Revision as of 23:07, 11 August 2012

The Wikimedia Foundation was founded in 2003 as a non-profit charitable organization in the state of Florida. It has grown since then to support Wikimedia's many sister projects.

Governance timeline

In 2006, the Board hired Brad Patrick to be its Interim Executive Director and General Counsel and it created the Communications, Audit, Fundraising, and Chapters committees. The Board upported the creation of Wikiversity. A Foundation Advisory Board was created, and a Netherlands chapter was recognized. For fiscal year 2006–07, the Foundation's total revenue was $2.7M.

In 2007, the Board hired Sue Gardner as permanent Executive Director, and later moved the Foundation offices from St. Petersburg, Florida, to San Francisco, California. That year the Foundation became a signatory to the Cape Town Open Education declaration in order to support further development of a movement around open educational resources and developed the iconic Wikimedia vision and mission statements. For fiscal year 2007–08, the Foundation's total revenue was $7M.

In 2008, the Board expanded to 10 Trustee seats and ensured that a majority would always be selected by the community. That year, new Wikimedia chapters were recognized in Czech Republic, Austria, Australia, Hong Kong, Russia, Indonesia, Hungary and Norway. That year, Wikimedia received its first grant from the Sloan Foundation of $3 million over three years and it adopted the Pluralism, Internationalism and Diversity Policy designed to support the development of a WMF staff with international experience, languages other than English and the ability to work productively with people of diverse backgrounds. For fiscal year 2008–09, the Foundation's total revenue was $7.7M.

In 2009, after significant consultation process with the community and other stakeholders, the projects were re-licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0 in order to achieve greater interoperability and free knowledge worldwide. The Board issued a statement on biographies of living people, urging the global Wikimedia community to uphold the accurate information within them. The Foundation begain a long-term strategic planning process. New Wikimedia chapters were recognized from the UK, New York, Denmark, Portugal, Ukraine, Macedonia and Finland. The Foundation received a $2M grant from the Omidyar Network to support key objectives, a $900K grant from the Stanton Foundation to improve usability, a $500K grant from the Hewlett Foundation, and a $300,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to increase usability on Wikimedia Commons. For fiscal year 2009–10, the Foundation's revenue was $15.4M.

In 2010, a new fundraising strategy was developed, focusing on fundraising primarily through the annual campaign, to support the continued independence of the Wikimedia movement. The strategy process concluded with five-year targets for the Wikimedia Foundation and movement. The Board called for a task force to review the use of controversial materials on Wikimedia projects. This later concluded with affirming that the Wikimedia projects are not censored, supporting principles of user choice and least astonishment, and asking the Executive Director to develop a personal image hiding feature. The Board also urged the Commons community to continue rigorous curation, and to obtain subject consent for images that portray identifiable living persons in a private place or situation.

New chapters were recognized in the Philippines, India and Estonia. A Movement Roles process was started as a Board-led working group, to discuss and resolve issues affecting movement-wide governance, collaboration and decision making. This later concluded with an expanded framework for recognizing groups as part of the Wikimedia movement, including models for thematic organizations, partners, and user groups. Google's Charitable Giving Fund donated $2M to support core operations and Charity Navigator raised the Wikimedia Foudation from 3-Star to 4-Star, the highest possible rating. For fiscal year 2010–11, the Foundation's revenue was $23.8M.

In 2011, the Donor Privacy Policy was updated. The Board released a statement encouraging openness and collaboration in the Wikimedia movement, calling on the Executive Director to make it the top staff priority. The Foundation began reviewing fundraising and funds dissemination practices, with guidance from the Board and the Audit Committee. New chapters were recognized in Spain, South Africa, Macau, Canada, Chile, Mexico, District of Columbia, Bangladesh and Venezuela. The Foundation received its largest donation to date: $3.6 million from the Stanton Foundation to fund major investments in technology infrastructure, another $3M grant over three years from the Sloan Foundation and $500K from the Brin Wojcicki Foundation. For fiscal year 2011–12, the Foundation's revenue was $34.8M.

