Hi Bence -
I'd encourage you to not really factor in 'could this help someone get a quick grant and run?' in to your decisionmaking processes. The FDC requires a multiyear track record of successful largescale program implementation before considering a grant, and I'd think if a UG had that strong a track record, their track record would speak for itself (actually, are UG's eligible for FDC grants? I don't know offhand.) The GAC doesn't require any formal recognition whatsoever, and we've pretty regularly given grants to individuals, groups of people with no official status, mission-aligned but non-Wikimedia orgs, and all sorts of Wikimedia orgs. Speaking entirely for myself, I don't think that being a recognized UG (or equally, not being one,) would effect my recommendation about whether or not to approve a PEG grant whatsoever.
I suspect the same is true for most other active GAC members given the relatively low bar required for UG status - we'll be paying way more attention at the details of the grant and the applicant(s) than on whether they have AffCom recognition. I'd definitely rather give a grant to four well-established Wikimedians with no official status than four less well-established Wikimedians who happen to be a recognized user group all things being equal, and I suspect the same is true of other GAC members. We definitely take people's previous histories in to account when considering whether or not to make a grant, but I don't think being an officially recognized user group would make a group of people meaningfully more likely to get a grant than a group of people with an equivalent track record without that status.
Although usually some form of history with the projects - or at least a strong endorsement from someone with a solid history with the projects - is needed to secure a sizable grant, we give out grants to individuals, groups of individuals that are not officially recognized, organizations aligned with our values that don't have Wikimedia affiliate status, and all kinds of other entities all the time, and I've never heard a GAC member express reservations about a particular grant based on whether or not a group of people were a recognized UG or not. Moreover, I'd be pretty surprised to hear someone do so.
We'd love to receive any and every solid proposal for a mission aligned grant, whether it comes from an individual, a group of three friends, a recognized usergroup, or a chapter or thorg that doesn't yet qualify for FDC funding (or that seeks funding for a project that the GAC can grant that the FDC can't - political advocacy is the only thing that comes to mind.) If anyone reading this who has a cool idea that can be facilitated by a PEG grant and advance the Wikimedia mission, Please come visit us :) We approve most grants that we deal with, and work hard with applicants to get grants in to approvable states if they aren't initially so: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:PEG
Best, Kevin Gorman
On Thu, May 29, 2014 at 12:52 PM, Carlos M. Colina maorx@wikimedia.org.ve wrote:
Hi Leigh,
As Greg just said it, we are all aware that your application has more complications. We are doing the best we can to speed the process up, but the AffCom is not the only actor involved in our investigations, as it is with other cases. We also know that you have included the WMF Board on your communications, and let me remind you that WUG recognitions do not depend on the WMF Board, as the AffCom has a mandate from it to recognize those groups seeking to affiliate. -and more than that, there are two Board Liaisons on the AffCom mailing list, so all the communication between us has been read by them. I don't think is necessary to send two copies of the same e-mail to the same people :-)
M.
El 29/05/2014 10:31 p.m., Leigh Thelmadatter escribió:
We have been doing all of that including the board members for a year
now. This is the first bit of information Ive had from you in months. This seems to work a lot faster.
Date: Thu, 29 May 2014 15:28:49 -0400
From: gregory.varnum@gmail.com To: wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia movement affiliates liaisons
As Leigh and people who follow this list and others know, the Wiki Borregos application has more complications. I do not think rehashing that on this public list is the best way to resolve that. Leigh, we are discussing it actively now, and you are welcome to email us for an update. You are welcome to CC a couple of board members if you feel that will help the process along.
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