Resolution:Board visitors
 | This proposal has been approved by the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees. It may not be circumvented, eroded, or ignored by Wikimedia Foundation officers or staff nor local policies of any Wikimedia project. |
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| This resolution allowing up to two visitors to observe the Board's work for a year was approved 8-1. |
The Board recommends experimenting for one year with allowing up to two board visitors for significant content, financial or expertise contributors.
Rationale:
- The Wikimedia Foundation and projects benefit from significant content, financial support and other contributions from both individuals and institutions;
- Some large contributors have an understandable expectation of greater access to information from organizations to which they contribute significantly;
- Wikimedia Foundation's board will benefit from building closer ties with and learning from our significant individual and institutional contributors.
Criteria for selection as a board visitor:
- Contribution of significant content, financial support or unique expertise;
- Institution and/or individual shows strong philosophical alignment with the Wikimedia Foundation mission and,
- Board approval required prior to board visitor status being granted.
Board Visitor Privileges:
- Attendance at in-person board meetings once per year for most but not all agenda items (e.g. Attendance for budget and strategic discussions, not for executive sessions);
- Inclusion in formal materials sent to other trustees (e.g. Pre-read materials, Committee reports, Board minutes);
- No participation in board voting on resolutions, or board IRC meetings; no inclusion on board email list;
- One year term.
Board Visitor Responsibilities
- Visitor must treat conversations with the same confidentiality as the rest of the board.
- Approved 8-1, one vote absent