Thanks, Seddon. Jimmy Wales, in his inimitable style, was a little more definite on this idea of stopping the fundraiser when the targeted amount of money is in the bank.
Rich Farmbrough had asked,[1] <startquotes> Once upon a time, unless I imagined it, we used to run the annual fund-raiser until we had reached the target then stop. We no longer do this. Why then, does a banner come up saying "If we all donated £2 the fund-raiser would be over in an hour?" [...] [...] we want to see the Foundation properly funded. That desire cannot be the reason, or the excuse, that every year we have morally dubious fund-raising messages. All the best: *Rich <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Rich_Farmbrough> Farmbrough <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Rich_Farmbrough>*, 20:25, 1 December 2016 (UTC). We would still stop the fundraiser if enough money were raised in shorter than the planned time. So I don't see what your concern is about.--Jimbo Wales <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jimbo_Wales> (talk <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jimbo_Wales#top>) 10:09, 2 December 2016 (UTC) <endquotes> Jimmy has good instincts when it comes to saying the right thing to defuse criticism. But you have to *do* the right thing, too, to have any credibility. On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 8:22 AM, Peter Southwood < [email protected]> wrote: > What could be done is to allow the fundraiser to continue after reaching > the original goals with acknowledgement that the original goals have been > met, and specifying what extended goals income could be used for. This > happens all the time on kickstarter. It is open and ethically acceptable as > everyone knows what is happening and can choose accordingly. > I agree with Peter. This sounds like an excellent idea. On the matter of last year's endowment: I thought that is why the target was increased from $20 million (2014) to $25 million (2015). (The fiscal plan specifically referred to $5 million for the endowment.[2]) Yet as we've seen, the latter target was also substantially exceeded, by far more than the 20% "stretch goal" mentioned in the fiscal plan. That looks exactly like the approach Rich was criticising. On the reliability of the frdata dumps: I take your point that the totals on the frdata page are lower than the actual amounts taken. I'd assumed this was because the frdata page only included small donations made through the Wikimedia websites, and did not include major donations made directly to WMF, such as the $1 million received from Craigslist founder Craig Newmark. At any rate, the page is a good page to have (transparency in action), and worth maintaining. Regards, Andreas [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jimbo_Wales/Archive_215#Once_upon_a_time [2] https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/2015-2016_Annual_Plan#Summary_of_the_fiscal_plan On Fri, Dec 9, 2016 at 2:38 AM, Joseph Seddon <[email protected]> wrote: > There is naturally some flexibility as to when we stop and that's a > decision that will be looked at over the coming days and weeks. It's always > useful to give ourselves some breathing space for our Q3 and Q4 campaigns. > We also don't include major gifts donations in the total for our online > campaigns. This is one factor that increases the difference between the > December totals and the December goal for online fundraising. Last year we > also decided to use the online fundraiser to help seed the endowment which > added $5million to our to our fundraising for the December fundraiser. > > Regards > Seddon > > On Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 5:03 PM, Andreas Kolbe <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Hi Seddon, > > > > Okay, but I believe I am correct in saying that you took around $34 > million > > last December, even though the publicised[1] target was $25 million. > > > > I am basing that on the monthly bar chart in the Wikimedia Foundation's > > 2015–2016 Fundraising Report.[2]* > > > > In 2014, the publicised target was $20 million, and you reported[3] that > > you surpassed that as well – by more than $10 million, according to the > > frdata dump. > > > > Given that this year you've taken well over half your target amount in > > eight days, and are outperforming last year's campaign, I estimate you'll > > end up with a total of around $40 million if you keep the campaign > running > > until the end of the year, i.e. $15 million more than the communicated > > target. > > > > Is that what you're intending to do, or will you end the campaign when > the > > targeted $25 million are in the bank? > > > > Andreas > > > > > > > > * I tried to include the chart for quick reference, but the mail that > > included seems to have gotten stuck in the system. I guess pipermail > > doesn't like graphics. > > > > [1] https://blog.wikimedia.org/2015/12/01/wikimedia-foundati > > on-annual-campaign/ > > [2] https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/2015-2016_Fundraising_Report > > [3] https://blog.wikimedia.org/2015/01/05/thank-you-for-keep > > ing-knowledge-free-and-accessible/ > > > > > > > > On Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 2:04 PM, Joseph Seddon <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > > Hey Andreas > > > > > > A very quick email just noting I don't know the method by which that > > frdata > > > dump is created (its very old and not maintained) but it would seem > that > > > numbers in the frdata dump are only useful as a rough guide. > > > > > > We are basing our numbers on internal accounting figures which is more > > > representative of the actual cash flow since it is more closely based > on > > > actual cleared payments. > > > > > > Seddon > > > > > > On 7 Dec 2016 13:36, "Andreas Kolbe" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > People can follow progress of the fundraiser by loading the > spreadsheet > > > > files provided here: > > > > > > > > https://frdata.wikimedia.org/ > > > > > > > > At the time of writing, the