Grants:APG/Proposals/2013-2014 round1/Wikimedia Nederland/Proposal form

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Wikimedia Nederland received a funds allocation in the amount of €304,000 (equal to about US$410,000) in 2013-2014 Round 1. This funds allocation was recommended by the Funds Dissemination Committee on 15 November 2013 and approved by the WMF Board of Trustees on 31 December 2013.


Basic information[edit]

Overview of grant request[edit]

In order to support community review, in no more than one paragraph, please provide a brief description of your entity's forthcoming annual plan, with focus areas and key objectives. Please also include the total amount requested in US$.


For Wikimedia Nederland, the emphasis in 2014 is on continuation and reinforcement of what has been achieved in 2013. Based on our experiences gained in 2013, we aim for steady development rather than spectacular growth of budget and staffing. The scope of the work program and corresponding budget is 17% larger than the most recent forecast of expenditure for 2013.

We have set the following priorities for 2014:

  1. Mobilize more volunteers: meaning volunteers for WMNL activities ánd editors for Wikipedia and its sister projects. Staff will focus mainly on activities that contribute to this priority.
  2. Improve the interaction with the Wikipedia community. Greater awareness of WMNL and the services it can provide among the community of editors and better interaction with this community are crucial.
  3. Focus on one or two ( new ) thematic areas outside the traditional GLAM range. WMNL is traditionally strong in cooperation with GLAM institiutions and realizing image uploads to Commons. These are also the areas were most WMNL volunteers are active. It is desirable to develop activities also in other fields that will also provide opportunities for the 'liberation' of knowledge. One of these areas will be World War II - the other we will decide in dialogue with the community.
  4. Consolidate existing relationships with major GLAM institutions. WMNL already has good contacts with leading GLAM institutions in the Netherlands. We will continue to invest in these partnerships - especially in cooperating with Wikipedians in Residence - but the limited capacity of volunteers and staff makes it necessary to be selective/critical in responding to new requests for cooperation.
  5. A major media campaign aimed at achieving a better understanding among the general public about how Wikipedia works (and is funded) has long been a wish of members and board, and a survey carried out in 2013 indicated that indeed understanding is limited. The expectation is that this campaign will also lead to more donors and members for WMNL.
  6. Explore feasibility of becoming active in the field of education, leading to a decision on whether or not to develop a major program in this area. Other national Wikimedia associations have achieved good results through cooperation with the educational sector. We will explore the possibilities to start a successful education programme in the Netherlands and carry out a pilot activity.



Contact information[edit]

Table 1

Organization information Legal name of organization Wikimedia Nederland
organization's fiscal year (mm/dd–mm/dd) 01/01-12/31
12 month timeframe* of funds currently requested (mm/dd/yy–mm/dd/yy) 01/01/14-12/31/14
Contact information (primary) Primary contact name Sandra Rientjes
Primary contact position in organization Executive Director
Primary contact username SRientjes
Primary contact email rientjes@wikimedia.nl
Contact information (secondary) Secondary contact name Paul Becherer
Secondary contact position in organization Treasurer
Secondary contact username Paul B
Secondary contact email paul@wikimedia.nl

*Timeframe should ideally be for a 12 month period that begins after the FDC decision.



Amount requested[edit]

Table 2

Currency requested: Euro

Currency requested is defined as the currency in which you wish to receive funds (e.g., EUR, GBP, INR). Note that the FDC makes grants in local currency when possible.

Exchange rate used (currency requested to $US): €1 = $1,30 (average during creation of FDC Proposal, May - August)

Please use Oanda.com on March 1 2014 to determine the exchange rate. Please use five decimal points.
Currency requested US$
Total annual expenses of organization € 356,068 $ 462,888
Amount proposed to the FDC for the coming year's annual plan € 323,000 $ 419,900
Amount to be raised from non-FDC sources € 33,069 $ 42,990
If applicable, amount of FDC funds allocated to organization last year € 269,231 $ 350,000
Based on the funding amount you are requesting, what is your entity's proposed rate of growth in budget since last year? Please explain your entity's rationale if your proposed budget will increase this year:
  • The rate of growth is 17.1% This is the rate of growth compared to the most recent projected actual expenditure of WMNL in 2013. We have amended our expectations concerning growth and turnover since the submission of our first FDC application, based on the experiences of the past year.

Note the FDC Framework funding guidelines on the rate of growth of year-over-year FDC allocations. These guidelines relate not to an entity's overall budget, but rather to movement resources (that is, what the entity received through FDC allocations or grants or what the entity retained via payment processing in the prior funding cycle).



Background, history, and mission[edit]

This section provides the FDC an overview of your entity's background and history. Please respond to each question below with 1-2 sentences to a maximum of a paragraph.

When was your entity established?

WIkimedia Nederland (officially, the Vereniging Wikimedia Nederland) was established in 2006.


What is the mission of your entity, and how does it support the strategic priorities of the Wikimedia movement (infrastructure, participation, quality, reach, and innovation)? We note that Wikimedia movement priorities will be interpreted and addressed differently in each context.

The mission of Wikimedia Nederland is defined in its Articles of Incorporation (Statutes): “Promoting the collection and publication of free and/or freely accessible information in any form, in particular by (but not restricted to) using the internet to record this information. Wikimedia Nederland will strive to reach its mission by - inter alia - supporting the goals formulated by the Wikimedia Foundation (San Francisco, California, USA) while using all legal means. “

The WMNL strategy for 2013-2015 defines how we will work towards our mission over the coming years. Our priority areas are:

  1. Community: supporting volunteers and contributors, recruiting new volunteers and editors
  2. Content: increasing the amount of freely accessible information
  3. WMNL membership
  4. Money: ensuring sufficient and diverse funding
  5. The World: international cooperation within the Wikimedia movement
  6. Governance: ensuring WMNL is efficiently and transparently governed


These priority areas especially relate to several Wikimedia movement priorities:

  • participation - we aim to make more people active contributors (Our priority 1)
  • quality - we aim to contribute actively to adding to and improving the content (our Priority 2)
  • reach - we aim to make more people aware of the Wikimedia projects (Included in priority 2)

To a lesser extent we also contribute to Stabilising Infrastructure by working towards a solid funding base and contributing actively to the international Wikimedia movement (our priority 4 and 5).


