[Foundation-l] Wikimedia main office

[Delirium]

Daniel Mayer wrote:
> We have been talking about this for at least a couple years; the last time we did so publicly was
> just mentioned and linked to by Erik. The reason why this is necessary is due to the fact that we
> long ago reached the limit on what volunteers alone can accomplish. We have therefore been missing
> out on many different potential opportunities (for getting grants, very large donations and to
> reach our ultimate goals) simply because we have not had proper staffing. And a staff needs a
> person to manage them and the daily aspects of running the organization. Simply put, we are
> transitioning from the amateur football club model to a professional organization. Staff are an
> investment.
>   

This isn't without risks; many initially grass-roots organizations have 
lost the essence of what initially made them work in the transition to 
large, professional organization (this is especially true, for example, 
of many environmentalist organizations).  It's not impossible to do 
right, but IMO needs to be done slowly and cautiously.  There are plenty 
of things that a grassroots organization can get people to do for free 
that an organization with a large, paid staff cannot.

-Mark