Wikimedians of the US regions: We’ve needed a way to make grants under $500 more easily or quickly available to US Wikmedians. We know that from surveys, focus groups, and conversations.

A coalition of chapters and user groups, to be called the North American Hub is planning to offer such grants. WMNY, WMDC, and WM Canada together will file soon for a grant from the WMF to fund such small grants and do a couple of other things together, along with the regular North American conference.

Those three chapters and at least six user groups will make up the Hub to start with. The Hub’s rules and plans are informal for now, but we seem very aligned on this important shared activity. The WMF is interested to see these kinds of “hub” coalitions work. I think it will work.

Comments are welcome. I prefer not to email about every last detail, some of which is uncertain as yet, but please freely write me or attend the NARWHAL meeting on Monday evening. Hub details are here, if you click around on the various tabs: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/North_American_Wikimedians/Hub_founding — Peter Meyer, representing Wikimedia DC