What is your current leadership structure (e.g., executive staff structure, board / governance structure)? Please explain how budgets are managed and programs are executed between board and staff.

Ultimate responsibility for decision making lies with the General Meeting of Members (Algemene Leden Vergadering - ALV), which usually meets twice a year and decides on work plan and budget. The ALV also elects the Board, which is responsible for the governance of Wikimedia Nederland; currently the Board has seven members. Day to day management is done by the Executive Director of Wikimedia Nederland. The Executive Director is also responsible for the operational implementation of the annual work plan. The ED reports to the Board; it is the Board's responsibility to ensure that the annual plan is implemented within the framework specified and approved by the ALV. Community members can take the lead in implementing specific activities, either individually or in a working group; in this they can (if they wish) be supported by staff members. Community members can also have budgetary control for such activities.


If applicable, how many members does your entity have, and how do you define membership (e.g., attendance at events, paying dues)?

On September 1, 2013, WMNL had 197 members, i.e. 197 people were registered as a member and paid the contribution fee for 2013.


What is the role of volunteers in your entity (e.g., help develop entity plans, participate in programs, edit Wikipedia)? Approximately how many volunteers does your entity serve?

Approximately 25 volunteers take an active role in WMNL-organised activities. They participate in several ways: taking the lead in organising an international event such as the 2013 Hackathon, acting as a trainer/coach during editathons, developing templates to facilitate image donations.... In addition, WMNL aims to support all editors and contributors to Wikimedia projects in the Netherlands (appr. 1500) The WMNL annual plan is developed in dialogue with the entire community. Community members are invited via the WMNL Wiki to take part in discussions on drafts. We regularly ask for input from the community on other matters via the Wiki or our Newsletter. Increasingly we are also using the Wikipedia Kroeg (Village Pump) and talk pages to contact the community. WMNL also supports initiatives that originate in the community (i.e. are not outlined in the workplan) and aims to increase this in the coming year.


How do you know what the members of the community / communities you serve (including chapter members and broader online volunteers) need and want? How does this influence your strategic planning and decision-making?

In 2013, WMNL also had a survey carried out among chapter members and the wider Wikimedia community to find out their expectations and wishes. The results were used to determine priorities for 2014.


Reflection on past activities and innovations[edit]

This section provides the FDC with information about your entity's past programs, activities and strategies. Please answer the questions below with your reflections on the past fiscal year. Responses to each question should be one or two paragraphs.

How does your entity define and measure "success"?

Formally, to Wikimedia Nederland ‘success’ is when an activity gives a genuine contribution towards achieving our mission, and more concretely to the realization of our strategic goals. The strategic goals are annually translated into activities with clearly defined and measurable deliverables whenever possible. Increasingly, we are focusing on monitoring the extent to which activities achieve these deliverables. This is also an indication of success. Success to us also means that an activity has generated enthusiasm and momentum within the community, that is was carried out in a good spirit of cooperation and has motivated people to become (or remain) involved.


Please give at least three examples of successful programs or activities that your entity has completed, and explain why they were successful. If available, provide links to information.
  • The Amsterdam Hackathon was a good experience for all involved and a test case for volunteer-staff cooperation (the WMNL office only started last year, making the Hackathon the first major event to be organised in the new setup). A team of volunteers was responsible for programme development, scholarships etc. and the WMNL office provided logistical support. We worked closely with WMDE-staff (WMDE organised the Hackathon in previous years) - thus the transition from Berlin to Amsterdam went smoothly. The combination of motivated and knowledgeable volunteers leading on content and a small team of professional support staff looks like a good formula.
  • Organising editathons in cooperation with external partners that have well developed networks of volunteers are proving to be a successful way to mobilise new editors. It is proving especially relevant in targeting groups that are currently underrepresented among the community of editors. WMNL is organising a series of fashion editathons that are popular with women. We are monitoring to what extent the participants remain active as editors in the long run.
  • Wiki Loves Monuments of course remains by far the most successful initiative to come out of the Netherlands. This year we experimented with linking Wiki Loves Monuments to more general editor recruitment and training initiatives, focussing on the city of The Hague. A photo-safari was combined with an introduction into uploading images to Commons, and will be followed a month later by an editathon/editor training. We also succeeded in getting some external funding for this activity. It a formula we will apply more often in the future.


What are the plans/strategies that did not work for your entity in the past? What did your entity learn from those experiences? What changes were made after learning from these experiences?
  • External fundraising remains a challenge. WMNL produces results mainly through the energy and efforts of volunteers. This makes it tricky to promise hard deliverables to a donor (often a prerequisite for external funding): our volunteers are highly motivated and reliable but they have other commitments which may force them to step back from Wikimedia work. Also we are hesitant to use external funds to increase the number of staff at the office.
  • WMNL involvement in the EU funded RTD-project CoSyne had a rocky start (in 2010). Participating in an EU-funded research project is different from the work usually done by WMNL volunteers: there is a strong framework of planning and budget, and a pressing need to deliver the promised results on time. However, participating in such a project should be explored more. CoSyne provided a chance for volunteers to come into contact with leading researchers and developers, and a chance to provide a reality check in technology development. Also it is an opportunity for fundraising! Successful involvement will require someone with professional-level skills in project management ánd enough time to take on a key role to coordinate Wikimedia input.
  • We have found that it is relatively easy to convince cultural institutions to donate image collections to Wikimedia Commons, but that the uploading of these collections by volunteers can be a bottleneck as it is time-consuming and requires technical know-how. WMNL has been a partner in the development of the Europeana GLAM - Wiki mass-upload tool which will make this easier in the future. In the meantime, we are not actively looking for image-donations and only accept them if we are certain we can ensure the uploading.


