Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/Wiki Loves Campaigns for Cultural Heritage in Serbia 2026

statusUnder review

Wikimedia Community Fund

Wiki Loves Campaigns for Cultural Heritage in Serbia 2026

Fluxx IDR-GS-2510-20443

start date2026-01-01

end date2026-12-31

budget (local currency)18370 EUR

amount requested (USD)20221.7 USD

grant typeIndividual

funding regionCEECA

decision fiscal year2025-26

funding program roundRound 1

applicant and people related to proposalMikyM

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This is an automatically generated Meta-Wiki page. The page was copied from Fluxx, the web service of Wikimedia Foundation Funds, where the user has submitted their application. Please do not make any changes to this page because all changes will be removed after the next update. Use the discussion page for your feedback. The page was created by CR-FluxxBot.

Applicant information

Organization name or Wikimedia Username for individuals. (required)

MikyM

Do you have any approved General Support Fund requests? (required)

No, it is my first time applying for a General Support Fund

You are applying as a(n). (required)

Individual

Are your group or organization legally registered in your country? (required)

N/A

Do you have a fiscal sponsor?

No

Fiscal organization name.

N/A

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

wlm.rs

wplac.rs

Main proposal

1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be a title for the Meta-Wiki page. (required)

Wiki Loves Campaigns for Cultural Heritage in Serbia 2026

2. Do you want to apply for the multi-year base funding for 3 years? (required) (only for returning applicants)

N/A

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)

2026-01-01

4. Proposed end date. (required)

2026-12-31

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

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P2okDeEhRN37RFMmRPBXqhBL6O7cqxilQDkulYrS1Mo/edit?usp=sharing

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

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P2okDeEhRN37RFMmRPBXqhBL6O7cqxilQDkulYrS1Mo/edit?usp=sharing

7. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)

Serbia

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)

We are a group of volunteers from Serbia gathered around Wiki Loves campaigns. For several years, we have been successfully (co)organizing projects such as WLM, WLE, WLPAC.

Our programs are built around three major annual campaigns in Serbia: Wiki Loves Monuments, Wiki Loves Folklore, and Wiki Loves Public Art and Cemeteries. Through these initiatives, we aim to expand the pool of freely available photographs, enrich Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons with high-quality media, and promote free knowledge and culture. Each of these campaigns has a strong global identity, but also clear local relevance, allowing us to engage communities, document heritage, and inspire participation across different groups.

Our approach combines photography contests with educational activities and community partnerships. By working with photo clubs, cultural institutions, and touristic organisations, we ensure that participation extends beyond the existing Wikimedia community. Training sessions for contributors are also part of our strategy, helping participants to improve their photography and editing skills, while simultaneously deepening their engagement with Wikimedia projects.

The main challenges we are trying to address come directly from the limitations of the Rapid Fund model. In this framework, we are restricted to only two projects per year, with a limited budget, and projects cannot run in parallel but must be closed before a new one begins. This structure has resulted in compressed schedules, limited flexibility, and increased pressure on volunteers. The short time frames often lead to burnout and prevent us from delivering the quality of programs we know is possible.

By applying for the General Support Fund, we seek to overcome these challenges through a more sustainable, year-long strategy. The flexibility of this funding model will allow us to run all three projects within the same cycle, distribute activities evenly across the calendar, and provide volunteers with enough time and resources to contribute meaningfully without exhaustion. With a larger budget and longer planning horizon, we will be able to scale activities, strengthen partnerships, and ensure that the outcomes of our projects are of consistently higher quality. In this way, our strategies not only address the challenges of past funding limitations but also create the foundation for long-term community growth and impact. As we mentioned, timeframes are one of the key challenges. For example, we want to verify all coordinates and work on a new photo upload system, specifically by integrating with Monumental map and app.wikilovesmonuments.it, as well as ensuring coverage of all articles and Wikidata items with the necessary monument ID data required for the proper functioning of the databases. This would require nearly a year of work, which we cannot afford under a Rapid Grant if we also want to apply for other projects.

