[Foundation-l] Re: Chapters, deductibility and donation profiles (was Wikimania 2006 - host city contest to open onSeptember 1st 20)

[Elisabeth Bauer]

Tim Starling wrote:

> Well, my understanding was that in the last fundraising drive, the 
> fundraising link on the German Wikipedia went to a Verein website,
> and that they collected some 9,777 euro. So people did indeed donate
> to a local chapter *rather than* the Wikimedia Foundation.

The fundraising link went to the german fundraising page on the
foundation homepage. There were the classical ways of donating by paypal
offered as well as the possibility to send the money to the german bank
account.

> And as far as I know, that money is still unspent.

Mostly yes. See below.

> Will the upcoming fundraising drive also direct German users to
> donate to the Verein, or will it direct donations to Florida?

In my opinion, it should allow people the choice, like last year.

> And if donations will be collected by the Verein, do they have a
> public budget or plan for spending that money?

No, and I don't see it as realistic to have one before the transfer 
problems are sorted out and the foundation tells us where they need 
money. We are asking the foundation since quite some time how we can 
help. The last plan, to buy a big database server as central tool server 
for all the useful little programs around wikipedia, was spoiled by a 
generous donation (we got it as a gift).

So for now, the money goes into things that are needed locally, like a 
legal expertise for the users of the german wikipedia, promotion 
material for presentations on conferences, financial support to bring 
speakers to wikimania etc.

greetings,
elian