Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/Strengthening our organizational resilience
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Applicant information
[edit]- Organization name or Wikimedia Username for individuals. (required)
- Wikimedians of Romania and Moldova 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.
- Făgăraș Research Institute
- Please provide links to the following documents if they are available
These documentation can be provided in your local language(s), no translations required.
- Organizational website
- Detailed financial reporting and/or audits
- Documentation of the governance structure, board list, governance processes
- Documentation of the general assembly decision on your plan
Main proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be a title for the Meta-Wiki page. (required)
- Strengthening our organizational resilience
- 2. Do you want to apply for the multi-year base funding for 3 years? (required) (only for returning applicants)
- No
- 2.1. 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)
- 2026-07-01
- 4. Proposed end date. (required)
- 2027-06-30
- 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)
- No
- 7. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
- Regional (more than one country in the same continent or region)
- Romania and Moldova
- 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)
Rather than introducing entirely new campaigns, in this year the user group plans to continue and strengthen the existing successful initiatives, improving their sustainability, geographic coverage, and participant retention, while also organizing one major regional event (the CEE Meeting in Cluj-Napoca)
During 2025, the group implemented a broad portfolio of recurring international and local campaigns — including 1Lib1Ref, WikiMărțișor, CEE Spring, Wiki Loves Monuments, Wiki Seniors, Open Access Week, Wiki Science Competition, Wiki Loves Film, International Roma Day, and education- and GLAM-oriented workshops — engaging over 1,000 participants and generating more than 10,000 Wikipedia contributions.
These programs proved to be effective entry points for new contributors and reliable retention mechanisms for experienced editors.
Activities planned for this grant are similar as in the previous year and their development is connected with the partnerships we have created in time:
P1. Software Development - Development of a software solution to support Wikimedia projects.
P2. Bike Quest - while Wiki Loves Monuments has reached the end of its useful life, with more than 50% of the monuments covered, we will still encourage documenting rural Moldova through open air activities.
P3. 1Lib1Ref 2024, WikiMărțișor, Every Book Its Reader - a set of campaigns engaging librarians, educators, and general participants in Wikipedia editing and reference addition.
P4. Support for Minorities & Minority Languages - content creation that highlights underrepresented voices (International Roma Day) and aims at supporting work in minority languages
P5. Autumn-Winter campaigns: OAW & WikiLex, Christmas Day, misc community campaigns (that is, unplanned contests or events organized either inside or outside WMROMD) are initiatives to encourage content creation and keep up the interest from our contributors. They contain a mix of online (Christmas Day) and offline (for OAW and WikiLex) events and some editing contests (for WikiLex). Due to the CEE Meeting, the first events will start in October.
P6. Spring-Summer campaigns: Refugee Day, No plastic in July, Wiki loves Movies as well as misc community campaigns are similar to P5, but concentrated during warmer months.
P7. Education and Higher Education Programs - program designed to engage students and professors in Wikipedia editing and open knowledge initiatives.
This year we plan to focus on strengthening program quality and retention:
repeating the same core campaigns with improved training materials and documentation
expanding librarian and educator partnerships developed through 1Lib1Ref and educational outreach
increasing the number of returning participants
integrating communication tools (newsletter, social media, and institutional channels) into participant support and mentoring
preparing the community and volunteers for hosting regional activities and collaboration in the CEE context
Our strategy prioritizes continuity rather than one-time events. Repeating annual campaigns creates predictability for partners and allows participants to return, improve their skills, and gradually assume organizational roles.
We will also focus on sustainability and leadership development:
transitioning active participants into organizers, trainers, and local coordinators
supporting local micro-communities (libraries, schools, seniors groups)
stabilizing recurring workshops as locally hosted activities rather than centrally organized ones
ensuring long-term continuity of campaigns with reduced dependence on a small core team
embedding Wikimedia activities into institutional calendars of partner organizations
Recruiting a new team coordinator since our previous one will not handle the new grant request
This approach directly follows our strategic plan: growing the community gradually through recurring, predictable, and inclusive activities. Instead of short-term growth spikes created by new projects every year, the group prioritizes reliability, trust, and partnerships. Maintaining the same campaigns allows partners (libraries, schools, and cultural institutions) to plan annual participation and helps volunteers develop expertise and ownership.
Therefore, the current proposal reflects a capacity-building process.
The long-term goal is a self-sustaining Wikimedia community in Romania and Moldova built around recurring annual programs rather than one-time projects.
Challenges
Low trust in Wikipedia in the academic environment: In Romania and Moldova, universities frequently discourage the use of Wikipedia as a source. Students use Wikipedia informally but rarely contribute to it, and many educators perceive editing as incompatible with academic rigor. This creates a paradox: Wikipedia is widely read but socially delegitimized in higher education.
