Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Wikimedia Australia 2022 - 2025/Yearly Report (2023)
Report Status: Draft
Due date: 2024-07-30T00:00:00Z
Funding program: Wikimedia Community Fund
Report type: Yearly Learning Report (for multi-year fund recipients) , reporting year: 2023
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General information
[edit]This form is for organizations, groups, or individuals receiving multi-year Wikimedia Community Funds to report on their yearly results.
- Name of Organization: Wikimedia Australia Inc
- Title of Proposal: Wikimedia Australia 2022 - 2025
Part 1 Understanding your work
[edit]1. Briefly describe how your proposed activities and strategies were implemented.
- During 2023-2024, Wikimedia Australia focused on a wide range of key activities and strategic initiatives designed to enhance community engagement, knowledge sharing, content enrichment and capacity building. Our approach emphasised strategic partnerships, collaboration, skill development, and reflective practice to achieve our goals.
1. Community Engagement and Outreach
Methodology: We organised numerous workshops, editathons, and community events across Australia. We also partnered with like-minded organisations to reach new audiences. We hosted or actively participated in 72 events and reached 941 participants, with 786 new participants or 83% of those people being new to Wiki projects. Key Processes: Engaged with local libraries, universities, associations, peak bodies and key cultural institutions to host events, present webinars and promote participation. Outcomes: Significant increase of awareness of Wiki projects and the open knowledge movement, good volunteer engagement and content contributions, though some regions showed lower participation rates highlighting areas for future targeted outreach.
2. Capacity Building
Methodology: Provided training for new and existing contributors to develop their skills in editing and content creation. Key Processes: Offered online tutorials, regular in-person training sessions, thematic campaigns and ‘Drop in’ sessions. Outcomes: Enhanced the skill levels of participants, with some making higher quality contributions. However we’ve learnt to tap into subject areas or interests, such as arts and music, history and biography, flora and fauna, to increase appeal to potential new participants.
3. Content Enrichment
Methodology: Focused on improving and expanding articles related to Australian women, regional areas, culture, and indigenous knowledge. Key Processes: Collaborated on projects with subject matter experts and utilised thematic editathons to target specific content gaps. Outcomes: Successfully enriched a significant number of articles and subject areas, though maintaining long-term contributor engagement remains a challenge.
4. Strategic Partnerships
Methodology: Formed alliances with cultural organisations, educational institutions, and other Wikimedia chapters. Key Processes: Established formal agreements and collaborative projects to support mutual goals. Outcomes: Broadened our reach and impact, though managing and coordinating across multiple partners sometimes posed challenges.
6. Reflective Practices
Methodology: Regularly review and assess our strategies and activities to learn from our experiences. Key Processes: Conducted regular meetings to discuss progress, metrics and outcomes, use feedback and internal reviews to gather insights. Outcomes: Identified successful approaches and potential areas for improvement. This will assist with guiding our future strategic planning.
By focusing on these methodologies and learning from our experiences, Wikimedia Australia was able to make meaningful progress towards our mission, while also recognising the need for continuous adaptation and improvement.
2. Were there any strategies or approaches that you felt were effective in achieving your goals?
- Our partnership strategy aimed to target key organisations in order to build ongoing and sustainable relationships rather than one off activities. Partners have included major cultural institutions such as ACMI, National Gallery of Australia, State Library of Queensland, Biodiversity Heritage Library Australia, the Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers and the Alice Springs Public Library, Universities including Jumbunna Institute, University of Technology, Sydney, University of Divinity, Queensland University of Technology, Charles Sturt University, RMIT University and University of Sydney; and government agencies including the Shire of Paroo Council, Environment Protection Agency of Victoria, and Environment Centre Northern Territory.
Effective Strategies and Approaches In achieving our goals during 2023-2024, Wikimedia Australia identified several strategies and approaches that were particularly effective. These are our insights and lessons learned that could be valuable for newcomers:
1. Community Engagement through Collaborative Events Process: We organised regular workshops, editathons, and meetups in partnership with local libraries, universities, and cultural institutions, with a focus on delivering in regional areas. Effective Elements: Collaboration: Partnering with established organisations/institutions helped in leveraging resources and attracting participants who are interested and passionate about a particular subject. Thematic Focus: Events centred around specific themes, such as indigenous knowledge, women artists or local history, resonate well with participants. Key Do's:
- Do partner with respected local organisations to enhance credibility and reach.
- Do choose themes that have a strong local or cultural relevance.
Key Don'ts:
- Don't overextend by trying to cover too many themes in a single event.
