Wikimedia Conference 2014/Documentation/4
4 Diversifying fundraising models and sources
- Speakers: Kaarel Vaidla (WMEE), Douglas Scott (WMZA), Ichsan Mochtar (WMID)
tl;dr: External funds has advantages, easier than WMF funds. However, it brings a lot of administration and your programmes are influenced by others. Decide precisely and carefully why do you want to have external funds.
Notes edit
South Africa edit
- WMZA were offered money by Open Society Foundation South Africa (= funds from outside WMF) which they wanted to use towards a full-time paid employee for their young chapter
- 50% funding -> 50% deposit (had to find matching funding which they received from WMF)
- fortunate circumstances (mission alignment, legal structure etc.)
- Pros:
- easier to access funds than from WMF
- reduced risk for everyone involved
- Cons:
- unfit for core-funding
- reporting and auditing cost (takes time to get it done)
- not good for experimentation (donors tend to not like that)
- requires mission alignment
Indonesia edit
- Chapter history
- - 2008-09 survival stage (no measurable/lasting effects)
- - 2010-14 continuous existence (writing competitions, collaborations)
- WMID early on started with a surviving mode – they had no idea what work and what does not. Media coverage was the first thing that was done.
- After 2010 multiple writing competitions were done, socialization of free knowledge collaboration etc. Community training was done, GA and Featured Articles were written.
- WMID promote wiki and other free cultures, open licenses and transparency. Reporting gives confidence to other organizations, community and individuals, CC as a license is a solution for growing activities and open & transparent administration attract alliances – other subjects, state-funded also.
- Promotion of
- - confidence (by financial training)
- - Creative Commons License
- - attracting alliances
- did not receive sufficent funds from government agencies/companies
- in order to change that they are looking to hiring dedicated grant manager,
- grant sources include: WMF, Ford Foundation, National Oil Company, WMFR, WMCH, (2014) HIVOS (Making All Voices Count)
Estonia edit
- two types of funding:
- 1) non-targeted funding ('free money')
- 2) targeted funding (for specific projects)
- WMEE receive most of their (targeted) funding from WMF, Council for Gambling Tax, Ministry of Science and Education, Ministry of Culture
- PROS: more money; more projects; wider outreach
- CONS: insance amount of administration (reports, accounting, paperwork); donors try to dictate goals/structure/content (external influence)
- -> Example of why diversification of funding isn't necessarily good
- Government is good for core-funding but they like to play political football with you