Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia-l Digest, Vol 201, Issue 38

[Florence Devouard]

Hello


Still waiting for explanation. But wanted to point out that the 
statement from John below is a bit problematic to me.


Wiki in Africa has been under APG for a year now. At no point have we 
been informed of any changes that would involve a "Tides Advocacy" 
organization.


Note that I completely assume good faith and I trust everything will be 
right. I am not worried.


But must point out that... if the information was meant to be public and 
communicated to all APG orgs... then it was not.


Florence



Le 13/12/2020 à 16:56, John Andersson a écrit :

Hi,

All of the Annual Planning Grants (APGs) to Wikimedia affiliates are 
next year paid through Tides Advocacy. Wikimedia Foundation has 
communicated this change to all of us affiliates that are affected 
many months ago, and there is nothing secretive going on. Please 
assume good faith.


Best,

John Andersson
Executive Director
Wikimedia Sverige

Den sön 13 dec. 2020 13:02 > skrev:


Send Wikimedia-l mailing list submissions to
wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org


To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l

or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org


You can reach the person managing the list at
wikimedia-l-ow...@lists.wikimedia.org


When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of Wikimedia-l digest..."


Today's Topics:

   1. Re: WMF transfers $8.7 million to "Wikimedia Knowledge Equity
      Fund" (Christophe Henner)


--

Message: 1
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 2020 12:39:31 +0100
From: Christophe Henner mailto:christophe.hen...@gmail.com>>
To: Wikimedia Mailing List mailto:wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org>>
Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] WMF transfers $8.7 million to "Wikimedia
        Knowledge Equity Fund"
Message-ID:
mailto:w...@mail.gmail.com>>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

It is the endowment.

Le dim. 13 déc. 2020 à 10:37 AM, Yair Rand mailto:yyairr...@gmail.com>> a écrit :

> No, the Wikimedia Endowment is a separate thing.
>
> -- Yair Rand
>
> ‫בתאריך יום א׳, 13 בדצמ׳ 2020 ב-4:18 מאת ‪Michael Peel‬‏ <‪
> em...@mikepeel.net ‬‏>:‬
>
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Endowment
 ?
>>
>> On 13 Dec 2020, at 08:33, Yair Rand mailto:yyairr...@gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>> According to the recent Independent Auditors' Report of the WMF
[1], at
>> some point prior to the end of June 2020, an entity called the
"Wikimedia
>> Knowledge Equity Fund" was established, and $8.723 million was
transferred
>> to it by the WMF, in the form of an unconditional grant. The
Fund is
>> "managed and controlled by Tides Advocacy" (a 501(c)(4)
advocacy nonprofit
>> previously led by the WMF's current General Counsel/Board
Secretary, who
>> served as CEO, Board Secretary, and Treasurer there). Given
that a Google
>> search for "Wikimedia Knowledge Equity Fund" yields zero
results prior to
>> the release of the report, it is clear that the WMF kept this
significant
>> move completely secret for over five months, perhaps over a
year. The
>> Report FAQ additionally emphasizes that the WMF "has no right
of return to
>> the grant funds provided, with the exception of unexpended funds."
>>
>> The WMF unilaterally and secretly transferred nearly $9 million of
>> movement funds to an outside organization not recognized by the
>> Affiliations Committee. No mention of the grant was made in any
Board
>> resolutions or minutes from the relevant time period. The
amount was not
>> mentioned in the public annual plan, which set out rather less
than this
>> amount for the entire grantmaking budget for the year. No
application was
>> made through any of the various Wikimedia grants processes. No
further
>> information has been provided on the administration of this new
Fund, or on
>> the text of the grant agreement.
>>
>> I am appalled.
>>
>> -- Yair Rand
>>
>> [1]
>>

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/f/f7/Wikimedia_Foundation_FY2019-2020_Audit_Report.pdf


>> ___
>> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guideline

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia-l Digest, Vol 201, Issue 38

[Chris Keating]

Hi John,

Well that is part of the answer - though Tides will evidently also be
making other grants as well (what, to whom and what for is unclear)

But this also raises quite a lot of questions about the APG grants. Who is
now determining who gets how much? The FDC has been de facto abolished,
after it was 'paused' to allow more time for the strategy process. Has
their work been outsourced to the Tides Foundation? If so how are they
going to be going about it?