- Don't assume all locations will have the same level of interest; tailor events to local contexts.
2. Training and Capacity Building Process: We implemented regular structured training programs, which also provided support through online tutorials, in-person sessions, and Drop In sessions. Effective Elements: Structured Learning Paths: Clear progression from beginner to more complexity helped participants build confidence and skills gradually. Online in-person and Drop in sessions: Pairing new contributors with experienced editors provided personalised guidance and support. Key Do's:
- Do provide a clear roadmap for skill development.
- If possible offer one-on-one mentorship to address individual needs and questions.
Key Don'ts:
- Don't neglect follow-up; ensure ongoing support after initial training sessions.
- Don't assume online resources alone are sufficient; combine with interactive sessions hosted by ‘real people’ for discussion and Q&A.
3. Content Enrichment through Expert Collaboration Process: Collaborated with subject matter experts to enhance the quality and depth of articles related to Australian history and culture. Effective Elements: Expert Involvement: Experts provided valuable insights and authoritative content, significantly improving article quality. Targeted Editathons: Focussing on specific content gaps ensured that efforts were directed where most needed. Key Do's:
- Do engage experts to ensure accuracy and depth of content.
- Do identify and prioritise key areas for content improvement.
- While volunteers have knowledge about specialist topics it significantly helps to bring them together with access to specialised collections.
Key Don'ts:
- Don't spread efforts too thin; concentrate on high-impact areas.
4. Strategic Partnerships Process: Formed alliances and partnerships with educational institutions, cultural organisations, and other Wikimedia chapters. Effective Elements: Formal Agreements: Establishing clear, formal partnerships helped in aligning goals and resources. Collaborative Projects: Joint projects facilitated resource sharing and amplified impact. Key Do's:
- Do establish clear agreements outlining roles and expectations.
- Do collaborate on projects that align with both parties' missions.
Key Don'ts:
- Don't overlook the importance of regular communication (internally as well as with each organisation) to maintain and support partnerships.
- Don't assume all partnerships will work without effort; continuously nurture relationships.
By focusing on these effective strategies and learning from our experiences, Wikimedia Australia was able to make significant progress toward our goals. These approaches, combined with a willingness to adapt and refine our methods, have been crucial to our success.
3. Would you say that your project had any innovations? Are there things that you did very differently than you have seen them done by others?
- Traditionally, Wikimedians in Residence (WiR) work in GLAM institutions or universities. We placed a WiR in the Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) through a new Wikipedia editor's efforts. This led to a significant increase in images and articles on critical environmental and recycling issues previously absent from Wiki projects. Additionally, it raised Wikipedia awareness among EPA staff, who received training.
Partner Projects published social media and blog posts on the Wikimedia Australia website regularly. Participants attended our monthly Community Meetings and ‘Drop In and Wiki’ sessions. This openness allowed our community to see the impact of our funding, understand project support needs, and gain insights into WiR experiences and potential challenges.
We collaborated with Charles Sturt and La Trobe Universities lecturers and third-year Immunology students to enhance public science communication. Restrictions prevented students from editing Wikipedia as part of their course assessment, so they reviewed a Wikipedia article on an Immunology topic and created a similar article using AI (ChatGPT). They critiqued both articles for readability, accuracy, and reliability. After the assessment, an optional workshop was offered for students to update the Wikipedia articles. This project is being prepared for an academic journal article and as a case study in workshops.
Acknowledging the lack of academic research on First Nations peoples’ use and editing of Wikipedia, we commissioned a Focus Group report to explore their experiences in Australia. This report provides insights into how we can support and address challenges faced by First Nations users and editors on Wiki platforms. A First Nations pilot project will help us develop culturally safe spaces for Indigenous peoples.
By implementing these strategies, we have broadened our impact, fostered greater community engagement, and laid the groundwork for future inclusive and innovative projects.
4. Please describe how different communities participated and/or were informed about your work.
- Collaborative Events and Workshops
We organised workshops, editathons, and meetups with libraries, universities, organisations, and cultural institutions, focusing on regional areas. These events provided opportunity to attract students, academics, professionals, and enthusiasts. Themes included women and non-binary artists, local history, Indigenous knowledges, and environmental issues.
Online Platforms and Social Media We refined our website, maintain social media channels, and newsletters to keep the community informed. Regular updates, event announcements, and success stories encourage active participation. Interactive events and links to international Wiki conference webinars facilitate real-time discussions.
Partner Projects Project Partners provided WiRs who facilitated workshops, provided training, digitised content, and collaborated with staff and students, improving Wikipedia content and increasing awareness and participation.
