Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/Annual Grant of the UAE User Group 2024

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Applicant information[edit]

Organization name or Wikimedia Username for individuals. (required): Wikimedians of United Arab Emirates User Group

Do you have any approved General Support Fund requests? (required): Yes, I have already applied and received a General Support Fund

You are applying as a(n). (required): Wikimedia Affiliate (chapter, thematic org., or user group)

Are your group or organization legally registered in your country? (required): No

Do you have a fiscal sponsor?: Yes

Fiscal organization name.: Emirates Literature Foundation

Main proposal[edit]

1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be a title for the Meta-Wiki page. (required): Annual Grant of the UAE User Group 2024

2. Do you want to apply for the multi-year funding or renewal process? (required): No but we would like to apply for multi-year funding next time

2.1. For how many years of multi-year funding are you applying? (required): 2 years

2.2. Provide a brief overview of Year 2 and Year 3 of the proposed plan and how this relates to the current proposal and your strategic plan? (required)

Overview of Year 2 and Year 3: The proposed strategic plan for 2024 aligns seamlessly with the User group’s Year 2 and Year 3 objectives. While detailed activity plans for these years may not be outlined, a high-level understanding of programmatic work can be provided:

Content Enrichment (Year 2 and Year 3): The User Group will continue to focus on content enrichment, emphasizing increasing the quantity and quality of Arabic content on Wikimedia projects. This strategy aligns with the current proposal's objectives of identifying content gaps, organizing content creation campaigns, and establishing content review processes. Over the next three years, the User Group will refine its content strategy, expand collaborations with GLAM organizations, and improve content quality.

Community Growth and Sustainability (Year 2 and Year 3): Building a vibrant and sustainable community of Wikimedians remains a central focus. The User Group will continue recruiting and onboarding new editors, providing ongoing training and support, organizing community meetups, edit-a-thons, Wiki Clubs, and Conferences, and promoting diversity and inclusion within the community. Year 2 and Year 3 will see the community grow in numbers and engagement levels.

Awareness and Advocacy (Year 2 and Year 3): Raising awareness about freely accessible and reliable data in Arabic and advocating for open knowledge principles will continue to be a core part of the User Group's mission. Year 2 and Year 3 will witness the expansion of the awareness campaign, deeper collaborations with educational institutions, and a broader reach within the public. Advocacy efforts will be intensified as the User Group builds on its achievements.

Digital Literacy and Education (Year 2 and Year 3): Promoting digital literacy and knowledge sharing is a multi-year commitment. Collaborations with schools, universities, and libraries to offer digital literacy programs will persist. The development of a structured curriculum for training sessions and the organization of workshops will continue. Online training sessions will reach a wider audience, contributing to digital literacy efforts.

Innovation and Technology (Year 2 and Year 3): Embracing innovation and technology remains an ongoing initiative. The organization will explore using AI and machine learning for content quality assessment and enhancement. Integration of structured data and Wikidata will continue to be promoted. The community's culture of experimentation and technological exploration will be nurtured, leading to ongoing improvements in content creation processes and research.

Commitment to the Five Main Programs: As a User Group, we are committed to the five main programs: Education and Digital Literacy, Community Outreach, Media Outreach, Research Program, and UAE Identity Projects. These programs are the foundation for the User Group's activities. The User Group will continue developing its activities plan based on these programs to ensure a well-rounded and comprehensive approach to achieving its goals. This multi-year approach ensures that the Wikimedians of UAE User Group can work toward its long-term vision and mission effectively.

3. Proposed start date. (required): 2024-01-01

4. Proposed end date. (required): 2024-12-31

5. Does your organization or group have an Affiliate or Organizational Annual Plan that can help us understand your proposal? If yes, please provide it. (required): Yes

6. Does your affiliate, organization or group have a Strategic Plan that can help us understand your proposal? If yes, please provide it. (required): Yes

7. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required): Regional (more than one country in the same continent or region); The United Arab Emirates (Main Focus)

MENA Region (Arabic-speaking Communities)

The proposal for the Wikimedians of UAE User Group's annual plan in 2024 will primarily be implemented in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is the central geographic focus of the User Group's activities, as indicated in their strategic plan. The UAE serves as the User Group's base, and our initiatives, including Education and Digital Literacy programs, Community Outreach, Media Outreach, Research Programs, and UAE Identity Projects, are tailored to benefit and engage the local community within the UAE.

However, it's important to note that the User Group's activities are not limited exclusively to the UAE. While the primary implementation location is the UAE, the User Group also maintains close collaborations with two universities in Saudi Arabia. As such, there is an intent to expand the User Group's focus beyond the UAE borders to include Saudi Arabia in certain aspects of their work.

