On Sun, Aug 28, 2011 at 12:53 AM, Ray
Saintonge<saintonge(a)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