AvoinGLAM Charter 2026

This document is revised annually in the Annual Meeting and published in AvoinGLAM Meta.

Version history

Approved Dec 2, 2025

Previous editions

AvoinGLAM Charter 2025 AvoinGLAM Charter 2024 AvoinGLAM Charter 2023 AvoinGLAM Charter 2021 AvoinGLAM Charter for 2022

1. Mission

Advocate for Open Access to cultural heritage.
Build capacity for digital transformation for cultural heritage.
Nurture a local and global community of practice for Open Access to cultural heritage.
Promote co-creation and future-facing problem-solving between stakeholders.
Contribute to a healthy, interoperable and inclusive open ecosystem that respects cultural rights.

2. Vision

We envision a vibrant open cultural commons where institutions, individuals, and communities come together to reuse, revitalize and preserve culture and heritage.

3. Strategy

AvoinGLAM uses the Theory of Change method to plan its activities, focusing on the desired impact and finding our best suited methods to accomplish that.
This principle may take the form of a strategy document later on. The strategy work is documented in https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/AvoinGLAM/Strategy

4. Governance

4.1 Legal status

AvoinGLAM is an unincorporated working group under the auspices of Open Knowledge Finland.
The Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement between AvoinGLAM and OKFI defines all roles and responsibilities between the entities. AvoinGLAM x OKFI fiscal sponsorship agreement.pdf

4.2 Membership and community

Participating in the workings of AvoinGLAM is free for anyone and does not require formal membership.
Anyone can join AvoinGLAM’s global community by signing up in the AvoinGLAM page on Meta-wiki.
AvoinGLAM develops and maintains a Community Development strategy.

4.3 Steering Group

AvoinGLAM’s programmatic decisions are carried out by the Steering Group.

The Steering Group has an elected Chair and 4–9 elected members.
AvoinGLAM Lead and the OKFI ED participate in the Steering Group meetings as non-voting members.
The Steering Group members are elected annually in the AvoinGLAM Annual Meeting.
To be eligible for voting and to run for candidacy in the AvoinGLAM Steering Group, individuals must join Open Knowledge Finland as members.
AvoinGLAM may refuse the candidacy of individuals in conflict with the Wikimedia Universal Code of Conduct, UCoC. The candidates must also commit to the OKFI Code of Conduct: https://okf.fi/codeofconduct.
The Steering Group members are listed on the AvoinGLAM page on Wikimedia Meta.
The Steering Group reports to the OKFI Board.

4.4 Steering Group Meetings

All meetings are open for anyone to participate under the Universal Code of Conduct.
An absolute majority of the Steering Group is required for quorum. Online voting may be used to complement decision-making.

4.5 Contact Person

AvoinGLAM employs a coordinator who acts as the contact person for the group. In the absence of an employee, the Steering Group appoints the contact person.

The name of the contact person is listed on the AvoinGLAM page on Wikimedia Meta.
The contact person reports to the Steering Group.

4.6 AvoinGLAM Annual Meeting

AvoinGLAM organizes an Annual Meeting once a year in the autumn.

The annual plan and budget are accepted.
The AvoinGLAM Charter revisions are confirmed at the event.
The Steering Group members are elected.

4.7 Institutional memory

4.7.1 Documentation

We document our work in Meta-wiki at https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/AvoinGLAM.
Monthly writeups in This Month in GLAM summarize our work on an ongoing basis.
AvoinGLAM contributes to the OKFI newsletter.
AvoinGLAM blog at https://www.avoinglam.fi/ contains earlier archives. Blog posts can be published in avoinglam.fi, OKFI, Diff, Meta, Medium, in our partners’ publications and other channels.
Representing AvoinGLAM and advocacy on behalf of AvoinGLAM is recorded in the meeting minutes as well as in the OKFI Representation and advocacy log OKFI Representation and advocacy log.

4.7.2 Governance handover

When a new steering group member is elected, we arrange an in-person handover. The outgoing and incoming steering group members are paired and they meet to discuss. The outgoing member agrees to respond to questions of the incoming one for a short period of time, eg. 3 months. Any other steering group member may assume this role as well.
We maintain and revise this charter document that outlines the governance practicalities.
AvoinGLAM maintains an evolving AvoinGLAM Handbook to document key practices. The responsibility for documentation is shared between the staff and the steering group, allowing the documentation to grow organically over time AvoinGLAM Handbook.
Office practicalities and their documentation is maintained by OKFI.

4.8 Relation to global networks

4.8.1. Wikimedia

AvoinGLAM is an active participant of the global GLAM-Wiki community.
AvoinGLAM has received community funding from the Wikimedia Foundation since 2022 with Open Knowledge Finland as a fiscal sponsor. The fiscal sponsor agreement between AvoinGLAM and OKFI and the grant-related fiscal sponsor agreement define the roles and responsibilities of each.
AvoinGLAM maintains an international community that can be joined on the AvoinGLAM page on Meta-Wiki.
AvoinGLAM continues to discuss the option of becoming a user group in the Wikimedia movement.
AvoinGLAM coordinates activities with Wikimedia Finland to collaborate on mutual interests in the local context.

4.8.2. Creative Commons

AvoinGLAM is an active stakeholder in Creative Commons Finland and participates in the workings of the global Creative Commons network.

In 2026, AvoinGLAM proposes to assume the country coordination role when agreed with people involved.

4.8.3. Open Knowledge Network

AvoinGLAM may participate in the workings of the global Open Knowledge Network, representing OKFI.

6. Code of Conduct

Civility and mutual respect are fundamental to ensuring a supportive and safe environment without threat of prejudice or harassment in all our activities and the workplace. This is especially important as we work with underrepresented communities.

We will

Make the Wikimedia Universal Code of Conduct (UCoC) and the Friendly Space Policy known in all digital and physical spaces we use.
Train the community in identifying, addressing and mitigating the harms of harassment.
Encourage participants in our activities to call out violations and make available a reporting protocol.
Agree on enforcement policies for protecting the community and its members against harassment. A person continuing to violate the UCoC/FSP will be asked to leave, and permanently banned from participating after three such occasions.
Any organization we work with must adhere to UCoC/FSP, and events we present in must have a Code of Conduct in place.
Any incidents breaking the law will be immediately reported to local law enforcement.