Hi folks, Happy Sunday from San Francisco -- we've seen the questions on this list, and we'll reply tomorrow when folks are back at work. Thanks for your understanding!
Hope everyone is staying well and safe, Katherine On Sun, Dec 13, 2020 at 5:36 AM Isaac Olatunde <reachout2is...@gmail.com> wrote: > I agree with Dan. A question about this should have been directed to the > WMF and allow them to respond prior to raising it here (if that's even > necessary in the first place.) > > Regards > > Isaac > > > On Sun, 13 Dec 2020, 14:30 Dan Garry (Deskana), <djgw...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> It seems disingenous to describe it as "secret" given that it was >> willingly acknowledged in the the FAQ of the annual financial audit >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_reports/Financial/Audits/2019-2020_-_frequently_asked_questions/id#This_year%E2%80%99s_report_says_that_the_Wikimedia_Foundation_provided_an_unconditional_grant_of_$8.723_million_to_Tides_Advocacy_for_the_Wikimedia_Knowledge_Equity_Fund._What_is_the_Wikimedia_Knowledge_Equity_Fund?>. >> The information provided in the FAQ is somewhat lacking, but these are not >> the actions of people trying to sweep it under the rug. >> >> Let us politely ask for more information without being unnecessarily >> alarmist. >> >> Dan >> >> On Sun, 13 Dec 2020 at 08:54, Yair Rand <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, 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> >> > _______________________________________________ > 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> > -- Katherine Maher (she/her) CEO Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
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