On Thu, Mar 14, 2013 at 8:47 PM, Samuel Klein <[email protected]> wrote: > Aha, a welcome topic :) > > MZMcBride writes: >> I think we need to decide, as a community, whether this is something we >> want. If it is, we should set up an endowment fund sooner rather than >> later, so that people willing to donate to such an endowment have a place >> to put their money, I think. > > Yes, let us build an endowment. > It makes practical sense: As a community institution that aims to > serve our society for the next 100 years, it matches our scope and > vision. And as a respected and visible global project, we can raise > the funds we need. > > It also makes financial sense: Some donors prefer to donate to one. > And there are economies of scale: the flexibility of long-term > investments let them generate better average returns, and large funds > can invest significantly more effectively than small ones.
let me play advocatus diaboli here ... the strong point of the wikimedia movement always has been that it attracts small donations, which are of immediate use. some reserves to allow keep the lights on for a couple of years is very understandable. lets assume our donors are "average people", people who have the time to click and give 10 dollars. why should somebody who earns a little salary want to give 10 dollars to a foundation which has 40 million on its bank account? ok - you say the movement does not need these little donations any more, because if the foundation would have 800 million dollar it would leave 40 million to spend as well (5% interest rate). but what if the foundation only has 200 million? this earns only 10 million a year, and the sum might be sufficient that we might loose the donors which made this success possible. and you say, some people might really _want_ to donate to an endowment fund, just let the people choose. but - does this choice cannibalize the "normal" donations of people who do not want to donate to an endowment fund? if yes, then the foundation, the websites, and the content got disconnected from the donors, and from the contributors. advocatus diaboli mode out. rupert. _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
