Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/Wikimédia France Three-year plan 2026-2029
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Applicant information
[edit]- Organization name or Wikimedia Username for individuals. (required)
- Wikimédia France
- 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
- 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
https://www.wikimedia.fr/lassociation/documents-officiels/
Main proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be a title for the Meta-Wiki page. (required)
- Wikimédia France Three-year plan 2026-2029
- 2. Do you want to apply for the multi-year base funding for 3 years? (required) (only for returning applicants)
- Yes
- 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)
Although we will be revising our strategic plan in 2027, there is significant continuity over the next three years across our three main areas of focus (information integrity, community resilience, and movement influence). Many initiatives, such as the label, are planned for annual renewal with a focus on continuous improvement. The three-year plan below provides an overview of years two and three.
- 3. Proposed start date. (required)
- 2026-07-01
- 4. Proposed end date. (required)
- 2029-06-30
- 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)
- Yes
- 6. Does your affiliate, organization or group have a Strategic Plan that can help us understand your proposal? If yes, please provide it. (required)
- Yes
- https://www.wikimedia.fr/lassociation/documents-officiels/plan-strategique-2022-2027/
- 7. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
- France
- 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)
Executive Summary: 2026-2029 Action Plan
The 2026-2029 plan aims to secure the future of Wikimedia projects and digital commons by focusing on three interdependent axes: Integrity, Resilience, and Influence.
Axis I: Integrity (Quality and Reliability of Information)
Challenges: The rise of AI-generated content and sophisticated foreign interference is creating "systemic disinformation," leading to an overwhelming workload for volunteer patrollers. Additionally, there is a critical need to make academic and cultural sources more visible to counter manipulation. Wikipedia has become a "critical infrastructure for digital trust," with 75% of the French public trusting its content. This axis focuses on protecting this reputation against new, automated threats. The rise of AI-generated content and foreign interference campaigns makes content verification increasingly complex. This technical evolution causes a massive "workload surge" for human patrollers, leading to potential exhaustion. There is an urgent need to make academic and scientific sources more accessible and visible.
- Technological Empowerment (SPINE): Moving beyond the Wikipedia Sensitivity Meter, the SPINE project (2024-2026) will provide volunteers with AI-assisted tools to identify "tension zones" in real-time.
- Internal Expertise: WMFR will recruit a Data Scientist/Tool Developer to internalize technical capabilities and provide better support to the community.
- The "Culture Libre" Label: This program federates a network of institutions committed to open content, aiming for 50 labeled partners by 2027 to inject high-quality data into the projects.
- Strategic Watchdogs: Strengthening collaborations with national agencies like Viginum and ARCOM to anticipate and neutralize large-scale manipulation campaigns.
- To continue projects around open science and media and information literacy with Wikimedia residencies, but also by supporting major scientific and cultural institutions in making their content accessible and open
Axis II: Resilience (Engagement and Community Care)
Challenges: The community faces volunteer burnout due to high moderation pressure. There is also a decline in the number of administrators and a difficulty in recruiting and retaining a new, diverse generation of contributors adapted to modern digital uses. We note that the arrival of a new generation of contributors and their transition into leadership roles is currently too slow. To counter the "volunteer burnout" caused by the shrinking core of active administrators, the strategy focuses on:
- Inclusive Environments: Building a safer, more welcoming digital space to improve the retention of new arrivals.
- Support Mechanisms: Beyond psychological aid, WMFR is doubling down on "Safe Space" tools and training to ensure that new contributors aren't driven away by harassment or complex moderation conflicts.
- Engagement: By testing new interaction formats (video, mobile, AI) through the Wiki30 group, the goal is to align the movement with modern digital habits to attract new people.
- Skill Valuation: The introduction of Open Badges aims to make volunteering "useful" for a professional career, providing a clear incentive for young people to stay and grow within the movement.
