Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/Wikimedians of the Levant General Fund 2025
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Applicant information
[edit]- Organization name or Wikimedia Username for individuals. (required)
- Wikimedians of the Levant 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.
- Kiwix
- 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)
- Wikimedians of the Levant General Fund 2025
- 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)
- 2025-01-01
- 4. Proposed end date. (required)
- 2025-12-31
- 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/spreadsheets/d/1JKnX1-HH-iGA57CuTw2u21lEtzBqcxvcphHopeHayRw/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)
- No
- 7. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
- Regional (more than one country in the same continent or region)
- Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan
- 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)
Program 1: Educational Program – Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom Approach Collaborate with universities and schools to promote awareness and engagement with the program. Outreach efforts will utilize social media channels from both the user group and partnering institutions to promote the program’s objectives and expected outcomes. Provide small grants to support the implementation of these initiatives. Recognize participants by awarding certifications and accolades to encourage participation. Strategies Conduct in-person training sessions at universities in Levantine countries, led by program supervisors (UG members). Hold online sessions and meetings with various UG members to foster experience sharing and knowledge exchange. Ensure thorough documentation of the program to track progress and serve as a resource for future similar programs. Ensure that any content edited through the program directly relates to the students’ and teachers’ areas of expertise, enhancing content reliability. Challenges to Address Knowledge Gap: Wikipedia readers need to better understand the platform and the efforts made by volunteers to ensure reliable content. Encourage readers to participate in editing, and challenge traditional misconceptions about Wikipedia’s reliability. Attracting Newcomers: Train and engage new participants, encouraging them to join the Wikimedia projects and contribute as future editors. Adoption in Education: Overcome resistance or scepticism from educational institutions regarding the integration of Wikipedia into educational programs. How Strategies Address Challenges Reduce the gap between students and Wikipedia by teaching essential editing skills. Recruit new UG members who will sustain the group’s work through their participation in Wikimedia projects. Foster partnerships with universities to promote Wikipedia's integration into educational settings.
Program 2: Contests, Edit-a-thons, Training, and Workshops Approach Engage with Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) campaigns. Align with the interests of the Arab community. Raise awareness about Wikipedia and its sister projects (e.g., Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons) in both the Levant and wider Arab community. Educate newcomers on the basics of Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata. Enhance the skills of community members, including content editing, research fundamentals, and professional photography. Strategies Involve local experts in edit-a-thons, training sessions, and workshops. Leverage social media for outreach, using user group channels to raise awareness about programs and campaigns. Focus on key topics such as women’s rights, human rights, the environment, and intangible cultural heritage. Increase retention and reduce participation barriers through the Volunteer Data Support program. Challenges to Address Engagement with WMF Campaigns: Close the gap between the Arabic community and Wikimedia Foundation initiatives. Increased Participation: Encourage more Levantine users to edit on Wikipedia and its sister platforms. Content Quality and Quantity: Ensure high-quality and substantial contributions to Wikimedia projects. How Strategies Address Challenges Boost both the quantity and quality of Arabic content on Wikimedia platforms, especially Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikidata. Raise awareness on cultural heritage, human rights, climate change, and other critical issues. Ensure sustainability by using contests and edit-a-thons to attract, train, and integrate volunteers into the WM Levant user group. —- Program 3: Microgranting program
Encourages Grassroots Initiatives: Microgrants allow small, local projects or individuals with innovative ideas to access funding. This can foster community-driven solutions and empower individuals or groups who might not have access to larger grants.
Fosters Volunteerism and Community Engagement: Microgrants encourage local engagement by funding projects that involve volunteering and community participation. Quick and Flexible Funding: Microgrant programs often have simplified application processes and quick disbursement times. This flexibility allows recipients to address immediate needs or opportunities without longer wait times.