Furthermore, the User Group's content creation efforts have a dual focus. While a significant portion of our content creation aims to generate articles and resources about the UAE, we also actively contribute to enhancing Arabic online content related to the broader MENA region. This broader content creation approach opens up opportunities for collaboration with different organizations and Arabic-speaking user groups within the MENA region, aligning with the User Group's commitment to enriching Arabic online content across borders.

8. What are your programs, approaches, and strategies? What are the challenges that you are trying to address and how will your strategies support you in addressing these challenges? (required)

Here's an overview of our programs, the challenges we aim to address, and how our strategies will support them in overcoming these challenges: Programs:

1. Education and Digital Literacy:

Approach: Building partnerships with GLAM organizations, collaborating with universities.

Challenges: Addressing the digital literacy gap, promoting Wikipedia editing skills, and ensuring the accessibility of Wikimedia projects for educational purposes.

Strategies: Providing training sessions, developing a structured curriculum, and fostering university student contributions will empower individuals with digital literacy and knowledge-sharing skills.

2. Community Outreach:

Approach: organizing edit-a-thons, and hosting competitions.

Challenges: Expanding the community of Wikimedians, engaging new and experienced editors, and creating a collaborative environment.

Strategies: Encouraging participation through themed edit-a-thons and competitions.

3. UAE Identity Projects:

Approach: Organizing competitions related to UAE culture.

Challenges: Showcasing the UAE's rich cultural heritage and identity, engaging local artists and cultural experts, and promoting public participation.

Strategies: Engaging local experts as judges in competitions, collaborating with cultural institutions, and providing additional information through QR codes in the museum will address these challenges.

Overall Strategies:

1. Capacity Building: Training sessions, mentorship programs, and structured curricula are offered to enhance digital literacy and knowledge sharing.

2. Community Engagement: Organizing community meetups, edit-a-thons, competitions and a conference, and fostering diversity and inclusion to build a vibrant and sustainable community.

3. Advocacy: Raising awareness of freely accessible and reliable data, integrating Wikimedia projects into educational curricula, and establishing partnerships to advocate for open knowledge principles.

4. Innovation and Technology: Exploring AI, machine learning, structured data, and fostering a culture of experimentation within the community to improve content quality and efficiency.

Challenges Addressed:

1. Content Quality and Quantity: The strategies ensure that more high-quality Arabic content is created and maintained on Wikimedia projects.

2. Community Growth and Engagement: By providing training, mentorship, and opportunities for participation, the User Group addresses the challenge of expanding and engaging the community.

3. Awareness and Advocacy: Strategies aim to raise awareness of open knowledge principles and advocate for data accessibility.

4. Digital Literacy: The programs and approaches target improving digital literacy skills, particularly in Wikimedia projects.

9. What categories are your main programs and related activities under? Please select all that apply. (required)


Category	Yes/No
Education	Yes
Culture, heritage or GLAM	Yes
Gender and diversity	Yes
Community support and engagement	Yes
Participation in campaigns and contests	Yes
Public policy advocacy	No
Other	No

Education

9.1.1. Select all your programs and activities for Education. (required): Editing Wikipedia Training, Translation, Research, Wikidata programs, Wikimedia Commons programs, Other Wikimedia project programs; Other programs and activities if any: N/A
9.1.2. Select all relevant audience groups for Education. (required): Secondary school students, Vocational, tertiary, or higher education, Teachers or professors, Senior citizens; Other groups if any: N/A

Culture, heritage or GLAM

9.2. Select all your programs and activities for Culture, heritage or GLAM. (required): Supporting institutions to open up their collections, data, metadata, and research, Supporting GLAM professionals to incorporate use of Wikimedia in their work, through documentation, training, or Wikimedian in Residence programs, Partnering with institutions, professional associations, and allied organizations to raise awareness of open culture, ethical sharing, and related issues; Other programs and activities if any: N/A

Gender and diversity

9.3. Select all your programs and activities for Gender and diversity.: Bringing in women and/or gender diverse participants and editors, Focusing on creating content about women and/or gender diverse groups, including biographies, intersectional topic areas and/or adding images; Other programs and activities if any: N/A

Community support and engagement

9.4. Select all your programs and activities for Community support and engagement.: On-wiki training of community members, Off-wiki training of community members, Organizing meetups, conferences, and community events, Supporting community members' participation in events and conferences; Other programs and activities if any: N/A

Participation in campaigns and contests

9.5. Select all campaigns that apply. (required): 1Lib1Ref, Art+Feminism, Wiki Loves Earth, Wiki Loves Women, WikiForHumanRights, Wikipedia Pages Wanting Photos, Wikipedia Birthday or Anniversary; Other programs and activities if any: N/A
10. Please include a link to or upload a timeline (operational calendar) for your programs and activities. (required): The timeline is uploaded below.

