Resolution: Resolution:Wikimedia Endowment Structure, 2021
 | 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. Please note that in the event of any differences in meaning or interpretation between the original English version of this content and a translation, the original English version takes precedence. |
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| This resolution was approved on February 25, 2021. |
Whereas, in 2015 the Wikimedia Foundation established the Wikimedia Endowment as a Collective Action Fund at the Tides Foundation;
Whereas, in 2016 the Board of Trustees approved the Wikimedia Endowment Operating Agreement and the Wikimedia Endowment Advisory Board Charter, and stated its belief that the right long-term structure for the Wikimedia Endowment is as a separate independent entity;
Whereas, in 2018 and 2019 the Board decided to retain the existing structure for the Wikimedia Endowment for the time being, but requested additional analysis and recommendations from Foundation staff;
Whereas, Foundation staff have conducted additional analysis and recommended that the Wikimedia Endowment is now ready to become its own independent entity; and
Whereas, the Wikimedia Endowment Advisory Board has received and reviewed Foundation staff's analysis and recommendation regarding the future corporate structure and stewardship of the Wikimedia Endowment, and requested that Foundation staff take the necessary steps to establish a stand-alone 501(c)(3) public charity to serve as the future corporate home for the Wikimedia Endowment;
Now, therefore, it is:
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees has received and reviewed Foundation staff's analysis and recommendation, and the recommendation of the Wikimedia Endowment Advisory Board, and the Board concurs with the recommendations; and
RESOLVED, that the Board instructs Foundation staff to proceed to take the steps necessary to establish a stand-alone 501(c)(3) public charity to serve as the future corporate home for the Wikimedia Endowment, including:
- Developing Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws,
- Incorporating the new legal entity, and
- Coordinating any tasks required to prepare for and facilitate this legal transition.
- Approve
- María Sefidari (Chair), Nataliia Tymkiv (Vice Chair), Esra'a Al Shafei, Tanya Capuano, Shani Evenstein Sigalov, James Heilman, Dariusz Jemielniak, Raju Narisetti, Jimmy Wales
- Not present
- Lisa Lewin
References
- Resolution:Establishment of Endowment (December 9, 2015)
- Resolution:Approving the Endowment Advisory Board Operations (June 29, 2016)
- Resolution:Consideration of future Endowment structure (June 12, 2018)
- Resolution:Endowment structure (June 14, 2019)