Dear all,


I am writing to let you know that the Wikimedia Foundation Governance Committee has appointed a new Elections Committee [1]. The Elections Committee is tasked with assisting “with the design and implementation of the process to select Community- and Affiliate-Selected Trustees for the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees” [2].


To recap the process: there was an open nomination period for 2-4 open seats on the Elections Committee from April 10 to April 24 (Anywhere on Earth). 11 candidates applied, and you can read all applications on Meta [2]. After that, staff checked their documents (proof of identity), and if there are any trust & safety concerns. Some candidates opted to not move forward. 


Once the first checks were completed, I interviewed each candidate in an hour-long interview where I asked the same questions of each candidate - including if they would be willing to be an advisory member of the committee if they are not selected as a member (this is a non-voting role). Each candidate was also given time to ask questions of me. After the interviews, I provided a confidential summary of the discussions to the Governance Committee and continuing members of the Elections Committee with a recommended slate of Members and Advisory members. Both committees provided feedback before the Governance Committee officially appointed the Elections committee on June 20. Many factors went into determining the committee composition, for example we tried to balance languages, regions, projects, relevant onwiki and offwiki experience.


In parallel the members of the Elections Committee, whose term ended on March 31, 2023, were asked if they wanted to stay on. Four of them decided to continue as voting members for the next term, and one – as a non-voting advisor. I am grateful to the outgoing Elections Committee members for all the work done in the past to support the process.


So, without further ado, the Elections Committee members through May 31, 2026, are: 


The non-voting advisory members through May 31, 2024, are: 


As a note: the Elections Committee might decide to prolong their term as advisory members if needed, and if they are willing to serve more in this role. There might also be transitioning to voting member status, if a need arises.


Members and advisors will have a short orientation and onboarding process and will begin their work sometime in September.


I am looking forward to working with this group of volunteers and I want to thank everyone who participated in this process with input, advice, endorsements, and of course to staff supporting this endeavour.


Best regards,

antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv

Elections Committee Board Liaison

Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees


[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections_committee 

[2] https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Elections_Committee_Charter

[3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections_committee/Nominations/2023


NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your normal working hours/days, as I usually can work more as a volunteer during weekend. You should not feel obligated to answer it during your days off. Thank you in advance!



On Wed, Apr 26, 2023 at 9:00 AM Nataliia Tymkiv <ntymkiv@wikimedia.org> wrote:

Dear all,


Thank you very much to everyone who expressed interest in joining the Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee [1], and also to those who asked questions, expressed support, and helped to spread the word. I would especially like to thank the Committee Support and Movement Strategy & Governance teams, who shared the information to different communities about the call.


Staff and Governance Committee [2] will be in touch with the candidates regarding next steps.


Best regards,

antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv

Elections Committee Board Liaison

Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees


[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections_committee/Nominations/2023 

[2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_Governance_Committee

NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your normal working hours/days, as I usually can work more as a volunteer during weekend. You should not feel obligated to answer it during your days off. Thank you in advance!



On Mon, Apr 10, 2023 at 7:51 PM Nataliia Tymkiv <ntymkiv@wikimedia.org> wrote:
Dear all,


The Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee (Elections Committee) [1] is, from today until April 24, seeking an additional 2–4 members to help facilitate the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustee (Board) selection process.


The Elections Committee oversees the Board Community- and Affiliate seat selection process. This is a volunteer role, and the appointment is for three years. Please note that while you are a member of the Committee, you will not be able to run for any election overseen by the Committee – this includes the upcoming 2024 Wikimedia Foundation Board elections and any other election for 18 months following the end of your term on the Committee. You will also be restricted in your ability to publicly advocate for community members running in those elections. You can read more in the Elections Charter [2], recently updated by the Wikimedia Foundation Governance Committee (GC) based on the lessons learnt from the previous Elections and the feedback received.


