To answer Lodewijk's question it is all the Wikimedia projects, and not WMUK's activities, that we need to show public benefit from (without saying too much, anyone who finds this puzzling might start here http://www.btinternet.com/%7Eakme/shaw.html). There is also a special page set up on the WMUK website at http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Charity_status_application/help_wanted for responses, or they can be emailed to me.
Thanks, John (Johnbod)
Call for help!
For the application to become a Registered Charity, we think we still need more evidence as follows. Ideally please send a link plus a quote or brief summary/abstract of the material (example at bottom), the sooner the better, but by Wednesday September 21st at latest.
PUBLIC BENEFIT evidence of public benefit in some areas. The best sort of evidence are: academic studies, reports in top-quality press, quotes from top figures in their fields. The emphasis is on evidence of specific and actual public benefit that does not amount just to "the increase of knowledge". More evidence that lots of people use Wikimedia is not needed; we need specific beneficial results of that usage, other than increasing knowledge .
I think we have higher education covered, but primary secondary education, public health, and other areas could use more. Also academic studies from 2010/11 - I think we have the earlier ones covered.
WMF: the record of the Wikimedia Foundation intervening in or controlling policy and content areas.
WE ALREADY HAVE covered the following sources, among others: 2005 Nature WP/Encyc Brit study; PC Pro stories; Hansard quotes, WMF fundraiser testimonials, the big stories from the NYT, Economist, New Yorker, Guardian; Casper Grathwohl of Oxford University Press, How today?s college students use Wikipedia for course?related research?, by Alison J. Head and Michael B. Eisenberg. First Monday, Volume 15, Number 3 - 1 March 2010., Are chemicals killing us? By S. Robert Lichter, Ph.D, May 21, 2009 - Society of Toxicologists; ?Early response to false claims in Wikipedia?, by P.D. Magnus, First Monday, Volume 13 Number 9 - 1 September 2008,
http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/21... ; ?How quickly are errors corrected?? by Stuart Andrews, PC Pro, 12 Jul 2007 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/119641/how-quickly-are-errors-corrected ; The paradox of expertise: is the Wikipedia Reference Desk as good as your library?
IDEALLY post in this sort of format: "Through user-generated efforts, Wikipedia is comprehensive, current, and far and away the most trustworthy Web resource of its kind. It is not the bottom layer of authority, nor the top, but in fact the highest layer without formal vetting. In this unique role, it therefore serves as an ideal bridge between the validated and unvalidated Web." Casper Grathwohl, vice president of Oxford University Press http://chronicle.com/article/Wikipedia-Comes-of-Age/125899/