Affiliations Committee/News/Issue 7

Welcome to the SPECIAL seventh ISSUE of the AffCom News! The newsletter distributes relevant news and events about the work of Wikimedia's Affiliations Committee . This special year-end issue covers July–December 2025 (Q1 & Q2 FY25-26).

The AffCom News is conventionally delivered quarterly to all Wikimedia Affiliates and individual subscribers. You may leave comments or ideas for future newsletter on the talk page. You can also help us by translating the newsletter into your language(s). Subscribe to the newsletter by adding your talk page to this list.

If you have an interesting story about what your Affiliate has been doing, feel free to reach out to us at affcom@wikimedia.org.


	Finest Greetings from the Affiliations Committee

Affiliate Recognition and Derecognition

AffCom is responsible for overseeing the recognition and derecognition process for Wikimedia movement affiliates (Chapters, Thematic Organizations, and User Groups). This section lists the new Wikimedia Affiliate that was recognized in the past half year:

Wikimedia Georgia: (recognized & announced September 2025)

Below is the list of the Wikimedia Affiliates that were derecognized in the past quarter:

Wiki Cemeteries User Group
Wikimaps User Group
Wikimedians of Erzya language User Group

Recognition Status Report

This section covers updates of affiliate applications as the applications progress though the review process. Their status can be tracked on Meta-wiki review process:

AffCom Conflict Intervention

AffCom is currently addressing six ongoing affiliate conflict cases, with 4 being new reports received in the last quarter. These cases involve a mix of affiliate-to-affiliate tensions, internal governance challenges, and disputes related to member engagement. In several situations, differing expectations around collaboration and governance practices have contributed to the issues. The committee is reviewing the submitted documentation to determine appropriate next steps and assess what forms of support may be needed.

AffCom Administrative Updates

AffCom at Wikimania 2025

The Affiliations Committee was present and engaged throughout Wikimania 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, on August 6-9, 2025. AffCom members used this opportunity to engage with the community and share updates on the Committee’s work since the Strategic Meeting in November 2024. Work on capacity building, conflict resolution, and the affiliate model was presented and discussed, followed by a Q&A session with participants.

AffCom at WikiConference North America

The Affiliations Committee participated in the WikiConference North America 2025, held in New York City from October 16–19. Jeffrey Keefer, the Chair of AffCom, presented “The Future Role of Wikimedia Affiliates: How Can AffCom Help?” before the New York audience — a session focused on how AffCom can continue to support Wikimedia affiliates as they evolve and thrive in a rapidly changing landscape. After the presentation, participants joined the discussion and shared their feedback on AffCom’s work so far. We are grateful for the valuable thoughts and insights shared during the session, which will help guide our future work.

Affiliate Recognition Pause

Following the Wikimedia Foundation's recommendation as a part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen movement governance and improve affiliate support, the Affiliations Committee has agreed to pause the recognition of new User Groups, Chapters, and Thematic Organizations until March 31, 2026.

This pause is intended to ensure AffCom can confidently recommend new affiliates in alignment with the evolving strategy to strengthen the ecosystem of movement organizations. To support this, AffCom prepared and published draft recommendations for the new ecosystem on three key strategic areas that are essential for strengthening and supporting Wikimedia affiliates:

Affiliate Model, rethinking how affiliates are structured and supported.
Capacity Development, building the skills and systems affiliates need to thrive.
Conflict Management, ensuring healthy collaboration and effective resolution processes.

These recommendations also align with the Wikimedia Foundation’s 2024 pilot to update the broader ecosystem of Wikimedia organizations, making this a timely and important moment for community input.

Following these recommendations, AffCom actively gathers feedback, thoughts, and opinions from the wider Wikimedia community to better address the problems of the current ecosystem.

Your voice matters! Have your say in shaping the future of the Wikimedia movement! Read the draft, share your thoughts, and help shape what comes next.

✨ Join the conversation on the discussion page, or
📩 Send your feedback directly to affcom＠wikimedia.org
Let’s build a stronger, more supportive Wikimedia ecosystem together.

AffCom and EDs Discuss Affiliate Ecosystem

On 26 November 2025, the Affiliations Committee (AffCom) met with several members of the Executive Directors (ED) group to discuss the ongoing affiliate ecosystem work and the current pause on new affiliate recognition.

The conversation took place within the context of WMF’s “Towards a Healthy Ecosystem of Wikimedia Organizations” initiative and the Board-mandated pilots following the non-ratification of the Movement Charter. AffCom shared its draft recommendations on affiliate models, conflict management, and capacity development. Participants emphasized the need for clearer alignment between AffCom’s recommendations, the ecosystem work, and the pilots, as well as greater clarity on roles and timelines.

The group reaffirmed the pause on new affiliate recognition and agreements until 31 March 2026, and discussed improving public communication and opportunities for movement input. Follow-up discussions between EDs, AffCom, and broader movement stakeholders are being explored.

AffCom and Interim GRDC Begin Collaborative Dialogue

On 17 December 2025, AffCom and the Interim GRDC met virtually to begin establishing a sustained mechanism for dialogue and collaboration. Both committees represent two of the most significant volunteer groups within the Wikimedia ecosystem, with vital roles impacting the organization, governance, and sustainability of Wikimedia communities and affiliated entities.

The goal of this collaboration is to enable a regular working relationship grounded in operational coordination and strategic alignment. During the first meeting, both committees shared how they operate, explored overlaps and gaps in their mandates, and discussed ways to ensure that decisions from both groups are mutually reinforcing. By the end of the meeting, there was agreement on the importance of working together and initial discussions on the frequency of future meetings.

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