[Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation Audit - June 30, 2014
The June 30, 2014 audit of the Wikimedia Foundation and accompanying QA have now been posted and can be found on the Wikimedia Foundation Financial reports page. https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Financial_reports Please contact me with any questions. Regards, Garfield -- Garfield Byrd Chief of Finance and Administration Wikimedia Foundation 415.839.6885 ext 6787 415.882.0495 (fax) www.wikimediafoundation.org Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! *https://donate.wikimedia.org https://donate.wikimedia.org/* ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation Audit - June 30, 2014
Hi Garfield, Thanks for the update. Is there public documentation somewhere about WMF investment policy? Who manages the investments, how was that firm or people chosen, and how often is the performance and risk of the portfolio and the investment manager reviewed by the Board? I am particularly interested in making sure that the investments chosen are in alignment with the values of the Foundation and have suitable risk levels, and I hope that the Board reviews these issues periodically. I remember that there has been discussion about an endowment, and I think that these questions would be reviewed as a part of the consideration of establishing an endowment. Thanks, Pine On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 10:56 AM, Garfield Byrd gb...@wikimedia.org wrote: The June 30, 2014 audit of the Wikimedia Foundation and accompanying QA have now been posted and can be found on the Wikimedia Foundation Financial reports page. https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Financial_reports Please contact me with any questions. Regards, Garfield -- Garfield Byrd Chief of Finance and Administration Wikimedia Foundation 415.839.6885 ext 6787 415.882.0495 (fax) www.wikimediafoundation.org Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! *https://donate.wikimedia.org https://donate.wikimedia.org/* ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation Audit - June 30, 2014
On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 12:14 PM, Pine W wiki.p...@gmail.com wrote: reviewed by the Board? I am particularly interested in making sure that the investments chosen are in alignment with the values of the Foundation and have suitable risk levels, and I hope that the Board reviews these issues periodically. While Garfield would no doubt answer the concrete question, let me recommend to you that the best place to exercise this particular interest is the Audit Committee (a board committee), which regularly calls for new volunteers. Most recently this past May: https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2014-May/071495.html A. -- Asaf Bartov Wikimedia Foundation http://www.wikimediafoundation.org Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation Audit - June 30, 2014
Thanks Asaf, but I have enough volunteer work to do already (: I am simply interested in understanding what is already being done. Pine On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 12:19 PM, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 12:14 PM, Pine W wiki.p...@gmail.com wrote: reviewed by the Board? I am particularly interested in making sure that the investments chosen are in alignment with the values of the Foundation and have suitable risk levels, and I hope that the Board reviews these issues periodically. While Garfield would no doubt answer the concrete question, let me recommend to you that the best place to exercise this particular interest is the Audit Committee (a board committee), which regularly calls for new volunteers. Most recently this past May: https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2014-May/071495.html A. -- Asaf Bartov Wikimedia Foundation http://www.wikimediafoundation.org Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation Audit - June 30, 2014
Thanks Garfield. The annual plan has a nice representation of staffing growth in the last 5 years. In 2009-2010, the WMF had 50 employees. In this fiscal year it anticipates having 240. The staff expense went from 2.2m in 2009 to nearly 20m in the recently ended year, and surely much more for the current one. Whatever questions or conclusions you can draw from that, it is a mind-boggling growth rate for a non-profit company. ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation Audit - June 30, 2014
Hi Nathan, there was some discussion about this around the most recent Annual Plan. While I think we need to make sure that hiring is aligned with needs and strategy, the personnel issue that worries me the most is the active editor decline. We may wish to address both of these issues in the new strategic plan. Pine On Oct 13, 2014 1:04 PM, Nathan nawr...@gmail.com wrote: Thanks Garfield. The annual plan has a nice representation of staffing growth in the last 5 years. In 2009-2010, the WMF had 50 employees. In this fiscal year it anticipates having 240. The staff expense went from 2.2m in 2009 to nearly 20m in the recently ended year, and surely much more for the current one. Whatever questions or conclusions you can draw from that, it is a mind-boggling growth rate for a non-profit company. ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation Audit - June 30, 2014
On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 12:14 PM, Pine W wiki.p...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Garfield, Thanks for the update. Is there public documentation somewhere about WMF investment policy? Who manages the investments, how was that firm or people chosen, and how often is the performance and risk of the portfolio and the investment manager reviewed by the Board? I am particularly interested in making sure that the investments chosen are in alignment with the values of the Foundation and have suitable risk levels, and I hope that the Board reviews these issues periodically. Hey Pine, it looks like you may be looking for https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Investment_Policy and https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Investment_Guidance. I will say that as someone on the internal 401k committee ( employee retirement program) mission and values driven decisions are incredibly difficult to balance well with our legal fiduciary responsibility and so always ended up having to be a secondary (though not ignored) issue. That is, however, a bit of a different case then the greater WMF investments since our main job is to make sure good 'options' are available for the staff to choose from rather then actually controlling their money. James Alexander Legal and Community Advocacy Wikimedia Foundation (415) 839-6885 x6716 @jamesofur ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation Audit - June 30, 2014
Garfield Byrd, 13/10/2014 19:56: The June 30, 2014 audit of the Wikimedia Foundation and accompanying QA have now been posted and can be found on the Wikimedia Foundation Financial reports page. https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Financial_reports Please contact me with any questions. Thanks, I did so at https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_budget#2013.E2.80.932014_financial_statements 18 2013–2014 financial statements 18.1 Copyediting 18.2 Minutiae 18.3 Travel expenses 18.4 Investment income 18.5 Restricted donations Nemo ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation Audit - June 30, 2014
Nathan wrote: The annual plan has a nice representation of staffing growth in the last 5 years. In 2009-2010, the WMF had 50 employees. In this fiscal year it anticipates having 240. The staff expense went from 2.2m in 2009 to nearly 20m in the recently ended year, and surely much more for the current one. Whatever questions or conclusions you can draw from that, it is a mind-boggling growth rate for a non-profit company. ... but not really a mind-boggling growth rate for a tech company. :-) There's talk about further expanding the engineering department. As the next Strategic Plan is drafted, I think re-evaluating both the location of the headquarters/offices and the rate of staff growth will be incredibly important. On the former, San Francisco is, of course, crazy expensive and after six years of the Wikimedia Foundation being out there, I question whether the benefit is worth the high cost. On the latter, I thought both the Board and Sue had been aligned about substantially slowing the staff growth rate and narrowing focus, but recent comments make me wonder whether the most recent executive hires are all on the same page about this. MZMcBride P.S. This piece about the office move from October 2007 is a fun read: http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/wiki-2497704.php. ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