I don't know if any information about this has been communicated to the
affiliates whose budgets are affected, but of course they are not the only
stakeholders!

Chris

On Sun, Dec 13, 2020 at 3:56 PM John Andersson 
wrote:

> Hi,
>
> All of the Annual Planning Grants (APGs) to Wikimedia affiliates are next
> year paid through Tides Advocacy. Wikimedia Foundation has communicated
> this change to all of us affiliates that are affected many months ago, and
> there is nothing secretive going on. Please assume good faith.
>
> Best,
>
> John Andersson
> Executive Director
> Wikimedia Sverige
>
> Den sön 13 dec. 2020 13:02 
> skrev:
>
>> Send Wikimedia-l mailing list submissions to
>> wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
>>
>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
>> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>> wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org
>>
>> You can reach the person managing the list at
>> wikimedia-l-ow...@lists.wikimedia.org
>>
>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
>> than "Re: Contents of Wikimedia-l digest..."
>>
>>
>> Today's Topics:
>>
>>1. Re: WMF transfers $8.7 million to "Wikimedia Knowledge Equity
>>   Fund" (Christophe Henner)
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Sun, 13 Dec 2020 12:39:31 +0100
>> From: Christophe Henner 
>> To: Wikimedia Mailing List 
>> Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] WMF transfers $8.7 million to "Wikimedia
>> Knowledge Equity Fund"
>> Message-ID:
>> > w...@mail.gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>>
>> It is the endowment.
>>
>> Le dim. 13 déc. 2020 à 10:37 AM, Yair Rand  a écrit
>> :
>>
>> > No, the Wikimedia Endowment is a separate thing.
>> >
>> > -- Yair Rand
>> >
>> > ‫בתאריך יום א׳, 13 בדצמ׳ 2020 ב-4:18 מאת ‪Michael Peel‬‏ <‪
>> > em...@mikepeel.net‬‏>:‬
>> >
>> >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Endowment ?
>> >>
>> >> On 13 Dec 2020, at 08:33, Yair Rand  wrote:
>> >>
>> >> According to the recent Independent Auditors' Report of the WMF [1], at
>> >> some point prior to the end of June 2020, an entity called the
>> "Wikimedia
>> >> Knowledge Equity Fund" was established, and $8.723 million was
>> transferred
>> >> to it by the WMF, in the form of an unconditional grant. The Fund is
>> >> "managed and controlled by Tides Advocacy" (a 501(c)(4) advocacy
>> nonprofit
>> >> previously led by the WMF's current General Counsel/Board Secretary,
>> who
>> >> served as CEO, Board Secretary, and Treasurer there). Given that a
>> Google
>> >> search for "Wikimedia Knowledge Equity Fund" yields zero results prior
>> to
>> >> the release of the report, it is clear that the WMF kept this
>> significant
>> >> move completely secret for over five months, perhaps over a year. The
>> >> Report FAQ additionally emphasizes that the WMF "has no right of
>> return to
>> >> the grant funds provided, with the exception of unexpended funds."
>> >>
>> >> The WMF unilaterally and secretly transferred nearly $9 million of
>> >> movement funds to an outside organization not recognized by the
>> >> Affiliations Committee. No mention of the grant was made in any Board
>> >> resolutions or minutes from the relevant time period. The amount was
>> not
>> >> mentioned in the public annual plan, which set out rather less than
>> this
>> >> amount for the entire grantmaking budget for the year. No application
>> was
>> >> made through any of the various Wikimedia grants processes. No further
>> >> information has been provided on the administration of this new Fund,
>> or on
>> >> the text of the grant agreement.
>> >>
>> >> I am appalled.
>> >>
>> >> -- Yair Rand
>> >>
>> >> [1]
>> >>
>> https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/f/f7/Wikimedia_Foundation_FY2019-2020_Audit_Report.pdf
>> >> ___
>> >> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
>> >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
>> >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
>> >> New messages to: 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/wi

