Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/Annual Plan of Wikimedia Serbia 2024/Final Report
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Part 1: Understanding your work
[edit]Per the recent update on the Wikimedia Foundation Affiliates Strategy process, Wikimedia Affiliates that are General Support Fund grantees will fulfill their affiliate reporting requirements through their final or yearly grantee report.
If you are a Wikimedia Affiliate, you will use this form for your affiliate reporting and to address the affiliate health criteria. You do not need to submit a separate report to AffCom. Follow the guidance in the green boxes to report on how you met the corresponding affiliate health criteria.
If you are not a Wikimedia Affiliate, aligning your responses with the affiliate criteria is optional and not required.
1. Please share to what extent your programs, approaches, and strategies contributed to addressing the challenges you shared in your proposal. If they did not contribute as you believed they would, please share what obstacles you faced and what, if anything, you learned from them? (required)
For affiliates, use this space (Question 1.) to address Affiliate Health Criterion 1.1 (Goal delivery). Describe how you actively delivered on mission goals, e.g. content creation.
Our programs, approaches, and strategies have significantly contributed to addressing the challenges outlined in our proposal. Wikimedia Serbia continued its growth in all program areas in 2024, exceeding planned goals and strengthening its global presence. All three core programs — Education Program, GLAM Program, and Diversity Program — were successfully implemented. Through education, digitization, and international projects, the organization managed to improve free knowledge accessibility and increase community engagement. A large number of activities focused on international movement participation, launching new initiatives, and working toward financial stability.
Program Activities
The Wikipedia in Schools initiative remains a key segment of the Education Program, aiming to integrate Wikimedia projects into academic environments. Throughout the year, cooperation was established with 14 educational institutions, including seven new partnerships and five renewed collaborations. A total of 58 Wikipedia editing workshops were held. Other key activities included organizing accredited teacher training seminars and the Edu Wiki Camp, which served to train both new and existing Wiki Ambassadors, and in that way promoting long-term engagement. Notable new initiatives included developing the Adult Education Program with the Božidarac Cultural Institution, submitting an Erasmus+ project, collaboration with institutions like the Cervantes Institute and pedagogical societies, and an approved lecture for the prestigious World Literacy Summit set to take place in April 2025 at the Oxford University.
Within the GLAM Program, collaboration with cultural institutions continued through various projects, including the Wikipedian in Residence (WIR) project. WIR project enhanced partnerships with cultural institutions, facilitating digitization and open-access initiatives. This was supported by the Serbian Ministry of Culture in 2024, which fostered long-term and sustainable collaborations. Wikimedia Serbia had a global leadership role in the #1Lib1Ref campaign (both in organization and realization), where the Serbian community secured first place with 11,984 references added. Other standout activities included the Wiki Librarian Project.
The Diversity Program, focused on inclusion, increased the number of participants and new editors, with a particular emphasis on women, minority groups, and older populations. Workshops, competitions, and edit-a-thons were organized, with the Wiki Loves Sports edit-a-thon achieving record results—377 new and improved articles. The Serbian community also took first place in the global Wikipedia Pages Wanting Photos (WPWP) competition, adding images to 13,086 articles. Additionally, microgrants were awarded to support the decentralization of activities in various cities in Serbia.
Metrics and Targets
All key metrics exceeded expectations, with only minor deviations in the number of organizers. The ability to reach targets was due to evaluating the mid-year report and directing efforts toward areas where goal achievement was uncertain. In addition to planned activities, new collaborations and innovative knowledge dissemination methods were initiated. Challenges remain in attracting and retaining new editors, but new approaches—such as training programs within the Edu Wiki Camp—are being explored to address these barriers.