Educational Partnerships Charles Sturt and La Trobe Universities involved students and faculty in Wikimedia projects. Students reviewed and critiqued Wikipedia articles, compared them with AI-generated content, and participated in optional editing workshops. Our first student placement from CSU began in July 2024, enhancing students' critical thinking and research skills.
First Nations Focus Group Report Commissioning the First Nations report to understand First Nations peoples experiences with Wikipedia. Structured discussions, yarning circles, and surveys provided insights and recommendations. This approach informs our strategies to create culturally safe spaces and build stronger relationships with First Nations people.
ESEAP Region and International Wikimedia Engagement Staff and community attended regional and international Wikimedia conferences and meetings, sharing insights and learning from experts. Participation in ESEAP community meetings, Wikimania, Wikidata conferences, and the Berlin Summit.
5. Documentation of your impact. Please use the two spaces below to share files and links that help tell your story and impact. This can be documentation that shows your results through testimonies, videos, sound files, images (photos and infographics, etc.) social media posts, dashboards, etc.
- Upload Documents and Files
- Here is an additional field to type in URLs.
- N/A
6. To what extent do you agree with the following statements regarding the work carried out with the support of this Fund? You can choose “not applicable” if your work does not relate to these goals.
| A. Bring in participants from underrepresented groups | Agree |
| B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community | Agree |
| C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups | Agree |
| D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives | Agree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Agree |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | Agree |
| G. Increased participants' feelings of belonging and connection to the movement. | Agree |
7. Is there anything else you would like to share about how your efforts helped to bring in participants and/or build out content, particularly for underrepresented groups?
- Bringing in participants and building out content for Wikimedia Australia have been guided by our commitment to inclusivity, particularly focusing on underrepresented groups and regional areas. An effective strategy was the continuation of our Partner Projects. We partnered with four organisations who hosted Wikimedians in Residence (WiR) to address Australian content that was either poor or did not exist. This was instrumental in addressing content gaps, raising visibility, and mobilising community members to contribute.
Collaborating with these organisations leveraged their resources and built trust. Our partnership with the Environment Centre Northern Territory (ECNT), a grassroots nonprofit that also supports Indigenous knowledge, enabled our WiR to document and share photos and knowledge that were previously underrepresented on Wikimedia platforms. This partnership not only enriched Wikimedia content but also highlighted the importance of Indigenous knowledge and its preservation.
Partnering with the Biodiversity Heritage Library Australia allowed us to uncover and highlight Victorian biodiversity and ecological histories that had little or no presence on Wikipedia and Wikidata. However there were significant challenges from overseas editors flagging notability. While the WiRs were persistent and encouraged by our Australian community, they found the negative experiences of having articles flagged for deletion very challenging.
Part 2: Your main learning
[edit]8. In your application, you outlined your learning priorities. What did you learn about these areas during this period?
- We outlined several learning priorities aimed at understanding the dynamics that attract and retain contributors to Wikimedia platforms, ensuring their experience is safe, satisfying, and rewarding.
We questioned whether a sense of community and ongoing support are crucial for attraction and retention. We found that a strong sense of community does encourage sustained engagement. However many editors have time pressures that limit their community involvement.
Many contributors align with the movement's goals of addressing information bias, especially on social justice issues. This philosophical alignment instils a sense of purpose and fulfilment among long term contributors.
Engaging, culturally relevant events boost participation. Participants value interactive sessions tailored to their interests, with high-quality, user-friendly training resources (eg, short YouTube tutorials) being essential for new contributors' confidence and enjoyment when learning to edit.
Many join Wikimedia projects to explore and share their unique interests. Providing avenues for contributors to focus on their passions and expertise not only attracts new participants but also enriches content diversity on Wikimedia platforms.
Addressing bias motivates many contributors, especially those from marginalised groups, as an outlet for advocacy. However, they often face burnout from constant challenges. Connection with other Wiki editors helps in these situations.
9. Did anything unexpected or surprising happen when implementing your activities?
- While initially successful in 2021-22, it was surprisingly difficult to establish a distinct Wikidata Fellowship, despite partnering with Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand. Eventually, we rolled this opportunity into our Partner Projects for organisations. These projects run over a longer timeframe, with more budget and impact. This was a great proposition for ACMI, which created a WiR for a Wikidata expert on a very experimental and progressive project that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. In a separate Partner Project Charles Sturt University students and the ANZ Society of Indexers are learning about Wikidata by using it to improve information about Library and Information science in Australia.
