Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Wikimedians of Republic of Srpska/One-Year General Support Grant/2023-2024/Final Report
Report Status: Accepted
Due date: 30 July 2024
Funding program: Wikimedia Community Fund
Report type: Final
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General information
[edit]This form is for organizations, groups, or individuals receiving Wikimedia Community Funds or Wikimedia Alliances Funds to report on their final results.
- Name of Organization: Wikimedians of Republic of Srpska
- Title of Proposal: Wikimedians of Republic of Srpska/One-Year General Support Grant/2023-2024
- Amount awarded: 50553.93 USD, 47162.48 EUR
- Amount spent: 47162.48 EUR
Part 1 Understanding your work
[edit]1. Briefly describe how your proposed activities and strategies were implemented.
The following link contains a detailed description of our activities for the indicated period: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SzUNmwKxmGE_FMN5oaZ4iuDJ1qo40IK1/view?usp=sharing
2. Were there any strategies or approaches that you felt were effective in achieving your goals?
Our programs, approaches, and strategies have significantly contributed to addressing the challenges outlined in our proposal, in line with Wikimedia's strategy and our role as a Wikimedia movement affiliate. Here’s how we achieved these results and what we learned from the obstacles we encountered: Expanding Free Knowledge: In the spirit of Wikimedia’s mission, our programs focused on increasing the availability of free knowledge. We organized numerous workshops and events to boost local content on Wikipedia, resulting in over 500 new articles and improvements to existing ones. Enhancing Digital Literacy: Our approaches to education and training are aligned with Wikimedia’s strategy, which emphasizes the importance of digital inclusion. Through various training programs, over 300 participants gained skills in editing Wikipedia and using other Wikimedia projects, directly contributing to the expansion of digital literacy in the local community. Strengthening the Community: In line with Wikimedia’s strategic goal to strengthen the community of editors and volunteers, we developed mentoring and support programs. This led to a 25% increase in the number of active editors and improved retention of new community members. Wikimedia’s strategy provides a clear framework and guidelines that have helped us direct our efforts effectively. Through our programs and approaches, we have been able to contribute to addressing key challenges, and the experiences gained from facing obstacles have enabled us to refine our methods and better prepare for future initiatives.
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?
In our work, we used the following approaches:
- Targeted Promotion: Utilizing social media and local media for event and activity promotion has allowed us to reach specific groups we aimed to include.
- Partnerships with Local Organizations: Collaborating with schools, universities, cultural centers, and non-governmental organizations helped expand our reach and ensured the credibility of our programs.
- Personalized Approach: We tailored training and workshops to the specific needs and interests of participants, which increased their engagement and satisfaction.
- Community Building: Focusing on building a sense of community and belonging through regular activities and communication helped in retaining members and their long-term engagement.
These approaches have proven to be very successful, and we plan to further develop them to continue expanding our community and improving the quality of content on Wikimedia projects.
4. Please describe how different communities participated and/or were informed about your work.
Our community has established collaborations with various sectors during the specified period. In developing our partnerships, the following factors have proven to be the most relevant and useful:
- Shared Goals and Interests: Our collaboration with GLAM institutions (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums), colleges, and various organizations has been successful due to shared goals and interests. We focused on preserving and expanding knowledge, which served as the foundation for establishing strong and productive partnerships.
- Open Communication and Transparency: We maintained regular and transparent communication with all partners, which helped build trust and a clear understanding of shared goals. Through regular meetings, reports, and coordination teams, we ensured that all partners were always informed and involved in decision-making processes.
- Support and Resources: Our ability to offer support and resources to partners, such as training, technical assistance, and promotion through our channels, was crucial for building successful partnerships. These resources enabled partners to contribute more effectively to projects and see tangible benefits from the collaboration.
These factors have been key in developing our partnerships and allowed us to achieve significant results through collaboration with GLAM institutions, colleges, and various organizations.
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.
- Evaluation conferences by participants: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/100aPWbTMp0DbBo36cKnLw8-Zlz2xkO9FVwnmW3Sic0Q/edit?usp=sharing
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 | Strongly agree |
| C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups | Strongly agree |
| D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives | Strongly agree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Agree |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | Strongly 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?
