Thank you for the update, Alex. I find it problematic that WMF would override a community grantmaking committee that WMF previously had agreed to work with, especially if the override is to approve a proposal. I understand that WMF might find a reason to decline a grant after committee approval because WMF finds something in its due diligence process that is unacceptable such as that the grantee has overdue reports on prior grants, but if a grantmaking committee develops consensus against a proposal and WMF approves it anyway, I think that is a problem, it shows a lack of trust, and it suggests that the WMF isn't serious about its own grantmaking process.
I appreciate the flexibility of GAC's process but apparently the current system is not working, as everyone seems to agree. I am curious, what alternatives are you exploring? Thanks, Pine On Wed, Jul 9, 2014 at 3:51 PM, Alex Wang <aw...@wikimedia.org> wrote: > Dear Pine, > > Thank you for your concern about the Grant Advisory Committee (GAC). You > are correct that there is a consistently low level of participation by GAC > members and we are seeking to address this issue through a revamp of the > process and available resources. > > The Project and Event Grants (PEG) program accepts proposals on a rolling > basis and we strive to provide timely responses to all requests. All GAC > members are given notice and at least 2 weeks to comment on proposals. > Often times, we work with requesters on improving their proposal to address > GAC member concerns and accept it before the GAC goes back to change their > initial assessments. Please note that the GAC is an advisory committee, not > a decision-making body, and on rare occasions WMF staff's duty of care may > lead them to disagree with their recommendations. > > We also welcome all community members to comment on PEG requests. This is a > good opportunity to remind everyone reading this to not hesitate to comment > on any open proposal. Open proposals can always be seen here: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:PEG/Index/Requests#Open_submissions > > Best, > > Alex > > > On Tue, Jul 8, 2014 at 10:56 PM, Pine W <wiki.p...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Hi Tilman, > > > > 1. Would WMF please document in the FAQ that Global Education, excluding > > the US/CAN program, is funded and managed through Grantmaking, and the > > US/CAN Education Program is run through the independent Wiki Education > > Foundation? > > > > 2. Would someone please produce a redline version of the AP that compares > > the final AP to the version that was sent to the FDC? > > > > 3. I suggest that in the future that the Board be given at least one > month > > between their meeting for reviewing the AP and the proposed effective > date > > of the AP. Otherwise, if the Board's meeting date is within a few days of > > the AP effective date, the Board may feel pressure to move quickly to > > approve the AP, and if the Board doesn't pass the AP then unless I am > > mistaken the Foundation has no spending or fundraising authority as of > the > > start of the next fiscal year. > > > > 4. The FAQ says that P&E grants are "reviewed by the 28-member Grant > > Advisory Committee <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/GAC> or GAC)". > > However, > > as far as I can tell, GAC is functioning at a very low level. This grant > > [1] for about US$7000 received only one vote among all 28 GAC members, > and > > it was an oppose vote, yet WMF approved the grant. This grant [2] for > about > > US$9000 had no support or oppose votes from GAC members, yet WMF approved > > the grant. This grant [3] for about US$30,000 received one oppose, one > > abstention, and one "no comment" among all 28 grant members, yet WMF > > approved the grant. Something seems wrong here. I have heard that GAC is > > being revamped but in the meantime I am concerned about such large grants > > being approved with so little community review. My worst-case scenario is > > that WMF approves something with expensive and damaging consequences like > > IEP or AFT5 that might have been refused or might have been better > designed > > if it had been subjected to meaningful community scrutiny. Because the > > Annual Plan seems to assume that GAC is working well, I feel that this is > > an issue that needs urgent attention. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Pine > > > > > > [1] > > > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants_talk:PEG/Metro/Institutional_Growth_and_Community_Fellow > > [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants_talk:PEG/WM_ZA/WLM-ZA-2014 > > [3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:PEG/WM_AM/Wiki_Camp > > > > > > On Mon, Jul 7, 2014 at 8:32 PM, Tilman Bayer <tba...@wikimedia.org> > wrote: > > > > > Hi all, > > > > > > the Wikimedia Foundation's 2014-15 Annual Plan has just been published > at > > > > > > > > > > > > https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/File:2014-15_Wikimedia_Foundation_Plan.pdf > > > > > > accompanied by a Q&A: > > > > > > > > > > > > https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/2014-2015_Annual_Plan_Questions_and_Answers > > > > > > The plan was approved by the Board of Trustees on June 29, 2014. > > > > > > -- > > > Tilman Bayer > > > Senior Operations Analyst (Movement Communications) > > > Wikimedia Foundation > > > IRC (Freenode): HaeB > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Please note: all replies sent to this mailing list will be immediately > > > directed to Wikimedia-l, the public mailing list of the Wikimedia > > > community. For more information about Wikimedia-l: > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l > > > _______________________________________________ > > > WikimediaAnnounce-l mailing list > > > wikimediaannounc...@lists.wikimedia.org > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaannounce-l > > > _______________________________________________ > > > 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> > > > > > -- > Alex Wang > Program Officer > Project & Event Grants > Wikimedia Foundation <http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Home> > +1 415-839-6885 > Skype: alexvwang > _______________________________________________ > 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>
