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Follow-up questions on your application

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Latest comment: 1 year ago2 comments2 people in discussion

Hello Wiki Loves Folklore International Team,

Thank you for putting in a general support application.

For documentation purposes, I am also including a list of resourcing projects (non-exhaustive) led by individuals who were/are connected with the Wiki Loves Folklore and Feminism International Team/ Campaign. Please feel free to add onto the list as necessary.

Observations/ Recommendations / Notes

Below, you will find the consolidated feedback and observations from the review team (i.e. SA regional funds committee and programme officer). Do take time to read and respond (i.e. provide more details) to the sharing(s) as necessary. Note: The review team may not have the same lived experience or understanding of the local context as you/your team. Hence, providing further insights will be very helpful in building on our collective wisdom and shared learnings.


  • 1) Budget section: We observed there is a year-on-year increase of about 80% for the proposed annual budget. a) To support our understanding of the increase, would you be able to compare the proposed budget for this year with that of last year and share what are the key drivers of the increase? b) There can also be more clarity on the cost assumptions behind each line item. You can also provide online links to support your cost estimates.


Note to applicant: During the review process, the SA Funds Committee meets 3-4 times (2-2.5 hours/ session) during the review cycle to discuss the grant applications submitted for the cycle. Thereafter additional time is dedicated for individual review (i.e. one review form is submitted for each application - estimated time spend can be about 1 hour/application/person). We would like to highlight that the review team spends a significant amount of time on each application reviewing and providing their perspectives. We hope you will also participate fully in the process by setting aside dedicated time and mind space to provide thoughtful responses to the feedback. During the discussion rounds, we have also captured the verbatim feedback below. Some of which may be on a similar topic. If you notice the trend, it would mean that the question/ observation was raised by several members of the review team and we encourage you to dig deeper to provide more information. If you require support in understanding the context to the feedback and/or in crafting a response. Please know that you can reach out the programme officer for support.


  • 2) Overall strengths of the proposal: Addressing such a significant content gap year after year at an international level is commendable. I also appreciate your generosity in increasing both the number and value of prizes distributed. I support directly rewarding the efforts of community members like this. I also appreciate the support offered in other ways, such as organizer stipends, internet and childcare support for eligible participants.


  • 3) Increase the focus on video content as most of the online content these days is consumed in that format. To ensure this, more budget for prize money and advertisements can be allocated. This will also attract professional participants who work in this domain.


  • 4) There is a budget of 5000 USD for 'Advocacy Engagement Trainer expenses.' The nature, requirement, and impact of this training are unclear. If this entire 5000 USD is spent as a fee for a professional, it should be reconsidered or sought to be offered as an in-kind donation for the movement.


  • 5) There is no way to see the feedback from the community on earlier campaigns / events. Could the international team provide this?


  • 6) The proposal says: "external partnerships include a diverse range of organizations, such as folklore institutions, media partners, and GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) institutions." --- it is not clear who / which GLAM or Folklore institutions were partners in the past & what the impact or nature of partnership has been like.


  • 7) To enhance the *Wiki Loves Folklore & Feminism and Folklore 2025* proposal, the project could consider implementing structured guidance and resources for participants. Offering well-defined guidelines on documenting folklore—such as capturing oral histories, photographing cultural events, and gathering information responsibly—could help contributors produce high-quality content. This approach can improve the overall documentation quality and enrich the cultural value of the contributions.


  • 8) The proposal could also benefit from fostering deeper partnerships with cultural heritage organizations. Collaborations with local and international institutions in the folklore and heritage sectors could lend credibility and provide additional resources, such as expertise or access to cultural archives. These partnerships could extend the reach of the campaign, attract more participants, and amplify the impact of documented folklore within the communities and beyond.


  • 9) Emphasizing community-centric events could strengthen both contributor retention and recruitment. By organizing supportive spaces—whether in-person or virtual—where participants can connect, share knowledge, and learn from one another, the project could attract new volunteers and improve participant satisfaction. Creating a network of folklore documenters within the Wikimedia movement could help build a sustained community of contributors dedicated to expanding folklore content. This focus on community-building would also enhance participant engagement and ensure that newcomers feel welcomed and encouraged.


