wikimedia Deutschland enjoyed frequent collaboration with sociopolitical partners like iRights.Lab and the Open Knowledge Foundation.We also worked with partners in education such as the Klicksafe initiative and several universities. Our thanks also go out to those organizations who donated the large sums of money that provided the financial basis for developing Wikimedia Deutschland’s Wikidata project: the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence [AI],² the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Google, Inc.