Thanks so much Margo. The base requirements seem good.  

The Categories of Governance or Community Experience seem to trend mostly towards bureacratic experience, not related to experience with knowledge work (like education or contribution), or outreach (like partnerships or campaigns), or multilingualism (including translation and multinational initiatives).  It also singles out incorporated affiliates with paid staff over all other forms of community organizing and project work, as demonstration of community experience; can you say more about that?  

Have you analyzed which current and past trustees / candidates would have fit these proposed criteria?  That might be a useful appendix for the discussion.

Sam

On Fri, Jul 17, 2026 at 10:40 PM Margo Lee via Wikimedia-l <wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:

Hello everyone,

Following the 2025 elections, the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees committed to reviewing the selection process of new Trustees, soliciting and receiving feedback and suggestions and proposing changes. The Board received extensive comments posted on Meta, which helped inform this approach.

The Board has discussed the following goals for reforms: 

• Clarity and consistency of the electoral process

• Clarity of roles and responsibilities

• Transparent communications and timeline

• A slate of candidates who strengthen the board through the experience they bring

• Reduced need for shortlisting

• Strong voter participation

The Board is now ready to publish its draft eligibility requirements for feedback from the community. The requirements are more specific and detailed than in years past, to both inform the community of what the Board needs and to create multiple pathways to the Board for Wikimedians. They are also presented as requirements for candidates, not desirable qualities.

The Board is also emphasising the need for previous governance experience, including these key elements of experience:

• Understanding the role of oversight vs. governance vs. management

• Understanding Fiduciary Duties

• Understanding the "Group Dynamics" of a board or committee (and other collective decision-making bodies): working well with others to ask probing questions, voice different views and contribute to informed decisions for the good of the whole, not an individual agenda

The Board is now looking for specific feedback on the proposed eligibility criteria.

Regards,

The Board Governance Committee 

Margo Lee on behalf of the Governance Committee

Margo Lee (she/her) Deputy Chief of Staff Wikimedia Foundation

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Samuel Klein          @metasj           w:user:sj          +1 617 529 4266

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