  • 10) Incorporating regular opportunities for contributors to reflect on and share their experiences could add value. For instance, creating thematic forums where participants can discuss the challenges and ethics of folklore documentation would encourage contributors to engage deeply with their work and inspire a sense of shared purpose. These forums could also serve as feedback mechanisms, allowing the organizers to gather insights on participant needs and adapt the project accordingly.


  • 11) Finally, establishing clear metrics for success would provide a solid foundation for evaluating the campaign's impact. Tracking specific outcomes, such as the number of folklore entries created, participant growth, and retention rates, would help assess the effectiveness of activities and identify areas for improvement. This data-driven approach would offer actionable insights, enabling the project team to make targeted adjustments and optimize future iterations.


Thank you and we look forward to speaking on the 19 November and reading your responses by 24 November. Please let us know if you require more time. We can adapt accordingly.

Regards, Jacqueline on behalf of South Asia Regional Funds Committee JChen (WMF) (talk) 12:40, 19 November 2024 (UTC)Reply



Dear Jacqueline and the South Asian Funds Committee,
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your invaluable contributions and detailed feedback on our grant review. We are especially thankful for the insightful discussion that took place on November 19th, where we had the opportunity to engage with both the committee and the program officer. Your hard work and thoughtful input have been immensely helpful in shaping our campaign.
After careful consideration and thorough discussions within the core members of the Wiki Loves Folklore international team, we have prepared our responses, which we are pleased to share with you below.
1) Budget section: We observed there is a year-on-year increase of about 80% for the proposed annual budget. a) To support our understanding of the increase, would you be able to compare the proposed budget for this year with that of last year and share what are the key drivers of the increase? b) There can also be more clarity on the cost assumptions behind each line item. You can also provide online links to support your cost estimates.
We acknowledge the observed increase in the proposed budget compared to last year. It is important to note that last year’s grant was significantly reduced by 50% to provide an observation period, enabling the committee to review and monitor our financial management practices. This adjustment impacted several initiatives, such as micro-grant support for edit-a-thons on Feminism and Folklore, increased local prizes, and regional awards, which were unavailable during the previous grant period. For the current year, we have incorporated these components to address community feedback and ensure the necessary resources and valuable awards are provided.
Over the past six years, we have observed consistent growth in participation. To acknowledge this, we are introducing additional regional awards for the following regions: MENA - Middle East & North Africa, SSA - Sub-Saharan Africa, SA - South Asia, ESEAP - East, Southeast Asia, & Pacific, LAC - Latin America & Caribbean, NA - North America, NWE - Northern & Western Europe and CEECA - Central & Eastern Europe & Central Asia. These new prizes will include gift vouchers, consistent with our existing award practices. Recognizing the remarkable level of content created by participants in the Feminism and Folklore initiative, we aim to celebrate outstanding contributors to sustain their interest and acknowledge their efforts.
Additionally, we received feedback emphasising the need to support jurors with childcare assistance. There is also a growing demand for Arabic language interpretation during workshops, particularly for advocacy campaigns, to accommodate participants from Arabic-speaking emerging communities. Lastly, the success of our advocacy campaigns has encouraged us to develop campaign videos and host a series of online workshops throughout the year. These initiatives aim to provide education and skill-building opportunities, strengthen local partnerships, enhance participants' practical understanding, contributing to both the quality of project outputs and their personal knowledge. We hope this explanation clarifies the key drivers behind the budget increase.
2) Overall strengths of the proposal: Addressing such a significant content gap year after year at an international level is commendable. I also appreciate your generosity in increasing both the number and value of prizes distributed. I support directly rewarding the efforts of community members like this. I also appreciate the support offered in other ways, such as organizer stipends, internet and childcare support for eligible participants.
Thank you for your kind feedback and support. We are truly honoured to carry forward this important initiative. Beyond awards and additional support mechanisms, we aim to inspire and motivate organisers to give their best, recognizing the unique nature of our campaign in highlighting underrepresented cultures and personalities on Wikimedia projects.
We remain committed to maintaining resilience and dedication to this mission, striving to address content gaps and celebrate diverse voices in every possible way. Your encouragement further strengthens our resolve to continue making a meaningful impact.
3) Increase the focus on video content as most of the online content these days is consumed in that format. To ensure this, more budget for prize money and advertisements can be allocated. This will also attract professional participants who work in this domain.
Thank you for your insightful suggestion. We fully acknowledge the increasing consumption of online content in video format and its significance in engaging wider audiences. In response, we have embedded a stronger focus on video content within our advocacy campaigns. Our approach includes attracting new and external participants through video campaigns, engagement sessions, newspaper publications, and a series of interviews with organisers, all supported by strengthened partnerships.
