In 2006 & 2008 there was no local Wiki-related corporation behind the org team. Those years the host venues were themselves non-profits with experience receiving and managing donations and grants - who donated staff time to helping with logistics - avoiding the need for the local team to incorporate.
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 10:31 PM, MZMcBride z@mzmcbride.com wrote:
Yes, it's an odd situation. The Wikimedia Foundation hosts Wikimania's website(s)... but does not actively involve itself in preparing/organizing the conference.
Some years (2006, 2008, 2010) WMF has been involved in prep/organizing, via contractors, staff, and handling contracts and funds. Most years, it has helped in some way - say, with receiving and distributing some of the sponsorships and travel scholarships. If you ask for support, as Kat says, you'll likely get it.
Kat Walsh wrote:
As far as I know, the only reason this is so is "tradition"... the groups putting it on wanted it to be a community-organized conference.
Yes. It began as the community's annual event, with the Foundation as part of the community, and has largely remained that way. This gives every year a very different flavor from the others, something I quite like (and unlike most other annual events I've been to more than once).
SJ