Dear Wikimedians,

I hope this email finds you well.

I am writing to provide an update regarding CIS-A2K's decision to apply for the WMF General Support Fund with a multi-year grant proposal during the 2024-25 Round 1, instead of the 2023-24 Round 2. This decision was made after careful consideration of several aspects, which I would like to outline here -

Alignment with Upcoming Wikimedia Strategy: We believe that Wikimedia's strategy around global governance and related aspects will have a significant impact on the movement. A2K aims to propose its multi-year grant and work plan in alignment with these new changes, which are expected to see major developments in the coming months.

Strategic Priorities and Team Building: We are committed to building our team with new talent and utilising our collective efforts towards our strategic priorities. We have recently expanded our team with new members who will contribute to crucial areas such as Technical Outreach and Communications. While A2K was informed by research and community inputs on strategic priorities, this process of developing a coherent plan will require additional time.

Operational Considerations: In addition to strategic factors, there were also operational reasons such as the availability of resources, alignment with internal milestones and reporting requirements that contributed to this decision.

We are sincerely grateful to the community members who have provided us with feedback and input. We have synthesised and analysed the community needs assessment and will continue to utilise it to inform our decisions and plans. Your support and trust are invaluable to us, and we kindly request you continue extending the same as we move forward.

Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Best regards,

Pavan Santhosh,