Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/Evaluation and Planning for Scaling the Language Revitalization Accelerator
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Applicant information[edit]
- Organization name or Wikimedia Username for individuals. (required)
- Wikitongues, Inc.
- 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)
- Yes
- Do you have a fiscal sponsor?
- No
- Fiscal organization name.
- N/A
Main proposal[edit]
- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be a title for the Meta-Wiki page. (required)
- Evaluation and Planning for Scaling the Language Revitalization Accelerator
- 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)
- N/A
- 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)
N/A
- 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)
- No
- 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)
- International (more than one country across continents or regions)
- Wikitongues is based in the United States, where our Executive Director lives and works. Our Programs Director is based in Finland, and our Wikimedian-in-Residence is based in Nigeria. We support language documentation and revitalization on a global scale, with our primary operating countries changing from year to year. In 2023, we're actively supporting language revitalization projects in the United States, Bangladesh, Spain, Bénin, Nicaragua, Israel, India, DRC, Guatemala, Botswana, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Nigeria, France, and Canada. Since 2021, we have supported language revitalization projects in 26 countries. Since we were founded in 2014, we have crowdsourced language documentation from 115 countries.
- 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)
Wikitongues is building a world where language diversity is fundamentally respected. 7,000 languages are spoken or signed today, but as many as 3,000 languages could disappear in a generation, erasing half of all cultural, historical, and ecological knowledge. However, language extinction is not inevitable. With the right mother-tongue resources, adults can learn their ancestral languages and teach the next generation, raising new native speakers and keeping their cultures alive. In a word, language revitalization is possible. Sadly, a majority of endangered languages are also under-resourced, so the grassroots creation of mother-tongue materials is both a method of safeguarding cultural knowledge and a critical first step to language revitalization. In that sense, mother-tongue contribution to Wikimedia projects represents a valuable opportunity for global language revitalization efforts. To date, that potential remains largely untapped. Only about 5% of the world’s languages are represented across the spectrum of Wikimedia projects, revealing a gap in the Wikimedia mission to protect and disseminate the sum of human knowledge on a global scale.
To prevent language extinction, Wikitongues safeguards endangered languages and directly supports the leaders of early-stage mother-tongue projects. Within the Wikimedia movement, we make it easier to contribute under-resourced and endangered languages—as well as the knowledge they encode—to Wiki projects, especially Wikipedia, the Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, Wiktionary, and Wikisource. Since 2014, we’ve supported grassroots linguistic documentation projects for approximately 700 languages, or 10% of every language in the world, 282 of which have been added to Commons. In 2021, we launched the Language Revitalization Accelerator, a four-year pilot program designed to test and iterate on social infrastructure for language revitalization. The Accelerator, which operates as a funded fellowship for rising language activists, has supported revitalization projects for 40 endangered languages across every peopled continent; within that program, we designed a special track for activists using Wikimedia projects to keep their languages alive.
With the support of a 2022 Movement Strategy Implementation Grant, the Accelerator’s Wiki track has measurably reawakened 10 under-resourced languages and facilitated their inclusion in Wikimedia projects. Among them, Nigeria’s Igala language now has an active Wikipedia, Botswana’s Sekgalagadi language and Benin’s Dendi language are now on the Wikipedia Incubator, and nearly a thousand lexemes from Indonesia’s Banjar language and the critically endangered Jewish Neo-Aramaic language have been recorded for entry in Wikidata. This work has contributed to ongoing research by the Language Diversity Hub on the technical and procedural roadblocks to mother-tongue Wikimedia contribution. In other words, not only are we helping under-resourced language communities add their languages to Wiki projects, we’re documenting the challenges they face in the process, in order to better inform the Wikimedia Foundation’s long-term commitment to language inclusion. Over the next 5-10 years, we’re committed to significantly growing the number of languages represented on Wikipedia and its sister projects. What would the Wikimedia Movement look like if the 5% of languages included today became 10%, 20%, or more?
