Content Partnerships Hub/Events/Berlin Funding and Governance Workshop

Berlin Funding and Governance Workshop

From 5 to 7 May 2025, a group of Wikimedia affiliates gathered in Berlin for a focused workshop on funding strategies and governance models for the Content Partnerships Hub. The meeting brought together participants with a broad range of experiences, perspectives, and regional contexts—united by a shared commitment to advancing content partnerships within the Wikimedia movement.

The primary goals of the workshop were to explore future funding opportunities and collaboratively shape potential governance structures for ongoing and emerging initiatives. Rather than offering final answers, the gathering was designed as a starting point—a space for shared reflection, experimentation, and co-creation.

The workshop was just the beginning. There will be many opportunities for others to engage with and help shape the outcomes of this work. The hub initiative remains open, iterative, and inclusive, and we welcome broader community involvement in the next phases

Summary of conversations

The workshop created a strong sense of alignment and commitment. The focus for the conversations was governance structure and potential applications for the Content Partnerships Hub, most notably the Wikimedia hub fund, to take the work of the hub initiative to the next level. The purpose was to align stakeholders on the future direction, governance, and funding of the Content Partnerships Hub (CPH), and to shape a strong application to the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF).

Key Highlights:

1. Clarifying the Vision and Pillars

Participants explored the Hub’s purpose and its five pillars:

Capacity Building
Data Uploads
Helpdesk
International Partnerships
Software Development

Discussions emphasized the Hub’s role in doing what individual affiliates cannot do alone, especially around strategic infrastructure, knowledge sharing, capacity building and long-term sustainability.

2. Governance Framework

The group discussed what a diverse, representative and effective governance body would look like. 6–9 members was agreed upon as a reasonable size, and also that tasks and mandates would include:

Agreeing upon on a Terms of Reference
Overseeing grant implementation
Supporting future concept and programme development
Coordinating with stakeholders and scanning for future funding

3. Application Priorities

The application to the hub fund should:

Be community-centered, transparent, and realistic
Highlight the Hub as a facilitator, not a controller
Build stable foundations, not overreach
Use existing capacities rather than create redundant structures

Agenda

Day 1 – Hub Day

The first day of this workshop sets the stage for collaborative work by introducing the foundational approach that underpins the Content Partnerships Hub. Our core aim is to build a shared understanding among participants of how complexity can be navigated through structured frameworks.

Day 1 - HUB day (may 5)
10:00-11:30	OPENING HUB APPROACH SO FAR
11:30-12:00	Break
12:00-13:00	PRESENT SITUATION
13:00	Lunch
14:00-15:30	FUTURE VALUE
16:00-17:30	HOW TO EXPAND
17:30	End of the day

Day 2 – Application Day

The second day of the event shifts from conceptual grounding to practical engagement. Its central purpose is to invite participants to begin shaping the future of the Content Partnerships Hub by identifying how and where they see themselves contributing. Anchored around the emerging structure of the Hub and its five core pillars, the day provides a space for collective reflection, alignment, and early decision-making.

Day 2 - APPLICATION DAY (may 6)
09:00-10:30	THE APPLICATION
10:30-11:00	Break
11:00-12:30	THE APPLICATION
12:30-14:00	Lunch
14:00-15:30	THE APPLICATION
15:30-16:00	Break
16:00-17:30	THE GOVERNANCE
17:30	End of the day

Day 3 – Governance Day

On the final day of the workshop, we turn our attention to one of the most essential aspects of building a sustainable and inclusive Hub: governance. We're looking to establish a shared understanding of what our governance model should look like—not just in theory, but in practice.

We’re aiming for broad alignment—not necessarily perfect consensus, but enough clarity to move forward with a model that reflects our values and goals.

Day 3 - GOVERNANCE DAY (may 7)
09:00-10:30	THE GOVERNANCE
10:30-11:00	Break
11:00-12:30	THE GOVERNANCE
12:30-14:00	Lunch
14:00-15:30	THE APPLICATION
15:30-16:00	Break
16:00-17:30	CLOSING

Participants

The meeting gathers a group of people representing affiliates that have been involved in governance-related discussions, hub conversations, and content partnerships. The meeting is the starting point of funding- and governance related discussions and not the end point, and it will be possible to join both the conversations and the work at many occasions after this meeting.