In 2012, a new new terms of use was devised for the projects, to clarify the rights and responsibiilities of readers and editors, following public discussion. The Board created the Funds Dissemination Committee, to align future funding decisions with global community goals. Votes of individual trustees on resolutions became public. The Foundation received a $1.25M donation Lisbett Rausing and Peter Baldwin.

History of the Board

The history of the Board of Trustees and its process can largely be gleaned from its relevant resolutions and votes. From 2004 to 2006, the Board was fairly operational, handled most executive and governance issues that arose for the Foundation, which was still small and without an executive director.

In 2006 it expanded the number of Ttrustees, and the early trustees who had come over from Bomis to ensure a smooth start to the Foundation were gradually replaced with appointed trustees. Since then, and particularly once a permanent ED was chosen in 2007, the Board has provided strategic leadership and oversight for the Wikimedia Foundation in various capacities. Below is an index of resolutions and votes about its governance role and structure.

Appointment and process

2006

Consent resolutions

2008

Bylaws amendments and board structure
- Announcement by Vice-Chair Jan-Bart de Vreede
- Questions and Answers
- Diagram

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+The Wikimedia Foundation was founded in 2003 as a non-profit charitable organization in the state of Florida.   It has grown since then to support Wikimedia's many [[projects|sister projects]].
-The '''history of the Board of Trustees''' can largely be gleaned from the Board's past resolutions and votes, indexed below.
+== Governance timeline ==
+In 2006, the Board hired Brad Patrick to be its Interim [[Executive Director]] and [[General Counsel]] and it created the Communications, Audit, Fundraising, and Chapters [[m:Wikimedia committees|committees]]. The Board upported the creation of [[Wikiversity]].  A Foundation [[Advisory Board]] was created, and a Netherlands chapter was recognized. For fiscal year 2006–07, the Foundation's total revenue was $2.7M.
+In 2007, the Board [[Resolution:Appointment of Sue Gardner as ED|hired]] [[User:Sue Gardner|Sue Gardner]] as permanent Executive Director, and later moved the Foundation offices from St. Petersburg, Florida, to San Francisco, California. That year the Foundation became [[Resolution:Cape Town Open Education Declaration|a signatory to the Cape Town Open Education]] declaration in order to support further development of a movement around open educational resources and developed the iconic Wikimedia [[vision]] and [[mission]] statements. For fiscal year 2007–08, the Foundation's total revenue was $7M.
+In 2008, the Board [[Resolution:Bylaws amendments and board structure|expanded to 10 Trustee seats]] and ensured that a majority would always be selected by the community.
+That year, new Wikimedia chapters were recognized in Czech Republic, Austria, Australia, Hong Kong, Russia, Indonesia, Hungary and Norway. That year, Wikimedia received its first [[Press releases/Sloan Foundation Support|grant from the Sloan Foundation]] of $3 million over three years and it adopted the [[Pluralism, Internationalism and Diversity Policy]] designed to support the development of a WMF staff with international experience, languages other than English and the ability to work productively with people of diverse backgrounds. For fiscal year 2008–09, the Foundation's total revenue was $7.7M.
+In 2009, after significant consultation process with the community and other stakeholders, the projects were [[Resolution:Licensing update approval|re-licensed]] under CC-BY-SA 3.0 in order to achieve greater interoperability and free knowledge worldwide.  The Board issued a statement on [[Resolution:Biographies of living people|biographies of living people]], urging the global Wikimedia community to uphold the accurate information within them. The Foundation begain a [[Resolution:Long term strategic plan|long-term strategic planning]] process.   New Wikimedia chapters were recognized from the UK, New York, Denmark, Portugal, Ukraine, Macedonia and Finland.  The Foundation received a [[Press releases/Omidyar Network Grant August 2009|$2M grant from the Omidyar Network]] to support key objectives, a [[Press releases/Wikipedia to become more user-friendly for new volunteer writers|$900K grant from the Stanton Foundation]] to improve usability, a $500K grant from the Hewlett Foundation, and a [[Press releases/Wikimedia Ford Foundation Grant July 2009|$300,000 grant from the Ford Foundation]] to increase usability on Wikimedia Commons. For fiscal year 2009–10, the Foundation's revenue was $15.4M.
