Chapters meeting 2009/Preparation/Wikimedia Italia

Quick facts

• When was the chapter created?
  • June 2005

• What are the main changes that affected the chapter since then? (if any)
  • more members ;-)
  • more "representative" from project other than Wikipedia
  • some changes in the bylaws (to obtain tax exemption for donation)

• Number of members
  • 138

• Budget
  • about 30K€

Success stories

1. projects with schools
2. change of the bylaws (we needed 3/4 members present to the last assembly, 2 weeks ago)
3. err.. it.wiki won another prize, Premiolino. (ok, it's not a WMI success story, but we are very proud!)

Headaches

1. no working partnership at all with institution (museums, library, ecc.)
2. no lobbying
3. poor participation of members in association's activities

Plans for the future

• Plans for the short term (1 year)
  1. consolidate strategic partnership with renown cultural entities
  2. a new version of it.wiki dvd
  3. provide small funding to start open source and free knowledge projects
  4. a printed "book" about it.wiki
  5. many events (next one: the first Digital Freedom Festival)

• Plans for the medium term (3 years)
  1. deploy strategic agreements with museums and cultural institutions concerning data exchange (they offer images/text/.. we offer know-how and some "hard work"..)
  2. regionalization of chapter's activities (long term plan.. we expect the end in about 3 years, but the process has already started)
  3. Develop "network of cooperation" with blooming chapters

Expectations

1. sharing of ideas and experiences with the other chapters
2. go further in trademark / business agreements
3. guidelines to "strategic" communication