As we enter the fourth and final year of our Language Revitalization Accelerator pilot, we’re designing an evaluation process to assess the most and least effective aspects of the program, in order to scale our impact. 2024 will therefore be divided into three core program areas: 1) evaluation and planning, which will focus on assessing the Accelerator pilot and writing the next chapter of our strategic plan, 2) the Language Revitalization Accelerator itself, which will be restricted to its Wiki track, supporting 10 new Wikimedia-based language revitalization projects, and 3) the Wikitongues User Group, which will oversee up to four language- and linguistics-based edit-a-thons and mediate our wider community’s contribution to the Language Diversity Hub and various Wikimedia projects. At the year’s end, we will have facilitated the inclusion of 10 new languages in the Wikimedia movement, supported at least 1,500 meaningful edits to Wikipedia, and composed the next chapter of our Strategic Plan, including a roadmap for scaling over the next 3-5 years.
- 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, 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)
- Other groups
- Other groups if any: Language activists and rising Wikimedians from under-represented cultural groups; it is not uncommon for language leaders to be community elders or involved in education, so we may indirectly reach secondary school and higher education students, teachers and professors, and senior citizens.
Culture, heritage or GLAM
- 9.2. Select all your programs and activities for Culture, heritage or GLAM. (required)
- Documenting or incubating languages on Wikimedia projects, Introducing new approaches to underrepresented culture and heritage, e.g. decolonising or reparative work; oral and visual knowledge; outreach to communities of origin, indigenous and first nations self-determination, Partnering with institutions, professional associations, and allied organizations to raise awareness of open culture, ethical sharing, and related issues, Other
- Other programs and activities if any: Pairing activists with institutions to build new archival processes and flows that support open collections for language materials.
Gender and diversity
- 9.3. Select all your programs and activities for Gender and diversity.
- Focusing on creating content about marginalized (underrepresented) communities and their knowledge, Focusing on knowledge equity by bringing in contributors from underrepresented communities, Building organizer skills in women and diversity groups, Other
- Other programs and activities if any: In rural communities, it’s not uncommon for women to be language keepers, so supporting language revitalization and language diversity efforts can lead to gender-diverse inclusion. In a future iteration of the Language Revitalization Accelerator, we imagine a track for women language activists.
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, Offering microgrants and other financial support to community members , Offering non financial support and services to community members (equipment, space, books, etc.)
- Other programs and activities if any: N/A
Participation in campaigns and contests
- 9.5. Select all campaigns that apply. (required)
- Art+Feminism, Wikipedia Asian Month, Wiki Loves Folklore, Wiki Loves Women, WikiGap, 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)
- We have attached a PDF version of this document below. Since we're in the planning phase for next year, we may make minor revisions to this linked version between now and mid-November: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZEHmB8BP3cT0SkqljjpCjtxQzCdL7zW0sYzS-oWnj7I/edit?usp=sharing
- 11. Describe your team. (required)
Governing Board: Since we’re in the process of crafting the next chapter in our Strategic Plan, we’re also in the process of restructuring and growing our board for our next phase of development. Therefore, the composition of our Governing Board, which is a volunteer board, is not yet clear. However, our co-founder and Executive Director, Daniel Bögre Udell, will continue to serve on the board, as will our co-founder and current Board Chair Frederico Andrade.
FTE Staff:
- 1. Daniel Bögre Udell (@bogreudell) is our cofounder and Executive Director. In 2024, he will lead 1) the strategic plan development described in our timeline above, 2) external fundraising efforts (foundation and donor engagement), 3) operations (board stewardship, bookkeeping, payroll, reporting, and compliance), and 4) storytelling and public outreach, including social media, narrative campaigns, original content, and public speaking.
- 2. Kristen Tcherneshoff (@Ktchernes) is our Programs Director. In 2024, she will lead 1) the research portion of strategic plan development, including implementing aspects of our listening tour and writing programs-oriented sections of the Strategic Plan final draft, 2) general programs administration (coordinating with our Wikimedian-in-Residence to steward the 2024 cohort of the Language Revitalization Accelerator and making sure that our archival protocols run smoothly), and 3) supporting interns and volunteers.
