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I can confidently say that over 50% of the knowledge I have gained in the last 5 years has come from Wikipedia.

Growing up in a small city in India, not all books were available there, and the libraries not always too well equipped. Later, when I was working on a technical degree, it was almost impossible to get all the information I needed from standard textbooks alone. For people everywhere, it’s indispensably useful to have a site like Wikipedia.

Wikipedia is run by the not-for-profit Wikimedia Foundation. It has real-world costs to pay for: servers, technology and a small staff.

Every year, on my birthday, I make a small but earnest donation, to give back to the community that substantially enriched my life and helped me pursue a career as a software developer.

Last year, I submitted a note with my $25 donation and the staff asked me to write an appeal of my own. Will you donate $5, $20, $50 or whatever you can to support Wikipedia this year? It is each of our donations that help to keep Wikipedia free for all.

I hope that Wikipedia continues to grow, and remain free. I believe it is the best gift from this generation to the future ones.

Thank you,

Akshaya Iyengar

Software Developer and Wikipedia user