Resolution: Board visitors

From Wikimedia Foundation Governance Wiki
Resolutions Board visitors Feedback?
This resolution allowing up to two visitors to observe the Board's work for a year was approved 8-1.

The Board recommends experimenting for one year with allowing up to two board visitors for significant content, financial or expertise contributors.

Rationale:

  • The Wikimedia Foundation and projects benefit from significant content, financial support and other contributions from both individuals and institutions;
  • Some large contributors have an understandable expectation of greater access to information from organizations to which they contribute significantly;
  • WMF's board will benefit from building closer ties with and learning from our significant individual and institutional contributors.

Criteria for selection as a board visitor:

  • Contribution of significant content, financial support or unique expertise;
  • Institution and/or individual shows strong philosophical alignment with WMF mission and,
  • Board approval required prior to board visitor status being granted.

Board Visitor Privileges:

  • Attendance at in-person board meetings once per year for most but not all agenda items (e.g. Attendance for budget and strategic discussions, not for executive sessions);
  • Inclusion in formal materials sent to other trustees (e.g. Pre-read materials, Committee reports, Board minutes);
  • No participation in board voting on resolutions, or board IRC meetings; no inclusion on board email list;
  • One year term.

Board Visitor Responsibilities

  • Visitor must treat conversations with the same confidentiality as the rest of the board.


Approved 8-1, one vote absent