Revision as of 16:03, 18 November 2022 view source Pcoombe (talk \| contribs) Bureaucrats, Interface administrators, Administrators 10,487 edits boldly link annual plan where mentioned (we already link to it elsewhere on this page) ← Older edit		Revision as of 14:37, 28 November 2022 view source Pcoombe (talk \| contribs) Bureaucrats, Interface administrators, Administrators 10,487 edits updates Newer edit →
Line 5: == What is Wikipedia? == [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 4559 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. == How does Wikipedia stay reliable and neutral? == Line 46: == Why should I donate and where does my money go? == Over the past 20 years, Wikipedia has become a trusted source of information that millions of people rely on every day. With more than 6,700 pageviews every second and more than ~~350~~345 edits a minute, Wikipedia is one of the top 10 websites in the world, and the only major website run by a nonprofit organization, the Wikimedia Foundation. Unlike other top websites, Wikipedia is not funded through advertising, nor does it rely on selling data about users for profit. Instead, Wikipedia is supported by its readers - people who find value in Wikipedia and want to continue to support its success, with the average donation being about $15 USD. This financial model enables Wikipedia to remain neutral, trusted, and free from commercial interests. Line 59: == Wikipedia’s fundraising requests seem urgent, despite the Wikimedia Foundation’s sizable reserve. Why do you need additional funding? == Sustaining healthy financial reserves and having a working capital policy is considered a [https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/tools-resources/operating-reserves-nonprofits best practice] for organizations of all types. The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Directors recently defined our [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Setting_Working_Capital_Reserve_Target working capital policy] that is designed to sustain our work and provide support to affiliates and volunteers in the event of unplanned expenses, emergencies, or revenue shortfalls. It also enables us to have sufficient cash flow to cover our expenses throughout the year. We are fortunate to have a reserve. These are not funds that we use on a day-to-day basis; they can only be accessed in exceptional circumstances, such as an economic crisis. Wikipedia and its projects are critical resources that the world relies on daily. Our reserve funds are intended to ensure that we can remain sustainable even if the worst eventuality occurs. Our operating budget and [[m:Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan\|annual plan]] are developed through an open, transparent process, subject to feedback from Wikipedia volunteers and Board approval. The details of our budget and plan are always available to the public for further review. == Staff compensation is part of your operating costs. Can you explain how this is determined? == Altogether more than 400 people work on engineering and product at the Wikimedia Foundation, handling technology infrastructure for more than 2016 billion monthly pageviews. Compared to most major websites, we do a lot with a little. Additionally, approximately 100 staff work on our community support and grantmaking; partnerships with global organizations to make knowledge more freely available; and legal and policy work that helps advocate for copyright reform, prevent censorship and uphold free expression, and ensure that privacy and security policies in countries everywhere protect our readers and editors. We know that salaries vary across the world and we hire in very competitive markets. At the same time, we are a non-profit. As such, we make an effort to be fair, adjusting for inflation and income inequality, while providing equitable compensation to all.

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