Now that I managed to catch your attention… I want to remind you that tomorrow will be the last day to apply for the FDC.

Unfortunately, I decided not to run for another term, because of the heavy workload in my workplace and my roles in Wikimedia Israel But I want to tell you a bit about my last two years in. I'm part of this great movement for more than a decade: I took part in many project, committees and I serve as chairperson and spokesperson.

I was part of the FDC process for 2 years as a grantee. I didn't always like the FDCs recommendations, but I have always appreciated the mission and the importance of this committee. I only learned how much the work this committee do is so important once I had joined.

If you really care for this movement, and you really want to influence – the FDC is the right place for you.

Don't get me wrong. It's not an easy task. Not at all. Maybe beside of the WMF's board, this is the most time-consuming role. 5 days' deliberations in S.F in November, 3 days' deliberations in Warsaw in May. And you have to read endless reports and proposals before each deliberation (I counted 319 pages before the November's deliberations).

But – this big but – you really have power to change. Your voice is matter.

I was so lucky to sit in one room with so many talented volunteers and FDC's staff. To really discuss with them about the impact of each organization within the movement. To evaluate programs, sometime to recommend to expend some of them, sometimes to recommend stop them. To ask tough questions – about what the ROI of each thing that we do. And where we want to see the Wikimedia's organizations, which have such an important role within this movement.

Just a few weeks ago, during my last FDC's deliberation, I wrote to my colleagues an email about one of our decisions. I wrote them and mentioned the main reason why I joined the committee, and It's because I see a great importance of the committee to "protect" the donor's money. Millions of donors every year put their trust in our movement when they donate their money to the Wikimedia movement.

And for me, the FDC is the part of the movement which is in charge to oversee this donations and to take care that every dollar is been spend properly. "for me each dollar worth like a million dollar, and as such, we have to justify every spending we approve".

Each one of the committee members may express his responsibility and reason to be part of it differently, but this is how I see it.

If you join the FDC you will work hard, but trust me, you will learn a lot, and you will take part in the most interesting discussions and decision making process this movement have to offer.

And in a personal note, this is my goodbye from my role within this committee. It's was an amazing two years. I can't put into words the amount of appreciation I have for this amazing team. Each one of them is truly devoted for the movement. They are not so famous as the WMF's board members, you will not see many of them in Wikimania and others international conferences, as they do their amazing work behind closed doors.

I'll miss all of them. And I hope I'll have the opportunity to join them back in the future.

Itzik

*Regards,Itzik Edri* Chairperson, Wikimedia Israel +972-54-5878078 | http://www.wikimedia.org.il Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. That's our commitment!