Global Movement Participation and Leadership
In 2024, significant attention was devoted to regional and global activities, reflected in the results achieved. Wikimedia Serbia participated in numerous international events (Wikimedia Summit, CEE Meeting, Wikimedia Europe General Assembly, CEE Hub meetings, and Wiki Outdoor initiative) and presented its work through newsletters (GLAM, Edu, and CEE). Furthermore, Wikimedia Serbia applied for an Erasmus+ project in collaboration with schools from Serbia, Hungary, and Turkey to develop open educational resources on ecology. It also collaborated with Wikimedia Macedonia, the “Bora Stanković” Public Library, and the “Partenija Zografski” State Educational and Rehabilitation Center to apply for a cross-border cooperation project between Serbia and North Macedonia for the 2021–2027 period.
Financial Stability
Wikimedia Serbia strives for financial stability and sustainability. In addition to funding from the General Support Fund, the organization received grants from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia. Despite applying for AKT program calls, the European Heritage Hub, and the EU Civil Society Program, these applications were not accepted. The estimated value of in-kind donations for 2024 was €9,421, mainly for providing event venues and covering travel costs for international conference participation. By the end of the year, the Wikimedia CEE Hub funded the printing of the Educational Program brochure in English.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
While we exceeded many targets, challenges emerged: Sustained engagement of new editors remains an ongoing challenge despite training efforts. Resource limitations for large-scale projects necessitate continued advocacy for funding. Moving forward, we aim to refine our retention strategies, secure additional resources, and further integrate Wikimedia projects into formal education and cultural preservation frameworks. Challenges and lessons learned for specific programs are in the detailed report linked in question 3.
2. Is there a plan to build on the key successes you had? If yes, please describe the plan and if no, please share the limitations to do so. For instance, did the activities lead to any new priorities, ideas for activities, or goals for the future? (required)
Throughout the year, we learned a lot through the implementation of each program and identified new practices we could introduce in our work, aligned with our strategic goals. Below, we highlight several segments that have proven significant for the organization’s further development.
- Education for adults: Although WMRS has been implementing the Wiki Senior project for several years, in 2024, these activities expanded significantly and are now part of the Education Program. Namely, the collaboration with the Božidarac Cultural Institution, one of the most prominent cultural institutions in Belgrade, was reestablished. Božidarac has long been an active contributor to the city’s educational and cultural life and is recognized as a center for lifelong learning — a place where different generations come together to exchange knowledge and skills. As part of this collaboration, we are working on designing and conducting workshops within the Wiki Senior project, which aims to involve older adults in the process of digital literacy and active participation in creating free knowledge. These workshops will be carried out with the support of the Belgrade City Library, further enhancing the quality and sustainability of the Education Program. Moreover, Wikimedia Serbia received accreditation from the National Library of Serbia to implement the "Wiki Seniors in Libraries: Librarians as Creators of Innovative Knowledge for the Third Age" program in 2025. This program is designed for librarians and aims to train them on how to use Wikipedia in informal education for older adults.
- New Partnerships: WMRS implements most of its projects in collaboration with institutions and organizations. We believe this approach multiplies results and reaches a broader target audience. In 2024, we aimed to improve partnerships in two ways: 1) by building longer-term relationships (multi-month Wikipedian in residence programs) and 2) by finding new partners who can contribute to content diversity (such as the Cervantes Institute and the Pedagogical Society).
- Strengthening and Building Resources: Resource development is crucial for the growth of any organization. In addition to the in-kind donations we receive annually, in 2024, we invested more effort in securing additional funding sources. This not only broadened our partner network but also increased the scope of our activities. This effort involved applying for several project calls — some were accepted, some were rejected with valuable feedback, and some are still under review. The most notable among them is the EU project we applied for in partnership with Wikimedia Macedonia, the “Bora Stanković” Public Library, and the “Partenija Zografski” State Educational and Rehabilitation Center. In 2025 and the years ahead, we will strive to build on this experience and achieve more capacity development goals, including: 1) expanding our activities; 2) introducing new project models; 3) establishing a network of sustainable partnerships; and 4) fostering cross regional cooperation.
