[Foundation-l] Chapters

[Ray Saintonge]

On 08/27/11 4:34 PM, Delphine Ménard wrote:
> On Sun, Aug 28, 2011 at 12:53 AM, Ray Saintonge<saintonge at telus.net>  wrote:
>>> If it were only the chapters themselves at stake (as is the case when
>>> they raise funds independently), then they could get money first and
>>> organization second. But the WMF shares in the risk, and is offering
>>> organizational support to chapters, so cart before horse does not make
>>> sense.
>> There's a difference between organizational support and organizational
>> takeover. One possible solution might be to not allow chapters to
>> participate in the global fundraiser unless they already have a suitable
>> organization in place, but that could make it more difficult for the WMF
>> to take a piece of the chapter's action.
> Which brings up the question: how do chapters ever get to the point of
> being organisationally ready if they never take a crack at doing
> fundraising on their own? Pleasing donors near you brings on an
> incomparable motivation to do great things and adapt our mission to
> what is expected and needed in a given region. Pleasing the Wikimedia
> Foundation somehow does not, seem to me to have the same potential.
> You know, the very old parable of giving a fish and teaching to
> fish...
>
Legal and financial arguments aside, if the perception grows that the 
WMF is trying to concentrate decision-making in San Francisco it is 
bound to inspire nationalist sentiments in many countries.  I really 
don't think it's prepared to handle that.

Ray