This year, we have expanded our video prizes from one to three, each featuring various themes to encourage broader participation, including professionals in the field. Additionally, we have allocated budget provisions for a Digital Content Creator to enhance our video production capabilities.
Given these initiatives, we believe our current budget allocation for advocacy efforts effectively addresses the emphasis on video content. We aim to maximise the impact of our existing resources while maintaining fiscal responsibility. However, we remain open to exploring further opportunities to optimise our outreach and welcome any additional ideas you may have.
4) There is a budget of 5000 USD for 'Advocacy Engagement Trainer expenses.' The nature, requirement, and impact of this training are unclear. If this entire 5000 USD is spent as a fee for a professional, it should be reconsidered or sought to be offered as an in-kind donation for the movement.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We would like to clarify that the allocated amount of $5,000 for "Advocacy Engagement Trainer Expenses" is not intended as a fee for a single professional trainer; instead, this budget covers various coordination expenses essential for enhancing our advocacy campaigns to provide quality engagement sessions and creative outreach initiatives, including the creation of a modified toolkit for advocacy campaigns to better support organisers and participants, production of engaging media videos to promote our campaigns and reach a wider audience, public relations costs for media outreach and publicity to increase the visibility of our initiatives, childcare support for participants and facilitators who require assistance during workshops and events to ensure inclusivity and broader participation, and data support for workshop facilitations to cover internet and data expenses for seamless virtual workshops and training sessions.
This allocation reflects a slight increase in resources compared to last year, driven by heightened interest and the need to deliver more impactful advocacy campaigns, and by investing in these areas, we aim to attract more external participants and newcomers through various engagement channels, as highlighted in our response to point 3; we believe these expenses are crucial for achieving our objectives and enhancing the overall effectiveness of our advocacy efforts, and we are committed to using our resources responsibly to maximise the impact of our campaigns.
5) There is no way to see the feedback from the community on earlier campaigns / events. Could the international team provide this?
Over the years, we have actively gathered feedback from communities through feedback forms and post-campaign surveys to gain valuable insights into their experiences, achievements, and areas for improvement in their local events. Starting this year, we will include a comprehensive community feedback report as part of our grant report. As our grant report is due shortly, we will share this feedback alongside it in the coming days.
It is important to note that our feedback forms often contain sensitive information, such as usernames and details about participants’ countries or communities. To respect privacy, we cannot share this data in an open forum. However, we are committed to incorporating a broad summary of the feedback in the report and, if required, we are open to sharing anonymized details directly with the committee. We believe this approach ensures transparency while safeguarding participant privacy.
6) The proposal says: "external partnerships include a diverse range of organizations, such as folklore institutions, media partners, and GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) institutions." --- it is not clear who / which GLAM or Folklore institutions were partners in the past & what the impact or nature of partnership has been like.
We appreciate your interest in our collaborations with GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) institutions and folklore organisations. As the Wiki Loves Folklore team, we actively facilitate local communities in establishing partnerships with various institutes and GLAM entities. In the past, we have collaborated with media partners such as Portal In, Scholastic World, All About Photo, Photo Contest Deadlines, All Events In, Galway Civic Trust, Morning News India, Wikimedia UK, MP Breaking News, and Wikimedia Foundation diff blogs, among others. These partnerships have been instrumental in promoting Wikimedia Commons projects globally.
Additionally, the Museum of Zambia extended its support to the community in Zambia for their GLAM projects, showcasing the impact of our facilitation efforts. We have also assisted in forging partnerships with local radio stations and media outlets, enhancing the visibility and reach of Wikimedia projects worldwide.
In our upcoming advocacy campaign, we are hosting a speaker from the Wikimedia Partnership Team who will conduct a session on how to establish effective partnerships. This initiative aims to empower communities with the knowledge and skills to build and sustain meaningful collaborations. We hope this provides clarity on our past partnerships and their nature. Please feel free to reach out if you require further information.
7) To enhance the *Wiki Loves Folklore & Feminism and Folklore 2025* proposal, the project could consider implementing structured guidance and resources for participants. Offering well-defined guidelines on documenting folklore—such as capturing oral histories, photographing cultural events, and gathering information responsibly—could help contributors produce high-quality content. This approach can improve the overall documentation quality and enrich the cultural value of the contributions.
Thank you for this thoughtful suggestion. We deeply acknowledge the importance of structured guidance and resources in enhancing the quality of contributions. Our advocacy campaign is designed to address this need by focusing on accurate documentation and producing high-quality content through year-round workshops and resources.
In the previous year, we developed a tool to help editors easily identify and address missing content, supported by toolkits to guide users in leveraging these tools effectively. Additionally, we introduced a toolkit to assist users in applying for rapid grants. For the upcoming edition, we plan to create more toolkits and resources to further educate contributors, ensuring they are well-equipped to document folklore responsibly and comprehensively. These efforts aim to enrich the cultural value of contributions while empowering participants with the necessary skills and knowledge.