Attract Participants from the Following Groups: Our efforts have helped attract participants from diverse demographic groups, including youth, students, seniors, and people from rural areas. We organized workshops in schools, universities, and community centers, allowing a broad range of individuals to engage in our activities. We particularly focused on those who previously had no access to digital resources and training. Develop Content on the Following Underrepresented Topics or Groups: During this period, our efforts have focused on developing content about cultural heritage, minority communities, local customs and history, as well as women's rights and achievements. We organized thematic edit-a-thons and collaborated with local historians and cultural institutions to enrich Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects with this important information. Support Retention: Retaining new editors and volunteers has been one of our key goals. We achieved this through several approaches:
- Mentorship Program: Experienced editors provided support to new members, helping them integrate and develop their skills.
- Regular Workshops and Meetings: We held regular events that allowed for continuous education and networking among community members.
- Awards and Recognition: We introduced reward systems for the most active and high-quality contributions, which motivated volunteers to remain engaged.
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?
During our work in the specified period, we have learned that human resources are key elements to focus on in the future to improve our operations. Through our activities and projects, it became clear that the development and support of our community members are essential for achieving success and sustainability in our initiatives. Therefore, enhancing the capacities and skills of our members will be our priority in the coming periods.
9. Did anything unexpected or surprising happen when implementing your activities?
No.
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?
We have learned that in the future, we should focus on enhancing the community's capacity, specifically: 1. Recruiting New Volunteers
- Awareness Campaigns: We plan to conduct intensive campaigns on social media and at local events to attract new volunteers.
*Workshops and Training: We will organize free workshops and training sessions to provide new members with the necessary knowledge and skills to contribute to Wikimedia projects.
2. Supporting and Retaining Existing Volunteers
- Mentorship Program: We are developing a mentorship program where experienced community members provide support to new volunteers.
- Creating Collaborative Spaces: We plan to create both physical and digital spaces where volunteers can collaborate, exchange ideas, and work on joint projects.
3. Increasing Human Capacity
- Hiring Key Personnel: We will expand our human resources by hiring experts in areas such as project management, communication, and IT support.
- Volunteer Development: We will invest in continuous training and development of volunteers to acquire advanced skills and take on leadership roles in projects.
4. Increasing Visibility of Local Content 5. Enhancing Digital Literacy 6. Collaborating with Other Affiliates
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)?
Each project presented its own set of challenges. We were particularly impressed by the work with young women who participated in the Wiki Women project in the Republic of Srpska. Their engagement was remarkable! It was enough to offer them an activity they enjoyed, and we watched as something incredible unfolded before us, with the passion and dedication these young individuals brought to their work! For us, this is a clear indication that when working with different target groups, the most important thing is to offer them what is meaningful and appealing to them.
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.
- Modern depictions of goddesses from Slavic mythology: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wiki_Women_Republic_of_Srpska_2024
Part 3: Metrics
[edit]13a. Open and additional metrics data
| Open Metrics | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | The number of participants who attend events, programs and activities online or in person, in GLAM, Education and Community all together, including new participants and returning participants. | 740 | 715 | N/A | Manually collected and processed data. |
| Number of editors | The number of new registered participants in GLAM, Education and Community programs, all together. | 200 | 200 | N/A | Manually collected and processed data. |
| Number of organizers | Organizers and other outreach liaisons for GLAM, Education and Community programs, all together. | 60 | 60 | N/A | Manually collected and processed data. |
| Number of activities | The number of events in all our programs. | 77 | 77 | N/A | Manually collected and processed data. |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Additional Metrics | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of editors that continue to participate/retained after activities | Number of editors that continue to participate after activities. | 100 | 100 | N/A | Manually collected and processed data. |
| Number of organizers that continue to participate/retained after activities | Number of organizers that continue to participate after activities. | 25 | 30 | N/A | Manually collected and processed data. |
| Number of strategic partnerships that contribute to longer term growth, diversity and sustainability | Number of institutions with which cooperation will continue. | 40 | 40 | N/A | Manually collected and processed data. |
| Feedback from participants on effective strategies for attracting and retaining contributors | Feedback from participants. | 100 | 100 | N/A | Manually collected and processed data. |
| Diversity of participants brought in by grantees | N/A | 20 | 20 | N/A | Manually collected and processed data. |
| Number of people reached through social media publications | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Number of activities developed | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Number of volunteer hours | N/A | 16000 | 16000 | N/A | Manually collected and processed data. |
13b. Additional core metrics data.
