Caveat: I support a definitely more frugal WMF so also the endowment. Try to read it from a different perspective. Before donating *lots* of money donor wants to be sure WMF will be truly committed in pursuing the plan of an endowment. Putting the same amount of money is a prove, for donors, WMF truly wants to create an endowment.
Vito 2017-08-19 10:33 GMT+02:00 Rogol Domedonfors <domedonf...@gmail.com>: > I was surprised to read the record > https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolution:Approval_ > of_Endowment_funding_(Fiscal_Year_2016-2017)_and_matching_$ > 5_million_gift_from_Peter_Baldwin_and_Lisbet_Rausing > of the decision to place $5M into the endowment. After the anouncement by > Lisa Gruwell on this list > https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2016- > December/085712.html > there was a discussion of what might be done with the funds raised, and a > number of suggestions were made for how these funds could be used to > directly support the work of the volunteers who contribute the content to > the projects, such as > https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2017-January/085835.html > . > > It is disappointing that the Board has chosen not to fund support of this > kind. What is more than disappointing, but positively disturbing is that > the decision was made in the light of an offer from a donor to match the > sum put into the endowment. I suggest that this was not a fair offer, and > the Board's decision was the wrong one. Effectively this donor has said to > the Board that they will pay the Foundation not to support the volunteers, > and the Board has agreed to follow their wishes. If the donor believes so > strongly in the necessity to build up the mission by means of an Endowment, > why did they not simply gift the money directly into the endowment without > conditions? Equally, if the donor believes so strongly that money should > not be spent supporting the volunteer community, then I challenge them to > say so explicitly in public and to defend their position. > > I call on the Board to explain to the community of volunteers precisely why > they have chosen not to offer that support to the community and to state > that they will not allow future decisions of this nature to be influenced > by the wishes of one donor, however generous. > > "Rogol" > _______________________________________________ > 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, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