8) The proposal could also benefit from fostering deeper partnerships with cultural heritage organizations. Collaborations with local and international institutions in the folklore and heritage sectors could lend credibility and provide additional resources, such as expertise or access to cultural archives. These partnerships could extend the reach of the campaign, attract more participants, and amplify the impact of documented folklore within the communities and beyond.
Thank you for highlighting this significant point. Establishing deeper partnerships with cultural heritage organisations is indeed one of our top strategic priorities. We intend to enhance our public relations efforts to achieve this objective. We greatly appreciate the insights you've shared and are committed to implementing strategies that will attract similar institutions to support us in diverse ways. By collaborating with local and international organisations in the folklore and heritage sectors, we aim to extend the reach of our campaign, attract more participants, and amplify the impact of documented folklore within communities and beyond.
9) Emphasizing community-centric events could strengthen both contributor retention and recruitment. By organizing supportive spaces—whether in-person or virtual—where participants can connect, share knowledge, and learn from one another, the project could attract new volunteers and improve participant satisfaction. Creating a network of folklore documenters within the Wikimedia movement could help build a sustained community of contributors dedicated to expanding folklore content. This focus on community-building would also enhance participant engagement and ensure that newcomers feel welcomed and encouraged.
Thank you for this valuable suggestion. We wholeheartedly agree that emphasizing community-centric events is essential for strengthening contributor retention and recruitment. In line with this approach, we have initiated efforts through our advocacy campaign and data analysis to meet our key project indicators. These initiatives include community consultations, training sessions, and skill-building workshops aimed at sparking interest and building strong relationships within the community.
By creating supportive spaces where participants can connect, share knowledge, and learn from one another, we aim to foster a two-way engagement that benefits both the community and the project at large. This focus on community-building will enhance participant satisfaction and ensure that newcomers feel welcomed and encouraged to contribute.
10) Incorporating regular opportunities for contributors to reflect on and share their experiences could add value. For instance, creating thematic forums where participants can discuss the challenges and ethics of folklore documentation would encourage contributors to engage deeply with their work and inspire a sense of shared purpose. These forums could also serve as feedback mechanisms, allowing the organizers to gather insights on participant needs and adapt the project accordingly.
Thank you for this insightful suggestion. Over the past year, we have initiated forums and engagement sessions that take place before, during, and after the campaign. These forums are distinct from our regular office hours and are designed to provide participants with spaces to connect, reflect, and share their experiences. To further bridge any gaps, our advocacy goals include hosting online sessions at least once a month.
Additionally, our coordinators, interns, and ambassadors are dedicated to collecting feedback data, addressing challenges, and offering opportunities to organisers and newcomers. We are committed to implementing more creative approaches to foster invaluable support from our contributors and to build strong relationships that promote continuous improvement and growth.
11) Finally, establishing clear metrics for success would provide a solid foundation for evaluating the campaign's impact. Tracking specific outcomes, such as the number of folklore entries created, participant growth, and retention rates, would help assess the effectiveness of activities and identify areas for improvement. This data-driven approach would offer actionable insights, enabling the project team to make targeted adjustments and optimize future iterations.
Thank you for highlighting the importance of establishing clear metrics to evaluate the campaign's impact. In alignment with this recommendation, we implemented the Feminism and Folklore CampWiz tool last year. Although its use was not mandatory, many organizers adopted CampWiz due to its flexibility and advanced capabilities. The tool proved to be highly effective, earning the "Coolest Tech Award" at the Wikimania Conference in Poland.
Because CampWiz is our own in-house developed tool, we have been able to collect a range of insights that were previously unattainable with third-party tools. Recognizing the value of these details and insights for further learning and research, we are in the process of creating the StatsWiz tool. StatsWiz will collect statistics on both the current campaign and our previous work, and we plan to publish this information on our tools website.
This initiative will not only help us improve our own efforts but also provide a foundation for other movememt campaigns to learn from trends and enhance their strategies accordingly. We are currently in the initial development stage of StatsWiz and warmly invite ideas for its improvement as we progress toward the beta phase.
By leveraging these tools, we aim to track specific outcomes such as the number of folklore entries created, participant growth, and retention rates. This data-driven approach will enable us to assess the effectiveness of our activities, identify areas for improvement, and make targeted adjustments to optimise future iterations of the campaign.
—---
Feel free to contact us if you require any further information or clarifications we would be happy to help.
Wiki Loves Folklore SAgbley (talk) 07:47, 24 November 2024 (UTC)Reply

