FAQ: Difference between revisions

{{Support Page|title = Frequently asked questions - DRAFT}}

This page lists '''frequently asked questions''' about the Wikimedia Foundation. Other questions are addressed at [[m:Answers|Answers]]. If you do not find your question answered here or there, please feel free to [[https://wikimediafoundation.org/about/contact/ contact us]].

[https://www.wikipedia.org Wikipedia] is an online collection of knowledge. Volunteer editors from around the world write Wikipedia. It is a collaborative creation created in 2001: anyone can edit it, at any time. Editors collaborate to write about virtually any topic, from ancient history to science to the arts. Wikipedia is available in hundreds of languages and has over 45 million articles. Wikipedia is completely non-profit, independent, and maintained by everyday people like you. You do not require approval or special qualifications to edit.

The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that supports Wikipedia, the [[wmfhttps:Our //wikimediafoundation.org/our-work/wikimedia-projects|/ other Wikimedia free knowledge websites]], and its mission of free knowledge for all. We do this by keeping the Wikimedia sites fast, secure, and available to all, defending Wikipedia and our volunteer editors from legal threats, building new features and tools to make it easy to read, edit, and share knowledge from Wikimedia sites, and by supporting the communities of editors who contribute to Wikipedia and the Wikimedia sites. We also help bring new knowledge online, lower barriers to access, and make it easier for everyone to share what they know.

The Wikimedia Foundation has 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in the United States. Donations made from other nations may also be tax deductible (see [[wmf:Tax Deductibility|tax deductibility]] for more details). Click [[wmf:Ways to Give|here]] for details on how to make a donation via credit or debit card, PayPal, Amazon and several other methods. If you have any questions, please contact us at donate{{@}}wikimedia.org.<ref name="zd">Due to the volume of inquiries we receive, we use [[w:Zendesk|Zendesk]] as a donor response platform. By emailing donate@wikimedia.org, you understand that your information will be processed by the Zendesk Group in accordance with Zendesk’s [https://www.zendesk.com/company/customers-partners/privacy-policy/ terms]. Users from the following countries should consult Section 13 of Zendesk’s [https://www.zendesk.com/company/customers-partners/master-subscription-agreement/#country-specific-terms privacy policy] for more information about Zendesk’s country-specific practices: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore.</ref>

For other ways to contribute, including via an automatic monthly gift, check or money order and payroll deduction, please visit our [[wmf:Ways to Give|Ways to Give]] page. Many currencies are accepted.

If for any reason you wish to have your donation refunded, please contact us via email at donate{{@}}wikimedia.org<ref name="zd"/> and include the following information:

The Wikimedia Foundation's 2016 - 2017 '''[https://annual.wikimedia.org annual report]''' covers the fiscal year from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017. The Foundation's annual report shares some of the voices of the hundreds of thousands of people who make the Wikimedia movement possible.

The Wikimedia Endowment was created in 2016 to serve as a permanent safekeeping fund to generate income to support the operations and activities of the Wikimedia projects in perpetuity. Donations to the Wikimedia Endowment are held in a separate fund and invested to grow over time. The Endowment fund is managed by Tides Foundation and overseen by an independent Advisory Board. Once fully funded, the Endowment income will be distributed to provide critical funding to Wikipedia and its sister projects, providing security, confidence and trust in Wikipedia’s offerings and mission for years to come. You can learn more about the Wikimedia Endowment '''[https://wikimediaendowment.org/ here]'''.

* Make an edit! See a Wikipedia article that could use improving? You can make it better. To learn more about how to start editing, check out the [[w:Teahouse| Teahouse]] for help from more experienced editors and the [[w:Getting_started|Getting started guide]].

* Connect with us on [https://www.facebook.com/wikipedia Facebook], [https://twitter.com/wikipedia Twitter], and [[wmf:social media|other places on social media]].

* Are you a developer? You can contribute code to Wikipedia and the Wikimedia sites. Find the [[mw:New Developers|guide for new developers]] on MediaWiki.org.