[Wikimedia-l] Grant Advisory Committee Expanded

[Asaf Bartov]

Hi, Anirudh.

Thanks for the welcoming note.  As others have noted, we have not required
all members to identify to the Foundation, and those that are identified
are so in other capacities.  As Katie and Nemo pointed out, GAC work is all
done in the open on Meta, and no personal information or actual money is
involved, so it is not felt necessary to require identification.

Furthermore, it is hoped that the open nomination process gave ample time
to express concerns, publicly or privately.

So we take the wiki way, which is to trust people in their chosen
identities to the extent practical and permissible by law.

Cheers,

   Asaf

On Tue, Jul 24, 2012 at 2:39 AM, Anirudh Bhati <anirudhsbh at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Asaf,
>
> Thank you for posting this and a grand welcome to all the new arrivals in
> the GAC. ;)
>
> I see that some of the folks have chosen to remain anonymous (many of whom
> I identify as prolific contributors to our projects) but I would like to
> know whether the Wikimedia Foundation has independently verified their
> identity prior to induction into the body?
>
> I understand that the body plays only an advisory role into the process
> with the final decision resting on the staff, however, the GAC voice
> carries a fair amount of weight as well (as far as I'm aware).  Therefore,
> I believe, it would serve the interest of all the stakeholders, specially
> the community, to know and be assured that the WMF has already taken steps
> to identify those who would be responsible for advising the WMF on the
> dissemination of funds to grant applications from individuals and chapters
> (non-FDC).
>
> My personal opinion is that though anonymity is great motivator for our
> volunteer contributors on projects, but at the same time it can lead to
> reduced accountability and moral responsibility for work that has direct
> implications in the real world.  I apologize in advance if I have made any
> mistake in fact, and would be happy to hear any differing views on the
> subject.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Anirudh Bhati
>
> On Tue, Jul 24, 2012 at 6:50 AM, Asaf Bartov <abartov at wikimedia.org>
> wrote:
>
> > Hello, everyone.
> >
> > I'm pleased to announce that we have significantly expanded the Grant
> > Advisory Committee (GAC)[1] as of today, and it now numbers 30
> volunteers,
> > following an open process and public calls for volunteers.  The updated
> > list of members is here[2].  With this expansion, we hope to achieve a
> > higher degree of community participation in the Foundation's evaluation
> of
> > grant proposals for its Wikimedia Grants program[3], as well as more
> > diverse feedback and advice for grant applicants on how to refine their
> > proposals for best impact.
> >
> > The GAC was set up almost exactly one year ago, and has been quietly
> doing
> > what is frankly a thankless job.  I applaud and thank the volunteers who
> > have done this work so far, and look forward to easing their load a
> little
> > now that the GAC is larger, considering an expected rise in the number of
> > grant proposals they would be called upon to review.
> >
> > Welcome to the new volunteers, and may we all have much success in
> > fostering innovation and impactful mission-aligned activities through the
> > grants program.
> >
> >    Asaf
> >
> > [1] http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grant_Advisory_Committee
> > [2] http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grant_Advisory_Committee#Membership
> > [3] http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Index
> > --
> >     Asaf Bartov
> >     Wikimedia Foundation <http://www.wikimediafoundation.org>
> >
> > Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
> > sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality!
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-- 
    Asaf Bartov
    Wikimedia Foundation <http://www.wikimediafoundation.org>

Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality!
https://donate.wikimedia.org