- 3. Tochi Precious (@Tochiprecious) is our Wikimedian-in-Residence. In 2024, she will lead 1) the Wiki track of our Language Revitalization Accelerator, 2) the administration of the Wikitongues User Group (engaging members, organizing edit-a-thons and translate-a-thons, and interfacing with other Wikimedia movement stakeholders), and 3) Wikimedia sections of our Strategic Plan.
Advisory Board:
This Wikitongues Advisory Board is a volunteer committee of field experts who support our staff in program development and implementation. As with our Governing Board, the composition of our Advisory Board in 2024 is not yet clear, but we intend to source more members from the Wikimedia movement to help inform our strategic plan review.
Interns, Volunteers, and Contributors: Wikitongues is powered by interns and volunteer contributors throughout the year.
- 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)
Wikitongues is an observer member of the Language Diversity Hub and will therefore collaborate with other LDH members as internal partners. These include Wikimedia UK, Lingua Libre, and the WMF Education Team. There is also representation from Wikimedia Norway, Dagbani Wikimedians User Group, the Wikimedia Language Committee, and Wikimedia Israel, among other affiliates and WMF teams. Externally, we will continue to work closely with our partners at the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages, which supports grassroots linguistic documentation, 7000 Languages, which supports the creation of education technology for mid-stage language revitalization projects, and Nabu, which supports mother-tongue literacy programs around the world. We also maintain an archival partnership with the American Folklife Center at the U.S. Library of Congress and a handful of other GLAM institutions around the world.
- 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, Ensure Equity in Decision-making, Invest in Skills and Leadership Development, Innovate in Free Knowledge
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.
| Metrics name | Target | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of all participants | 50 | Our existing User Group membership is about 50 people. |
| Number of all editors | 240 | So far, the Wiki track of the 2023 Accelerator cohort has supported an average of 12 editors per language, with up to 120 editors projected by the end of the cohort cycle. We can expect to maintain that rate with the 2024 cohort. Activities funded by this grant will support the final quarter of the 2023 cohort, make the 2024 cohort possible, and facilitate up to four edit-a-thons. |
| Number of new editors | 120 | |
| Number of retained editors | 120 | |
| Number of all organizers | 20 | The Wiki track of the Accelerator supports 10 language activists per year. Activities funded by this grant will support the final quarter of the 2023 cohort and make the 2024 cohort possible, bringing 10 new organizers into the movement. |
| Number of new organizers | 10 |
- 14.2. Number of new content contributions to Wikimedia projects. (recommended)
| Wikimedia project | Created | Edited or improved |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 300 | 300 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 50 | |
| Wikidata | 500 | |
| Wiktionary | ||
| Wikisource | ||
| Wikimedia Incubator | ||
| Translatewiki | ||
| MediaWiki | ||
| Wikiquote | ||
| Wikivoyage | ||
| Wikibooks | ||
| Wikiversity | ||
| Wikinews | ||
| Wikispecies | ||
| Wikifunctions / Abstract Wikipedia |
- Description for Wikimedia projects contributions metrics. (optional)
Based on the 2023 cohort's current rate of article creation and improvement, we can expect 300 new articles created across and a similar number improved across the 20 languages represented by the 2023 and 2024 cohorts. We can also expect significant contributions to Wikidata in the form of mother-tongue lexemes, and Wikimedia Commons in the form of mother-tongue oral histories. Commons contributions will also come from our general language crowdsourcing activities.