About projects: Wiki Loves Monuments has a long and successful history in Serbia. The competition has been organized eight times so far, by three different organizers, and during the last three years it has been carried out by our informal community. Over this period, the results have been impressive both locally and globally. For example, two photographs from Serbia reached the global top 10 in 2024, which is a strong indicator of the quality and dedication of our contributors. On the local level, the results in recent years have even surpassed those from the early editions, when the competition was new and widely popular. Altogether, around 20,000 photographs have been collected, and for every immovable cultural monument in Serbia a dedicated Wikipedia article has been written in Serbian, many of which have also been translated into other languages. Looking forward, our plan is to update the database of coordinates, since some monuments remain unlocated, and in smaller towns there are cases where existing coordinates are not accurate. This task will both improve the quality of Wikimedia content and increase its usability. At the same time, we recognize that promotion and outreach are essential for sustainability and growth. For this reason, we aim to strengthen our presence on social media. In 2025, we successfully implemented new ideas on Instagram that brought significant results, and our intention now is to study these effects further, continue with proven approaches, and expand our activities to other platforms. One of the priorities will be launching a TikTok channel, which requires a dedicated and professional approach to content creation, alongside maintaining and improving our existing Instagram profile. These steps will help us reach new audiences, especially younger contributors, and ensure broader visibility of the project and its impact. We will support for photo tours, especially for places that have not been photographed so far.

Wiki Loves Folklore will be formally organized in Serbia for the first time. Until now, only individual photographs from Serbia have been submitted to the international competition, without a locally coordinated event. Given that folklore and intangible cultural heritage are areas of great significance, but with limited coverage on Wikimedia projects, this initiative will be particularly valuable in providing useful materials and expanding content. Because the competition has never before been locally organized, our team will face the important task of building the entire project structure and developing the infrastructure for coordination and promotion. This will include setting up communication channels, preparing guidelines for participants, engaging with cultural and educational institutions, and creating a sustainable model that can be continued in the future. We will draw inspiration from successful stories of similar projects worldwide, while also introducing new ideas specifically adapted to the topic of folklore.

The project has strong potential to highlight diverse aspects of Serbian culture, such as traditional crafts, music, dances, customs, and festivals. By documenting these practices and making them freely accessible, we will not only enrich Wikimedia projects but also contribute to the preservation of cultural diversity. In addition, the project opens opportunities to engage communities beyond traditional photography clubs—such as folklore associations, local cultural centers, and youth groups—which will help broaden participation and strengthen connections between the Wikimedia movement and local cultural heritage custodians. As Serbia is highly ethnically diverse (with over 20 recognized ethnic communities), supporting photo tours and community engagement, particularly involving members of smaller minority groups, will contribute to a more inclusive and accurate representation of cultural heritage. This approach not only helps preserve the visibility of underrepresented cultures, but also strengthens community participation, fosters intercultural dialogue, and enriches the overall documentation of Serbia’s diversity on Wikimedia projects.

Wiki Loves Public Art and Cemeteries is our original idea that combines two established themes—public art and cemeteries—into one integrated project. By merging them, we are able to use resources more efficiently while also connecting two related areas of cultural heritage that often remain under-documented. The project was first realized in 2024 as a pilot, and the results significantly exceeded expectations. Nearly 2,800 photographs were collected, more than 100 Wikipedia articles were created or improved, and over 50 Wikidata items were added or expanded. The strong interest and engagement from participants demonstrated that the project not only filled important content gaps but also inspired contributors to explore and document heritage that is rarely highlighted in other campaigns. Because of these successful outcomes and the clear interest shown by the community, we believe that the project deserves to be organized again. The second edition will allow us to build on the lessons learned from the pilot, improve our outreach, and expand the scope of documented sites and artworks. By continuing to integrate photography with article writing and data enrichment, we will ensure that results are meaningful across multiple Wikimedia platforms and accessible to global audiences.

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

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

Participation in campaigns and contests

9.5. Select all campaigns that apply. (required)

Wiki Loves Folklore, Wiki Loves Monuments, Other

Other programs and activities if any: Wiki Loves Public Art and Cemeteries

10. Please include a link to or upload a timeline (operational calendar) for your programs and activities. (required)

can be found in the Annual Plan document.