While we anticipated a fair amount of interest and participation in events across all regions, we encountered lower-than-expected engagement in some areas of regional Australia during our community events. Upon reflection, we realised that accessibility barriers, such as limited internet connectivity, increased workload at specific times of year (eg, harvesting crops), and transportation challenges, has impacted and hindered participation. We will address these challenges by exploring alternative event formats, such as hybrid, to better accommodate diverse community needs. These experiences underscore the importance of understanding and adapting to the unique characteristics of regional communities for greater participation and inclusion.
10. How do you hope to use this learning? For instance, do you have any new priorities, ideas for activities, or goals for the future?
- Our learning has generally revealed to us how important it is not to be too set in thinking that something has to run a certain way. And also not to give up! Through our focus on attracting and retaining new editors and members, sometimes what looks great to us is viewed quite differently by an external audience. We have learnt the importance of flexibility, listening to others (or getting no message at all!) persisting despite our hesitations, and overall ensuring objectives and outcomes are aligned.
Some fairly easy changes on our behalf have opened up fantastic new opportunities and partnerships that are likely to build long term community engagement, as well as increasing under-represented content. This has cemented the importance of the Partner Projects which we trialed previously, and looking at the success of the most recent group of projects, it will be a priority to grow this successful program.
We plan to continue prioritising accessibility and inclusivity in all our initiatives, particularly in regional areas. This includes exploring alternative formats, such as hybrid events, to accommodate different participation barriers.
We will support activities and initiatives that address specific gaps identified, such as providing targeted support for regional contributors and communities. This may involve training programs, providing travel assistance, and partnering with local organisations to increase outreach.
11. If you were sitting with a friend to tell them one thing about your work during this fund, what would it be (think of inspiring or fascinating moments, tough challenges, interesting anecdotes, or anything that feels important to you)?
- I'd tell them about the incredible journey of flexibility and persistence we've been on. In the face of significant staff changes we learnt to adapt and delivered far more than planned. I'm incredibly proud of how the two new staff ‘hit the ground running’ and quickly become not just great team members but highly valued and respected members of our Australian Wiki community.
We faced challenges, including adapting our small grants opportunities, which developed into the Partner Projects. This change opened up amazing new collaborations and opportunities that we hadn't imagined. A few adjustments on our part led to a boost in organisational recognition, community engagement and a wealth of new, under-represented content. It's a powerful reminder of how important it is to stay adaptable.
12. Please share resources that would be useful to share with other Wikimedia organizations so that they can learn from, adapt or build upon your work. For instance, guides, training material, presentations, work processes, or any other material the team has created to document and transfer knowledge about your work and can be useful for others. Please share any specific resources that you are creating, adapting/contextualizing in ways that are unique to your context (i.e. training material).
- Upload Documents and Files
- Here is an additional field to type in URLs.
- N/A
Part 3: Metrics for Year 2
[edit]13a. Open and additional metrics data
| Open Metrics | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Members | Number of paid members of Wikimedia Australia | 100 | 75 | Remains static. A subcommittee/working group has commenced looking at strategies to address this in Year 3. | Xero |
| Events | No. of events (from Wikimedia Australia Events page https://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/Past_events). | 50 | 72 | We hosted 54 of our own events, but were invited guest speakers at 18 other events (a wide range of other organisation events, seminars, webinars and conferences) making our total 72 events. | Asana, WMAU website |
| Partnerships | Number of partnerships (from website and any additional relevant agreements https://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/Partnerships) | 10 | 12 | 7 new partnerships:
Sustaining 5 long term partnerships:
|
Asana, Google drive |
| Media stories | Media engagements (inclusive of radio, print, online etc https://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/Media) | 10 | 10 | 1 July 2023- 30 June 2023 | Asana, Wikimedia Australia website |
| Participation at events | Number of post or during event surveys of how participants heard about the event? Ideally this metric is represented in a graph format to better understand how participants are finding out about our events | 10 | N/A | Collected verbally during events, as we don’t get any response to surveys post-event. Similar to last year, participants indicated that they heard about the event mainly through Linked.In, our event Partner’s members email lists, eventbrite/Humanitix and Facebook. | Asana. Partner members conversations at events. |
13b. Additional core metrics data.
| Core metrics | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | Number of participants at events, workshops and training | 450 | 941 | We hosted or actively participated in 72 events and reached 941 participants, with 786 new participants or 83% of those people being new to Wiki projects.
