Dear all,

On behalf of the Affiliations Committee, I would like to present some changes to the current chapter and thematic organisation criteria, which we will begin piloting as we officially reopen applications for chapter and thematic organization status. Until now, the criteria had not clearly defined what constitutes sufficient programmatic activity to justify chapter or thematic organisation status. To address this issue, we have set out three new criteria:

1. Diversity of Activities: Chapters and thematic organisations are expected to plan and conduct a variety of different programs and events; to balance online and offline projects; to strive for continuous activity; and to conduct programs and events at least once every two months.
2. Planning and Evaluation: Chapters and thematic organisations are expected to set specific goals and targets for programs, projects, and events before executing them; to measure the results of programs, projects, and events against those targets; and to report on those results to the Wikimedia Foundation and the wider Wikimedia movement.
3. External Partnerships: Chapters and thematic organisations are expected to engage in programmatic partnerships with external groups and organizations (for example, cultural, academic, or government institutions, and so on) to promote the Wikimedia movement and to add and improve content on Wikimedia projects.

In order to officially reopen the chapter and thematic organization recognition process, the Board of Trustees has instructed the Affiliations Committee to provisionally use these three new criteria for all new applicants. In addition, potential chapters and thematic organisations will continue to be assessed against the existing legal, governance, and viability criteria; more details, including the benefits and limitations of these affiliation models, are available on Meta.[1] [2]

Please note that the use of these three new criteria is a pilot; there will be opportunities to share feedback about the criteria, as well as other ways to help define the chapter and thematic organisation affiliate models, during the upcoming strategy consultation. The Affiliations Committee and the Board of Trustees will continue to evaluate results and feedback during the initial pilot period and consider potential revisions to the criteria before they are finalized.

Thank you,
M.

1: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee/Chapter_Summary_Matrix
2: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee/Thematic_Organisation_Summary_Matrix