In July 2004 I was appointed to the official position of Chief Financial Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation. The expectation, backed up by repeated calls from myself, was that I would be replaced by a relevantly trained paid professional when the needs of the foundation became greater than what I, as a part time volunteer, could provide.
During my tenure, I have helped with bookkeeping, budgeting, financial reporting, and with fundraising. I am most proud of my work coordinating several fundraisers that together brought in nearly a million dollars for the foundation. I am least proud of the last nine months, a time when the board repeatedly failed to meet to discuss proposed budgets I submitted to them or to give me direction on what we could or could not publish to the community in regards to spending.
Last week, the board informed me that a selection process has been initiated to hire a paid professional to help run the foundation's finances from the Wikimedia office in Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA. At the same time, the board informed me that they approved the membership of a fundraising committee. I will be serving on that committee.
I therefore resign as Chief Financial Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation but will continue to help where needed during the transition process.
It truly amazes me how long we, as an organization that runs one of the top sites on the Internet, can go on volunteer time alone. So it is both a sad and happy day for me as I prepare to hand the baton to a paid professional.
Yours in the wikiway,
Daniel Mayer, Wikipedian
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Daniel Mayer wrote:
In July 2004 I was appointed to the official position of Chief Financial Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation. The expectation, backed up by repeated calls from myself, was that I would be replaced by a relevantly trained paid professional when the needs of the foundation became greater than what I, as a part time volunteer, could provide.
During my tenure, I have helped with bookkeeping, budgeting, financial reporting, and with fundraising. I am most proud of my work coordinating several fundraisers that together brought in nearly a million dollars for the foundation. I am least proud of the last nine months, a time when the board repeatedly failed to meet to discuss proposed budgets I submitted to them or to give me direction on what we could or could not publish to the community in regards to spending.
I therefore resign as Chief Financial Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation but will continue to help where needed during the transition process.
It truly amazes me how long we, as an organization that runs one of the top sites on the Internet, can go on volunteer time alone. So it is both a sad and happy day for me as I prepare to hand the baton to a paid professional.
You have nothing to be ashamed of. Based on our earliest exchanges on these matters before you were appointed CFO I know that you have come a long way in managing what has been an increasingly more difficult and thankless task. Those of us who have been here a little longer also know that you have been selfless in ensuring that domain names would be protected whenever there was even a hint that it might be useful to our communities.
Congratulations for your fantastic effort.
Ray
On 8/27/06, Daniel Mayer maveric149@yahoo.com wrote:
In July 2004 I was appointed to the official position of Chief Financial Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation. The expectation, backed up by repeated calls from myself, was that I would be replaced by a relevantly trained paid professional when the needs of the foundation became greater than what I, as a part time volunteer, could provide.
During my tenure, I have helped with bookkeeping, budgeting, financial reporting, and with fundraising. I am most proud of my work coordinating several fundraisers that together brought in nearly a million dollars for the foundation. I am least proud of the last nine months, a time when the board repeatedly failed to meet to discuss proposed budgets I submitted to them or to give me direction on what we could or could not publish to the community in regards to spending.
Last week, the board informed me that a selection process has been initiated to hire a paid professional to help run the foundation's finances from the Wikimedia office in Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA. At the same time, the board informed me that they approved the membership of a fundraising committee. I will be serving on that committee.
I therefore resign as Chief Financial Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation but will continue to help where needed during the transition process.
It truly amazes me how long we, as an organization that runs one of the top sites on the Internet, can go on volunteer time alone. So it is both a sad and happy day for me as I prepare to hand the baton to a paid professional.
Yours in the wikiway,
Daniel Mayer, Wikipedian
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Thank you for all of your efforts and contributions.
Daniel Mayer wrote:
In July 2004 I was appointed to the official position of Chief Financial Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation. The expectation, backed up by repeated calls from myself, was that I would be replaced by a relevantly trained paid professional when the needs of the foundation became greater than what I, as a part time volunteer, could provide.
During my tenure, I have helped with bookkeeping, budgeting, financial reporting, and with fundraising. I am most proud of my work coordinating several fundraisers that together brought in nearly a million dollars for the foundation. I am least proud of the last nine months, a time when the board repeatedly failed to meet to discuss proposed budgets I submitted to them or to give me direction on what we could or could not publish to the community in regards to spending.
Last week, the board informed me that a selection process has been initiated to hire a paid professional to help run the foundation's finances from the Wikimedia office in Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA. At the same time, the board informed me that they approved the membership of a fundraising committee. I will be serving on that committee.
I therefore resign as Chief Financial Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation but will continue to help where needed during the transition process.
It truly amazes me how long we, as an organization that runs one of the top sites on the Internet, can go on volunteer time alone. So it is both a sad and happy day for me as I prepare to hand the baton to a paid professional.
Yours in the wikiway,
Daniel Mayer, Wikipedian
Thank you as well Mav. Indeed, the Foundation is getting more and more professional. It is somehow a bit sad, but the good side of it (at least until now) is that it frees volunteers time to do what is giving them the most pleasure and satisfaction.
Ant
--- THD theodoranian@gmail.com wrote:
Thank you!
THD
Again - a big thanks to everybody who said such kind things! But I really have not done nearly as much as I hoped I could as CFO. That is why I'm so happy that the foundation has hired somebody that can do everything that needs to be done.
I'm not leaving; right now I'm helping to organize the fundraising committee.
-- mav
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