What else has your entity learned or innovated upon that could benefit the broader Wikimedia movement?
  • For Wikimedia Nederland 2013 was a pivotal year. For the first time we gained experience with working in the new organisational set-up: with an office as a central point of contact for the outside world and professional support for volunteers in the field of communication, event organizing and project management.What we learned throughout 2013 is that the limiting factor in the extent to which WMNL is able to achieve its mission is not the number of staff or the amount of funding, but the availability of - and good contacts with - volunteers. This refers to volunteers who are directly involved in WMNL activities as well as to volunteers active in Wikimedia projects like Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. Our priority now is to increase the number of active volunteers and to establish better contacts with the community of Wikipedia editors.
  • We commissioned a consulting firm (Motivaction) to develop and carry out a surveyamong our membership and the editing community on NL Wikipedia to assess their ideas and expectations concerning WMNL. This provided valuable input for developing our workplan. A small survey was also carried out among a focus group representing the wider population and provided insight in the extent to which they use WIkipedia, their understanding of how Wikipedia is organised and funded, and their willingness to contribute.


Please link to the following to provide supplemental information to the FDC:

How does your entity share its work with your community and with the wider Wikimedia movement? For instance, publishing case studies on Meta, blog posts, newsletters, speeches at conferences, etc.
Link to most recently completed fiscal year annual plan
Link to most recently completed fiscal year annual report and financial report
Link to most recently completed fiscal year grant report (if your entity has received funds from the FDC)
Link to your entity's strategic plan if you have one
Link to your organogram or organizational chart if one exists
Link to your entity's current fiscal year plan and budget



Key programs / initiatives and objectives of the upcoming year's annual plan[edit]

These tables are intended to provide an overview of your entity's upcoming year annual plan and its alignment with the movement's strategic priorities; please provide short phrases or 1-3 bullet points for each program below. You can also link to any other documents that you think might be helpful as context.

Please ensure that your proposed programs are SMART; that is, specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely.

If you feel you have a program that fulfills a strategic goal that is not immediately identified with a movement strategic priority ('readership' rather than 'editorship', for instance), please add that in the table and offer us your rationale.

Finally, please also note which programs are the entity's priorities.


The emphasis in 2014 is on continuation and reinforcement of what has been achieved in 2013. Based on our experiences gained in 2013, WMNL aims for steady development rather than spectacular growth of budget and staffing. The scope of the work program and corresponding budget is 17% larger than the most recent forecast of expenditure for 2013. We have set the following priorities for 2014:

  1. Mobilize more volunteers: meaning volunteers for WMNL activities ánd editors for Wikipedia and its sister projects. Staff will focus mainly on activities that contribute to this priority.
  2. Improve the interaction with the Wikipedia community. Greater awareness of WMNL and the services it can provide among the community of editors and better interaction with this community are crucial.
  3. Focus on one or two ( new ) thematic areas outside the traditional GLAM range. WMNL is traditionally strong in cooperation with GLAM institiutions and realizing image uploads to Commons. These are also the areas were most WMNL volunteers are active. It is desirable to develop activities also in other fields that will also provide opportunities for the 'liberation' of knowledge.
  4. Consolidate existing relationships with major GLAM institutions. WMNL already has good contacts with leading GLAM institutions in the Netherlands . We will continue to invest in these partnerships, but the limited capacity of volunteers and staff makes it necessary to be selective/critical in responding to new requests for cooperation.
  5. A major media campaign aimed at achieving a better understanding among the general public about how Wikipedia works (and is funded) has long been a wish of members and board, and a survey carried out in 2013 indicated that indeed understanding is limited. The expectation is that this campaign will also lead to more donors and members for WMNL.
  6. Explore feasibility of becoming active in the field of education, leading to a decision on whether or not to develop a major program in this area. Other national Wikimedia associations have achieved good results through cooperation with the educational sector. We will explore the possibilities to start a successful education programme in the Netherlands and carry out a pilot activity.

In total, 80% of the operational budget for 2014 and 60 % of the staff capacity will focus on these priorities.



Program 1[edit]

Program title COMMUNITY: supporting and mobilizing volunteers and editors

What are the objectives of this program? Please use SMART criteria to explain these goals.


1. To bring in new editors and new volunteers

Our approach will be to identify and target organisations and networks that already have some affinity with Wikimedia and Wikipedia: ‘knowledge oriented’ membership organizations such as associations of (amateur) historians, NGO’s focussing on wildlife, geology etc., groups of museum volunteers and friends. This is based on our experiences in 2013 in successfully and efficiently organising events with such organisations: they have access to people as well as to content. The choice for which specific organisations and networks to target is primarily linked to the choice of two new thematic areas which we want to explore (See also programma area 2. We already know that one of these areas will be World War II. (The second new thematic area will be decided in dialogue with the community) Therefore to recruit editors we will approach national and local organisations active in organising commemorations ceremonies, libraries and archives focussing on WW-II, local history groups. We will encourage existing WP editors with an interest in WW II to take an active role beyond WP editing. Also, we will train trainers. Firstly by supporting experienced Wikipedians to develop the skills and materials to run editor trainings. Secondly by training staff of relevant institutions to teach elementary Wikipedia skills to their colleagues and clients.