Axis III: Influence (Digital Commons and Advocacy) Challenges: The 2027 French presidential election represents a potential political shift that requires a clear and loud voice for digital sovereignty. Furthermore, the ecosystem of "Digital Commons" remains geographically dispersed. The planned structural changes are designed to transform Wikimédia France from a centralized office into a powerful national catalyst for the "Commons".
- Strategic Decentralization: A major revision of the statutes aims to grant more autonomy to local groups. This "proximity strategy" allows for better recruitment and support of volunteers directly on the ground across all French territories.
- The "Pôle des Communs" as a Hub: By acquiring a physical headquarters in Paris to share with partners like OpenStreetMap or Framasoft, WMFR positions itself as the physical and political "center of gravity" for the French Free Knowledge ecosystem.
- A Unified National Voice: These internal mutations allow the association to speak with more legitimacy during major events like Numérique en Commun (NEC). This reinforces WMFR's role as a key partner for State services and a lead influencer in national debates on digital sovereignty and AI.
- Governance Excellence: By renewing its IDEAS label and following strict transparency guidelines, the association ensures it has the institutional credibility required to lead long-term national advocacy.
- 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 | Yes |
| Technology (software development) | Yes |
| Other | No |
Education
- 9.1.1. Select all your programs and activities for Education. (required)
- Editing Wikipedia Training, Wikidata programs, Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom or other Reading/Evaluating Wikipedia Training, Wikimedia Commons programs, Other Wikimedia project programs
- Other programs and activities if any: N/A
- 9.1.2. Select all relevant audience groups for Education. (required)
- Secondary school students, Teachers or professors
- 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, 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
- Other programs and activities if any: N/A
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, Building organizer skills in women and diversity groups, Bringing in women and/or gender diverse participants and editors
- 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, Offering micro-funding and other financial support to community members , Offering non financial support and services to community members (equipment, space, books, etc.), 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)
- Wiki Loves Monuments, Wikipedia Birthday or Anniversary
- Other programs and activities if any: N/A
Public policy advocacy
- 9.6.1. What specific laws, or legislative topics, are you targeting with your advocacy plans? Please be as specific as possible. (required)
We are currently working on several bills in France:
First, the bill to establish a digital majority for accessing certain digital platforms. Thanks to our efforts, there is a clear exemption for Wikipedia.
We are also monitoring the publication of decrees related to the latest major digital law in France, the SREN. We are monitoring the transposition of the Anti-SLAPP Directive in order to try to extend it to protect contributors to Wikimedia projects. We are also monitoring parliamentary bills concerning AI and copyright. We are regularly consulted on these matters. But the presidential and legislative elections of 2027 will reshuffle many cards and we hope to make ourselves heard with the publication of a white paper which will be widely distributed in advance in order to be well identified.
The primary driver for the requested budget adjustment (including the targeted €25,000 increase) is the strategic strengthening of our Advocacy department. We are transitioning a current staff member to a permanent full-time position dedicated to public policy and open knowledge defense. This move is essential to ensure Wikimedia France has the necessary influence and reactive capacity during a critical political period.
The year 2027 will be a political turning point in France, characterized by:
Presidential Elections: A high-stakes period where digital sovereignty, copyright, and the regulation of information platforms will be at the heart of the national debate. Legislative Elections: Following the presidential cycle, the likely renewal of the National Assembly will require intense pedagogical work and lobbying toward a new set of lawmakers. European Impact: Given France's weight in European digital policy, the outcomes of these national elections will have direct repercussions on EU-wide legislation regarding the Free Knowledge movement.
(more details in our triannual plan)
- 9.6.2. What are the main methods and tactics via which you plan to advocate for this public policy change? Please be as specific as possible. (required)
Our tactics vary, but generally:
- We request to participate in various parliamentary committees when the issues concern us.
- We regularly request meetings with relevant ministerial offices (Digital Affairs, Culture, Education and Research, Francophonie).