11. Describe your team. (required)

1. Director General Role: Provide strategic leadership and oversight of all activities. Engagement: Volunteer Username: سيرين بن براهيم

2. Executive Director Role: Support the Director General and oversee operations. Engagement: Volunteer Username: دانية دروبي

3. Strategic Advisor and Consultant Role: Provide expert guidance, strategic advice, and knowledge sharing. Engagement: Volunteer Username: Reda Kerbouche

4. Research and Data Analysis Lead Role: Oversee the Research Program and data-driven initiatives. Engagement: Salaried Username: Iyhab1994

5. Research Officer Role: Support the Research and Data Analysis Lead in research activities. Engagement: Volunteer User: Shahdmurshed

6. Communication and Outreach Coordinator Role: coordinates community engagement, outreach, and development efforts. Engagement: Volunteer Username: Duaa Khidir

7. Financial Manager Role: Oversee financial operations and budget management. Engagement: Volunteer

12. Will you be working with any internal (Wikimedia) or external partners? Describe the characteristics of these partnerships and bring a few examples of the most significant partnerships. (required)

Internal Partnerships: Wikimedia User Groups: we will engage with other Wikimedia User Groups and collaborate on projects or activities of mutual interest. This may include sharing resources, expertise, or coordinating efforts for larger regional or global projects.

External Partnerships: Emirates Literature Foundation (ELF): ELF is a significant partner that plays a pivotal role in facilitating various partnerships due to its extensive network in the literature and cultural sectors. Our collaboration with ELF extends to participating in their different literature and cultural events, such as the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which is considered one of the top 10 festivals in the world. ELF's influence and reach provide opportunities for us to connect with other organizations and institutions in the UAE and beyond, contributing to our broader strategy.

Universities in the UAE: We aim to establish partnerships with universities in the UAE for various aspects of our strategy, such as the University Roadmap and training sessions. These partnerships will involve working with university faculty, administration, and students to promote Wikimedia projects and digital literacy.

GLAM Organizations: We will partner with Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) organizations in the UAE to digitize and share cultural content on Wikimedia projects. These partnerships will facilitate content enrichment and data accessibility.

Government Entities: We may engage with government entities in the UAE to advocate for open knowledge principles and support initiatives related to data accessibility and reliability.

These partnerships, including the significant collaboration with Emirates Literature Foundation (ELF), are instrumental in achieving our annual strategy's objectives by leveraging resources, expertise, and networks beyond our organization.

13. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select all that apply. (required): Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement, Improve User Experience, Coordinate Across Stakeholders, Manage Internal Knowledge, Identify Topics for Impact, Evaluate, Iterate, and Adapt

Metrics[edit]

Wikimedia Metrics[edit]

14. Please select and fill out Wikimedia Metrics for your proposal. (recommended)

14.1. Number of participants, editors, and organizers.

All metrics provided are optional, please fill them out if they are aligned with your programs and activities.

Participants, editors, and organizers
Metrics name	Target	Description
Number of all participants	200	N/A
Number of all editors	250	N/A
Number of new editors	100
Number of retained editors	50
Number of all organizers	5	N/A
Number of new organizers	0	N/A

14.2. Number of new content contributions to Wikimedia projects. (recommended)

Contributions to Wikimedia projects
Wikimedia project	Created	Edited or improved
Wikipedia	500	1000
Wikimedia Commons	2000
Wikidata	2000	1000
Wiktionary
Wikisource
Wikimedia Incubator
Translatewiki
MediaWiki
Wikiquote
Wikivoyage
Wikibooks
Wikiversity
Wikinews
Wikispecies
Wikifunctions / Abstract Wikipedia

Description for Wikimedia projects contributions metrics. (optional)

Other Metrics[edit]

15. Do you have other quantitative and qualitative targets for your project (other metrics)? (required): Yes


Other Metrics	Description	Target
Training Students through Wiki Club:	Metrics: Number of students trained. Number of training sessions conducted. Quality of training materials and resources (participant feedback).	200
Contributions on Wikimedia Projects via WikiCollection:	Metrics: Number of contributions made. Number of contributors involved. Quality assessment of contributions.	5000
Edit-a-thons:	Metrics: Number of edit-a-thons conducted. Number of participants in each edit-a-thon. Quality assessment of edits made during edit-a-thons.	4
University Training Sessions:	Target: Conduct at least 5 training sessions in 3 main universities in the UAE. Metrics: Number of training sessions conducted in each university. Number of students or participants in each session. Participant feedback on training effectiveness.	5
competition	Competitions: Target: Organize at least two competitions. Metrics: Number of competitions conducted. Number of participants in each competition. Evaluation criteria and judging process for competitions.	2