Quantified objectives:

We find it extremely difficult to set realistic quantified targets. However, our ambition for this objective is:

  • 75 new editors (= newly registered editors still carrying out edits six months after ‘first contact’)
  • 10 active volunteers (= individuals not previously involved in WMNL activities that have become active in 2014)
  • 5 trainers trained.


key activities, milestones and timing

  • Identify relevant potential partner organizations whose constituency could contribute to WP or WM
  • Give presentations on WP and WM at suitable events
  • Initiate partnerships with organizations
  • Organize joint activities
  • Organize training workshops for new editors
  • Train trainers for editor recruitment

Timing: Activities focussing on World War II will take place throughout the entire year, with a peak in Q2 and Q3 to coincide with the Dutch days for commemorating World War II. A second thematic area will be decided in dialogue with our community in the course of 2014. That decision will be made during Q1. At that point we review objectives and set a timeframe.


2. To improve and strengthen contacts and interaction between WMNL and the Wikipedia community

Our survey showed that many Wikipedia editors are not aware of the support WMNL can provide to their work, or sometimes even of the fact that WMNL exists. WMNL wants to intensify and improve the interaction with the Wikipedia community in order to better meet one of its main reasons for existence: supporting Wikipedia.. We have €10.000 available to support activities and €15.000 to support international travel by editors and volunteers. In addition 15% of staff time is at the moment unallocated and can be used to support community initiated activities. We will actively bring this to the attention of the community via De Kroeg (Vilage Pump), mailing lists etc. We want to encourage Wikipedians to act as a sounding board for WMNL via on-wiki discussions which would allow them to provide input without the need the become a member of WMNL. This group will also have the opportunity to comment on requests for support or funding put forward by the community. In order to make all this happen we will experiment with a Wikipedia Liaison Officer, i.e. an experienced and active Wikipedian who will temporarily join the WMNL staff.

Quantified objectives:

  • at least 15 requests for support from the community are received by WMNL and are processed in a timely and transparent manner
  • at least 20 active wikipedians take part regularly in on-wiki discussions about WMNL operations
  • noticeable increase in community initiated contact with WMNL (no baseline to set target against)


*Key activities,milestones and timing

  • recruit active member of NL- WP community as a temporary Wikipedia liaison officer at WMNL - Q1
  • Expand the small grants programme, raising the limit of the amount that can be funded, advertise the programme actively through Wikipedia channels - Q2 - Q4
  • involve WP editors as a sounding board for WMNL - Q2


3. To support activities that ensure that the NL-WP is a ‘friendly’ space that welcomes and encourages new editors

Our survey also showed that there is dissatisfaction within the NL-Wikipedia community about the work atmosphere and social interactions. Although WMNL has no control over the NL Wikipedia we want to support and encourage community initiatives to establish less harsh ways of interaction between editors. Also, we want to ensure that the new editors we recruit are not discouraged by negative feedback in their first months of editing.


Quantified objectives

  • Wikipedia community indicates increased satisfaction with work atmosphere as compared to survey in 2013
  • 80% of new editors indicate that they do not feel discouraged by negative feedback and overal atmosphere


Key activities, milestones and timing

  • Stimulate a discussion on the social climate on NL-Wikipedia Q2-3
  • Stimulate and support the mentorprogramme for new editors Q1 - 4
  • provide training and support for mentors and mediatiors Q3
  • support the development of a Tea House Q3


How will your entity document, track, and measure successes and challenges of this program?
  • keep record of number of participants in events and their contact details
  • determine number of participants that go on to remain active in WP or Wikimedia Nederland activities by surveying them 6 months after the event
  • record number and significance of edits made during and after events
  • gather feedback from participants on usefulness of events
  • record contact moments between NL WP-community and WMNL
  • record support provided by WMNL to community activities in terms of money and staff time
  • survey opinion of NL WP-community on climate and social mores on NL- Wikipedia


Which Wikimedia movement strategic priority (or priorities) does this program address and how?
  • Increase participation: this programme is specifically aimed at recruiting new editors and volunteers.
  • Improve quality: new editors and volunteers will be sought out in organisations that have knowledge to share.


Any additional details:



Program 2[edit]

Program title CONTENT - Increase the amount of freely accessible knowledge

What are the objectives of this program? Please use SMART criteria to explain these goals.


1. To increase the amount of knowledge freely accessible through the Wikimedia projects


WMNL is traditonally strong in the GLAM - domain and in activities with a focus on image donations to Wikimedia Commons. This is also the field where most of our volunteers are active. We want to widen our work field and increase the support we give to the other Wikimedia projects. We will focus our activities by selecting two thematic areas which are considered promising for the development of new partnerships, recruiting new volunteers and editors, ‘liberating’ content and possible international cooperation within the WM movement. Around the topic of World War II a group of WMNL volunteers is already becoming active: in addition there will be a Wikipedian in Residence at the National Institute for War Research (NIOD) next year. This area seems promising, also with a view on the upcoming commemoration in 2015, opportunities for cooperation with other Wikimedia chapters and chances of generating external funding. A second thematic area will be chosen in dialogue with the community early in 2014.

We want to realize a Dutch contribution to Wiki Loves Earth. This will allow us to make use of the experience gained during Wiki Loves Monuments and apply it to another area.

Also we will explore whether there are opportunities for a productive collaboration between WMNL and the education field. We know that education is an important and successful area of work for many opther chapters and WMF. We will hire a part-time staff member on a temporary contract to explore the field and make inventory of opportunities.

We will not abandon GLAM work. Wikimedia Netherlands is a popular partner for GLAM institutions. We are approaching the limits of the number of GLAM partnerships our volunteers and staff can support. We have to make choices how to best use our resources.