data in > > > > > > > > > > > > yeardata-day-vs-sum.csv > > > > <https://frdata.wikimedia.org/yeardata-day-vs-sum.csv> Total amount > > > > received per day (not taking into account refunds) > > > > > > > > indicate that you have received $15.8 million in donations since the > > > > year-end campaign started on November 29. The advertised target of > the > > > > campaign is $25 million[1] – so after less than nine days, you are > > > already > > > > more than 60% there. > > > > > > > > Are you planning to end the campaign once the publicised target is > > > reached, > > > > or will you go beyond the target as you did in the last two years? > > > > > > > > [1] > > > > https://blog.wikimedia.org/2016/11/29/wikimedia- > > > > foundation-annual-fundraiser/ > > > > > > > > On Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 11:05 PM, Joseph Seddon < > [email protected]> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hello All! > > > > > > > > > > So originally we were going to send an update after the first two > > weeks > > > > but > > > > > with so much going on and following feedback, I'll cover as much > as I > > > can > > > > > in as brief a form as possible and more regularly than planned: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > - > > > > > > > > > > Banners limited: We have already begun limiting the number of > > times > > > a > > > > > reader will see a banner within a single browser if they choose > to > > > not > > > > > dismiss the banners. For the moment, dismissing a banner or > > viewing > > > a > > > > > banner *up to 10 times* will result in the banners being > > suppressed > > > > for > > > > > a period of 1 week. > > > > > - > > > > > > > > > > Big messaging update [1]: We've been playing heavily with the > > ideas > > > of > > > > > “fake news” and “facts matter”. In addition for first time since > > > 2013, > > > > > we > > > > > have returned to an appeal coming from a specific individual, in > > > this > > > > > case > > > > > Jimmy. Much of the inspiration for both came from interviews > > > > Fundraising > > > > > did with both Jimmy and Katherine back in October. > > > > > - > > > > > > > > > > Big design update & in-line banners: We've moved away from the > > dark > > > > navy > > > > > blue (seen as black by many people), which was considered by the > > > > > community > > > > > to be too mobid and foreboding, to a white background banner > with > > > red > > > > > border. Following extensive testing we also moved to inline > > banners > > > > over > > > > > the weekend replacing the top header banners. > > > > > - > > > > > > > > > > Promising Numbers: Currently we believe that we have raised > around > > > > > $13,000,000 (accounting for payments to be cleared). This has > been > > > > > helped > > > > > enormously by both gains found in our banner campaigns that is > > > > allowing > > > > > us > > > > > to keep pace with the decline of desktop, as well as a > brilliantly > > > > > performing e-mail campaign. > > > > > - > > > > > > > > > > Awesome E-mail: November 30th 2016 saw our biggest day for email > > > > > fundraising ~$950,000 (2016) vs ~$550,000 (2015) raised in a 24 > > hour > > > > > period > > > > > with approximately a similar number of e-mails. > > > > > - > > > > > > > > > > Stable Tech: This year has been extremely stable from a > technical > > > > > standpoint compared to other years, with the most perplexing > issue > > > > > being an > > > > > odd dip that occurred in our donations and traffic [2] on > December > > > 1st > > > > > for > > > > > one hour. This occurred during the quietest period in a day for > 2 > > > days > > > > > but > > > > > then appeared to stop. Low impact but naturally could be a > bigger > > > > issue > > > > > if > > > > > the problem occurred during peak fundraising hours or was more > > > > > prolonged, > > > > > investigations continue. > > > > > - > > > > > > > > > > Major gifts going great: Our major gifts team have been very > busy, > > > and > > > > > have seen double the number of Major gifts donations during this > > > > period > > > > > of > > > > > the year compared with last year which means this page [3] > > getting a > > > > > lot of > > > > > updates recently. > > > > > - > > > > > > > > > > A brilliant social media team: In short awesome work has been > done > > > by > > > > > them but I will send a separate more detailed update on this :) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [1] - > > > > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein?banner=B1617_ > > > > > 1117_en6C_dsk_p1_lg_template&force=1&country=US > > > > > > > > > > [2] - https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T152122 > > > > > [3] - https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Benefactors > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > Seddon > > > > > > > > > > *Advancement Associate (Community Engagement)* > > > > > *Wikimedia Foundation* > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > > > > > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > > > New messages to: [email protected] > > > > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/ > > mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > > > <mailto:[email protected]?subject= > unsubscribe> > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > > > > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > > New messages to: [email protected] > > > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/ > mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > > > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > New messages to: [email protected] > > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > New messages to: [email protected] > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > > -- > Seddon > > *Advancement Associate (Community Engagement)* > *Wikimedia Foundation* > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > New messages to: [email protected] > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines New messages to: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe>
