Wikimedia Foundation

File:Wikimedia Foundation FY2021–2022 Audit Report.pdf – Wikimedia Foundation Governance Wiki

Wikimedia Foundation FY2021–2022 Audit Report – Wikimedia Foundation Governance Wiki

Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States. It was founded on June 20, 2003, by Jimmy Wales as a way to fund Wikipedia and its sibling projects through non-profit means. As the parent organization, the Wikimedia Foundation supports and hosts the Wikimedia projects, a collection of free, multilingual content projects, the most notable being Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The foundation's efforts are focused on encouraging the growth, development, and distribution of free, multilingual, educational content to the public.

History

The Wikimedia Foundation was established in 2003, following the success of Wikipedia, which was launched in 2001. Wikipedia's rapid growth necessitated a more formal organizational structure to manage its operations, leading to the creation of the Foundation. Since its inception, the Foundation has expanded its projects to include other wikis such as Wiktionary, Wikiquote, Wikibooks, Wikisource, Wikinews, Wikivoyage, Wikispecies, and Wikimedia Commons.

Mission

The mission of the Wikimedia Foundation is to empower and engage people around the world to collect and develop educational content under a free license or in the public domain, and to disseminate it effectively and globally. In collaboration with a network of chapters, the Foundation provides the essential infrastructure and an organizational framework for the support and development of multilingual wiki projects and other endeavors which serve this mission.

Projects

The Wikimedia Foundation operates several free knowledge projects:

• Wikipedia – A free encyclopedia
• Wiktionary – A dictionary and thesaurus
• Wikiquote – A collection of quotations
• Wikibooks – Textbooks and manuals
• Wikisource – Source documents and historical texts
• Wikinews – News articles
• Wikivoyage – A travel guide
• Wikispecies – A directory of species
• Wikimedia Commons – A repository of free images, videos, and other media

Governance

The Wikimedia Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees, which oversees the foundation's operations, ensuring that it fulfills its mission. The Board is composed of community-elected members, founder-appointed members, and members appointed by the Board itself to represent a diversity of expertise and backgrounds.

Funding

The Wikimedia Foundation's operations are primarily funded through donations from individuals, corporations, and grants. It conducts annual fundraising campaigns to support its projects. The Foundation is known for its commitment to transparency and publishes detailed financial reports annually.

Challenges and Controversies

The Wikimedia Foundation has faced various challenges and controversies, including issues related to content reliability, copyright disputes, and the governance of its projects. Despite these challenges, the Foundation continues to work towards improving its projects and expanding access to free knowledge.

See Also

• Free content
• Open-source software
• Creative Commons