- 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)
- Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom or other Reading/Evaluating Wikipedia Training, Editing Wikipedia Training, Translation, Wikidata programs, Wikimedia Commons programs
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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, Offering microgrants and other financial support to community members
- Other programs and activities if any: N/A
Participation in campaigns and contests
- 9.5. Select all campaigns that apply. (required)
- Wiki Loves Earth, Wiki Loves Folklore, Wiki Loves Monuments, Wiki Loves Women, WikiGap, Wikipedia Pages Wanting Photos, 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)
- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JKnX1-HH-iGA57CuTw2u21lEtzBqcxvcphHopeHayRw/edit?usp=sharing
- 11. Describe your team. (required)
The group has a part-time salaried position for a projects coordinator. This role is key in assisting the board members by organizing and overseeing project tasks to ensure successful completion. Their responsibilities typically include: Project Planning: Assisting in the development of project plans, timelines, and budgets. Task Coordination: Coordinating tasks among team members and ensuring deadlines are met. Communication: Acting as a liaison between stakeholders, team members, and external partners to provide updates and address issues. Documentation: Maintaining project documentation, including reports, schedules, meeting minutes, and contracts. Resource Management: Ensuring necessary resources are available and allocated efficiently. Monitoring Progress: Tracking the progress of the project and ensuring adherence to the schedule and budget, and a Problem-Solving For 2025, the UG is looking to have another part-time salaried position for a social media manager, who is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing a UG social media strategy to increase brand awareness, improve UG efforts, and drive engagement on social media platforms such as Facebook, twitter, Instagram.
Board members provide strategic leadership, governance, and oversight to ensure the organization operates effectively and sustainably.
Key Responsibilities:
Governance & Leadership: Set strategic direction and ensure alignment with the mission.
Financial Oversight: Approve budgets and monitor financial health.
Fundraising: Support fundraising efforts and engage stakeholders.
Risk & Compliance: Ensure legal and ethical compliance, mitigate risks.
Performance Monitoring: Evaluate organizational and leadership performance.
Board Development: Recruit and develop new board members; participate in board committees.
Community Engagement: Serve as ambassadors for the organization.
Succession Planning: Ensure smooth leadership transitions.
Comment: This structure promotes a balance of governance, ensuring accountability and collaboration between the board and members.
- 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 are seeking to collaborate with other user groups globally. In 2024, we had a successful partnership with the Basque User Group, working on video translations into Arabic, which enriched our community's knowledge of Basque traditions. Another notable collaboration was with Sudan's User Group, where we organized the "Pens for Sudan" contest to improve Arabic content on various topics related to Sudan. Looking ahead to 2025, we plan to form new partnerships to strengthen our community and contribute to expanding Arabic free content, while also sharing resources, expertise, and coordinating efforts on larger regional or global projects.
- 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, Coordinate Across Stakeholders, Invest in Skills and Leadership Development, Identify Topics for Impact, 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 | 200 | N/A |
| Number of all editors | 100 | N/A |
| Number of new editors | N/A | |
| Number of retained editors | N/A | |
| Number of all organizers | 5 | N/A |
| Number of new organizers | N/A |
- 14.2. Number of new content contributions to Wikimedia projects. (recommended)
| Wikimedia project | Created | Edited or improved |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 500 | 2000 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 200 | 1000 |
| Wikidata | 1500 | 2000 |
| 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)
- No
| Other Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 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
[edit]- 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)
- USD
- 18. What is the total requested amount in your local currency? (required)
- 53680 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.
- 5
- 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)
- Having a new contractor for Social media managing
- 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 | 21300 USD |
| Operational costs | 5880 USD |
| Programmatic costs | 26500 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)
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/Under review
- Education - General Support Funds in FY 2024-25
- Culture, heritage or GLAM - General Support Funds in FY 2024-25
- Gender and diversity - General Support Funds in FY 2024-25
- Community support and engagement - General Support Funds in FY 2024-25
- Participation in campaigns and contests - General Support Funds in FY 2024-25
- Under review General Support Funds for MENA in FY 2024-25
- Under review General Support Funds for MENA in FY 2024-25 (Round 1)
- General Support Funds for MENA in FY 2024-25 (Round 1)
- General Support Funds in FY 2024-25 (Round 1)
- Under review General Support Funds in FY 2024-25 (Round 1)
- General Support Fund proposals by Wikimedians of the Levant User Group
- Under review General Support Funds in FY 2024-25