Wikimedia United States Coalition

The Wikimedia United States Coalition is a framework to organize the founding of a strong group of Wikimedia chapters and Wikimedia thematic organizations in the United States, and to promote cooperation among them. Chapters in the United States, unlike existing chapters in other nations, may be founded on a metropolitan and regional-scale level, because of the unique issues of uneven population density throughout the country, and the relative unimportance of state boundary lines. Discussions about a national Wikimedia US chapter have waxed and waned over time. A new research project on how to structure cooperation among the WMF affiliates in North America started in 2023.

Wikimedia United States Coalition logo

Wikimedia New York City and Wikimedia DC were the first regional chapters in the United States. Wiki-Conference New York 2009 at NYU was the first live venue at which this framework was developed among aspirant US chapter organizers. A full list of affiliates in the US can be see at North American Wikimedians.

Metropolitan level operations

The general distribution of US population , metropolitan areas and megaregions.

United States chapters may be founded on the level of metropolitan areas, which are informally defined urban areas surrounding major cities, with a local orientation as community groups. It may be practical to extend the regions of operation significantly beyond the Census definition of the metropolitan area, since many parts of the United States are not in any metropolitan area.

Existing efforts have focused on the participation of those engaging in Wikipedia Meetup events, which is a good way to get started organizing, and it may be helpful for regions of operation to be roughly congruent with the area for which travel to such events is convenient. The utilization of the Geonotice tool, and hopefully other improved geoip tools in future, is a good path to build up such local organization in the medium term.

It may be helpful to look at C. Etzel Pearcy's 1973 redrawn map of the United States (explanation) of "natural" borders centered on major concentrations of population.

In areas where the major concentrations of population are not too divergent from state boundary lines (or where population is not dense at all, as especially in the rural West), it may be most beneficial to simply define chapters on a state-level basis.

The regions of operation of chapters will not be strictly defined, but people may participate in whatever chapter (or chapters) it is convenient or preferable to them to attend the meetings of.

See also: User:Kelly Martin/US regions

Function of the coalition

The function of the coalition will be to promote the founding of new chapters, and to maintain a forum for communication among the different chapters.

This might include the organization of community-based nationwide efforts such as the in the example of Wikipedia Loves Art, but on a more regular basis it would also involve joint activities among neighboring chapters in the organization of larger events, and if there is more than one chapter in a state, the coordination of state-level promotional activities.

Local entities

The coalition should also explore the issue of how organize local chapters or groups in a coordinated or non-coordinated manner:

1. Shall we establish completely autonomous, local chapters (e.g. Wikimedia NYC, Wikimedia DC, Wikimedia SF)
2. Shall there be a national entity, with local subchapters or affiliates, that files for group exception with the IRS and loosely ties together affiliates through common purpose? (local units can either be separately incorporated or not)
3. Shall there be regional entities with local affiliates? (e.g. Wikimedia Northeast US, Wikimedia Midwest US, Wikimedia Rocky Mountain Region...)

Communities showing potential for new chapters

US metropolitan areas with over 2 million people; these may be the most fertile grounds to found chapters—but if your metro only has 1 million, don't be discouraged!

The communities showing the greatest potential for new chapters are those that have successfully organized multiple Wikipedia Meetup events in the past, or have shown the potential to do so.

• Northeast
  • (in Wikimedia New York City)
    • New York City
    • Philadelphia (see historical Wikimedia Pennsylvania discussions)
    • Pittsburgh
  • Washington, DC (see Wikimedia DC)
  • New England (see Wikimedia New England discussions)
    • Boston
    • Connecticut
    • Maine
    • New Hampshire

• West Coast
  • Seattle (see Wikimedia Cascadia discussions)
  • Oregon (see Wikimedia Cascadia discussions)
  • San Francisco (see Wikimedia California and Wikimedia Cascadia discussions)
  • Southern California (see Wikimedia California discussions)

• South
  • Florida (see Florida Librarians of Wikipedia)
  • Georgia (see Georgia Piedmont Wikimedians User Group)
  • North Carolina (see North Carolina Wikipedians)
  • Texas
  • Tennessee

• Midwest (see Wikimedia Midwest discussions)
  • Chicago
  • Colorado (see Wikimedians of Colorado User Group)
  • Detroit / Ann Arbor
  • Indianapolis
  • Minnesota
  • Ohio (see Ohio Wikimedians User Group)
  • St. Louis
  • Topeka

Events

Regional WikiConferences

Wiki-Conference New York

Discussion of this framework occurred at Wiki-Conference New York 2009 and Wiki-Conference New York 2010.

All chapters-interested folks in the US were invited to attend and represent their region. We were also glad to be joined by some like-minded friends pursuing their own efforts in Canada, as well as by Free Culture groups from across New England, who have their own experience with national and local chapters to share.

West Coast WikiConference

Also, check out West Coast WikiConference as a forum for similar regional discussions.

