On 08/27/11 4:34 PM, Delphine Ménard wrote:
On Sun, Aug 28, 2011 at 12:53 AM, Ray Saintongesaintonge@telus.net wrote:
If it were only the chapters themselves at stake (as is the case when they raise funds independently), then they could get money first and organization second. But the WMF shares in the risk, and is offering organizational support to chapters, so cart before horse does not make sense.
There's a difference between organizational support and organizational takeover. One possible solution might be to not allow chapters to participate in the global fundraiser unless they already have a suitable organization in place, but that could make it more difficult for the WMF to take a piece of the chapter's action.
Which brings up the question: how do chapters ever get to the point of being organisationally ready if they never take a crack at doing fundraising on their own? Pleasing donors near you brings on an incomparable motivation to do great things and adapt our mission to what is expected and needed in a given region. Pleasing the Wikimedia Foundation somehow does not, seem to me to have the same potential. You know, the very old parable of giving a fish and teaching to fish...
Legal and financial arguments aside, if the perception grows that the WMF is trying to concentrate decision-making in San Francisco it is bound to inspire nationalist sentiments in many countries. I really don't think it's prepared to handle that.
Ray