- We maintain contact lists to solicit elected officials based on our needs and, for example, send them proposed legislative amendments. We are supported by lobbying firms that assist us pro bono.
- We participate in digital think tanks in France and occasionally organize dedicated events.
- 9.6.3. Approximately, how much of the requested budget will you dedicate to public policy advocacy (local currency)?
- 60000 EUR
Technology (software development)
- T1. Describe the technical project(s) or provide relevant links. (required) Include the following information
- Project goals, impact, and product strategy
- Technical approach, integrations, and dependencies
- Milestones, progress tracking and success metrics
- Demand and community consultations
Wikimedia France’s technological investment focuses on high-impact tools developed in close collaboration with Wikimedia Foundation teams. Our priorities include:
LiveRC: A complete overhaul to modernize this real-time patrol interface, responding to urgent and repeated requests from the French-speaking community to stabilize a vital tool for Recent Changes monitoring. (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikip%C3%A9dia:Patrouille_RC/Projet_LiveRC_2.0) Lingua Libre: Deployment of Version 3 to optimize the collection of audiovisual linguistic data, ensuring the tool remains aligned with global technical standards. (https://dev.lingualibre.org/) and (https://lingualibre.org/wiki/LinguaLibre:Main_Page) Wikipedia Sensitivity Meter: Assuming the hosting and technical maintenance of this tool, which is specifically designed to measure the vulnerability of articles to manipulation, coordinated bias, and disinformation campaigns. (https://wikisensimeter.disinfo-prompt.eu/) Wikiscan: Enhancing this evaluation tool to provide more comprehensive statistics on community dynamics and long-term project health. (https://wikiscan.org/) Moderation & Quality Control: Supporting the maintenance of critical bots and providing assistance with edit filters, both of which are essential for automating the fight against vandalism and ensuring content integrity.
- T2. Describe the project team, maintenance, and risk management. (required) Include the following information
- Security and privacy considerations and expertise
- Mitigation of security or privacy risks
- Long-term maintenance, code documentation and licensing
- Team description with expertise, roles, contribution (hours & compensation)
These strategic directions are a direct response to repeated and explicit requests from the French-speaking Wikimedia communities. The need for stable technical expertise within the Chapter is a crucial requirement to sustain contributor efforts and protect the integrity of the projects. Wikimedia France has a history of working in relation territory with WMF teams on several of these tools and is fully committed to continuing this close partnership in the years to come to ensure global technical alignment.
This ensures that the maintenance and development of these community-requested tools are guaranteed regardless of specific GSF technical funding cycles. Wikimedia France currently benefits from the expertise of a System and Network Administrator who is already deeply involved in the deployment and stability of all these projects. To ensure the proper follow-up, development, and long-term maintenance of these tools, our goal is to reinforce the team with a dedicated Developer, subject to the final validation of our Board of Directors. We are not requesting any additional funds from the Wikimedia Foundation for these technical developments in this grant cycle.
- T3. Approximately, how much of the requested budget will you dedicate to technical projects (local currency)? (required)
- 0 EUR
- 10. Please include a link to or upload a timeline (operational calendar) for your programs and activities. (required)
- You will find the information in the Excel file and in the annual plan document.
- 11. Describe your team. (required)
Wikimedia France has a staff of 10 full-time employees, regularly supported by interns, trainees, and civic service volunteers. We also have nearly 150 volunteers involved each year in the association's activities.
https://www.wikimedia.fr/lassociation/equipe-salariee/
- 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 have a fairly extensive network of partners: Firstly, with various public administrations (Ministries, local authorities, etc.). Secondly, with other organizations, associations, or companies within consortia for projects or one-off events. We occasionally call upon external service providers for training, for example, or for development assistance. Finally, we collaborate with the usual players in the Wikimedia movement (museums, archives, universities).
