Dear Wikimedia colleagues: In response to feedback about the grants process <http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Reimagining_WMF_grants/Outcomes> that identified a gap in support for organizations and groups with annual plans that are not part of the FDC process <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG>, we on the WMF's Community Resources Team created a new pilot process for Simple Annual Plan Grants <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/Simple>. These grants are for groups and organizations that need funds for operating and program expenses up to US$100K (or its equivalent in another currency).
This process has been developed in partnership with a committee of eight volunteers <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/Simple/Committee>, who make recommendations about each grant application, which are then approved by WMF staff. I would like to recognize the outstanding work of our inaugural committee: Addis Wang, Anders Wennersten, Kiril Simeonovski, Kirill Lokshin, Ido Ivri, Nataliia Tymkiv, Pete Ekman, and Sydney Poore. Besides producing four quality recommendations this month (found on the discussion pages of the four applications <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/Simple/About#applications>), they've done invaluable work to define how this new funding option will work, and offered constructive and supportive feedback to the applicants. I also want to recognize and congratulate our first four grantees: Wikimedia Czech Republic, Wikimedia Eesti, Wikimedia Espana, and Shared Knowledge (user group in Macedonia). Each grantee did an outstanding job engaging during every phase of the grants process, and we are confident that each is preparing for an amazing year in 2016. Many thanks to all of the dedicated volunteers and staff at each organization that made these quality applications happen, including Bojan Jankuloski, Jan Loužek, Kiril Simeonevski, Kaarel Vaidla, Luis Ulzurrun, Santiago Navarro, Vojtěch Dostál and the volunteer boards and supportive community members at each of these organizations. Finally, thank you to our colleagues Janice Tud, Siko Bouterse, Stephen LaPorte, and the WMF finance team, for supporting these grantees behind the scenes. Thanks to Katy Love, Kacie Harold, and the entire Community Resources Team, past and current Funds Dissemination Committee members, current and past APG applicants, and particularly Ravishankar Ayyakkannu, for sharing their ideas and experiences leading up to this idea. Special thanks also to Tony Souter and Bence Damokos for their substantial feedback during the early phases of the pilot's development. Are you interested in learning more about how the new funding option could work for your group or organization? Please Email me to start a discussion about your organization's application, and read more about how to apply <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/Simple/Eligibility>. Applications will be accepted throughout 2016. Best wishes and congratulations to all our colleagues who received grants in 2015, or helped to improve the grants process! Winifred Helpful links for Simple Annual Plan Grants: *Apply here: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/Simple/Eligibility *About the program: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/Simple/About *Committee: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/Simple/Committee -- Winifred Olliff Program Officer Wikimedia Foundation _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines 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>