Underrepresentation of experts: Many subject experts (students, researchers, and librarians) possess valuable knowledge but do not see Wikipedia as an appropriate space for academic contribution. As a result, high-quality local knowledge remains absent or poorly sourced.
Perception gap between libraries and Wikipedia: Although librarians already work with reliable sources and authority control, their professional contribution to Wikipedia is often invisible or undervalued institutionally. Libraries and Wikimedia projects share the same mission — access to knowledge — but are not yet perceived as natural partners.
So we propose the following strategies to address these challenges:
Building academic trust through student workshops: We will organize structured editing workshops for university students, focusing on: referencing and verification, neutrality and academic writing standards, transforming coursework into encyclopedic content.
The goal is not only contribution, but perception change: students experience Wikipedia as a scholarly communication environment rather than an unreliable source. By working directly with students, we create future professionals who understand how knowledge is constructed on Wikimedia platforms.
Legitimacy through institutional partnerships (like National Library of Romania): We wish to start collaboration with the National Library of Romania to demonstrate that librarians and Wikipedians perform complementary roles: librarians curate and preserve knowledge, Wikipedians disseminate and contextualize it.
Joint workshops and librarian participation in campaigns (especially 1Lib1Ref) will highlight Wikipedia editing as a professional information literacy activity. This institutional recognition helps reposition Wikipedia from an informal platform to a knowledge infrastructure aligned with library values.
Mentoring-based community growth: Instead of large recruitment drives, we focus on guided participation: small group trainings, returning participants, gradual role transition (participant → contributor → organizer).
This approach improves retention and builds long-term community stability.
By connecting universities and libraries with Wikimedia projects, we address both credibility and participation simultaneously. Students bring future expertise, librarians bring authority and validation, and recurring campaigns provide continuity. Our strategy aims to increase content volume and to change how Wikipedia is perceived: from a questionable source to a collaborative academic-civic knowledge space.
For software development, we will focus on improvements targeted at normal editors (article writers), since last year we focused on patrolling. These ideas have been discussed within the group and with the CEE Hub’s Technical Advancement Group. We propose the following deliverables:
SW1. Exposing at least 4 “hidden” tools to editors, such as using Citoid/WebCit to the wikitext editor or linking to the hashtags tool in the recent changes feed. Whenever feasible, we will look to push these tools upstream
SW2. Experimenting with new ideas for identifying promising users (such as, but not limited to, the number of patrolled edits, an evolution in the revertrisk scores etc.)
SW3. Mirroring help pages from mediawiki.org to rowiki. Our help pages are almost exclusively for the wikitext editor, that is less and less used. The help pages on MediaWiki are very good, easy to translate (and mostly translated), but are almost never referenced in our discussions. After implementation, some help pages will have 2 subpages: one for the wikitext editor containing the data we already have and one for the visual editor, automatically imported from MediaWiki.
SW4. Software libraries in Java and Python implementing the Romanian transliteration rules which are currently implemented in a Lua module. We will integrate it with existing transliteration libraries in the respective languages to help with adoption.
- 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 |
| Technology (software development) | No |
| Other | No |
Education
- 9.1.1. Select all your programs and activities for Education. (required)
- Editing Wikipedia Training, Translation
- Other programs and activities if any: N/A
- 9.1.2. Select all relevant audience groups for Education. (required)
- 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, Focusing on creating content about marginalized (underrepresented) communities and their knowledge, Building organizer skills in women and diversity groups
- 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, CEE Spring, Other
- Other programs and activities if any: CEE Women
We also support editors outside of our group to organize Asian/African/Oceanian/American Months
- 10. Please include a link to or upload a timeline (operational calendar) for your programs and activities. (required)
- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nCf3shyyY5aTYCrZJrOJp4NTAbPxIJhf-3mM8Gmv_3Q/edit?gid=694166982#gid=694166982
- 11. Describe your team. (required)
The Wikimedians of Romania and Moldova User Group operates as a mixed structure of salaried staff and volunteers, where paid roles ensure continuity and administration, while programmatic activities are largely community-driven.
Strainu - software developer and volunteer coordinator of University outreach
Giku - volunteer, coordinator of Bike Quest Moldova and CEE Spring
Elena Damian (Elena Ancu Damian) - part time salaried, assistant manager; will take over some of Claudia’s responsibilities until a new coordinator is recruited
Magda Bărăscu - part time salaried, communication specialist
Anamaria Lupan - part time salaried, university outreach specialist
Claudia Șerbănuță - volunteer for Library-related campaigns
Andrei Stroe - software developer and on-wiki volunteer
TBD - part time program manager, will be hired during the year (budgeted for ~6 mo)
- 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)
We will continue collaborating with CEE Hub to participate in regional events, contribute to communication processes, and strengthen engagement within the Wikimedia community.