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia-l Digest, Vol 201, Issue 38

[John Andersson]

Hi,

All of the Annual Planning Grants (APGs) to Wikimedia affiliates are next
year paid through Tides Advocacy. Wikimedia Foundation has communicated
this change to all of us affiliates that are affected many months ago, and
there is nothing secretive going on. Please assume good faith.

Best,

John Andersson
Executive Director
Wikimedia Sverige

Den sön 13 dec. 2020 13:02  skrev:

> Send Wikimedia-l mailing list submissions to
> wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> wikimedia-l-ow...@lists.wikimedia.org
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Wikimedia-l digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
>1. Re: WMF transfers $8.7 million to "Wikimedia Knowledge Equity
>   Fund" (Christophe Henner)
>
>
> --
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 13 Dec 2020 12:39:31 +0100
> From: Christophe Henner 
> To: Wikimedia Mailing List 
> Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] WMF transfers $8.7 million to "Wikimedia
> Knowledge Equity Fund"
> Message-ID:
>  w...@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> It is the endowment.
>
> Le dim. 13 déc. 2020 à 10:37 AM, Yair Rand  a écrit :
>
> > No, the Wikimedia Endowment is a separate thing.
> >
> > -- Yair Rand
> >
> > ‫בתאריך יום א׳, 13 בדצמ׳ 2020 ב-4:18 מאת ‪Michael Peel‬‏ <‪
> > em...@mikepeel.net‬‏>:‬
> >
> >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Endowment ?
> >>
> >> On 13 Dec 2020, at 08:33, Yair Rand  wrote:
> >>
> >> According to the recent Independent Auditors' Report of the WMF [1], at
> >> some point prior to the end of June 2020, an entity called the
> "Wikimedia
> >> Knowledge Equity Fund" was established, and $8.723 million was
> transferred
> >> to it by the WMF, in the form of an unconditional grant. The Fund is
> >> "managed and controlled by Tides Advocacy" (a 501(c)(4) advocacy
> nonprofit
> >> previously led by the WMF's current General Counsel/Board Secretary, who
> >> served as CEO, Board Secretary, and Treasurer there). Given that a
> Google
> >> search for "Wikimedia Knowledge Equity Fund" yields zero results prior
> to
> >> the release of the report, it is clear that the WMF kept this
> significant
> >> move completely secret for over five months, perhaps over a year. The
> >> Report FAQ additionally emphasizes that the WMF "has no right of return
> to
> >> the grant funds provided, with the exception of unexpended funds."
> >>
> >> The WMF unilaterally and secretly transferred nearly $9 million of
> >> movement funds to an outside organization not recognized by the
> >> Affiliations Committee. No mention of the grant was made in any Board
> >> resolutions or minutes from the relevant time period. The amount was not
> >> mentioned in the public annual plan, which set out rather less than this
> >> amount for the entire grantmaking budget for the year. No application
> was
> >> made through any of the various Wikimedia grants processes. No further
> >> information has been provided on the administration of this new Fund,
> or on
> >> the text of the grant agreement.
> >>
> >> I am appalled.
> >>
> >> -- Yair Rand
> >>
> >> [1]
> >>
> https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/f/f7/Wikimedia_Foundation_FY2019-2020_Audit_Report.pdf
> >> ___
> >> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
> >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
> >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
> >> New messages to: 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 and
> >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
> >> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> >> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> >> 
> >>
> > ___
> > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
> > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
> > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
> > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> > 
> >
> -- next part --
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL: <
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/