Our choice is to focus on the already existing partnerships with major GLAM institutions of national importance. In particular we will support and cooperate with the 4 Wikipedians in Residence who started work in 2013. Where possible, we try to ensure that these partnerships also link in to the prioritised thematic areas, and Wiki Loves Earth We want to revive our cooperation with public libraries. For many people, the public library is the first point of access to knowledge. Public libraries are familar and ‘safe’ settings to introduce people to the Wikimedia projects.


1a. World War II


Quantified objectives

  • at least 2000 articles concerning World War II improved/created and/or images uploaded to Wikimedia Commons and/or documents made available via WikiSource
  • cooperation agreements with at least three new external partners concerning World War II
  • at least one photo-competition concerning World War II monuments
  • at least three editathons concerning World War II, drawing at least 75 participants

(see program 1 for objectives concerning new editors)


Key activities/milestones and timing

  • Support working group of volunteers organising activities concerning World War II (Q1-4)
  • Develop activities such as editathons, writing and image competitions, behind the scenes visits.(Q1 - Q4, with peak when the national commemorations of World War II takes place: May and August)
  • Establish a coordinated activity concerning World War II content with at least one other WM chapter/other WP language version, preferably including DE (Q2)


1b. Wiki Loves Earth

Quantified objectives

  • establish a working group of at least 10 volunteers/editors around Wiki Loves Earth
  • establish cooperation with at least 2 new external partners concerning Wiki Loves Earth
  • organise the NL Wiki Loves Earth competition
  • at least 5000 nature related images uploaded to Wikimedia Commons and 100 articles improved/created during the Wiki Loves Earth competition


Key activities/milestones and timing

  • Help establish and support a group of volunteers around Wiki Loves Earth (Q1)
  • establish cooperation with a external partners concerning Wiki Loves Earth (Q1)
  • Support the organisers of the NL Wiki Loves Earth competition (Q? - depends on international developments)


1c. Education

Quantified Objectives

  • decision made whether or not it will be feasible for WMNL to develop a programme in the field of education, taking into account experiences of other chapters and analysis of situation in the Netherlands


Key activities. milestones and planning

  • Establish working group of Board Members and community (Q1)
  • Develop briefing note/instruction for temporary staff-member (Q1)
  • Select and hire staff-member (Q1)
  • Investigate the feasibility and relevance of developing a WMNL education programme in the Netherlands, including developing and implementing a pilot project (Q2)
  • Report on findings and contours of pilot project (Q3)
  • Carry out pilot project (Q3)
  • Decision made on continuation of education programma (Q4)


1d. Second thematic priority

Quantified objectives

  • objectives concerning activities around a yet to be determined second thematic area will be set in dialogue with the community (Q1)


Key activities. milestones and planning

  • Initiate a discussion with the community of volunteers and the community of editors to identify a possible second thematic area of interest, next to World War 2. Q3


1e. Existing GLAM partnerships and Wikipedians in Residence


Quantified objectives:

  • organise at least one event (editathons, competitions, editor trainings) with each of the Wikipedians in Residence and/or the existing GLAM partners: in total 15 events
  • Specified objectives per event to be set as events are developed in consultation with partners and community


Key activities, miliestones and timing

  • organising editathons, exhibitions, editor training, content donations with existing GLAM partners of national importance: National Archive/Royal Library, Rijksmuseum, Teylers Museum, Museum of the Tropics, Specialised Academic Libraries by Q1-Q4)
  • Cooperating with and supporting Wikipedians in Residence (Q1 - Q4)


1f. Public libraries

Quantified objectives:

  • establish partnership with at least 2 public libraries
  • organise at least 2 events with each of these libraries (exact nature and objectives to be specified in dialogue with the libraries and the community)


Key activities, miliestones and timing

  • Explore and develop possibilities of cooperation with public libraries such as possibily : training library staff and volunteers and support them in running their own training programmes, use public libraries as venues for WMNL activities (Q2-3)


How will your entity document, track, and measure successes and challenges of this program?
  • record cooperation agreements with external partners.
  • record and track content donations
  • record edits and new articles added during/after editathons and other events
  • track activities of new editors


Which Wikimedia movement strategic priority (or priorities) does this program address and how?
  • Improve quality
  • Increase participation

All activities are aimed at generating new or better content for the Wikimedia projects and encouraging people to actively contribute.



2. To increase awareness of Wikipedia as a reliable encyclopedia and a volunteer-driven project

The survey we carried out in 2013 shows that the knowledge of the general public about Wikipedia is limited, especially on the fact that it is a volunteer project funded through donations. In 2014, WMNL will develop a public campaign to improve public awareness and understanding of Wikipedia, which will also cover the role of the Wikimedia movement, including WMF and chapters.


Quantified objectives

  • noticeable improvement in appreciation and understanding of Wikipedia by general public compared to 2013 survey results
  • noticeable increase in requests for information from the general public to Wikimedia Nl
  • 5% increase in donations from Netherlands
  • 5% increase in new editors
  • 10 % increae in membership WMNL


Key activities/milestones and timing

  • define exact objectives of campaign (Q2)
  • obtain professional advice on campaign design (Q2)
  • prepare and implement (Q3)
  • evaluate (Q4 - Q1 2015)


How will your entity document, track, and measure successes and challenges of this program?
  • repeat 2013 survey (probably in 2015)
  • track donations
  • monitor and record media coverage


Which Wikimedia movement strategic priority (or priorities) does this program address and how?
  • Increase reach. The activities are aimed at making people more aware of Wikipedia
  • Stabilize infrastructure. As a spin-off more donations are expexted, increasing the financial stability of Wikimedia.



Program 3[edit]

Program title WMNL: participation, support and profile

What are the objectives of this program? Please use SMART criteria to explain these goals.