Further collaboration with other wikimedia affiliates are not planned, but may occur on a case-by-case basis.
Additionally, we will maintain partnerships with:
- Făgăraș Research Institute – Serving as our fiscal sponsor and ensuring smooth administrative processes for team members.
- Babes Bolyai University Cluj – Advancing open knowledge and citizen science initiatives.
- University of Bucharest – Facilitating volunteer practical work across multiple departments.
- County Libraries (Sibiu, Brașov, Buzău) – Organizing events for 1Lib1Ref, WikiMărțișor, and International Roma Day campaigns.
- Seneca Anticafe – Hosting events in Bucharest for new editors and Wikimedia campaigns.
- Network Biblioteca Roma pentru Copii – Supporting the inclusion of more information about Roma culture on Wikipedia.
- Institut Francais de Cluj-Napoca - supporting editing events and translation efforts
- 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
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 | 500 | N/A |
| Number of all editors | 350 | We will use a more flexible definition of a "returning participant": someone who habitually participates in 2 campaigns each year could be considered a returning participant |
| Number of new editors | 100 | |
| Number of retained editors | 30 | |
| Number of all organizers | 30 | We reduced the number of new organizers as we will maintain aprox. the same number of events as last year. |
| Number of new organizers | 5 |
- 14.2. Number of new content contributions to Wikimedia projects. (recommended)
| Wikimedia project | Created | Edited or improved |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 150 | 4000 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 500 | 500 |
| Wikidata | 0 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| [SW1] Number of developed tools | Number of developed tools as part of the SW1 deliverable | 4 |
| [SW1] Number of users per tool | Average monthly users per tool delivered as part of the SW1 deliverable | 10 |
| [SW2] Number of users promoted to autopatrolled | Number of autoparolled per quarter users after deliverable SW2. The number is 10% increase over 2025 value
Note: the values are too low to be statistically significant on such a short period) |
4 |
| [SW3] Pageviews for Visual Editor help pages | Monthly pageviews for Visual Editor help pages after deliverable SW3. The number is 50% of the total pageviews for help pages except Ajutor:Bun_Venit (the landing page, which will not change): https://pageviews.wmcloud.org/massviews/?platform=all-access&agent=user&source=category&range=last-month&subjectpage=0&subcategories=0&sort=views&direction=1&view=list&target=https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categorie:Ajutor_Wikipedia | 2000 |
| [SW4] Number of interactions with the github repo in the first 3 months | comments, stars, issues, MR etc. | 15 |
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)
We will pursue any opportunities from the CEE hub or other Wikimedia sources (e.g. CEE Spring, CEEHub incubator & microgrants), but don’t expect the revenue to exceed 5000 RON (~1200 USD).
- 16.2. Approximately how much revenue will you have from other sources in your local currency? (required)
- 5000
- 17. Your local currency. (required)
- RON
- 18. What is the total requested amount in your local currency? (required)
- 251960 RON
| Year | Amount (local currency) |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | N/A RON |
| Year 2 | N/A RON |
| Year 3 | N/A RON |
- Requested amount in USD
- 57824.82 USD [note 1]
| Year | Amount USD [note 1] |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | N/A USD |
| Year 2 | N/A USD |
| Year 3 | N/A 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.
- 3 + 1 for 6 months
- 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.
- 1.25 on average
- 19.3. Describe any staff or contractor changes compared to the current year / ongoing General Support Fund if any. (required only for returning grantees)
- Claudia Șerbănuță will leave the coordination position. Elena Damian will increase from 64 to 68h/month to partially compensate, then we plan to recruit a new coordinator for 2027.
- 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 | 185760 RON |
| Operational costs | 23200 RON |
| Programmatic costs | 43000 RON |
- 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)
The budgeting for this grant has been affected by two major constraints: the RON/USD exchange rate going up by ~10% and an inflation in Romania of ~9% annually (source: https://insse.ro/cms/sites/default/files/com_presa/com_pdf/ipc01e26.pdf). Regardless, we have managed to keep the costs in RON mostly flat (+1.6%), with most of the difference in USD coming from the exchange rate over which we have no control.
By submitting your proposal/funding request you confirm that you have read and agree to the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy, and the 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 2025-26
- Culture, heritage or GLAM - General Support Funds in FY 2025-26
- Gender and diversity - General Support Funds in FY 2025-26
- Community support and engagement - General Support Funds in FY 2025-26
- Participation in campaigns and contests - General Support Funds in FY 2025-26
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- Funded General Support Funds in FY 2025-26