+In 2010, a new [[Resolution:Wikimedia fundraising principles|fundraising strategy]] was developed, focusing on fundraising primarily through the annual campaign, to support the continued independence of the Wikimedia movement.  The strategy process concluded with [[Media:WMF StrategicPlan2011 spreads.pdf|five-year targets]] for the Wikimedia Foundation and movement.  The Board called for a task force to review the use of controversial materials on Wikimedia projects.  This later concluded with affirming that the Wikimedia projects are not censored, supporting principles of user choice and least astonishment, and asking the Executive Director to develop a personal image hiding feature.  The Board also urged the Commons community to continue rigorous curation, and to obtain subject consent for images that portray identifiable living persons in a private place or situation.
+New chapters were recognized in the Philippines, India and Estonia.  A Movement Roles process was started as a Board-led working group, to discuss and resolve issues affecting movement-wide governance, collaboration and decision making.  This later concluded with an expanded framework for recognizing groups as part of the Wikimedia movement, including [[Resolution:Recognizing Models of Affiliations|models]] for thematic organizations, partners, and user groups.  Google's Charitable Giving Fund donated $2M to [[Press releases/Wikimedia Foundation announces $2 million grant from Google|support core operations]] and Charity Navigator raised the Wikimedia Foudation from 3-Star to 4-Star, the highest possible rating. For fiscal year 2010–11, the Foundation's revenue was $23.8M.
+In 2011, the [[Resolution:Donor privacy policy update 2011|Donor Privacy Policy]] was updated.  The Board released a statement [[Resolution:Openness|encouraging openness]] and collaboration in the Wikimedia movement, calling on the Executive Director to make it the top staff priority.  The Foundation began reviewing fundraising and funds dissemination practices, with guidance from the Board and the Audit Committee.  New chapters were recognized in Spain, South Africa, Macau, Canada, Chile, Mexico, District of Columbia, Bangladesh and Venezuela. The Foundation received its largest donation to date: $3.6 million [[Press releases/Stanton Foundation Awards Wikimedia $3.6M  for Technology Improvements|from the Stanton Foundation]] to fund major investments in technology infrastructure, another $3M grant over three years [[Press releases/July 2011 The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation renews $3 million commitment to Wikimedia|from the Sloan Foundation]] and $500K [[Press releases/Brin Wojcicki Foundation Announces $500,000 Grant to Wikimedia|from the Brin Wojcicki Foundation]]. For fiscal year 2011–12, the Foundation's revenue was $34.8M.
+In 2012, a new [[Resolution:Terms of use|new terms of use]] was devised for the projects, to clarify the rights and responsibiilities of readers and editors, following public discussion. The Board created the [[Resolution:Funds Dissemination Committee|Funds Dissemination Committee]], to align future funding decisions with global community goals.  Votes of individual trustees on resolutions became public.  The Foundation received a $1.25M donation Lisbett Rausing and Peter Baldwin.
+= History of the Board =
+The history of the Board of Trustees and its process can largely be gleaned from its relevant resolutions and votes.  From 2004 to 2006, the Board was fairly operational, handled most executive and governance issues that arose for the Foundation, which was still small and without an executive director.
+In 2006 it expanded the number of Ttrustees, and the early trustees who had come over from Bomis to ensure a smooth start to the Foundation were gradually replaced with appointed trustees.  Since then, and particularly once a permanent ED was chosen in 2007, the Board has provided strategic leadership and oversight for the Wikimedia Foundation in various capacities.  Below is an index of resolutions and votes about its governance role and structure.
 ==Appointment and process==

Archive:History of the Wikimedia Foundation: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:07, 11 August 2012

Governance timeline

History of the Board

Appointment and process

2006

2008

2010

Appointments

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

See also