Wikimedia Deutschland/Planning 2019/en/budget 2019

This page is the English version of Wikimedia Deutschland's Plan and Budget 2019. It includes the goals and objectives approved by WMDE's Board of Directors and the Budget 2019, which was also fully approved by our general assembly on December 1, 2018.

Planning 2019 Goals & Indicators Budget 2019 Semiannual Report 2019

The budget forms the financial framework for the work of our organisation in the coming year. It outlines the revenues and expenditures we expect to see in the coming year and the composition of these.

The 23rd general meeting of Wikimedia Germany approved this budget on December 1, 2018.

2019 - PLAN WMDE e.V. WMFG* Adjustments** Consolidated
Revenues 9.731.000 € 11.478.000 € -2.060.000 € 19.149.000 €
Donations (expensed) 3.287.000 € 10.650.000 € -2.030.000 € 11.907.000 €
Membership dues 3.789.000 € 3.789.000 €
Project funding WMF 2.063.000 € 2.063.000 €
Project funding Third parties 557.000 € 557.000 €
Reimbursement of fundraising costs 828.000 € 828.000 €
WMFG sublease 30.000 € -30.000 € 0 €
Other 5.000 € 5.000 €
Expenditures -9.731.000 € -11.478.000 € 2.060.000 € -19.149.000 €
Field of action Volunteers -2.213.000 € -2.213.000 €
Field of action Technology -2.834.000 € -2.834.000 €
Field of action Conditions for Free Knowledge -1.833.000 € -1.833.000 €
Public relations and advertising -927.000 € -1.138.000 € -2.065.000 €
Administrative expenses -1.924.000 € -1.924.000 €
Means forwarding WMF -8.280.000 € -8.280.000 €
Means forwarding WMDE -2.030.000 € 2.030.000 € 0 €
WMFG sublease -30.000 € 30.000 € 0 €

[*] Non-profit Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft mbH [**] The "adjustments" show cash flows between Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. and Gemeinnützige Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft mbH.


Additional Information edit

The 2019 budget introduces a new structure, which is based on an amendment of the financial regulations at the 22nd general meeting. Major innovations:

  1. As in the annual financial statements, the budget shows revenue and expenditures rather than income and expenses.
  2. The separate budgets of Wikimedia Deutschland e. V. and the Gemeinnützige Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft mbH are presented in an integrated manner; this is also achieved because the budget for the Gemeinnützige Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft mbH now covers the calendar year.
  3. The accounting standard HFA 21, which Wikimedia has been using for years, stipulates that donations are not booked as income until they have been spent. For a better understanding a presentation of the donation flow of Wikimedia Deutschland e. V. has been added. This shows how much revenue from donations have not yet been used, how much revenue from donations has been received from which source and how much revenue from donations has been used.
  4. Payments between Wikimedia Deutschland e. V. and the Gemeinnützige Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft mbH are shown in the column "Adjustments".
  5. For the first time an integrated view of the costs for advertising, public relations and administration is possible for Wikimedia Deutschland e. V. and the Gemeinnützige Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft mbH.


  • The volume of the 2019 budget increases by 17% compared to the 2018 budget adopted at the 21st General Meeting.
  • The most significant increase is in field of action "Technology", which is partly due to the fact that substantial new external funds were raised for this field of action (additional financing by WMF and for Qurator).
  • If the planning is implemented in detail, the organisation will have around 5.5 million EUR in unused donations at its disposal on 31.12.2019.


Donation flow 2019 WMDE e. V
Unused donations 1.1. 5.898.000 €
Direct donations received 872.000 €
Donations received from WMFG 2.030.000 €
Use of donations in 2019 - 3.287.000 €
Unused donations 31.12. 5.513.000 €
Cost distribution WMDE e.V. Personnel costs Material expenses Total
Field of action Volunteers 1.112.000 € 1.101.000 € 2.213.000 €
Field of action Technology 2.025.000 € 809.000 € 2.834.000 €
Field of action Conditions for Free Knowledge 1.069.000 € 764.000 € 1.833.000 €
Public relations and advertising 515.000 € 412.000 € 927.000 €
Administrative expenses 980.000 € 944.000 € 1.924.000 €
Expenses by division WMDE e. V.
Programs 2.681.000 €
Software development 2.592.000 €
ED & Communication 2.286.000 €
Board 166.000 €
Central Services 2.006.000 €
Personnel - full-time equivalents as at 31.12.2019
Programs 33,4
Software development 37,7
ED & Communication 19,6
Central Services 18,0
Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft 11,0