3. Please provide a link to reports that detail the activities that took place in the last year. This can include an annual report, Meta pages, and websites. If there are no links available, briefly describe the implemented activities and programs below or upload any files. (required)
For affiliates, use this space (Question 3.) to address Affiliate Health Criteria 2.1 (Affiliate health & resilience), 4.1 (Internal engagement), 4.2 (Community connection), and 4.3 (Partnerships and collaboration):
- Describe your activities engaging new users, new members for your decision-making body(ies), and developing leaders and organizers (2.1).
- Describe your activities creating or hosting spaces to encourage greater collaboration and engagement among your members (4.1).
- Describe how you engage with the contributing community that you serve and/or support (4.2).
- Describe your partnerships with other affiliates or with non-Wikimedia entities (4.3).
Detailed annual report of Wikimedia Serbia: [1]
4. Are you interested in sharing what you achieved or learned this year with the wider community through different peer learning programs (e.g. Let's Connect program, Diff)? (optional)
Of course. Wikimedia Serbia has already been actively doing and implementing this. Most of the activities, project models, success stories, and lessons learned are shared with the broader community in the following ways:
- Newsletters: WMRS prepares several types of newsletters — Edu, GLAM, CEE, and local ones. All of these documents present activities and results of specific projects.
- Conferences and Thematic Meetings: WMRS strives to present relevant topics at all conferences and thus share with the community what can be applied in their affiliates.
- Let’s Connect: In 2024, we held two sessions as part of the Let’s Connect clinics. One was related to Wiki Librarians, as part of the lecture on the impact of contributions to Wikimedia projects on professional development. The other was about Cross-Regional - Grantee Partner Learning. We are going to continue doing this.
- Diff: In certain cases, when projects are particularly successful, WMRS prepares news for Diff. This presence could definitely be increased.
- CEE Hub: Examples of best practices are also shared through work with the hub.
5. Did you collect feedback from your community or target groups on how the activities implemented impacted them? If yes, please attach/provide information on the results (e.g. community surveys, stories, impact booklets/reports, interviews with partner institutions, etc). Did you collect other impact-specific data? (required)
For affiliates, the response to Question 5. also partially addresses Affiliate Health Criteria 4.1 (Internal Engagement), 4.2 (Community Connection), or 4.3 (Partnerships & collaboration), where applicable.
Feedback from involved volunteers, project leaders, and the community is collected in several ways. Informal events, meet-ups, and celebrations are used for networking with the community and discussing challenges and potential issues within projects. During these opportunities, we assess the types of support we can provide to the community. One such example is protecting community members from harassment and reporting it to the police.
In addition to the community, important feedback is gathered from project leaders who manage activities and their teams. This is done through quarterly check-in meetings, where completed reports are discussed, and potential misunderstandings are resolved.
Furthermore, after major events, participants fill out evaluation questionnaires, which help us gauge participant satisfaction and identify areas for improvement in future event organization. Results from these evaluations are available for WikiLive (link) and the Edu Wiki Camp (link).
A detailed internal report also includes statements from volunteers, interns, Wiki Ambassadors, and partners, where they share their impressions and the most important lessons learned during their engagement. Here is one such example:
“Participating in the organization and implementation of the Edu Wiki Camp, as well as workshops for students at the Faculty of Philology, was an extremely valuable experience for me. Through these activities, I had the opportunity to gain deeper insight into how the Wiki platform can be a useful tool for education and the development of academic skills. I was especially pleased to help students acquire practical knowledge on editing Wiki content, critically evaluating sources, and academic writing.
The Edu Wiki Camp was a great opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas with fellow students and experienced lecturers. I saw how creative and motivated young people can be when given space to learn through practical work. On the other hand, the workshops at the Faculty of Philology showed that Wikipedia can be an excellent addition to teaching, helping students develop research and digital skills.
These experiences confirmed how important it is to connect the academic community with open educational resources. I hope this type of collaboration will continue and that even more students and professors will recognize the value of Wiki platforms in education.”
