Status quo for a few years. What happened at Coventry today what really counts. Hope it went well.
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From: Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton@gmail.com>
Sender: wikimediauk-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org
Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:53:49 +0100
To: HJ Mitchell<hjmitchell@ymail.com>; <wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org>
ReplyTo: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org
Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Fwd: [Foundation-l] Board Resolutions from
March 30th 2012
On 31 March 2012 21:26, HJ Mitchell <hjmitchell@ymail.com> wrote:
> Could somebody concisely explain what this certainly means for WMUK, and
> what it might mean in the worst- and best-case scenarios? I understand the
> issues, and I'm sure the nuances are still being worked out, but I can't be
> the only person wondering.
While I'm no longer closely involved in WMUK, I have been very
involved with the discussions that led up to this resolution, so I'll
have a go at explaining it.
It means that, in the 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16
fundraisers, WMUK will be allowed to place banners on the WMF websites
as long as it can convince Sue Gardner than it satisfies the following
criteria:
1) There is sufficient money raised in the geography to merit the
logistical effort.
2) The organization offers tax deductibility or other incentives to
local donors.
3) Regulatory issues about any international funds flows are fully resolved.
4) The organization's current financial resources are not enough to
fund proposed program work.
5) The Foundation can confidently assure donors to the chapter that
their donations will be safeguarded, that our movement's transparency
principles will be met, and that spending will be in line with our
mission and with the messages used to attract donors.
I don't think there can be any argument on points 1, 2 and 4.
(Although point 4 is a very strange one, given that we're supposed to
be moving any from any connection between where money is raised and
where it is spent...)
Point 3 has caused some issues in the past, but I think they are all
resolved now. Someone on the current board can confirm the current
situation there.
Point 5 shouldn't be a problem. Jon Davies, with the support of the
board, is putting a lot of effort into making sure all appropriate
safeguards are in place.
So, in conclusion, I'm fairly confident WMUK will participate in those
fundraisers. There is a slight concern that Sue will be biased by her
own opinion that chapters shouldn't be fundraising at all, but I don't
think we'll have a real problem there.
Now, what happens in the 2016-17 fundraiser is anybody's guess. The
WMF board is intending to re-evaluate the whole thing. My hope is that
the 4 fundraising chapters will have demonstrated what a success
chapters fundraising can be and other chapters will be able to
fundraise. It is also possible that the decision will be re-evaluated
before 2016, especially as the membership of the board can be expected
to change (the 2 chapter selected seats will be filled this summer and
the 3 community elected seats will be filled next summer).
There is also going to be a substantial change in how the money raised
is allocated. A new committee is being formed that will review the
budget proposals from the WMF (excluding their core spending),
chapters and anyone else that wants large amounts of money (smaller
grants will continue to be made by the WMF and chapters) and decide
who will get what amount of money. Any money WMUK raises in excess of
the amount the committee decides it should get (not including money
raised in ways other than the annual fundraiser - that money is
completely under WMUK's control), will be donated to the WMF (or
directly to other chapters and organisations that it has been
allocated to, that hasn't been worked out yet).
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