11. Describe your team. (required)

These projects bring together around 10 core team members who contribute at different levels and in various capacities. Some of them are listed below

• MikyM - A long-time editor and researcher, author and implementer of numerous projects. Responsible for supervision and co-organization of project activities.
• Bebauautu - A long-time volunteer and co-organizer, architect by profession. She was the first organizer of the Wiki Loves Monuments project in Serbia back in 2012 and 2025.
• MareBG- Jury-related tasks. Marko is an economist and a Wikipedia administrator on the Serbian-language edition. A photography, history, and sports enthusiast, he has been editing Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects since 2007. He has been participating in the competition for many years.
• Sadko - One of the most active long-time editors; selection of images for jury review and their categorization.
• MilosS. - Provides technical support, responsible for website maintenance and infrastructure. Acts as the main point of contact for IT-related tasks.
• Jakobitanprofil - one of the newer users, interested in organizing photo tours
• Andjus - senior photo-tours

In addition, as practice has shown, new individuals and participants often join during or just before the implementation phase — for example, by supporting exhibitions or photo tours — which further expands our organizational capacity.

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. We will collaborate with Wikimedia affiliates and user groups by exchanging experiences, sharing best practices, and promoting visibility of our results. Through the international structures of Wiki Loves Monuments and Wiki Loves Folklore, we benefit from established global frameworks while also contributing our own ideas and innovations. For example, our integration of public art and cemeteries into a combined competition has already sparked interest among Wikimedia communities.

External partnerships. Equally important are our collaborations outside the Wikimedia movement. Over the years, we have worked with photo clubs, museums, archives, cultural institutions, and educational organizations. These partnerships provide credibility, outreach, and expertise that strengthen our projects. For instance, cooperation with local photo clubs helps us engage skilled photographers, while cultural institutions provide access to heritage sites and contextual information. Schools and universities are valuable partners for engaging young people, who bring new energy and perspectives to our activities.

One of the most significant aspects of these partnerships is their diversity: from professional organizations that ensure technical quality, to grassroots cultural groups that connect us with living traditions, to educational institutions that secure long-term engagement of younger generations. By continuing and expanding these collaborations, we ensure that our projects remain relevant, sustainable, and impactful—both within the Wikimedia movement and in the wider cultural ecosystem.

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, Invest in Skills and Leadership Development, Manage Internal Knowledge, Identify Topics for Impact, Innovate in Free Knowledge

Metrics

Wikimedia Metrics

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	250	Number of participants in photo competition
Number of all editors	40	Number of participants in edit-a-thon
Number of new editors	N/A
Number of retained editors	N/A
Number of all organizers	10	N/A
Number of new organizers	3

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

Contributions to Wikimedia projects

Wikimedia project	Created	Edited or improved
Wikipedia	50	50
Wikimedia Commons	6000
Wikidata	100	200
Wiktionary
Wikisource
Wikimedia Incubator
Translatewiki
MediaWiki
Wikiquote
Wikivoyage		10
Wikibooks
Wikiversity
Wikinews	30
Wikispecies
Wikifunctions / Abstract Wikipedia

Description for Wikimedia projects contributions metrics. (optional)

The main activities will include collecting photographs through the photo competition, editing and creating articles during an edit-a-thon, creating Wikidata items, writing articles for Wikinews, and expanding several articles on Wikivoyage. With these activities, we will focus on multiple Wikimedia projects and cover a wider range of topics.

Other Metrics

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

Yes

Other Metrics	Description	Target
Number of used photos	Percentage of uploaded photos	10
N/A	N/A	N/A
N/A	N/A	N/A
N/A	N/A	N/A
N/A	N/A	N/A

Budget

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)

EUR

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

18370 EUR

Multi-year funding request summary

Year	Amount (local currency)
Year 1	N/A EUR
Year 2	N/A EUR
Year 3	N/A EUR

Requested amount in USD

20221.7 USD

Multi-year funding request summary in USD

Year	Amount USD
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.

fee 400 EUR per project (total 3 project = 1200€) + vat

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.

0

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	1800 EUR
Operational costs	300 EUR
Programmatic costs	16270 EUR

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

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vkvr-watcM9tuqvTjgT11T8sNXRzy6HlX-gzwg0GmlA/edit?usp=sharing

Additional information

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 would like to express our gratitude to the committee, the Program Officer, and everyone who supported us in preparing this application. We deeply appreciate their dedication, time, and efforts. We have also prepared a Q&A document that the Program Officer will share with you, to ensure better mutual understanding. And of course, we remain available for any further questions or support.

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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

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