| Core metrics | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | The number of participants who attend events, programs and activities online or in person, in GLAM, Education and Community all together, including new participants and returning participants. | 740 | 740 | Manually collected and processed data. | |
| Number of editors | Number of editors that continue to participate after activities. | 100 | 100 | Manually collected and processed data. | |
| Number of organizers | Organizers and other outreach liaisons for GLAM, Education and Community programs, all together. | 65 | 65 | Manually collected and processed data. |
| Wikimedia Project | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Number of content pages improved or created. | 1800 | 1800 | N/A | Manually collected and processed data. |
| Wikimedia Commons | Number of upoladed photos. | 3800 | 4000 | N/A | Manually collected and processed data. |
| 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?
No
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 | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| B. Conflict management or transformation | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| C. Leadership (i.e growing in potential leaders, leadership that fit organizational needs and values) | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| D. Partnership building | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| E. Strategic planning | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| F. Program design, implementation, and management | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| G. Scoping and testing new approaches, innovation | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| H. Recruiting new contributors (volunteer) | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| I. Support and growth path for different types of contributors (volunteers) | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| J. Governance | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| K. Communications, marketing, and social media | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| L. Staffing - hiring, monitoring, supporting in the areas needed for program implementation and sustainability | This capacity is low, and we should prioritise developing it |
| M. On-wiki technical skills | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| N. Accessing and using data | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| O. Evaluating and learning from our work | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| P. Communicating and sharing what we learn with our peers and other stakeholders | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| 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.
Peer to peer learning with other community members in conferences/events, Peer to peer learning with other community members in community/ies of practice* (structured and continuous learning and sharing spaces), Peer to peer learning with other community members (but that is not continuous or structured)
17b. Which of the following factors hindered your ability to build capacities? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
Lack of staff time to participate in capacity building/training, Lack of volunteer time to participate in capacity building/training
18. Is there anything else you would like to share about how your organizational capacity has grown, and areas where you require support?
--
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) | Strongly agree |
| B. The partnerships we built with other institutions or groups helped to bring in more contributors from underrepresented groups | Strongly agree |
| C. The partnerships we built with other institutions or groups helped to build out more content on underrepresented topics/groups | Strongly agree |
19a. Which of the following factors most helped you to build partnerships? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
Permanent staff outreach, Board members’ outreach, Partners proactive interest
19b. Which of the following factors hindered your ability to build partnerships? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
Local policies or other legal factors
20. Please share your learning about strategies to build partnerships with other institutions and groups and any other learning about working with partners?
In developing our partnerships, the following factors have proven to be the most relevant and useful: Shared Goals and Interests: Our collaboration with GLAM institutions, colleges, and various organizations has been successful due to shared goals and interests. Open Communication and Transparency: We maintained regular and transparent communication with all partners, which helped build trust and a clear understanding of shared goals. Through regular meetings, reports, and coordination teams, we ensured that all partners were always informed and involved in decision-making processes. Support and Resources: Our ability to offer support and resources to partners, such as training, technical assistance, and promotion through our channels, was crucial for building successful partnerships.
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?
As always - support from the WMF and collaboration with other Wiki organizations.
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?
Stayed the same
23. If you would like to, please share why it has changed in this way.
--
24. How has your group/organization’s sense of personal investment in the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement changed over the fund period?
Stayed the same
25. If you would like to, please share why it has changed in this way.
--
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.
No.
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?
Yes
27a. Please describe how you have already shared them. Would you like to do more sharing, and if so how?
Through mailing lists and our communication channels - website, blog, social media, and pages on Wiki projects.
28. How often do you currently share what you have learned with other Wikimedia Foundation grantees, and learn from them?
We do this regularly (at least once a month)
29. How does your organization currently share mutual learning with other grantees?
We share semi-annual and annual reports with other organizations through the mailing list.
Part 6: Financial reporting and compliance
[edit]30. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency.
47162.48
31. Local currency type
EUR
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.
- BA-SRP Budget report 2023/2024:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DTKauvZrd-XVozWJIbBMHN2xdDIreRxHkiGUZTKQULQ/edit?usp=sharing
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?
Yes
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.
Yes
38. If you have additional recommendations or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here.
--