However, by keeping the team's formation a secret, and not involving the Chapters' financial staff in the conceptualisation stage (even as advanced warning), does not start the concept off with good will.
While completely understanding the point you're making, I would mainly suggest not worrying about this. Many things going on in among Wikimedia movement organisations are imperfect steps in the right direction and it's more important to focus on the "step in the right direction" bit.
In many ways it's all so new and diverse that we currently are one level of abstraction beyond sharing learning and information. We are still in the process of learning how to share learning and of gathering information about what information there is.
I suspect the Finance Fellows may make a very valuable contribution even if their results are a bit less concrete than they anticipate. Hopefully the dialogue here will be helpful in shaping their approach.
Chris (Wikimedia UK trustee, though speaking personally as usual)