Budget[edit]

16. Will you have any other revenue sources when implementing this proposal (e.g. other funding, membership contributions, donations)? (required): No

16.1. List other revenue sources. (required)

N/A

16.2. Approximately how much revenue will you have from other sources in your local currency? (required): N/A

17. Your local currency. (required): AED

18. What is the total requested amount in your local currency? (required): 183620 AED

Multi-year funding request summary
Year	Amount (local currency)
Year 1	579956 AED
Year 2	579956 AED
Year 3	N/A AED

Requested amount in USD: 315794.56 USD ^{[note 1]}

Multi-year funding request summary in USD
Year	Amount USD ^{[note 1]}
Year 1	157897.28 USD
Year 2	157897.28 USD
Year 3	0 USD

↑ ^a ^b ^c The following amount in US dollars was calculated by Wikimedia Foundation staff using the fixed currency rates. This amount is approximate and may not reflect the actual currency exchange rates on the day of submission or distribution. If the application is funded, the funding will be sent in the recipient’s local currency.

19. Does this proposal include compensation for staff or contractors? (required): Yes

19.1. How many paid staff members do you plan to have? (required)

Include the number of staff and contractors during the proposal period. If you have short-term contractors or staff, please include them separately and mention their terms.

For the upcoming year, we have ambitious plans for expanding our activities and increasing our impact within the United Arab Emirates. To effectively implement our programs and initiatives, we aim to have four paid staff members within the Wikimedians of UAE User Group. This represents a significant step forward in our organizational growth and capability.

The decision to have a dedicated team of paid staff members is driven by several factors:

1. Expansion of Activities: Our work is expanding, and we are taking on more comprehensive programs that require meticulous planning, execution, and follow-up. Having a dedicated team allows us to allocate the necessary time and resources to each program effectively.

2. Increased Involvement: As we become more involved in various projects, events, and collaborations, it's crucial to have a team that can fully commit to these activities. This level of involvement ensures that we can maximize our contributions and engagement within the Wikimedia community.

3. Enhanced Expertise: With our growing experience and network of connections, we recognize the need for specialized roles and expertise to support our initiatives. Paid staff member can bring their knowledge and skills to the table, helping us achieve better outcomes.

4. Resource Allocation: The availability of dedicated resources, including staff, is essential for conducting research, data analysis, content creation, and effective program management. It ensures that we can make informed decisions and deliver high-quality results.

5. Community Support: Our community and volunteers are integral to our success, and having a dedicated team can provide the necessary support, mentorship, and guidance to our community members, enhancing their experience and contributions.

The decision to have four paid staff members within the Wikimedians of UAE User Group for the upcoming year is rooted in our commitment to expanding our impact, improving program quality, and providing the necessary resources to fulfill our mission and strategic goals in the UAE. These staff members will play crucial roles in driving our initiatives forward and fostering a thriving Wikimedia community in our region.

19.2. How many FTEs (full-time equivalents) in total? (required)

Include the total FTE of staff and contractors during the proposal period. If you have short-term contractors or staff, please include their FTEs with the terms separately.

1.0 FTEs

19.3. Describe any staff or contractor changes compared to the current year / ongoing General Support Fund if any. (required only for returning grantees): N/A

20. Please provide an overview of your overall budget categories in your local currency. The budget breakdown should include only the amount requested with this General Support Fund (required).


Budget category	Amount in local currency
Staff and contractor costs	22520 AED
Operational costs	299 AED
Programmatic costs	27480 AED

21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1v26Fm3ialfLcnDWEEjUgECu4mUb3ovre1KPXZvLVQe4/edit?usp=sharing

Additional information[edit]

22. In this optional space you can add any other additional information about your proposal or organization that you think can help us when reviewing your proposal. (optional)

By submitting your proposal/funding request you agree that you are in agreement with the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and the Universal Code of Conduct.

We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.

Yes

Feedback[edit]

Please add any feedback to the grant discussion page only. Any feedback added here will be removed.

[fixedrate-1] The following amount in US dollars was calculated by Wikimedia Foundation staff using the fixed currency rates. This amount is approximate and may not reflect the actual currency exchange rates on the day of submission or distribution. If the application is funded, the funding will be sent in the recipient’s local currency.

[note 1]