Press releases/2009 Fundraiser Closing Release

Wikipedia Annual Fundraiser Goal Supported by Record Number of Donors
Over $8 Million USD Raised by 230,000 donors in Campaign to Protect Wikipedia

SAN FRANCISCO, January 5, 2010 — In its most successful fundraiser ever, the Wikimedia Foundation today announced that it has met and exceeded its goal of $7.5 million USD to support Wikipedia for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The Foundation was able to raise just over $8 million USD, $2 million more than the previous year, due to the support of a record number of donors. This year, the Wikimedia Foundation received over 230,000 donations, up from 125,000 donations received during the 2008-09 campaign. The average gift in 2009 was $33 USD.

"I am deeply grateful to our donors," said Sue Gardner, Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation. "Most of them are not rich. They are students and teachers and parents -- people who use Wikipedia regularly, and who are willing to help pay to keep it going.  Their generosity is what keeps Wikipedia available for people around the world, free of charge and free of advertising."

Launched November 10, 2009, the 2009-10 campaign was the Wikimedia Foundation’s sixth annual fundraiser. Every year, the total amount donated during the fundraiser has been higher than in the previous year. New this year, the Foundation also received support from Omidyar Network, which offered a $500,000 USD challenge grant to match individual donations of $100 USD to $9,999 during the campaign.

"I have been continually amazed and humbled as people have joined with me to make the largest encyclopedia in human history," said Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia's founder. "The beauty of Wikipedia is that it makes it possible for ordinary people to do extraordinary things. People like us write it, and people like us pay for it. It's proof of our ability, together, to change the world."

The money raised will be spent on people and technology. The Wikimedia Foundation has a staff of 33, which provides technical, administrative, legal and outreach support for the global community of volunteers who write and edit Wikipedia. Its technology costs include bandwidth, servers and other equipment, as well as technical staff and contractors.

About the Wikimedia Foundation


 * http://wikimediafoundation.org
 * http://blog.wikimedia.org

The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. According to comScore Media Metrix, Wikipedia and the other projects operated by the Wikimedia Foundation receive more than 345 million unique visitors per month, making them the 5th most popular web property worldwide (November, 2009). Available in more than 270 languages, Wikipedia contains more than 14 million articles contributed by a global volunteer community of more than 100,000 people. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is an audited, 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.

Press inquiries


 * Jay Walsh
 * WikimediaFoundation.org
 * blog.wikimedia.org
 * +1 (415) 839 6885 x 609
 * jwalsh@wikimedia.org


 * Liam O’Donoghue
 * Fenton Communications for Wikimedia
 * +1 (415) 901-0111
 * lodonoghue@fenton.com