[Foundation-l] Fundraising & Networking updates

[Jimmy Wales]

Nathan wrote:
> Regarding these powerful and influential rainmakers and possibly major
> donors, what are you offering them in return for their assistance?
> Some institutions offer named buildings, other permanent projects in
> their name. Others offer an element of control over some avenue of
> interest to the donor. Rarely do major donations come without strings,
> and at the very least most will expect to have their voice heard above
> the general din. So, when someone donates a million or ten million to
> the Wikimedia Foundation: What do they get?
> 
> In my view, partnerships or grants with other corporations or
> foundations are to be preferred by far.

In my experience, it doesn't work that way.  Corporations who give money 
have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders to make sure that 
the gift has a sound business basis.  In some cases, charitable giving 
by corporations can be justified on the basis of image and goodwill from 
the public alone.

But in many cases, corporations can't just give money to something 
because they believe in it.  They may need something more.  I can easily 
envision Dell (random example, just choose any random hardware vendor) 
wanting to brag that Wikipedia runs on Dell Hardware, and to run 
commercials with me smiling next to some Dell servers saying how great 
they are.  And that would be just fine, I think.

But with individuals, there is absolutely no reason that they need a 
business justification.  For all of our existing wealthy donors, and all 
of the potential wealthy donors I have talked to in the past, there has 
never once been a question of what we would do for them in return.  I 
believe most of them would be offended by the question, and at least one 
very major donor does all of his charitable giving anonymously, as a 
part of his personal philosophy.

There is always the possibility that someone would ask for something in 
return, and whether we would give it or not would have to depend on the 
context and be done in a manner consistent with our longterm principles, 
of course.

--Jimbo