Other Metrics[edit]
- 15. Do you have other quantitative and qualitative targets for your project (other metrics)? (required)
- Yes
| Other Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Languages added to Wikipedia | In the form of active incubator versions or newly approved Wikipedias; target to be determined by the composition of the 2024 Accelerator cohort. | N/A |
| Languages added to Commons | In the form of mother-tongue media samples and other content; target to be determined by the composition of the 2024 Accelerator cohort, up to 10. | N/A |
| Languages added to Wikidata | In the form of lexemes; target to be determined by the composition of the 2024 Accelerator cohort, up to 10. | N/A |
| Languages added to Wiktionary | In the form of mother-tongue word entries; target to be determined by the composition of the 2024 Accelerator cohort, up to 10. | N/A |
| Languages added to Wikisource | In the form of mother-tongue documents and incubator versions; target to be determined by the composition of the 2024 Accelerator cohort, up to 10. | N/A |
Budget[edit]
- 16. Will you have any other revenue sources when implementing this proposal (e.g. other funding, membership contributions, donations)? (required)
- Yes
- 16.1. List other revenue sources. (required)
So far, we have secured about 60% of the budget necessary to implement the programs described above. Support from the Wikimedia Community Fund would close our fundraising gap and guarantee our ability to continue in 2024. Below are the confirmed and likely funding sources that constitute 60% of next year’s budget, as well as a list of pending revenue sources that we have not yet secured.
Confirmed/likely:
- J.M. Kaplan Fund: $69,522 in unrestricted support (confirmed)
- YouTube ad sales: $6,500 (approximate, conservative estimate)
- Individual donations: $22,200 (approximate, conservative estimate)
- 2022 end-of-year surplus: $17,599 (approximate, various sources)
- Board fundraising: our board has historically been a fundraising/giving board, so we expect additional revenue from the board. However, we won’t have a firm projection on this until we finish restructuring our board.
Pending:
- The Greater Sum: up to $10,000 in restricted support, plus gift-matching for end-of-year fundraising in Q4. We were selected as finalists for The Greater Sum’s annual pitch competition and should know about the above funding during the first week in October.
- Ittleson Foundation: up to $75,000 in capacity-building support to add a nature education layer to our Language Revitalization Accelerator (for languages from biodiverse regions). Ittleson invited us to submit a full proposal, which will be accepted or rejected by December 2023.
- WMF Movement Strategy Implementation Grant renewal: $51,750 to maintain our expand the Wiki track of our Language Revitalization Accelerator, working with 10 new language communities in 2024.
- Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative: we have generated interest in our Language Revitalization Accelerator at CZI. Funding in 2024 is possible, but the extent to which they can and would fund us is not yet clear.
- Other funders: we will spend much of Q4 engaging other prospective funders, so we hope to have additions to this list by the time this proposal is evaluated.
- 16.2. Approximately how much revenue will you have from other sources in your local currency? (required)
- 115000
- 17. Your local currency. (required)
- USD
- 18. What is the total requested amount in your local currency? (required)
- 58000 USD
| Year | Amount (local currency) |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | N/A USD |
| Year 2 | N/A USD |
| Year 3 | N/A USD |
- 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.
- 2
- 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.
- 2
- 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 contactor costs | 58000 USD |
| Operational costs | 0 USD |
| Programmatic costs | 58000 USD |
- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
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)
We expect our core team to remain the same in 2024, with Daniel Bögre Udell as our Executive Director, Kristen Tcherneshoff as our Programs Director, and Tochi Precious as our Wikimedian-in-Residence, as described above. As with previous years, we also anticipate rotating interns and volunteers. The most substantive operational change to the current year is that the Jewish Language Project, supported by ongoing General Support Fund resources, will have concluded; meaning that we will not have any part-time contractors dedicated to special projects outside the scope of our language documentation crowdsourcing, Language Revitalization Accelerator, and Wikitongues User Group programs.
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.
- Wikimedia Community Fund/Proposals
- Wikimedia Community Fund/Proposals/Funded
- Education - General Support Funds in FY 2023-24
- Culture, heritage or GLAM - General Support Funds in FY 2023-24
- Gender and diversity - General Support Funds in FY 2023-24
- Community support and engagement - General Support Funds in FY 2023-24
- Participation in campaigns and contests - General Support Funds in FY 2023-24
- Funded General Support Funds for NA in FY 2023-24
- Funded General Support Funds for NA in FY 2023-24 (Round 1)
- General Support Funds for NA in FY 2023-24 (Round 1)
- General Support Funds in FY 2023-24 (Round 1)
- Funded General Support Funds in FY 2023-24 (Round 1)
- General Support Fund proposals by Wikitongues, Inc.
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