Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Multiyear Funding
 | We are in the process of reviewing our strategy of multi-year funding. Some of the information on this page may be outdated. This page will be updated by July 2024. |
Multi-year funding is flexible General Support Funds for individuals, groups, or affiliates that have developed a strategic plan that requires sustained investment over time to be able to achieve its goals. Multi-year grant funding is available if appropriate to the goals and objectives of the applicant. 2-3 year funding is possible. The application process and timeline follows the General Support Fund process.
Please share any questions on the discussion page or in this jamboard.
We will update this FAQ as new questions are shared!
Timeline and application process[edit]
When we can submit an application for multi-year funding?[edit]
Multi-year funding follows the timeline and application process of the General Support Fund. Please see General Support Fund – Timeline for further details.
What is the application process for multi-year funding?[edit]
The application process is the same as for the General Support Fund. Please see General Support Fund – Application process for further details.
Applications and Annual Plans[edit]
What is the application form to apply for multi-year funding?[edit]
The application form is the same as for the General Support Fund. You will be able to express your interest to apply for multi-year funding on that form.
Do multi-year grantees need to re-apply each year during grant rounds?[edit]
No, multi-year grantees are not required to submit new applications annually during their grant period. However, there is a brief section in the approved General Support application form on Fluxx that will need to be filled out each year by multi-year grantees. This section will prompt you to provide your updated thinking about your Annual Plan for that year, including any changes to your metrics and budget.
There is no required format for your Annual Plan and Budget, which will be uploaded through the form. You can submit this documentation using the format you would already use internally for your own organizational purposes. If your budget and metrics for the year will shift from the plan you submitted with your application, we ask that you include a summary overview outlining those changes in that new section of the application form.
When is the Annual Plan due?[edit]
We recommend that you submit it as soon as your organization completes your plan for the year. The sooner you can share your Annual Plan with your Regional Program Officer, the sooner we can provide feedback and approval for your plan.
Reporting[edit]
What are the reporting requirements for multi-year grantees?[edit]
Multi-year grantees will submit a Yearly Learning Report at the end of each year of their grant period. Each report will cover a one-year period, with the exception that the final report will also include cumulative financial reporting for the entire multi-year funding period. Information about when your annual Learning Report is due can be found in the Fluxx portal.
After each annual report submission, your Regional Program Officer will meet with you and fill out the conversation form. This conversation form is intended to ensure that grantee partners get substantive engagement with their Program Officer about their project and the learning in the report.
Specific reporting requirements by funding program are available on Meta for review. Note that there is a dedicated row summarizing requirements for multi-year grantee partners.
How do I fill out my annual Financial Report for the Wikimedia Foundation? Is it a concern if an audited report will not be ready in time for the reporting deadline? What if I don’t have a complete record of invoices by the deadline?[edit]
For interim years of your multi-year grant, your Financial Report should only include grant-related expenses from the year you are reporting on. For the final year of your multi-year grant, your Financial Report should include all grant-related expenses over the cumulative multi-year period of the grant. For example, a multi-year award spanning 3 years would require the grantee to report on Year 1 expenses with their first Financial Report, Year 2 expenses in their second Financial Report and Year 1-through-3 expenses in their third and final Financial Report.
We do not require an audited Financial Report. If there are expected outstanding invoices not in your possession at the time of reporting, It is okay to submit an estimate for your Financial Report and update later if needed once invoices are received.
What if my organization can’t meet the reporting deadline? Can we have more time?[edit]
Deadline extensions for reports are available upon request. Reach out to your Regional Program Officer to share your concerns and they can help you adjust your deadline if needed. Keep in mind that your next funding installment will not be disbursed until the Yearly Learning Report, the conversation form, and any updates in your Annual Plan have been reviewed and approved.
Budget requests and disbursements[edit]
What is the process for requesting additional funding for multi-year grantees?
Each year you will fill out a brief section in the approved General Support application form on Fluxx that will prompt you to provide your updated thinking about your Annual Plan for that year, including any changes to your metrics and budget. The request should be incorporated into your Annual Plan and budget, describing the following year’s activities and including any changes to your metrics.
If you are planning a different amount than it had been approved by the Regional Funds Committee based on your original proposal, please contact the Regional Program Officer first, to establish what budget range may be feasible. Due to limitations in some regional budgets, we cannot guarantee significant requested budget increases. In limited cases, modest increases may be supported, depending on the regions and on available budgets. Therefore, please consult the Program Officer about your plans and needs before submitting your plan for the year.
If your budget increase request is approved, your next funding installment will be disbursed by the Grants Administration team once the Yearly Learning Report and the conversation form have also been approved.
Is there a different process for budget increases due to inflation?[edit]
The Wikimedia Foundation is aware that inflation is impacting grantees around the world and that many will need to adjust their budgets. You can submit requests for budget increases related to inflation using the same process as other types of budget increase requests. Due to limitations in some regional budgets, we cannot guarantee significant requested budget increases. In limited cases, modest increases may be supported, depending on the regions and on available budgets.
What steps have to be completed before the next funding installment will be disbursed? When should we expect it?[edit]
Your next disbursement of funding will be paid after updates in your Annual Plan, including metrics and budget, have been reviewed and approved.
How will funding gaps be addressed if the disbursement for the following year arrives after the start of our annual plan term?[edit]
We will do our best to make sure your disbursement arrives in time for the start of your annual plan term. However, if there are delays to your disbursement and you need additional funding to cover the interim, we will grant a first distribution of bridge funding covering 3 months of your year, with a second dispersal for the remaining grant upon approval of your updated Annual Plan (including updated metrics and budget).
How do we request bridge funding?[edit]
Contact General Support Fund staff by using the email for your region in this table and your Regional Program Officer and the Grants Admin team will follow up with you.