To increase the number of members of Wikimedia Nederland and retain current members

WMNL is a membership organisation. Increasing the number of members, especially the number of members who are active Wikipedians, will make us better equipped to realise our mission. It will also give more people are direct say in (i.e. vote on) important issues, such as deciding on priority areas of work and the way the budget is spent. This will reduce the likelihood that a small number of members could ever exercise a disproportionate level of control over the organisation. An increased membership also makes WMNL more credible to the outside world as an advocate for free knowledge and will contribute to the diversification of income.


Quantified objectives

  • increase of membership by 20% compared to 2013
  • no more than 10 current members decide not to prolong their membership
  • when surveyed, members satisfaction ‘remains at same level as 2013


Key activities, milestones and timing

  • actively seek opportunities to present WMNL at events attended by potential members Q1-4
  • motivate Wikipedians to become member of WMNL by actively providing information about Q1-4
  • include option to become a member in external communication where at all appropriate Q1-4
  • organise membership events such as New Year’s Reception and WMNL conference Q1 + Q4
  • regularly inform members via newsletter and WMNL wiki (Q1 - Q4)


How will your entity document, track, and measure successes and challenges of this program?

  • record response to various member recruiting initiatives
  • maintain CRM system of contacts with members
  • carry out survey among members (possibly in 2014)


Which Wikimedia movement strategic priority (or priorities) does this program address and how?

  • stabilise infrastructure. A solid and expanded membership base will provide stability to WMNL and allow it to continue to function as a stable and reliable element within the Wikimedia movement.



Program 4[edit]

Program title Resources: a sustainable and diverse funding base

What are the objectives of this program? Please use SMART criteria to explain these goals.

WMNL is still largely dependent on the funding provided by the WIkimedia Foundation through the FDC. Dependency on a single donor makes an organisation vulnerable and also we feel it is unrealistic to expect WMF to fund all our ambitions. Therefore we want to diversify our funding base over the coming years. The experiences of 2013 have shown that it is difficult - but not impossible - for WMNL to obtain external financing. This has to do with the character of WMNL as a volunteer organization, which poses restrictions on the extent to which WMNL can guarantee ‘deliverables’ to a donor. Also, even the suggestion of influence by a donor or sponsor on the content of the Wikimedia projects has to be avoided. In 2014 we want to gain more experience on a limited scale with external financing.


Quantified objectives

  • To obtain €40.000 funding from external (i.e. non-movement) sources for Wikimedia Nederland mission and activities
  • 80% of 2013 individual donors donate again in 2014

WMNL wants to raise external funds for its activities in 2014. We are fairly confident that this will succeed, and even hope that we will be able to raise more than the €40.000 needed to fully implement this years workplan. If additional funds are raised, these will be used to develop additional activities in line with the objectives of our program areas, or the widen the scope of planned activities (more participants, more events etc.)


Key activities, milestones and timing

  • develop at least one externally funded activity concerning WorldWar II (Q1-2)
  • generate (partial) external funding voor Wiki Loves Earth (Q2)
  • generate in kind funding for the annual Wikimedia Conference, the New Years Reception and other community events (Q1 - 4)
  • promote the option to donate to WMNL in all external communications (Q1-4)
  • maintain good relationship with current donors via special donor newsletters (Q1 - 4)


How will your entity document, track, and measure successes and challenges of this program?
  • Funding generated
  • Keep good records of donors
  • monitor response to various activities aimed at raising funds


Which Wikimedia movement strategic priority (or priorities) does this program address and how?
  • Stabilize infrastructure. A solid and diverse funding base will allow Wikimedia Nederland to keep contributing to and participating in the Wikimedia movement.


  • Any additional details:



Program 5[edit]

Program title GLOBAL: playing a role in internal Wikimedia movement

What are the objectives of this program? Please use SMART criteria to explain these goals.


To play an active and constructive role in the global Wikimedia movement

We have no plans to organize a major international event in 2014. However, we will commit ourselves to supporting better cooperation and information exchange between chapters. Also we want to explore the possibility of organising the GLAM-Wiki international meeting in 2015 We will encourage volunteers to become active internationally and to participate in international events such as Wikimania, Wikimedia Conference, GLAM-wiki activities etc.. This explicitly also applies te Wikipedia editors who are not directly involved in the activities organised by WMNL as a member or volunteer . For our activities focussing on World War II we will look for international partnerships. We also expect active cooperation with other chapters through our involvement in Wiki Loves Earth (see Program II: Content)


Quantified objectives

  • budget for international travel by members of NL community of €15.000 to be made available
  • at least 5 members of NL community attend Wikimania, funded by WMNL, of which 2 members have not previously attended
  • at least 4 presentations given by members of NL community at WIkimania
  • at least 4 members of NL community attend Wikimedia Conference
  • at least 2 presentations given by members of Nl Community at Wikimedia Conference


Key activities, milestones and timing

  • support WMCH in organising the International Hackathon by sharing experiences and documents developed in organising the Amsterdam Hackathon
  • prepare a bid (if bidding is needed) to organise GlamWIki 2015
  • take part in regular (telephone) conferences and exchanges with directors and Boards of other Chapters
  • support Chapters Dialogue
  • support and take part in international capacity building programmes for staff, boards, volunteers
  • attend and contribute to Wikimania and Wikimedia Chapters COnferencer
  • actively promote and facilitate involvement of members of Nl community in international activities and programmes


How will your entity document, track, and measure successes and challenges of this program?
  • monitor and record travel scholarships awarded
  • publish reports on participation in international events on WMNL wiki


Which Wikimedia movement strategic priority (or priorities) does this program address and how?
  • Stabilize infrastructure
  • Improve quality


  • Any additional details:



Program 6[edit]

Program title ORGANIZATION: governance and office

What are the objectives of this program? Please use SMART criteria to explain these goals.