— Tijana Majstorović, Wiki Ambassador at the Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade
6. During the fund period, did your efforts do any of the following? (required):
For affiliates, the response to Question 6. also partially addresses Affiliate Health Criterion 2.2 (Diversity balance).
- 6.1 Bring in participants from the following groups: women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ groups, young people, other
- 6.2 Develop content about the following underrepresented topics or groups of people: women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ groups, other
- 6.3 Support the retention of: Editors, Partnerships, Wikimedians in Residence positions
7. What, if any, effective tactics or approaches can you share that worked well when dealing with the programs under points 6.1-6.3 that you selected? (optional)
Throughout our work, we've been engaging with other civil societies that share the same values as our movement. These partnerships help us reach out to different communities and their members, including youth groups, LGBT+ activists, women empowering groups etc. This way we are able to approach professionals, as well as interested individuals that belong to the targeted minority/marginalized groups, in order to help them get involved with spreading knowledge on topics that are underrepresented on Wikipedia and other projects.
8. If you developed partnerships, which of the following factors most helped you to build partnerships? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors (optional):
Permanent staff outreach, Volunteers from our communities
Part 2: Metrics
[edit]| Metrics name | Target | Result | Comments and tools used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of all participants | 2475 | 2683 | |
| Number of all editors | 1683 | 1939 | |
| Number of new editors | 1350 | 1745 | |
| Number of retained editors | 333 | 194 | |
| Number of all organizers | 160 | 122 | |
| Number of new organizers | 46 | 35 |
| Wikimedia project | Target - Number of created pages | Target - Number of improved pages | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 6750 | 7506 | ||
| Wikimedia Commons | 11790 | 19652 | ||
| Wikidata | 2250 | 914 | ||
| Wiktionary | ||||
| Wikisource | 450 | 68 | ||
| Wikimedia Incubator | ||||
| Translatewiki | ||||
| MediaWiki | ||||
| Wikiquote | 450 | 860 | ||
| Wikivoyage | ||||
| Wikibooks | 27 | 91 | ||
| Wikiversity | ||||
| Wikinews | ||||
| Wikispecies | ||||
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
11. Did you set other quantitative and qualitative targets for your project (other metrics)? (required): No
11.1. Other Metrics.
In your application, you outlined some other open metrics that you would like to measure. Please fill out the achieved results for each of the open metrics you defined.
| Other Metrics name | Metrics Description | Target | Result | Tools and comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File usage | Тhe number of multimedia files used to illustrate Wikimedia projects. In addition to the quantity of collected (or released) multimedia files, usage is also important because it shows their relevance and importance. | 9585 | ||
Part 3: Skill Development / Capacity Building
[edit]12. Reflecting on your programmatic (external) and organizational (internal) work, did your grant support you to undergo any skill development that made a difference to your success? If yes, what skill was developed, and how did it lead to success? (e.g. received coaching on public speaking, attended training on nonviolent communication, hosted professional development conversations on leadership, learned and used a new tool for project management, etc.)? Can you share any materials? (required)
For affiliates, use this space (Question 12.) to address Affiliate Health Criteria 2.2 (Diversity balance) and 3.1 (Diverse, Skilled, and Accountable Leadership):
- Describe actions taken to prioritize gender balance in affiliate leadership, as well as any areas of diversity relevant to your affiliate's context (2.2).
- Describe the management, financial, or other leadership skills of your affiliate leaders. If you have a succession plan, please include it here (3.1).
- Describe any training or skill development (as outlined in the question above) (3.1).
- Incorporate into the annual report a disclosure of conflict of interests (if any) from the leadership (3.1).
The core of Wikimedia Serbia’s (WMRS) work is education and various types of training programs. Skill development is crucial for our community, as it provides mutual benefits and ensures more efficient and enjoyable work on Wikimedia projects. Through the implementation of grant proposals, we focused on several key areas of skill development:
Technical Skills: These primarily involve editing Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects, as well as tools used for metrics measurement (such as Dashboard). Workshops focused on technical skills are an integral part of each program:
- In the Educational Program, workshops are conducted in schools and universities.
