Talk:Community Resources and Partnerships/India General Support Project/Wikimedians of Kerala User Group Annual Plan - 2026

Follow up on the project application

Dear Wikipedians of Kerala User Group,

Thank you for submitting your annual plan proposal and for your continued efforts to strengthen Malayalam Wikimedia projects. The committee reviewed your proposal and have a follow up questions, which are listed below:

1. Could you explain the governance structure of your user group? Who will be responsible for financial oversight, decision making, and programmatic sign off within the user group?
2. Your proposal covers a broad range of activities. Could you explain how you plan to prioritise and phase these activities, and which 3-4 activities do you consider most important or of high-impact?
3. We would like to understand how you plan to balance paid roles and volunteer work. How will you ensure transparency, avoid burnout and manage any perceived inequity between paid contributors and volunteers?
4. For Wiki Loves Village campaign and WikiVoyage program are you planning to train new volunteers from different villages? Share more about the implementation plan, expected outcomes, and how it will strengthen Malayalam Wikimedia projects?
5. Your proposal shows a significant emphasis on offline meetups and travel. Would you consider shifting some activities online to reduce costs, prevent volunteer fatigue and promote broader participation?
6. The committee noticed a few past project reports are still pending. Could you confirm when these reports will be submitted, and how you plan to ensure timely reporting and evaluation going forward?
7. The budgeted scanning cost appears high, typically ₹1-2 per page is reasonable. Could you please review this cost and adjust accordingly?
8. In the budget, you’ve included laptop purchase for video editing, while also budgeting for studio and video editing services (cells E52 & E70). Could you confirm why buying an equipment is required?
9. Kindly remove the Institutional Fees (cell 7C) and IDF component (cell E166) from the total project cost. As a reminder, the service fee for institutional partners will be added separately after proposal approval.
10. Have you explored whether workspace or venues for project activities could be supported in kind by partner institution?
11. The proposal mentions “new tool development” and “feature improvements”. Could you specify whether these involve software development? If yes, please note this would fall under the new Technology (Software) category and may require a tech review.
12. How do you plan to enhance the visibility and public reach of your work, particularly beyond the Wikimedia ecosystem? How will you showcase Malayalam Wikimedia’s contributions in wider educational or cultural spaces?

Please share your responses by 25th October so we can move forward with the next stage of deliberation. Looking forward to your responses.

Regards, Praveen (on behalf of South Asia Regional Funds Committee) PDas (WMF) (talk) 20:47, 11 October 2025 (UTC)

