2009/9/11 Jennifer Riggs jriggs@wikimedia.org:
However the word and concept of "frugality" differs significantly across cultures. In my experience with many non-Western cultures, asking people to bring lunch from home or spend their own money for it would not only exclude participation, it would insult people. If the purpose is to encourage participation and commitment to a newly forming organization, it seems it would be very important not to insult people.
If we were talking about meetings with people from outside the Wikimedia movement, I would agree with you, but I really can't see how it can be insulting not to provide food at a meeting of Wikimedians when the people attending the meeting and the people organising the meeting are exactly the same people. If people are only willing to set up a chapter if the WMF buys them lunch once a month, I don't want those people setting up a chapter.