Press releases/Relocation

Wikipedia to Relocate to San Francisco
ST. PETERSBURG, FL, October 9, 2007 - The Wikimedia Foundation, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the growth, development and distribution of free, multilingual content, announced today that it will be relocating its headquarters from St. Petersburg, FL to San Francisco, CA. The move will take place this winter.

"San Francisco is the center of high-tech in the United States, and will give the Foundation access to a rich array of resources, including best-in-breed online talent, top-tier universities, world-class support services and major media," said Florence Devouard, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees chair. "We are all very excited about the move, and I know the Wikimedia Foundation will flourish in the Bay Area."

After almost a year of careful deliberation, the Board of Trustees determined that, out of six candidate cities, San Francisco would provide the Wikimedia Foundation with an ideal base from which to grow. Its proximity to Asia in particular is expected to enable the Foundation to form closer ties with volunteers and potential partners in that part of the world. This is a key goal for the Foundation, which aims to provide information to people everywhere in the world.

"I am thrilled that the Wikimedia Foundation has chosen to relocate its headquarters to San Francisco," said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. "Wikimedia will be an illustrious addition to our thriving information technology hub. They represent the cutting edge of Internet-based innovation and will contribute greatly to the atmosphere of creativity that flourishes in San Francisco, " Mayor Newsom continued.

The Wikimedia Foundation's last day in St. Petersburg will be January 31, 2008. While the office is currently staffed by six full-time employees, that number is expected to rise in the next two years. Hiring for the new headquarters will begin in a few weeks.

The Wikimedia Foundation was created on June 20, 2003 by Jimmy Wales. It is the parent organization of numerous free-content projects, including the popular Wikipedia website, one of the world's ten-most-visited sites. Additionally, the Foundation oversees many programs that encourage the growth, development and distribution of free educational content worldwide. As a nonprofit, it is supported almost entirely by small donations from private individuals, and operates mostly with volunteer staff.