National multi-events

An annual calendar:

• US Multi-Events
  • Wikipedia Day US (January)
  • Great American Wiknic (July)
  • Wikipedia Takes America (September)
  • Wikipedia Loves Libraries (October/November)

Communication

It is also hoped that some of this conversation can take place on the WikimediaUS-l mailing list.

Mailing lists

Local mailing lists include:

• Atlanta e-mail
• Boston e-mail
• Cascadia e-mail
• Colorado e-mail
  • Colorado Wikipedia list
• DC e-mail
• Midwest e-mail
• Minnesota e-mail
• Mountain West Wikipedia list
• Ohio e-mail
• NYC e-mail
• San Francisco e-mail

IRC

After moving to Libera, the best current location for discussion on IRC would be #wikimedia^connect as there are not currently maintained regional channels.

WALRUS committee

Communities represented on WALRUS committee.

The 'Wikimedians Active in Local Regions of the United States' (WALRUS) committee is a preparatory stage of the national Coalition, consisting of a partnership of existing and actively planned chapters (Wikimedia NYC and Wikimedia DC), along with leading Wikimedian activists and meetup organizers in the other regions of the US.

The WALRUS home on English Wikipedia is at WP:WALRUS.

Through this effort, cities across the US celebrated The Great American Wiknic in June 2011 and again in June 2012.

Communication and meetings

The WikimediaUS-l mailing list is home to related discussions.

Starting in 2012, the mailing list schedulde monthly IRC meetings (for a time on the second Wednesday) at #wikimedia-us^connect:

meetings at 9pm Eastern Time, 6pm Pacific Time

2018 Meetings

• skipped for Wikipedia Day
• February 2018
• March 2018
• skipped for Art+Feminism
• May 2018
• Skipped for summer break
• July 2018
• August 2018
• September 2018
• October 2018
• November 2018
• December 2018

Representatives

Region	Group	Category	Representatives
Northeast (regional contact: NYC)
US-BOS metro, New England	New England Wikipedian Meetup, Wikimedia New England	Meetup / Observer	User:Emufarmers
US-NYC metro	Wikimedia New York City	Official Wikimedia chapter	User:Megs, User:Pharos
US-PHIL metro	Wikipedia Meetup Philadelphia	Meetup / Observer	User:Smallbones
US-PITT metro	Wikipedia Meetup Pittsburgh, Allegheny Wikimedians	Meetup / Observer	User:Piotrus, User:Chris troutman
West Coast (regional contact: SF)
US-SF metro, US-OR	Wikipedia Meetup San Francisco	Meetup / Observer	Pete F
US-LA metro	Wikipedia Meetup Los Angeles	Meetup / Observer	User:Fuzheado
Cascadia	Cascadia Wikimedians	Official Wikimedia user group	User:Peaceray
Portland	Wikipedia Meetup Portland	Meetup / Observer	User:Another Believer
US-SEA metro	Wikipedia Meetup Seattle	Meetup / Observer	User:Peaceray
South (regional contact: DC)
US-DC metro	Wikimedia District of Columbia	Official Wikimedia chapter	User:Harej, User:Kirill Lokshin
US-FL	WikiProject Florida	Observer	User:Donald Albury, User:FloNight
US-FL	Florida Librarians of Wikipedia	Wikimedia User Group	User:Gamaliel
US-ATL metro	Wikipedia Meetup Atlanta	Meetup / Observer	User:Jenniferjuniper, User:Ganeshk
US-NC	North Carolina Wikipedians User Group	Official Wikimedia user group	User:Sodapopinski7
/ US-TX/US-HOU	WikiProject Texas/WikiProject Houston	Observer	User:WhisperToMe
Midwest (regional contact: Midwest)
US-CHI metro	Wikipedia Meetup Chicago	Meetup / Observer	User:I Jethrobot, User:TonyTheTiger
US-CO	Wikipedia Meetup Colorado	Meetup / Observer	User:Buaidh, User:Gaurav
US-DET metro	Wikipedia Meetup Detroit / Wikipedia Meetup Ann Arbor	Meetup / Observer	User:PeRshGo
US-EVV metro	Wikipedia Meetup Evansville	Meetup / Observer	User:Bob the Wikipedian
US-MN	Wikipedia Meetup Minnesota	Meetup	User:Jonathunder, User:Innotata
US-STL metro	Wikipedia Meetup St. Louis	Meetup / Observer	User:Mark Schierbecker
US-OH	Ohio Wikimedians User Group	User Group	User:SuperHamster

Wikimedia United States Federation, Inc

There was in the past some thought being given to founding a legal entity, a Wikimedia United States Federation, Inc. This would have been a 501c3 nonprofit, whose organizational members would consist of all official Wikimedia chapters in the United States, as well as recognized chapters-in-formation groups that have chosen a board and have achieved a sufficient level of organizational maturity. A decision has been made to shelve such a proposal for now.