1. The administrative organisation of WMNL complies with standards and criteria

Quantified objectives

  • annual report and accounts approved by auditor 31 March 2014
  • Q1,2,3,4 report submitted timely and according to WMF guidelines
  • Annual plan and budget 2015 approved 1 October 2014
  • FDC application submitted by deadline set by FDC
  • staff assessments carried out according to schedule


2. The Board fully and effectively meets its obligations concerning good governance

Quantified objectives

  • Review changes needed to facilitate that Board Members' term of office is prolonged beyond one year, and propose these changes to Membership
  • Actively seek out individuals with skills that would complement the Board


Key activities, milestones and planning

  • maintain transparent and efficient accounting system Q1-4
  • produce annual report and accounts Q1
  • draft annual plan, budget en FDC application Q3
  • propose changes to articles of incorporation and board regulations Q3
  • create overview of compentencies and skills of present Board, and possible gaps. Q1
  • seek out potential Board candidates to complement skillset Q1


How will your entity document, track, and measure successes and challenges of this program?
  • auditors reports
  • approval by Membership of Annual Report and Accounts
  • feedback on Q1-Q4 reports by Wikimedia Community
  • Necessary revisions of Articles of Incorporation approved and registered
  • Election of Board members with new or complementary skills


Which Wikimedia movement strategic priority (or priorities) does this program address and how?
  • stabilize infrastructure

Any additional details:


Additional context for the upcoming year's annual plan / SWOT[edit]

Please provide 1-2 paragraphs for each response below. SWOT stands for your organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

What organizational strengths enable your entity's plan (e.g., leadership, education program expertise, experience with outreach, governance structure, community participation, fundraising)?
  • A core group of active, competent and highly motivated volunteers
  • Proven capability of organising successful events, such as International Hackathon, WIki Loves Monuments
  • Motivated board, consisting of experienced Wikipedians and individuals with experience in publishing, education and museums
  • Small and enthousiastic professional team with experience in/knowledge non-profit management, communication and pr, fundraising, fundraising, GLAM sector, finances
  • Good relations between volunteers and professional staff
  • Well-developed community of Wikipedia editors
  • Good working relationships with leading GLAM institutions


What external opportunities enable your entity's plan (e.g., socio-political context, community participation, fundraising)?
  • Cultural sector in the Netherlands, including leading institutions in GLAM sector, is looking for opportunities to increase its audience, lose its elitist image and engage in new partnerships
  • Respect for Wikipedia as a ‘brand’
  • Increased social and political awareness of the importance of Internet freedom and free access to knowledge
  • Funding bodies favour grass-root projects
  • New developments in IT, especially smart, mobile technology, provide opportunities to involve wider groups


What are key risks or threats that would prevent you from achieving your plan (e.g., leadership turnover, governance challenges, lawsuits, fundraising, community participation, socio-political context)?
  1. Group of active volunteers is relatively small; danger of volunteer burn-out
  2. Wikipedia community not sufficiently aware of support provided by WMNL - or sometimes critical/suspicious of WMNL
  3. Some active editors fearful of influx of new editors which can result in discouragement of new editors
  4. Negative developments/scandals concerning Wikipedia or Wikimedia in other parts of the world could have impact on the reputation of Wikimedia Nederland
  5. Economic crisis leads to increased competition among non-profits for available funds
  6. Wikimedia Nederland is not able to receive certification as a fundraising charity as long as Wikimedia Foundation also raises funds in the Netherlands
  7. Wikimedia Nederland as an organization is not widely known and needs to establish its profile within the non-profit sector
  8. Boardmembers’ terms of office are only one year, with the entire Board coming up for re-election every year; this poses a risk to continuity in governance
  9. Within current membership only limited experience/expertise concerning governance of a profesionalising non-profit


How will you minimize these risks and threats?

Increasing the number of active volunteers and strengthening ties with the NL Wikipedia community are key priorities for 2014. This will address risk/threats 1-3. The way we will do this is described in the programmes 1 - Community and 2 - Content.

Risk/threats 4-6 are beyond the direct control of WIkimedia Nederland. We will work at establishing our reputation as a trustworthy organisation for potential donors, e.g. by being very transparent about our (financial) operations. This is described in the programmes WMNL and Resources. This will also partly address risk 7.

Continuity of governance (risk/threat 8) is recognised as a priority by the current Board. We are considering extending the terms of office of Board Members. The conclusions of the Compass Report on governance within WMUK are taken into consideration. We are also considering the possibility to actively seek out Board Members with relevant expertise (risk/threat 9) and will encourage Board members to commit to serving for more than one year

Financials: year-to-date progress[edit]

This section provides the FDC information about how your entity is progressing against the current fiscal year's planned budget (revenues and costs).

Please provide the relevant information below. "Year-to-date" refers to the period between the start of your entity's current fiscal year and the date of submission of the proposal. Actual year-to-date financials should be provided as close to the proposal submission date as possible.

Identify the year-to-date for which you are reporting, month/year to month/year:

Table 3

Current fiscal year planned budget Year-to-date actuals Projected final amount
In currency requested In $US In currency requested In $US In currency requested In $US
Revenues (from all sources) € 349,000 $ 453,700 € 304,410 $ 395,733 € 319,000 $ 414,700
Spending € 361,350 $ 469,755 € 197,833 $ 257,183 € 293,114 $ 381,048

Table 3 details, if necessary:


Based on the variance percentages above, please describe how your entity is progressing against revenue and spending targets. If your projected final amount shows your entity to be significantly under or over target on either revenue or spending, please provide a detailed explanation.

Financials: upcoming year's annual plan[edit]

Please note that the FDC staff is currently exploring alternatives to wikitables for financial information. This issue will be addressed by the time the proposal creation tool is launched on September 1, 2013. Provide your financial overview for the upcoming year in the format below.

