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When we started Wikipedia, our vision was a world in which every single human being could freely share in the sum of all knowledge.

So instead of running ads, we made it a non-profit organization and asked our readers to support us with small donations. This is our annual fundraiser, and if you feel it’s your turn to help support Wikipedia, please do so with a donation of $10, $20, $35 or whatever you can afford.

It’s always been a tradition for people who donate to send in stories about how Wikipedia has effected their lives. I’d like to share this one from a California school teacher:


 * ''The story I write is not of me, but of my students who quench their need of knowledge through Wikipedia.


 * ''I teach in a school that is surrounded by riches but dominated by poverty. The young minds I teach yearn for knowledge and experience but are met daily with isolation and despair.


 * ''Through Wikipedia many of my students have learned about far away countries and their rich histories. Others have learned the myths surrounding the heavenly bodies they cannot physically perceive in the night sky.


 * ''Yet their appetites are satisfied after using Wikipedia. There is no other site I dare to visit or expose these young minds to.

Without your support, and the support of thousands of others around the world, Wikipedia won’t be here to inspire future generations of students. Will you join me in making a contribution of $10, $20, $35, or whatever you can afford in honor of this wonderful teacher and his class?

Sincerely,

Jimmy Wales,

Wikipedia Founder