Hello everyone,
*TL;DR*: Given the community need for in-person events, we are opening a 3rd funding round for Conference funds for events taking place in September - December 2022. This condensed round will be for events already in planning. Proposal deadline is June 13, but you are encouraged to submit your proposal earlier if possible. ________
Recently we announced the removal of the Covid travel restrictions https://diff.wikimedia.org/2022/03/29/announcement-of-the-removal-of-the-covid-travel-policy/, and we are now welcoming proposals to support travel again. Since the announcement, we have heard many communities expressing the urgency and desire to convene and resume plans of hosting in-person global events.
We wish to respond to that need, and therefore, we have decided to open a 3rd funding round for Conference Fund 2022, to allow communities who have already started planning their events for the last quarter of 2022, an opportunity to submit a proposal.
*This will be an expedited round, *meaning - shorter turnaround time, *for events already in planning* for late 2022. This condensed round is designed to support events in September - December, so we have to be able to finalize decisions by June.
We know what it takes to organize and host a global event. It requires a lot of capacity, time, volunteers, and planning resources. If you haven’t started organizing your conference, or if you have the option to delay it until the next round in September - we highly encourage you to take the time you need to properly plan.
*Who should consider applying to the 3rd round?*
- If you already have event planning underway for September - December 2022, with a clear vision, capacity to organize and a proven community interest. - If you started planning this event 2 years ago and had to pause due to the pandemic, and now can undertake the effort quickly. - If you started planning a small scale event, limited by the previous restrictions, and now wish to adjust your existing plans to include international travel that can be coordinated easily, and require more funding.
This new round *will not replace* round 1 for 2022-2023 (proposal deadline is September 5 https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Conference). So if you are thinking of hosting an event in early 2023 - you should wait for the September round.
*The 3rd round timeline:* June 13, 2022 - proposal deadline June 14 - June 28, 2022 - Staff eligibility review and feedback June 29 - July 6, 2022 - Revision July 6 - July 12, 2022 - Finalizing + Announcements
You are welcome to submit your proposal before June 13. The sooner you submit and inform us, higher the chances we can process your application faster.
If you have any questions, or want to consult, please reach out to us on conferencegrants@wikimedia.org
On behalf of the Conference & Events fund program,
Chen