Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation Audit - June 30, 2014
I and the investment management team that has been selected to manage the short term and long term reserves of the Foundation are open to any consensus guidance on what socially responsible investing looks like in our context. Regards, Garfield On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 5:24 PM, Richard Symonds richard.symo...@wikimedia.org.uk wrote: Hmm. I'm not sure that everyone will agree on all of those values you espouse, Pine - they are laudable goals but as an organisation that also aims to be neutral, moving in a left-of-centre direction might be frowned on by some. Limiting investment options would also limit the returns on those investments - which would impact our mission (might be good, might be bad) - and limiting returns on investments would also in turn impact a lot of other things, for example, the recommended figures that the WMF and Chapters hold in reserve. A complicated issue. Richard Symonds Wikimedia UK 0207 065 0992 Wikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT. United Kingdom. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia movement. The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects). *Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.* On 15 October 2014 15:52, Nathan nawr...@gmail.com wrote: On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 10:30 AM, Marc A. Pelletier m...@uberbox.org wrote: On 10/15/2014 04:52 AM, Federico Leva (Nemo) wrote: I suggest that you need a stricter definition to start with. It's also highly disputable that the Foundation would be justified in reducing the fiduciary care it must employ in its investment strategy for a set of ill-defined objectives that fall entirely outside its mission - no matter how agreeable those objectives may be to many of the volunteers. -- Marc I'm not a natural fan of divestment ethics, but I don't know that there is much dispute these days that it is possible to fulfill fiduciary duties *and* invest using values / ethics oriented strategy. Twenty years ago perhaps it was uncommon, but today ethical (or social responsibility) investment strategy is common among non-profits and there are many dedicated funds for the purpose. ___ 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 -- 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, This might be a good discussion to have on Meta. Would the investment team be willing to set up a page for discussion? The guidance developed there could optionally be used by thematic organizations as well, and could be used for the WMF endowment. WMF Fundraising might want to be involved in the discussion in case donors ask questions or want to submit input. Thanks, Pine On Oct 16, 2014 12:42 PM, Garfield Byrd gb...@wikimedia.org wrote: I and the investment management team that has been selected to manage the short term and long term reserves of the Foundation are open to any consensus guidance on what socially responsible investing looks like in our context. Regards, Garfield On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 5:24 PM, Richard Symonds richard.symo...@wikimedia.org.uk wrote: Hmm. I'm not sure that everyone will agree on all of those values you espouse, Pine - they are laudable goals but as an organisation that also aims to be neutral, moving in a left-of-centre direction might be frowned on by some. Limiting investment options would also limit the returns on those investments - which would impact our mission (might be good, might be bad) - and limiting returns on investments would also in turn impact a lot of other things, for example, the recommended figures that the WMF and Chapters hold in reserve. A complicated issue. Richard Symonds Wikimedia UK 0207 065 0992 Wikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT. United Kingdom. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia movement. The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects). *Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.* On 15 October 2014 15:52, Nathan nawr...@gmail.com wrote: On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 10:30 AM, Marc A. Pelletier m...@uberbox.org wrote: On 10/15/2014 04:52 AM, Federico Leva (Nemo) wrote: I suggest that you need a stricter definition to start with. It's also highly disputable that the Foundation would be justified in reducing the fiduciary care it must employ in its investment strategy for a set of ill-defined objectives that fall entirely outside its mission - no matter how agreeable those objectives may be to many of the volunteers. -- Marc I'm not a natural fan of divestment ethics, but I don't know that there is much dispute these days that it is possible to fulfill fiduciary duties *and* invest using values / ethics oriented strategy. Twenty years ago perhaps it was uncommon, but today ethical (or social responsibility) investment strategy is common among non-profits and there are many dedicated funds for the purpose. ___ 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 -- 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
Pine W, 15/10/2014 09:56: Hi Risker, I am speaking of all of them, and I suppose our mission also, although in ways that are broadly interpreted. For example, as an organization that values freedom and transparency, and is for the purpose of public education for the benefit of all people, I feel that we should avoid investing in organizations or governments that 1. likely tolerate or profit from sweatshop labor, 2. contribute notably to environmental hazards that may harm people, 3. contribute to the repression freedom of expression, 4. conceal government-authorized unethical activities from the public, 5. have significant or consistent problems with corruption or fraud. Considering your list would force even the abandonment of USA treasury bonds (points 2 and 4), I suggest that you need a stricter definition to start with. 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
On 10/15/2014 04:52 AM, Federico Leva (Nemo) wrote: I suggest that you need a stricter definition to start with. It's also highly disputable that the Foundation would be justified in reducing the fiduciary care it must employ in its investment strategy for a set of ill-defined objectives that fall entirely outside its mission - no matter how agreeable those objectives may be to many of the volunteers. -- Marc ___ 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 Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 10:30 AM, Marc A. Pelletier m...@uberbox.org wrote: On 10/15/2014 04:52 AM, Federico Leva (Nemo) wrote: I suggest that you need a stricter definition to start with. It's also highly disputable that the Foundation would be justified in reducing the fiduciary care it must employ in its investment strategy for a set of ill-defined objectives that fall entirely outside its mission - no matter how agreeable those objectives may be to many of the volunteers. -- Marc I'm not a natural fan of divestment ethics, but I don't know that there is much dispute these days that it is possible to fulfill fiduciary duties *and* invest using values / ethics oriented strategy. Twenty years ago perhaps it was uncommon, but today ethical (or social responsibility) investment strategy is common among non-profits and there are many dedicated funds for the purpose. ___ 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
Yes, thanks, those are relevant policies. It appears that we don't have a policy that aligns WMF's investment choices with organizational values. For short-term investments where the goals are liquidity and preservation of capital, I think that this alignment should be relatively easy to achieve. For longer term funds that have the goal of accumulating returns, aligning organizational values with ROI may be a little more challenging but probably not impossible. Hopefully Garfield and/or Stu will comment on the possibility of creating a policy about aligning investment choices with organizational values. I think WMF's donors would appreciate having a policy that they could look at, especially when considering a possible WMF endowment. Pine On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 3:23 PM, James Alexander jalexan...@wikimedia.org wrote: 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 https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/guidelineswikimedi...@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
[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