Please link to your detailed budget in a publicly available spreadsheet file (translation into English highly recommended) in addition to completing the tables below.


Financial sustainability[edit]

What other donors support your work through grants beyond those in the Wikimedia movement? If your entity does receive funding from other donors, please list a contact person. Note that the donor's contact details can be sent directly to FDCsupport@wikimedia.org if you prefer not to publish it here.

Note that the FDC staff may contact these donors.

  • During 2013, WMNL has received grants from Google and Fonds 1818. Contact details are provided to FDCsupport@wikimedia.org.


What are your entity's plans for achieving long-term financial sustainability?

We do not foresee a future where WMNL will be entirely financially self-supporting, i.e. will not apply for funds from the Wikimedia movement. We do believe that over the years we will be able to generate a substantial revenue from external sources, the most promising being:

  • grants from foundations and other private donors: for 2014 we see concrete opportunities to get external funding for activities related to World War II and Wiki Loves Earth.
  • donations by individuals to WMNL
  • in-kind contributions: we already have good experiences with e.g. not having to pay for the use of a venue, catering etc. This will not as such generate extra income, but will limit costs.

The most likely scenario in our view is that 'core-activities' such as editor recruitment & training, community support, basic operational costs will be funded through the Wikimedia movement. For other activities such as "Wiki loves monuments'- type campaigns we will increasingly seek external funding.



Revenues[edit]

Please list anticipated revenues, by source (e.g., FDC, Wikimedia grants programs, grants from institutional donors, public funding, membership fees, local donations, event fees)

Table 4

Revenue source Anticipated (in currency requested) Anticipated (In $US)


Membership fees € 4,500 $ 5,850
Donations € 4,500 $ 5,850
FDC € 323,000 $ 419,900
Local project funding/subsidies € 24,068 $ 31,288

Table 4 notes, if necessary:



Current entity staff and long-term contractors[edit]

Role/functions might include program administration, finance, fundraising. Please include both part-time and full-time staff and long-term contractors.

Table 5

Role / Function Number of staff Percentage of staff time*
Executive Director 1 90
Communications and community support 2 140
Coordinator GLAM 1 50
Finances and office management 1 60

*Please include estimates of the percentage allocation of staff members. For example, for full-time staff, you would put 100% in this column. For half time staff, you would put 50% in this column.

Table 5 notes, if necessary:



Proposed new staff and and long-term contractors for upcoming year's annual plan[edit]

Role / functions might include program administration, finance, fundraising. Please include both part-time and full-time staff and long-term contractors.

Table 6

Department (e.g. Programs, Communications) Number of current staff Percentage of current staff time* Number of upcoming staff Percentage of upcoming staff time* Rationale for hiring new staff
Exploration of the feasibility to develop a WMNL education programme requires knowledge and time-input which current staff cannot provide
In order to strenghten ties with the Nl Wikipedia community. Requires solid time investment which staff/current volunteers cannot provide.

*Please include estimates of the percentage allocation of staff members and long-term contractors. For example, for full-time staff, you would put 100% in this column. For half-time staff, you would put 50% in this column.

Table 6 notes, if necessary:



Summary of staff and long-term contractor expenses[edit]

Table 7

In currency requested In $US Percent increase
Current staff expenses € 159,000 $ 206,700
Proposed increase for current staff expenses 0 0 -
Proposed increase for new staff expenses € 17,500 $ 22,750 11.01
Total staff expenses € 176,500 $ 229,450 11.01

Please estimate the percentage of overall staff time spent on programmatic work, as opposed to administration:

The estitmated percentage of overall staff time spent on programmatic work as opposed to administration is 70%



Expenses by program / initiative[edit]

Expenses are costs associated with any programs, initiatives, or projects your entity manages (e.g., event costs, materials, transportation). Please exclude any staff costs that are included above. “Programs / initiatives” might include education programs, outreach programs, microgranting initiatives, etc. Please include any administration costs (e.g., office space rental, utilities) affiliated with each program along with any overall administration costs that are not affiliated with any particular program (e.g., Administration should be considered a "Program" under the first column.)

Table 8a

Program / initiative In currency requested In $US
Community € 30,050 $ 39,065
Content € 43,100 $ 56,030
WMNL 4,540 5,902
Resources € 9,300 $ 12,090
Global € 26,500 $ 34,450
Organization € 12,500 $ 16,500
Administration € 53,578 $ 69,651
Total program expenses (should equal the sum of the rows) € 179,568 $ 233,688

Table 8 notes, if necessary:



Summary of total revenues and expenses[edit]

Table 9

In currency requested In $US
Total cash balance as of proposal submission € 298,590 $ 388,167
Total revenues € 356,068 $ 462,888
Total spending € 356,068 $ 462,888
Net (revenues less expenses) 0 0
Operating reserves,* if applicable

Table 9 notes, if necessary:



Verification that this proposal requests no funds from the Wikimedia Foundation for political or legislative activities[edit]

Enter "yes" or "no" for the verification below.

The term “political or legislative activities” includes any activities relating to political campaigns or candidates (including the contribution of funds and the publication of position statements relating to political campaigns or candidates); voter registration activities; meetings with or submissions and petitions to government executives, ministers, officers or agencies on political or policy issues; and any other activities seeking government intervention or policy implementation (like “lobbying”), whether directed toward the government or the community or public at large. Grants for such activities (when permitted under U.S. law and IRS regulations) should be sought from the Wikimedia Grants Program.
I verify that this proposal requests no funds from the Wikimedia Foundation for political or legislative activities Yes

Once complete, please sign below with the usual four tildes. No changes can be made to the documents after the deadlines for completion passes, and documents will automatically be considered 'submitted' after the deadline closes.

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