FDC portal/Eligibility criteria

This page documents a process related to the Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC). Please do not edit it without the permission of FDC Staff, but please do leave a comment on the discussion page.

Summary of this Section

• Entities must meet several objective criteria to be eligible to receive funds from the FDC:

1. It has been formally acknowledged by the WMF Board of Trustees as a Wikimedia-affiliated entity;
2. It has a non-expired signed agreement with the Wikimedia Foundation (e.g., chapter agreement);
3. It has a record of either:
   • Successfully completing two grants from the Wikimedia Foundation; OR
   • Successfully completing one grant and participating in one fundraising campaign as a payment-processor; OR
   • Participating in two fundraising campaigns as a payment processor;
4. It has submitted a letter of intent to seek an allocation from the FDC;
5. It complies with contractual obligations agreed with the Wikimedia Foundation, such as those in chapter agreements, fundraiser agreements, grant agreements, or other formal agreements; and
6. It complies with all relevant US and local laws.

• Once an entity submits a letter of intent to submit a proposal to the FDC, WMF staff will be responsible for assessing entities eligibility. WMF staff will inform entities of their eligibility status by 15 July (Round 1) and 15 December (Round 2) and will work with entities who are out of compliance to develop a plan to come into compliance.
• Entities that do not meet these requirements or would prefer to request funds for projects rather than for general operating support (annual plans), will still have the opportunity to apply for funds through other programs, including the Wikimedia Grants Program.

Requirements for eligibility

The FDC will only assess funding requests from entities that meet these eligibility criteria (with the exception of some entities that are actively pursuing a compliance plan to meet eligibility criteria to the satisfaction of the WMF).

An entity is eligible if it meets the following six requirements:

1. It has been formally acknowledged by the WMF Board of Trustees as a Wikimedia-affiliated entity;
2. It has a non-expired signed agreement with the Wikimedia Foundation (e.g., chapter agreement);
3. It has a record of either:
   • Successfully completing two grants from the Wikimedia Foundation; OR
   • Successfully completing one grant and participating in one fundraising campaign as a payment-processor; OR
   • Participating in two fundraising campaigns as a payment processor;
4. It has submitted a letter of intent to seek an allocation from the FDC;
5. It complies with contractual obligations agreed with the Wikimedia Foundation, such as those in chapter agreements, fundraiser agreements, grant agreements, or other formal agreements; and
6. It complies with all relevant US and local laws.

Effective reporting is a fundamental component of the eligibility criteria. This is because reporting is part of every entity's responsibility for openness and transparency in the movement for both editors and donors. Reporting also enables learning from each other and evaluation of our work.

To count toward FDC eligibility, grants must have been completed before eligibility status is announced for each round, and complete reports for each grant must be received and accepted before the eligibility deadline for each round.

How the FDC will determine eligibility to request funds

For 2012-2013 Round 2, WMF staff are reviewing all potentially eligible entities. A list of eligible entities and those entities that are out of compliance will be posted by 15 December 2012.

For 2013-2014 Round 1, WMF staff are reviewing all potentially eligible entities. A list of eligible entities and those entities that are out of compliance will be posted by 15 July 2013.

Entities that are out of compliance will receive information from WMF staff to develop a plan to meet criteria, should they choose to apply for funds through the FDC process.

Entities requesting funds from the FDC will follow this process.

• Entities should first familiarize themselves with the eligibility requirements outlined on this page.
• Entities will then submit a letter of intent on Meta stating that they plan to apply for funding in a particular round before the deadline. The deadlines for entities to submit letters of intent are 23:59 UTC 1 June (Round 1) and 23:59 UTC 1 November (Round 2).
• A Letter of Intent (LOI) is the first stage of the proposal submission process. For a sample letter of intent please visit here.
• WMF staff will review each Letter of Intent and determine whether entities are eligible based on the Eligibility Criteria outlined here.
• WMF staff inform entities of their current eligibility status by 15 December 2012 for 2012-2013 Round 2 and 15 July 2013 2013-2014 Round 1 and may work with entities who are out of compliance to develop a plan to come into compliance:
  • The compliance plan will explain why the entity does not meet eligibility requirements, will suggest steps the entity must take to meet eligibility criteria, and will define a timeline for meeting eligibility requirements.
  • In some cases, WMF staff may indicate that ineligible entities will not be eligible to apply for funds in the current round, while others may apply if they are showing sufficient progress.
  • Entities must meet eligibility requirements by 15 February 2013 for 2012-2013 Round 2 and 15 September 2013 for 2013-2014 Round 1.

Types of funds available

Entities that meet these eligibility requirements and are requesting general funding of any amount may apply for funds through the FDC. Entities that do not meet the eligibility requirements (unless actively pursuing a WMF-agreed compliance plan) may not apply for funds through the FDC, but may apply for project funding for through the Wikimedia Grants Program or another grants program.

