Status quo for a few years. What happened at Coventry today what really counts. Hope it went well. Status quo for a few years. What happened at Coventry today what really counts. Hope it went well. </div> Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange
-----Original Message----- From: Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com Sender: wikimediauk-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:53:49 To: HJ Mitchellhjmitchell@ymail.com; wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Reply-To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Fwd: [Foundation-l] Board Resolutions from March 30th 2012
On 31 March 2012 21:26, HJ Mitchell hjmitchell@ymail.com wrote:
Could somebody concisely explain what this certainly means for WMUK, and what it might mean in the worst- and best-case scenarios? I understand the issues, and I'm sure the nuances are still being worked out, but I can't be the only person wondering.
While I'm no longer closely involved in WMUK, I have been very involved with the discussions that led up to this resolution, so I'll have a go at explaining it.
It means that, in the 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 fundraisers, WMUK will be allowed to place banners on the WMF websites as long as it can convince Sue Gardner than it satisfies the following criteria:
1) There is sufficient money raised in the geography to merit the logistical effort. 2) The organization offers tax deductibility or other incentives to local donors. 3) Regulatory issues about any international funds flows are fully resolved. 4) The organization's current financial resources are not enough to fund proposed program work. 5) The Foundation can confidently assure donors to the chapter that their donations will be safeguarded, that our movement's transparency principles will be met, and that spending will be in line with our mission and with the messages used to attract donors.
I don't think there can be any argument on points 1, 2 and 4. (Although point 4 is a very strange one, given that we're supposed to be moving any from any connection between where money is raised and where it is spent...)
Point 3 has caused some issues in the past, but I think they are all resolved now. Someone on the current board can confirm the current situation there.
Point 5 shouldn't be a problem. Jon Davies, with the support of the board, is putting a lot of effort into making sure all appropriate safeguards are in place.
So, in conclusion, I'm fairly confident WMUK will participate in those fundraisers. There is a slight concern that Sue will be biased by her own opinion that chapters shouldn't be fundraising at all, but I don't think we'll have a real problem there.
Now, what happens in the 2016-17 fundraiser is anybody's guess. The WMF board is intending to re-evaluate the whole thing. My hope is that the 4 fundraising chapters will have demonstrated what a success chapters fundraising can be and other chapters will be able to fundraise. It is also possible that the decision will be re-evaluated before 2016, especially as the membership of the board can be expected to change (the 2 chapter selected seats will be filled this summer and the 3 community elected seats will be filled next summer).
There is also going to be a substantial change in how the money raised is allocated. A new committee is being formed that will review the budget proposals from the WMF (excluding their core spending), chapters and anyone else that wants large amounts of money (smaller grants will continue to be made by the WMF and chapters) and decide who will get what amount of money. Any money WMUK raises in excess of the amount the committee decides it should get (not including money raised in ways other than the annual fundraiser - that money is completely under WMUK's control), will be donated to the WMF (or directly to other chapters and organisations that it has been allocated to, that hasn't been worked out yet).
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