Grants talk:Simple/Applications/Wikimedia Ukraine/2018

Eligibility

WMUA is eligible to apply for a 12-month grant starting 1 January 2018, for a grant up to the maximum threshold for Simple APG (~120,000 US dollars), and with no staffing limit. Winifred Olliff (WMF Program Officer) talk 23:23, 26 October 2017 (UTC)

Simple Annual Plan Grant Committee recommendation

Committee recommendations

Funding recommendations: We recommend full funding for Wikimedia Ukraine, or $98,500 USD + 10% contingency, or $108,400 USD total. We are providing the following rationale: Wikimedia Ukraine continues to achieve good results year after year, and we would like to see more of this work happen in 2018. The activities planned seem likely to result in Wikimedia Ukraine’s projections, based on past achievements. Beyond this, we see Wikimedia Ukraine making contributions to the international movement in the form of their support for the international Wiki Loves Earth, which is unusual among organizations with this budget size.

Comments on the next year's plan: Wikimedia Ukraine is a first-time applicant to the Simple Annual Plan Grants process, but have two years of experience in the FDC process, and several years experience in Project Grants prior to this application. They are planning to increase their staff from 2.25 FTE to 3.25 FTE. This is specifically to increase their accounting capacity at the recommendation of Wikimedia Foundation-Annual Plan Grants staff after a site visit in March 2017. This focused plan balances initiatives that have been very successful in the past and continue to be relevant, such as Wikimedia Ukraine’s flagship editing contests, and new ideas. Programs wisely take into account the organization’s assessment of their environment. One example, is their work to promote Wikimedia and free licenses, which seeks to address a barrier they have identified in their context. Their commitment to working with their communities still shines through. Better yet, they are differentiating between approaches that are focused on supporting the existing community and bringing in new contributors!

Comments on the current year's focus and achievements: The more coherent program structure in this plan is a positive change, and shows some of the good work they have been doing in 2017 to focus on their long term goals. In March 2017, Wikimedia Ukraine received a site visit and a formal financial review, as a requirement of their participation in the FDC process. During this review, Wikimedia Foundation staff identified some gaps in finance and governance and put together a plan to address them The review also yielded a great appreciation for their work in many fields, and supports the changes their programs underwent, to better reflect their goals as an organization. Wikimedia Ukraine’s results continue to be impressive year after year. Currently they are on track to meet their 2017 goals, and also exceeded their 2016 achievements in participants, new editors, and content pages. They are also making progress in their grantee-defined area that measures geographic diversity.

Other considerations: In 2017, Wikimedia Ukraine elected to transition to Simple Annual Plan Grants, which is a better match for their budgetary and capacity-building needs at this stage. In 2016, one of Wikimedia Ukraine’s key board members, upon whom the organization was very reliant, left the board. A transition period followed, during which board members and staff are looking to redefine their roles. While this has not always been easy, it seems like the organization is proving that they are robust enough to succeed even without this key person.

Comments on the next year's focus: In 2018, we will focus on finding more ways for the board and staff of Wikimedia Ukraine to work together. While their staffing model is basically effective, and they have good staff and dedicated board members in place, it can sometimes be a challenge to coordinate tasks efficiently. This is mostly due to a board that is very keen on transparency, which means that every decision requires a board resolution, which makes the process of making decision sometimes a bit heavy. Following the 2017 site visit, Wikimedia Ukraine has put together a plan with Wikimedia Foundation-Annual Plan Grants staff to resolve financial and governance gaps identified during the review process. Implementing this has been a focus in 2017, and will continue to be a focus in 2018.

On behalf of the committee -Chinmayisk (talk) 11:25, 2 December 2017 (UTC)

Decision from WMF

Funding decision: Thank you to the Simple Annual Plan Grants Committee for these recommendations, and to the board and staff team of Wikimedia Ukraine for this application. A special thank you for being willing to try out this new application process. дякую! We so enjoyed reading this plan, which contains such an exciting variety of programs. It is clear that you are building on work that has been successful in the past, and that you are also trying new things. We are eagerly looking forward to the results of your work in 2018. Вітаю! This grant is approved in the recommended amount of US$108,400, or US$98,500 to be spent according to the annual budget submitted with this application, and a 10% contingency fee that is only to be used for unforeseen expenses with the approval of WMF. Unlike FDC process grants, this grant is restricted, which means that you need to request approval in advance for any changes you need in your budget. You can do so easily by sending and Email to your program officers (Winifred & Delphine). The grant term will begin on 1 January 2018, and will end on 31 December 2018. A midpoint report covering the first 6 months of the grant term should be submitted by 15 July 2018, and a final report covering the entire 12 months should be submitted by 30 January 2019. We appreciate the care and attention you are showing to improving your financial systems following the site visit. We hope to be able to support you in the coming year, in some of the focus areas that the committee has identified. Best, Winifred Olliff (WMF Program Officer) talk 00:11, 7 December 2017 (UTC)

Midpoint extension request

Hi @Delphine (WMF):,

Could you please extend the deadline for midpoint report till 31 July please?

We are currently rather busy preparing for Wikimania (also includes CEE Meeting preparations to be presented at Wikimania). As a result, finishing on 15 July is really hard for us.

Thank you, WMUA Treasurer — NickK (talk) 12:22, 13 July 2018 (UTC)

Hello NickK! As confirmed per email, this extension is approved. Best, Delphine (WMF) (talk) 10:07, 21 July 2018 (UTC)

Hello! Just a note to confirm that report has been reciev ed. We will be reviewing it shortly! Cheers, Delphine (WMF) (talk) 08:34, 6 August 2018 (UTC)