[Foundation-l] Audited financial statements released!

[Brad Patrick]

Dear Wikimedia Foundation community:

It is my pleasure to announce the public release of audited financial 
statements of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. for fiscal years 2004, 2005 
and 2006 inclusive.  This represents a significant step forward in the 
life of the Foundation.  Our audit firm, Gregory Sharer & Stuart 
(www.gsscpa.com), worked with us for the past several months to help us 
comply with all of the requirements such an audit demands.  We assumed 
this responsibility ourselves, to demonstrate to the community and the 
world that the Foundation has complied with its obligations under law 
and generally accepted accounting principles.

I want to specially thank the members of the audit team, Michael Davis 
and Danny Wool, and our auditors Rick Caton, Mili Protic, and Melanie 
Cloran for their hard work, patience, and good natured approach to this 
unusual organization.  We appreciate their efforts.

Links to the financial statements and management letter: 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/2/28/Wikimedia_2006_fs.pdf 
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/2/28/Wikimedia_2006_fs.pdf>

and

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/6/69/Wikimedia_2006_Mgmt_Letter.pdf 
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/6/69/Wikimedia_2006_Mgmt_Letter.pdf>

Wikimedia Foundation continues to grow at an astonishing rate.  In the 
coming days, you will see more information about the fundraiser we are 
planning, which will include the opportunity to have donations made to 
the Foundation matched by generous individuals and companies who support 
our efforts.  With our audit complete, Wikimedia Foundation is now 
listed as a charitable organization at Guidestar (www.guidestar.org) and 
its partner sites, which will extend our visibility in the 
not-for-profit community.

You will also see "what it takes to run Wikipedia for a year" - a 
glimpse of the financial challenges we face trying to maintain our role 
as a top website on the planet, with a skeleton staff and 
ever-increasing demand for the educational content created by you, our 
community of editors and contributors.  Anonymous visitors will also be 
reminded that Wikimedia Foundation is a *charitable organization*, 
something which distinguishes us from the YouTubes and MySpaces spoken 
in the same breath as Wikipedia as the "Web 2.0" vanguard.  We aren't 
for sale.  There won't be a Wikipedia IPO.  We can't be bought by a 
company, any more so than the Red Cross or Amnesty International.

What sets us apart is our mission, vision and community.  What keeps us 
going, though, requires an growing infrastructure, staff, and money.

On behalf of the Foundation,  thank you!

Brad Patrick
Interim Executive Director & General Counsel
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.