Hi Anasuya and Lisa,
I'm not sure I understand what is meant by fiscal sponsor here. I'd have thought that would mean that the funding to the sponsored organisation is analogous to a grant provided by the WMF, even thought the money is actually provided (directly?) by another organisation. Wouldn't that mean that the same duty of care should be present here as is the case for WMF grants?
Either way, if the WMF (as the largest Wikimedia organisation) choses to do this sort of endorsement of a project, then it should really follow it through to the end and ensure that it has had the best possible impact on the WIkimedia projects, rather than just providing initial support and advertising, and then leaving things dangling in doubt, as seems to have happened here... That really doesn't set a good example for other Wikimedia organisations that might consider doing similar work...
(I'm rather worried about similar project/positions taking place at other Harvard centres without any sort of Wikimedia organisation or community support - that sounds like a recipe for disaster...)
Thanks, Mike
On 20 Mar 2014, at 21:51, Anasuya Sengupta asengupta@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi all,
Just to be clear and follow up on Lisa's mail: this project and process did not involve grants from WMF, and WMF's role (as Lisa explained) was as a fiscal sponsor, and thereby to provide initial advice as they began recruiting and to inform the community as they did so.
thanks, Anasuya
On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 12:05 PM, Lisa Gruwell lgruwell@wikimedia.orgwrote:
I am happy to chime in here. WMF served as a fiscal sponsor for the Stanton Foundation and the Belfer Center at Harvard University in this project, which started in 2012 and lasted one year. Stanton, a trusted supporter of ours for many years, had asked us to do so. This was reported to the community here. [1] The Stanton Foundation covered all of the costs associated with it (approximately $50,000). While WMF provided advice and posted the position on the Wikimedia Blog, Belfer made the final hiring decision, which is customary in fiscal sponsorship arrangements. Harvard University is now considering similar positions for other centers.[2] WMF was not asked to fiscally sponsor for this new project at Harvard.
Best,
Lisa Gruwell
*[1] ** https://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/04/26/can-you-help-wikipedians-collaborate-w... < https://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/04/26/can-you-help-wikipedians-collaborate-w...
*[2] ** http://www.latimes.com/nation/shareitnow/la-sh-harvard-job-wikipedian-in-res... < http://www.latimes.com/nation/shareitnow/la-sh-harvard-job-wikipedian-in-res...
On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 11:16 AM, Fæ faewik@gmail.com wrote:
On 20 March 2014 17:49, Jan-Bart de Vreede jdevreede@wikimedia.org wrote:
Anasuya, Garfield and indeed the entire legal department work for the
Wikimedia Foundation. Your email (and Fae's) seems to imply that they
work
directly for you, which is of course not the case (because they really
only
need one person to be their manager :)
Hi Jan-Bart,
Unless you are joking, you have put me in a position of feeling obliged to defend myself for raising basic questions. My email was directed to this list as an open request about where I could find information. For all I knew the information was published but hard for me to find. It was directed at the Wikimedia Community, not employees of the WMF. There was no implication otherwise.
Thanks for replying so quickly with your personal commitment on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation, that there will be official responses to the detailed questions in raised here and in the original blog post. I have no doubt that as further information is published, the community will have more questions, I hope you will continue to fulfil your track record for insisting on reasonable transparency and full accountability.
PS If the board of trustees believes that I should be directing employees, then this is flattering, though please do consider paying me for it. I'm always good value. ;-)
Fae
faewik@gmail.com https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fae
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--
*Anasuya SenguptaSenior Director of GrantmakingWikimedia Foundation*
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