Grants:IEG/The Wikipedia Library/Finances

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Budget[edit]

Below is your approved budget. Please use this table to keep track of actual funds spent for each line item and list the difference from the approved budget at the end of the grant period.

Expense Approved amount Actual funds spent Difference
promotional materials $0 (reallocated for other needs, as requested) 0 0
books $200 (reallocated, as requested) $232.44 +$32.44
technical spec contract $500 $400 - $100
project management and donor acquisition by project lead $5000 $5000 0
library specialist consult $1800 (reallocated, as requested) $1800 0
travel $0 (reallocated for other needs, as requested) 0 0
Total $7500 $7432.44 - $67.56


Request changes[edit]

We understand that sometimes plans change. Please use this section to request approval for changes to your grant’s budget while your project is in progress. Any variation of 20% or more to any line item in your budget must be approved by staff here before you make the change (for projects with budgets of $15,000 or more, the accepted variance is 10%).

Reallocation request #1
  • I have purchased some literature on open access, digital humanities, library and information science. I've purchased about $50 so far and would like to purchase another $150. Adding a component of background reading to projects, especially those in areas where I do not have formal schooling or training, helps me relate to the reference community in an intelligent and capable way. While books tend not to fall easily into reuse, they mark a meaningful investment for me as a project organizer, empowering me to represent The Wikipedia Library as a serious and current intiative in line with other ongoing projects, policies, technology and scholarship. So, I'm putting in a request for $200 total for literature. I am not sure yet if those funds can be taken from the travel or promotion parts of the budget, which so far have not been used. Ocaasi (talk) 09:58, 8 September 2013 (UTC)
  • Thanks for documenting this update. Looks like you've got plenty of spots in your budget to pull this expense from, as you mention. Would you plan to list the books you purchase on a resource exchange somewhere afterwards, in case there are any further movement uses for such reference materials when your project ends, or did you have something else in mind? Cheers, Siko (WMF) (talk) 17:27, 9 September 2013 (UTC)
  • I will create an entry at resource exchange linking to the bibliography of books I have access to through all of my grants. I think for now let's pull from promotional materials, and we'll see whether travel or promotion ends up being used more. I will put the change into the table and wait for confirmation. Thanks! Ocaasi (talk) 13:57, 10 September 2013 (UTC)
  • This sounds like a good way to ensure the books can get put to further use if needed. Approved. ASengupta (WMF) (talk) 17:12, 30 September 2013 (UTC)
Reallocation request #2
  • I think the remaining promotion and travel funds ($1800, after the above request for reallocation) may be far better deployed by bringing on a library specialist to consult with new projects rather than doing conventional promotion and travel. Most of the online work has not required a budget and is better conducted through skype, emails, and phone calls, none of which require money. It's also quite convenient that the American Library Association's winter conference is in Philadelphia, so I can attend for little to no cost. I have an excellent candidate in mind, an experienced Wikipedian and administrator with a library sciences background who has expressed interest. I think it would be a good fit for our skillsets.
This sounds like a good idea to me. Jane023 (talk) 17:13, 28 September 2013 (UTC)
Agreed. I like the rationale for using remaining funds in a way that improves the project, and gives you the additional library specialist skills you feel you need. Approved. ASengupta (WMF) (talk) 17:12, 30 September 2013 (UTC)
Done, reallocations 1 and 2 processed

Hi Ocaasi, the reallocations have both been approved now and I've updated the table above to reflect the changes. The $2000 that was earmarked for travel and promotional materials has now been made into $200 for books and the remaining $1800 for a library specialist. Glad to you putting these funds to good use as the project moves forward! Cheers, Siko (WMF) (talk) 18:44, 30 September 2013 (UTC)