Note: some events were information seminars at Conferences giving a display of How to Edit, as well as Q&A sessions, and open knowledge movement presentations or panel sessions. This motivated some participants to engage in our editing events. |
Asana, Dashboard |
| Number of editors | Number of contributors across all Wikimedia Australia events and activities | 250 | 149 | Actual contributors on Wiki projects: 109 new editors. 40 returning editors. Total of 149 editors. | |
| Number of organizers | Number of facilitators in facilitator program and associated event organisers. | 15 | 10 | Organisers are usually from our membership. | Asana |
| Wikimedia Project | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 |
14. Were there any metrics in your proposal that you could not collect or that you had to change?
- N/A
15. If you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results, please describe and add any recommendations on how to address them in the future.
- N/A
16. Use this space to link or upload any additional documents that would be useful to understand your data collection (e.g., dashboards, surveys you have carried out, communications material, training material, etc).
- Upload Documents and Files
- Here is an additional field to type in URLs.
- N/A
Part 4: Organizational capacities & partnerships
[edit]17. Organizational Capacity
| A. Financial capacity and management | |
| B. Conflict management or transformation | |
| C. Leadership (i.e growing in potential leaders, leadership that fit organizational needs and values) | |
| D. Partnership building | |
| E. Strategic planning | |
| F. Program design, implementation, and management | |
| G. Scoping and testing new approaches, innovation | |
| H. Recruiting new contributors (volunteer) | |
| I. Support and growth path for different types of contributors (volunteers) | |
| J. Governance | |
| K. Communications, marketing, and social media | |
| L. Staffing - hiring, monitoring, supporting in the areas needed for program implementation and sustainability | |
| M. On-wiki technical skills | |
| N. Accessing and using data | |
| O. Evaluating and learning from our work | |
| P. Communicating and sharing what we learn with our peers and other stakeholders | |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
17a. Which of the following factors most helped you to build capacities? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
17b. Which of the following factors hindered your ability to build capacities? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
18. Is there anything else you would like to share about how your organizational capacity has grown, and areas where you require support?
- N/A
19. Partnerships over the funding period.
| A. We built strategic partnerships with other institutions or groups that will help us grow in the medium term (3 year time frame) | |
| B. The partnerships we built with other institutions or groups helped to bring in more contributors from underrepresented groups | |
| C. The partnerships we built with other institutions or groups helped to build out more content on underrepresented topics/groups |
19a. Which of the following factors most helped you to build partnerships? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
- N/A
19b. Which of the following factors hindered your ability to build partnerships? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
- N/A
20. Please share your learning about strategies to build partnerships with other institutions and groups and any other learning about working with partners?
Part 5: Sense of belonging and collaboration
[edit]21. What would it mean for your organization to feel a sense of belonging to the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement?
22. How has your (for individual grantees) or your group/organization’s (for organizational grantees) sense of belonging to the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement changed over the fund period?
23. If you would like to, please share why it has changed in this way.
- N/A
24. How has your group/organization’s sense of personal investment in the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement changed over the fund period?
25. If you would like to, please share why it has changed in this way.
- N/A
26. Are there other movements besides the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement that play a central role in your motivation to contribute to Wikimedia projects? (for example, Black Lives Matter, Feminist movement, Climate Justice, or other activism spaces) If so, please describe it below.
- N/A
Supporting Peer Learning and Collaboration
[edit]We are interested in better supporting peer learning and collaboration in the movement.
27. Have you shared these results with Wikimedia affiliates or community members?
27a. Please describe how you have already shared them. Would you like to do more sharing, and if so how?
28. How often do you currently share what you have learned with other Wikimedia Foundation grantees, and learn from them?
29. How does your organization currently share mutual learning with other grantees?
- N/A
Part 6: Financial reporting and compliance
[edit]30. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency.
31. Local currency type
32. Please report the funds received and spending in the currency of your fund.
- Upload Documents, Templates, and Files.
- Report funds received and spent, if template not used.
33. If you have not already done so in your budget report, please provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal.
- N/A
34. Do you have any unspent funds from the Fund?
34a. Please list the amount and currency you did not use and explain why.
- N/A
34b. What are you planning to do with the underspent funds?
- N/A
34c. Please provide details of hope to spend these funds.
- N/A
35. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement?
As required in the fund agreement, please report any deviations from your fund proposal here. Note that, among other things, any changes must be consistent with our WMF mission, must be for charitable purposes as defined in the grant agreement, and must otherwise comply with the grant agreement.
36. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?
37. Are you in compliance with provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code (“Code”), and with relevant tax laws and regulations restricting the use of the Funds as outlined in the grant agreement? In summary, this is to confirm that the funds were used in alignment with the WMF mission and for charitable/nonprofit/educational purposes.
38. If you have additional recommendations or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here.