The term of the previous members of the Elections Committee expired on March 31, 2023, and some of them confirmed their willingness to continue. After their paperwork is done (if needed), they will be reappointed by the GC along with the new members.


Please read carefully the information below before applying or recommending that somebody applies.


== Duties and time commitment ==


The purpose of the Elections Committee is to assist with the design and implementation of the process to select Board Community- and Affiliate-Selected Trustees. The Committee may also assist with similar community-selected positions as determined by the Board.


The Committee has responsibilities throughout every phase of the selection process for Community- and Affiliate-Selected Trustees, as established in Article IV, Section 3(C) in the Foundation Bylaws, including:


  • Timeline – Work with Foundation staff to determine and communicate election timeline specifics, based on target end date set by the Board.

  • Candidacy – Working with Foundation staff and in consultation with the Board, design the process for collecting and reviewing candidate declarations.

  • Outreach – Work with Foundation staff to reach the various Wikimedia communities with information about the election, including voting and the call for candidates.

  • Volunteers – Determine whether additional volunteers are needed to assist with election administration, and work with Foundation staff to recruit and coordinate those volunteers.

  • Communications – Review communications about the election drafted by Foundation staff and collaborate in determining when communications should be issued by the Committee, by staff, or by the Board.

  • Evaluation – Assist in reviewing candidates based on criteria set by the Board.

  • Campaigning – Set and enforce rules regarding how candidates can campaign, and oversee the process of asking candidates to answer campaign questions.

  • Voting – Determine the voting method and voter eligibility criteria, and work with Foundation staff to determine the voting platform and review voter eligibility requests.

  • Results – Review and announce vote results.


You can see a more detailed matrix of responsibilities for different groups organising the Elections here [3].


Elections Committee members sign up for three-year terms and will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement. Members can expect to contribute 2–5 hours per week before the selection process and 5–8 hours per week during the selection process.


As an Elections Committee member, you will be responsible for:


  • Attending online meetings between now and the next election (mid-2024)

  • Attending onboarding and online training in May–June 2023

  • Working with the Committee to fulfill its other responsibilities [2]


The wider Wikimedia community votes for candidates to be considered for  community-and-affiliate selected seats of the Wikimedia Foundation Board [4]. In 2024, the Elections Committee will oversee this selection process for the four community-selected seats with expiring terms. This process will be supported by the Wikimedia Foundation.


== Requirements ==


New members should have the following qualities:


  • Fluency in English

  • Responsiveness to email collaboration

  • Knowledge of the movement and movement governance


== Application Process ==


If you would like to volunteer for this role, please submit your candidacy by  April 24, 2023, at 23:59 AoE (anywhere on Earth) on Meta at https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections_committee/Nominations/2023 


After this the shortlisted candidates will be asked to participate in an interview with members from the Governance Committee. The interview will be approximately one hour, and a member of Foundation staff will likely be present for note taking purposes. The Governance Committee (GC) will most likely appoint new members at its meeting on May 15, 2023.


Given the private information that committee members handle, you must be 18 years of age or older, and be willing to sign the confidentiality agreement for nonpublic information [5] if you haven't already. You can view information on how to sign this on Meta-Wiki [6]. You will need to submit proof of your identity and age to the Wikimedia Foundation at secure-info@wikimedia.org. You would be able to hold this position on the Committee under a pseudonym, but the Foundation needs to confirm your age and identity. 


To sum it up:



Thank you in advance for your interest! If you are not interested, but know someone who might be, share this message with them. Please let me know if you have questions.


Best regards,

antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv

Elections Committee Board Liaison

Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees


[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections_committee

[2] https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Elections_Committee_Charter

[3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections_committee/Roles 

[4] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees

[5] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Confidentiality_agreement_for_nonpublic_information

[6] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Confidentiality_agreement_for_nonpublic_information/How_to_sign

[7] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections_committee/Nominations/2023


NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your normal working hours/days, as I usually can work more as a volunteer during weekend. You should not feel obligated to answer it during your days off. Thank you in advance!