General funding supports an organization’s plan to achieve its mission-aligned objectives. The organization will be held accountable for the impact it achieves, and not for specific line-item costs. Plans often include:

• The staff and operations of the organization; and
• Program expenses related to activities that the organization plans for the year.

Project funding supports specific projects or programs. Funds are tied to specific line-item activities. An entity may apply for a project grant from the Wikimedia Grants Program even if it does not meet FDC Eligibility Requirements if it meets that program's eligibility requirements: the project may not fund ongoing operational expenses such as fulltime permanent staff.

Entities that receive funds through the FDC may not receive funds from the Wikimedia Grants Program during the entity's same fiscal year. There is one exception: entities may apply for grants to support some activities that are prohibited by the FDC grant agreement such as requests for grants supporting political and legislative activities.

Eligible entities applying for general funding through the FDC will submit one proposal to the FDC that outlines their total operating budget, including their total FDC request.

Differences between the FDC and Wikimedia Grants Program

Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC) process	Wikimedia Grants Program process
For eligible formally acknowledged and incorporated Wikimedia-affiliated entities who wish to apply for general funding to support their annual plans.	For individuals, chapters and other entities who are either ineligible for the FDC process or wish to apply for project funding.
The FDC process provides general funding to support eligible entities. Plans often include: Ongoing fulltime or part-time staff, and the organization's operations expenses; and Program expenses the organization plans for the year.	The Wikimedia Grants Program will provide project funding for specific initiatives, including: Line-item budgets that specify exactly how money will be spent to execute the project; and Part-time or temporary staff positions specifically focused on project-based activities.
For general funding, the entity will be accountable for the overall significant positive impact it achieves towards Wikimedia movement goals, not specific line-item costs.	For project funding, the recipient will be accountable with line-item scrutiny for how it spent funds as outlined in the grant submission, as well as its impact on Wikimedia movement goals.
Proposals to the FDC will be accepted twice a year: October 1 (Round 1) and March 1 (Round 2).	Grant requests may be submitted at any time.
FDC support staff, in an administrative capacity, provide an objective evaluation of proposals on Meta based on established criteria, significant effectiveness, innovation, and impact on the Wikimedia movement. Community members also review proposals and provide comments.	The Grant Advisory Committee (GAC), in an advisory capacity, reviews proposals and provides comments on Meta based on criteria related to effectiveness, innovation, and impact on the Wikimedia movement. Community members also review proposals and provide comments.
FDC members review staff and community input and make recommendations to the Board about funds allocations for each round. The Board makes a decision based on FDC recommendations.	Wikimedia Grants program staff review GAC and community input and make decisions about each grant request.
The time between proposal submission to the time of releasing funds will take ~100 days (October – January for Round 1; March – June for Round 2). Additional information may be requested by FDC support staff during the proposal review period (the time between the proposal deadline and the date of the FDC's recommendation).	The time between submitting a grant request to receiving funds is usually 30 - 90 days. If proposals are incomplete or additional information is required to review or process the grant, this period may be extended significantly.
Impact reports summarizing the results of the funds spent will be due within 90 days of the end of the funding period, and progress reports will be due within 30 days of the end of each quarter as outlined in the FDC reporting requirements. FDC staff review these reports within 60 days.	Grant reports are due within 90 days of the projected completion date listed in the approved grant submission, unless an extension is requested and approved by the WMF within 30 days of the projected completion date. WMF staff will review reports within 60 days.
For more on the FDC process, visit the FDC portal.	For more on the Wikimedia Grants Program, visit the Grants Index.

Requesting funds for political or legislative activities from the Wikimedia Grants Program

Requests for funds supporting political and legislative activities require close WMF review for regulatory reasons. They are only issued by the Wikimedia Grants Program, and not the FDC.

The term “political and legislative activities” includes any of the following:

• Activities relating to political campaigns or candidates (including the contribution of funds and the publication of position statements relating to political campaigns or candidates)
• Voter registration activities
• Meetings with or submissions and petitions to government executives, ministers, officers or agencies on political or policy issues
• Any other activities seeking government intervention or policy implementation (like “lobbying”), whether directed toward the government or the community or public at large.

Grants may be available for some political and legislative activities, but only when permitted under U.S. law and IRS regulations. A summary of some permissible and impermissible political and legislative activities may be found here.

Apply now

Please apply for the FDC process on the FDC portal main page.

Helpful links

• FDC portal
• FDC portal/Proposals
• FDC portal/Eligibility criteria
• FDC portal/Proposal process
• FDC portal/Decision-making
• FDC portal/Reporting requirements
• FDC portal/Timeline