New proposal on movement recognition and funding. A discussion session is also scheduled on 24 July (Friday) 9:00 UTC - Wikimedia-l

10 Jul 2026


      Hi everyone,
I am sharing a link to a recent Diff post & Meta-wiki page about a proposed
update to the Wikimedia affiliate recognition and funding model.
The Wikimedia Foundation published a draft proposal that changes how
affiliates are recognized and sets new criteria for Community Fund grant
eligibility.
Here are the proposed changes in a nutshell:
* *Funding Eligibility*: General Support Fund will be available only to
recognized chapters and thematic organizations.
* *Rapid Funding*: This will remain accessible regardless of affiliation.
* *Unaffiliated Partners*: Unaffiliated movement partners will only be
eligible for General Support Funds by explicit invitation from the
Wikimedia Foundation in rare circumstances.
* *Recognition Focus Areas*:  The proposal outlines specific focus areas
on geographical, linguistic, and thematic scopes to limit overlapping
jurisdictions among affiliates.
Groups will be required to define clear boundaries for their geographic
area, language, or thematic focus.
* *Timeline*: The Foundation plans to present the final version to the
Board of Trustees in September 2026, building on recommendations from the
Affiliations Committee and the Global Resource Distribution Committee.
A public consultation is open until *August 7, 2026*. A discussion session
is also scheduled for Wikimania on 24 July (Friday) 9:00 UTC
You can read the post on Diff here:
https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/07/08/a-proposal-for-updating-the-wikimedia-...
The full details of the proposed model can be read on Meta-Wiki:
 * *Main Proposal*:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Updating_the_ecosystem_of_Wikimedia_organiza...
* *Funding Eligibility*:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Updating_the_ecosystem_of_Wikimedia_organiza...
* *Affiliation Constraints*:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Updating_the_ecosystem_of_Wikimedia_organiza...
Here is the *Wikimania session link (eventyay)*
https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/wm/wikimania2026/talk/FDC8G3/
You can "⭐" or export that to your calendar.
I hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Butch Bustria