Request to Change Grant Region from South Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa Region

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Latest comment: 1 year ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Hello Wiki Loves Folklore & Feminism International Team,

We have received and registered your request for a change in the region associated with your grant application from South Asia to the Sub-Saharan Africa region. While the current grant application will continue to be tagged to the South Asia region, the proposed transition is for the next grant application.

Thank you.

Regards, Jacqueline JChen (WMF) (talk) 12:51, 19 November 2024 (UTC)Reply

Your grant application has been approved

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Latest comment: 1 year ago2 comments2 people in discussion

Hello Wiki Loves Folklore International Team,

Thank you for your responses to the follow-ups questions.

Congratulations! Your grant application has been approved in the amount of USD 40,260 from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025.


Recommendations

  • On this talkpage, we would like to flag questions/ responses for (5) for inclusion into your implementation plan and take into consideration the comments from the review team (10) and (11). We also suggest that you provide regular updates on this talkpage when you have made progress in these areas with links to other relevant pages for further details.

For the review of your next grant application, we will take into account your new application AND progress that you have made in the areas of the recommendations captured on this talkpage. Hence we would encourage you to be proactive in sharing key updates here on a regular basis. If there are recommendations that you have considered and have assessed that it is not the right fit for now, please also provide an update to share your learnings/thought process as well.


Change in implementation plan

We know even the best thought through plans may change.

In the event that there are changes to your implementation schedule, you can reach out to request for a grant extension (i.e. extend end date). Similarly, if there is a surplus budget or changes to your planned budget, you can reach out to me about reallocation (via email and on this talkpage). There is also the option to have the unspent funds deducted against a future grant. More details here: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Return_unused_funds_to_WMF


Additional resources which may be useful


We thank you for your participation in the grant application process and hope to continue to journey with you as you embark on the implementation phase. Good luck!

Regards, Jacqueline on behalf of SA Regional Funds Committee JChen (WMF) (talk) 16:10, 29 November 2024 (UTC)Reply

Dear Jacqueline,
On behalf of the Wiki Loves Folklore International Team, I want to express our sincere gratitude for approving our grant application and providing detailed recommendations and resources.
We greatly appreciate your guidance. We will ensure regular updates are shared on the talkpage as suggested.
Thank you once again for your support. We are excited to move forward with the project and work towards achieving our goals.
Best Regards SAgbley (talk) 11:29, 12 December 2024 (UTC)Reply
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