Lila Tretikov wrote:
I know this request was for the Board, but I took time
to explain as much
as I could about the context of this grant and the work it funds as well
as to answer as many questions as possible that I have seen. I realize
many people a curious about what it actually funds, so you will find the
statement of work cut and pasted there.
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Permalink/15294825
Thank you for this post, Lila. It provides a lot of helpful context and
understanding surrounding the Knight Foundation's recent restricted grant.
One part of this arrangement still confuses me. In the linked post, you
write, "With this grant we brought the idea to the funder and they
supported our work with this grant."
Why ask for and take the money? The Wikimedia Foundation can raise
$250,000 in a few days (maybe hours) by placing ads on a few large
Wikipedias soliciting donations. Why take on a restricted grant, with its
necessary reporting overhead and other administrative costs?
You also write:
---
Why should the community and staff support this decision of our board and
leadership?
I would hope that for staff, the answer to this question is clear.
---
This is very aggressive. I'm not sure this type of attitude is aligned
with an idealistic, non-profit educational organization.
For the general issue, you point out that the Wikimedia Foundation Board
of Trustees is required to approve large (over $100,000) restricted
grants. I think the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees (copied) should
modify its acceptance requirements to mandate that large restricted grants
have their grant agreements and other related paperwork publicly
published. This would not apply retroactively. Publishing the grant
paperwork fits in well well with our transparency principles and values.
For the specific issue, who can be contacted at the Knight Foundation to
ask about publishing the grant paperwork? Presumably the Knight Foundation
and the Wikimedia Foundation, having just partnered, share values. Is the
Knight Foundation okay with the full grant agreement being published?
MZMcBride