- The GLAM Program organizes workshops as part of the Wikipedian in Residence initiative and the Wiki Librarian Project.
- The Diversity Program includes beginner training as part of every edit-a-thon.
During these events, participants not only acquire technical skills but also learn about the concept of free knowledge, copyright issues, and the importance of using reliable sources. In addition to editing workshops, through an external project, we also provided training on using the SPARQL query language and advanced use of Wikidata.
Soft Skills:Soft skills are essential for volunteers who show initiative and remain active within the organization. These skills include:
- Negotiation with partners
- Public speaking training (organized during the Edu Wiki Camp)
- Critical thinking
- Various communication techniques
Supporting volunteers in developing these skills is crucial because it boosts their motivation and results in more effective contributions over time. A great example of this is the role of Wiki Ambassadors and Wikipedian in Residence participants, who act as a link between WMRS and partner institutions (educational or cultural institutions). Communication techniques are also vital for training project leaders who manage teams and coordinate activities.
Artificial Intelligence Integration: As part of the WikiLive conference, we dedicated several lectures and workshops to artificial intelligence (AI). A guest lecture explored potential conflicts and opportunities for using AI to simplify work on Wikipedia. Additionally, a workshop was held to analyze the quality and results of articles written by human editors versus those generated by AI tools.
13. What is one capacity/skill area that you would like to focus on for the next year? And how do you plan to achieve this capacity? (required)
Wikimedia Serbia cares a lot about the long-term sustainability, impact, and effectiveness of its programs and activities. To achieve this, one of our goals for the next year, that we would like to focus on, is strengthening our capacity in community engagement. We recognize that a strong and engaged community is the foundation of our Movement and we aim to support it, but also to foster more active and self-sustaining volunteers that will bring fresh ideas into our Movement.
We plan to adopt new engagement models that align with changing community needs, to improve digital outreach strategies to engage underrepresented communities and we will make sure that the volunteer onboarding process is easy for new contributors to join and stay involved. We will continue to support the ongoing process of peer mentorship between experienced Wikimedians and new volunteers to make community-driven learning spaces.
By prioritizing community engagement and the involvement of new volunteers, we will strengthen the sustainability of our programs and its impact, have an active and committed community and create a more welcoming and inclusive environment.
14. If you have additional information or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here. Use the space below to upload any additional documents that would be useful to understand your report.
For affiliates, also use this section (Question 14) to fulfill the Affiliate Health Criteria requirements.
- Describe and link to any public-facing documentation for affiliate governance, including affiliate leadership and membership with a breakdown of the demographics; how elections are conducted; how conflicts of interest are declared; and how decisions are made and communicated (2.2, 2.3, 3.1).
- Describe and link to any public-facing documentation for activities incorporating, promoting awareness about, or enforcing the Universal Code of Conduct in your affiliate's activities (3.3).
- Describe and link to any public-facing documentation for internal membership engagement, such as notes from your regular meetings and how you communicate to or involve your membership (4.1).
(2.3) All actions of the bodies of Wikimedia Serbia, from the election of members of the Association, members of the Board, the President and Vice-President, as well as their duties and responsibilities, are defined by the Bylaws. In addition, Wikimedia Serbia has adopted a series of regulations and policies over the years that define further work procedures. Minutes and resolutions from the Wikimedia Serbia Assembly, as well as resolutions of the Board, are publicly available. When publishing information, personal data protection is actively taken into account. Members of Wikimedia Serbia are additionally informed about the work of the Association via a mailing list (serbia-internal-l@lists.wikimedia.org), and all interested parties can read news on the blog section of the Association's website. Wikimedia Serbia advocates full transparency in its work and has been awarded with the bluetransparency badge on a platform dedicated to non-profit organizations in the Balkans.
