Affiliations Committee Charter

The English version was approved by a WMF Board resolution on August 20, 2012. Any translations are provided for informational purposes only.

Purpose of the Affiliations Committee

The purpose of the Affiliations Committee ("Committee") is to advise and make recommendations to the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees ("Board") regarding the recognition and existence of National and Sub-national Chapters, Thematic Organisations and User Groups (hereinafter jointly referred to as "Affiliates").

Membership

1. The Committee shall be composed of at least five and not more than fifteen voting members, and an unspecified number of non-voting advisers.
2. A member or adviser will be appointed for a term with the duration of 2 years, a period which may be extended until the selection procedure for a member's replacement is concluded.
3. Members and advisers are appointed by the sitting members of the Committee.
4. There is no maximum number of terms a member or adviser is allowed to serve.
5. Selections for membership and advisory positions shall be conducted every 12 months.
6. The Committee shall be presided over by a chairperson, appointed by a resolution of the Committee and shall serve for a term of one year. A vice chairperson shall also be appointed by the Committee and shall serve for a term of one year, to stand in the chairperson's stead as required.
7. The exact rules on composition, selection procedure, and length of terms of the members of the Committee shall be defined in its Rules of Procedure.

Responsibilities

1. The Committee shall be responsible for making recommendations to the Board regarding the recognition and approval of new Affiliates under the resolution passed by the Board of Trustees on March 31, 2012, as well as for facilitating creation of those organisations.
2. Specifically, the responsibilities of the Committee shall include:
   1. Guiding emerging Affiliates through their founding process by helping with drafting by-laws and other internal documents;
   2. Providing guidance and introductions on solving common technical, trademark, administrative and community-building issues, that might arise during the process of recognition and incorporation;
   3. Advising and consulting emerging Affiliates on the projects they are planning and transferring learning from other affiliates who have had similar programs;
   4. Requesting from the Board an allocation of funding as part of the annual plan process to cover its operating expenses (including scholarships) and grants falling under its responsibilities pursuant to the procedures set out below;
   5. Answering questions about what the Wikimedia Foundation expects from Affiliates and on what the Affiliates can expect from the Wikimedia Foundation;
   6. Providing general help and advice to the best ability of Committee members on any arising issue not covered by one of the above subpoints;
3. The Committee shall also be responsible for ensuring worldwide representation of the Wikimedia movement in close cooperation with the Affiliates, and for facilitating the flow of information between Affiliates and the Wikimedia Foundation;
4. The Committee shall be a source of information to any individual or group interested in the organisational side of the Wikimedia movement;
5. The Committee will provide advice, when requested, on issues pertaining to Affiliates or future Affiliates;
6. The Committee will, upon information or evidence received, investigate the status of Affiliates and where necessary, recommend a change or removal of affiliate status to the Board of Trustees.

Meetings and process

1. The Committee shall meet at such times and places as it determines, either in the form of a regular meeting or other means (wiki, mailing list, etc.). The term "meeting" refers both to virtual and physical meetings.
2. Actions effected by the Committee shall usually take the form of a resolution. A resolution shall be considered adopted once a majority of the voting members of the Committee has voted in favour.
3. The Committee will fulfill its responsibilities, especially its role in educating Wikimedia communities about affiliate-status and mentoring emerging affiliates, in such place, including but not limited to online spaces, as the Committee may determine.
4. The Committee will strive for continuous improvement of its work, by evaluating its methods and procedures annually, compiling an annual report of its activities and submitting a budget request that ensures that the Committee is able to fulfill its responsibilities.
5. The exact rules on proposing resolutions, taking votes, and other aspects of the internal organisation of the Committee shall be defined in its Rules of Procedure.

Operating Expenses, Scholarships, and Grants

The Committee shall follow these procedures with respect to its operating expenses (including scholarships) and the authorization of grants for activities falling under its responsibilities:

1. The Committee may request an allocation of funding to cover its operating expenses (including scholarships) and grants for activities falling under its responsibilities as part of the annual plan process and, if it does, shall submit a proposed budget to support its request to the Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation at a time determined by the Executive Director.
2. The Executive Director shall forward the Committee's request as part of the proposed annual plan of the Wikimedia Foundation and may provide comments on the request and its proposed budget, including recommendations as appropriate.
3. Based on the request of the Committee and the submission of the Executive Director, the Board intends to authorize the Executive Director to provide determined funding to the Committee for its operating expenses (including a select number of scholarships as appropriate) consistent with the approved annual plan and budget.
4. Based on the request of the Committee and the submission of the Executive Director, the Board intends to make an allocation of funding to be administered by the WMF Grants Program according to the Grants Program's regular review process, due diligence, and decision-making procedures to support grants for activities falling under the responsibility of the Committee, with these conditions: (1) no minimum limits on the amount of requested funding shall be imposed by the Grants Program under this allocation; (2) a maximum annual limit of $5,000 shall be in effect with respect to any request for funding by a single entity or person to the Grants Program under this allocation; and (3) the Grants Program shall give due deference to any funding request under this allocation that is endorsed by the Committee.