 | Nadee Gunasena Chief of Staff Wikimedia Foundation |
Hi all,
As part of the Wikimedia Foundation’s Annual Plan goal around supporting knowledge equity by supporting regional and thematic strategies, and helping close knowledge gaps, I wanted to share an update on the Knowledge Equity Fund. Earlier this year, the Foundation shared learnings from the first year of the Knowledge Equity Fund pilot, as well as reports from our first year grantees. These learnings include how we can increase visibility into the work of the grantees, and also connect the grantees with Wikimedians and local communities to enable greater understanding and more ties to the work of free knowledge on the Wikimedia projects.
With these learnings in mind, today we are announcing the second round of grantees from the Knowledge Equity Fund. This second round includes seven grantees that span five regions, including the Fund’s first-ever grantees in Asia. This diverse group of grantees was chosen from an initial pool of 42 nominations, which were received from across the Wikimedia movement through an open survey in 2022 and 2023. Each grantee aligns with one of Fund’s five focus areas, identified to address persistent structural barriers experienced by communities of color that prevent equitable access and participation in open knowledge. They are also recognized nonprofits with a proven track record of impact in their region. The grantees include:
Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara, Indonesia: The Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara, or the Alliance of the Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (AMAN for short), is a non-profit organization based in Indonesia that works on human rights, journalism, and advocacy issues for indigenous people.
Black Cultural Archives, United Kingdom: Black Cultural Archives is a Black-led archive and heritage center that preserves and gives access to the histories of African and Caribbean people in the UK.
Create Caribbean Research Institute, Commonwealth of Dominica: Create Caribbean Research Institute is the first digital humanities center in the Caribbean.
Criola, Brazil: Criola is a civil society organization, based in Rio de Janeiro, dedicated to advocating for the rights of Black women in Brazilian society.
Data for Black Lives, United States: Data for Black Lives is a movement of activists, organizers, and scientists committed to the mission of using data to create concrete and measurable change in the lives of Black people.
Filipino American National Historical Society, United States: The Filipino American National Historical Society has a mission to gather, document and share Filipino American history through its 42 community based chapters.
Project Multatuli, Indonesia: Project Multatuli is an organization dedicated to non-profit journalism, especially for underreported topics, ranging from indigenous people to marginalized issues.
The Equity Fund Committee, made up of five Wikimedia community members and five Wikimedia Foundation staff, have also connected each of these grantees with regional and relevant partners in the Wikimedia movement, including local and established movement affiliates who can support knowledge equity work and help grantees learn about how to connect back to the work of free knowledge on the Wikimedia projects. We continue to look for ways to increase these connections and welcome your input.
This second round of grants was administered by the Wikimedia Foundation, after all remaining funds for the Equity Fund were transferred back from Tides Advocacy to the Foundation earlier this year.
We welcome thoughts and questions about the Equity fund and the second round of grantees on Meta.
Thank you,
Nadee Gunasena
On behalf of the Equity Fund Committee
| Nadee Gunasena Chief of Staff Wikimedia Foundation |