- 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, Provide for Safety and Inclusion, Coordinate Across Stakeholders, Invest in Skills and Leadership Development, Identify Topics for Impact, Evaluate, Iterate, and Adapt, 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 | 5791 | Last evaluation in June 2025 of participants in the association's activities + 47% in three years |
| Number of all editors | N/A | Last evaluation in June 2025 of new accounts created through the association's activities: +39% in three years. However, we do not yet calculate retention. This is one of our objectives for the coming years, as we are having difficulty establishing a simple monitoring and support system. |
| Number of new editors | 1427 | |
| Number of retained editors | N/A | |
| Number of all organizers | 70 | Active volunteers within the association help organize events and campaigns. We conduct an annual survey of association members, available on Wikimedia Commons.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Enqu%C3%AAte_annuelle_des_membres_de_Wikimedia_France |
| Number of new organizers | N/A |
- 14.2. Number of new content contributions to Wikimedia projects. (recommended)
| Wikimedia project | Created | Edited or improved |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 400 | 5000 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 150000 | |
| Wikidata | 100000 | |
| Wiktionary | ||
| Wikisource | ||
| Wikimedia Incubator | ||
| Translatewiki | ||
| MediaWiki | ||
| Wikiquote | ||
| Wikivoyage | ||
| Wikibooks | ||
| Wikiversity | ||
| Wikinews | ||
| Wikispecies | ||
| Wikifunctions / Abstract Wikipedia |
- Description for Wikimedia projects contributions metrics. (optional)
We didn't really differentiate between projects in our annual evaluations. Last year, with the redesign of Lingua Libre, which had provided a lot of content in previous years, we produced less overall content on Wikimedia projects (179,000).
Other Metrics
[edit]- 15. Do you have other quantitative and qualitative targets for your project (other metrics)? (required)
- Yes
| Other Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Members | Number of Wikimedia France members | 600 |
| Number of institutions awarded the Culture Libre label | N/A | 100 |
| Vounteers Hours | 7190 in June 2025 | 10000 |
| Happiness Index | Over the last three years, the index has fluctuated around 7 | 8 |
| Admins on WPFr | The French Wikipedia has lost 22% of its active administrators in 10 years. Our goal is to help stabilize, or even slightly increase, this number in the coming years. 132 in June 2025 | 140 |
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)
Individual donations, public subsidies, calls for projects and sponsorship
- 16.2. Approximately how much revenue will you have from other sources in your local currency? (required)
- 850000
- 17. Your local currency. (required)
- EUR
- 18. What is the total requested amount in your local currency? (required)
- 1350000 EUR
| Year | Amount (local currency) |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | 450000 EUR |
| Year 2 | 450000 EUR |
| Year 3 | 450000 EUR |
- Requested amount in USD
- 1577610 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.
- We have 10 full-time employees. This grant covers approximately half of our payroll costs. It primarily covers the advocacy position, which cannot be funded by donations in France.
- 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.
- same answer
- 19.3. Describe any staff or contractor changes compared to the current year / ongoing General Support Fund if any. (required only for returning grantees)
- No evolution during the current year
- 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 | 750000 EUR |
| Operational costs | 355748 EUR |
| Programmatic costs | 557192 EUR |
- 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)
This is the 2026-2027 budget approved by the General Assembly in November 2025. The costs listed above (staff and programmatic costs) represent the current year. I also invite you to look at last year's annual report. All my documents are in French; I apologize, I haven't had time to translate them, but if you have any questions, I am of course available.
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
- Public policy advocacy - General Support Funds in FY 2025-26
- Tech - General Support Funds in FY 2025-26
- Approved General Support Funds for NWE in FY 2025-26
- Approved General Support Funds for NWE in FY 2025-26 (Round 2)
- General Support Funds for NWE in FY 2025-26 (Round 2)
- General Support Funds in FY 2025-26 (Round 2)
- Approved General Support Funds in FY 2025-26 (Round 2)
- General Support Fund proposals by Wikimédia France
- Approved General Support Funds in FY 2025-26
- Ongoing Multi-year General Support Funds