(3.3) The WMRS Friendly Space Policy and the Universal Code of Conduct are mandatory for projects and events of Wikimedia Serbia. During the organization, notifications about these documents are always sent so that participants can read them and take care of their implementation. We had a situation where, due to a violation of these regulations, an editor was banned from attending events in our organization. Due to the threats and insults that followed against employees, Board members, and other editors, reports were made to the Trust and Safety Team of the Wikimedia Foundation. The result was a global ban of the aforementioned editor. At the Assembly session held in December last year, based on the evidence and reports collected, a decision was made to expel two people from membership in the WMRS for endangering the safety of other people and disrupting the work of the Association. One of them was reported to the relevant Wikimedia Foundation teams, but so far we received no response regarding this matter; and a report was also filed with the police.
In this section, we would also like to address the staffing changes that took place within WMRS. During 2024, there were two changes in the positions of the Diversity Program Manager and the Office Manager. At the beginning of the year, Nevena Rudinac stepped down from the role of Diversity Program Manager, and long-time community member Milena Milenković took over the position. Thanks to Milena’s prior experience, the onboarding process was very smooth.
Toward the end of the year, Bojan Cvetanović resigned from his position, which led to an open call and the selection of Katarina Ristić. Katarina was engaged for a three-month period, but after an evaluation of her work, the contract was not extended, and Bojan was reappointed to his former position. The title of the position was also changed (from Office Manager to Finance Manager) to more accurately reflect the responsibilities of the role. While this caused some increased workload and dynamics at the end of the year, Bojan’s return brought back stability to the team.
At the end of the year, a serious issue arose within the Serbian Wikipedia community. A group of editors received threats, which led them to reach out to Wikimedia Serbia for support. The situation escalated when so-called “liquidation lists” were created. Although our resources for handling such cases are limited, we did everything within our power: the case was reported to the Trust and Safety team and the Human Rights team at the Wikimedia Foundation. Additionally, the case was reported to the Serbian High-Tech Crime Department
Part 4: Financial reporting
[edit]For affiliates, also use this section (Part 4: Financial reporting) to address Affiliate Health Criterion 3.2 (Financial & Legal Compliance).
| Description | Planned / received budget for this category (EUR) | Amount spent (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel costs | 111060 | 103317 |
| Operational costs | 26435 | 19264 |
| Programmatic costs | 38705 | 27238 |
| Total General Support Fund | 149820 | 149820 |
| Other revenue | 4821 | 4614 |
| Remaining funds from General Support Fund | N/A |
15. Please state the total amount spent from this fund in your local currency. (required)
149820 EUR
16. Please provide an overview of the amount spent from this fund in the following budget categories in your local currency. (required)
- Operational costs: 19264 EUR
- Programmatic costs: 103317 EUR
- Staff and contractor costs: 27238 EUR
17. Did you have any other revenue sources (e.g. other funding, membership contributions, donations)? (required): Yes
- 17.1. Provide the total amount received from other revenue sources in your local currency. (required): 4821 EUR
- 17.2. Provide the total amount spent from other revenue sources in your local currency. (required): 4614 EUR
18. Provide a financial report document which will provide the details of funds received and spent in the currency of your fund. (required)
- Upload Documents, Templates, and Files.
- Report funds received and spent, if template not used.
18.2. If you have not already done so in your financial spending report, provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal. (optional)
N/A
19. Do you have any unspent funds from this funding?: No
20. Final confirmations (required)
- 20.1. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement? You must be in compliance with relevant tax laws and regulations restricting the use of the Funds as outlined in the grant agreement. In summary, this is to confirm that the funds were used in alignment with the Wikimedia Foundation mission and for charitable/nonprofit/educational purposes.
- Yes
- 20.2. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?
- Yes
- 20.3. Are you in compliance with provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code (“Code”), and with relevant tax laws and regulations restricting the use of the Funds as outlined in the grant agreement? In summary, this is to confirm that the funds were used in alignment with the WMF mission and for charitable/nonprofit/educational purposes.
- Yes
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