1. Could you explain the governance structure of your user group? Who will be responsible for financial oversight, decision making, and programmatic sign off within the user group?
   1. The Wikimedians of Kerala UG is not a registered organization and since its inception has operated entirely in a volunteer capacity. The group currently functions with an executive committee consisting of two contact persons (primary and secondary) and two additional contact persons who assist in overall coordination. The contact persons are responsible for overseeing all activities of the User Group, responding to communications from the Wikimedia Foundation and other partner organizations, and coordinating monthly meetups, programmatic planning, and reporting to the general body. The executive committee collectively handles financial oversight, ensuring that all expenditures align with approved budgets and project objectives.
   2. Looking ahead, the User Group is planning to establish an advisory board and a working committee after the next AGM in December. This expanded structure will help strengthen decision-making, ensure accountability, and provide strategic direction for future activities.
2. Your proposal covers a broad range of activities. Could you explain how you plan to prioritise and phase these activities, and which 3-4 activities do you consider most important or of high-impact?
   1. The activities proposed are a continuation of the successful initiatives we have organized over the past few years. Each activity serves a distinct purpose and targets different areas of community growth ranging from skill development and outreach to content improvement and technical engagement.
   2. Because the objectives and impact of each activity differ, we do not prioritize one over another. Instead, we plan to phase them strategically throughout the year based on community availability, partnership opportunities, and thematic relevance (such as international campaigns or movement-wide events).
   3. The overall impact of each initiative also depends on the level of volunteer participation and collaboration it attracts. By maintaining flexibility and building upon proven formats, we aim to ensure that every activity contributes meaningfully to the sustained growth and engagement of the Wikimedia community.
3. We would like to understand how you plan to balance paid roles and volunteer work. How will you ensure transparency, avoid burnout and manage any perceived inequity between paid contributors and volunteers?
   1. The Wikimedians of Kerala User Group has been actively organizing a diverse range of programs, including workshops, edit-a-thons, training sessions, campaigns, and community outreach initiatives, all of which require consistent coordination and follow-up. As the scale and scope of our activities continue to expand, some paid support has become essential to ensure smooth execution, proper documentation, and sustained community engagement.
   2. All part-time paid roles, along with their responsibilities and scope of work, will be clearly documented and maintained separately from volunteer roles to ensure complete transparency. These paid positions are designed to support and strengthen community initiatives, not to replace volunteer efforts. By providing structured assistance where needed, we aim to reduce volunteer burnout and enable contributors and volunteers to focus on the areas they are most passionate about other than reporting and documentation. This will enhance a healthier and more sustainable community environment.
4. For Wiki Loves Village campaign and WikiVoyage program are you planning to train new volunteers from different villages? Share more about the implementation plan, expected outcomes, and how it will strengthen Malayalam Wikimedia projects?
   1. The Wiki Loves Village campaign has been an ongoing initiative on Malayalam Wikipedia since 2016. Although the campaign could not be conducted consistently in recent years due to limited volunteer time and resources, we now aim to revive and expand it with a more structured implementation plan.
      1. The implementation plan includes:
         1. Conducting orientation and editing workshops for contributors.
         2. Collaborating with local organizations in the village to get indepth details about history, culture and heritage about the village.
         3. Guiding contributors to document their villages in Wikipedia articles, uploading photographs to Wikimedia Commons.
      2. The expected outcomes include:
         1. Improved quality and quantity of Malayalam-language content across Wikimedia projects.
         2. Better representation of Kerala’s local culture, geography, and communities online.
         3. Strengthening collaboration between Wikimedia volunteers and local institutions, organizations and others.
   2. The Wikivoyage program, on the other hand, aims to develop travel-related content about Kerala’s villages, towns, and cultural destinations on Malayalam Wikivoyage. Trained volunteers will document travel routes, attractions, festivals, and local experiences, contributing to freely accessible travel guides in Malayalam.
      1. The implementation plan includes:
         1. Capacity Building: We plan to organize one online and one offline training session to empower both new and existing contributors. These sessions will provide step-by-step tutorials on editing and contributing to Malayalam Wikivoyage, ensuring participants gain hands-on experience in creating and improving travel articles.
         2. Community Collaboration: We aim to collaborate with regional Wikimedia community groups and like-minded organizations to expand participation and enhance the quality of Malayalam Wikivoyage content. This will help build a stronger, interconnected network of contributors across Kerala and beyond.
         3. Local Knowledge Integration: Our focus will be on documenting authentic local travel experiences contributed by community members. The emphasis will be on culturally rich destinations, heritage trails, and lesser-known local attractions to reflect the diversity of Kerala’s travel landscape.
         4. Structured Content Creation: Each participant will be guided to contribute at least one well-structured article during the workshop, following Wikivoyage’s article templates and standards. This will ensure consistent and high-quality contributions.
      2. The expected outcomes include:
         1. Support its transition from the Incubator to a full-fledged project.
         2. Introduce and train a new wave of editors who will continue contributing to Malayalam Wikivoyage.
         3. Foster long-term partnerships between Wikimedia volunteers, local organizations, and tourism enthusiasts to continuously grow and maintain the project.
5. Your proposal shows a significant emphasis on offline meetups and travel. Would you consider shifting some activities online to reduce costs, prevent volunteer fatigue and promote broader participation?
   1. According to our current timeline, we have planned three offline meetups per quarter. These meetups play a crucial role in reviewing the progress of ongoing programs, evaluating their impact, and planning adjustments based on community feedback.
   2. The in-person format allows for deeper discussions, stronger collaboration, and more effective coordination among team members, which has proven essential for successful project outcomes. We also recognize the importance of cost efficiency, volunteer well-being, and wider participation. While most of our regular evaluation and monitoring are already conducted through monthly online meetings, we will reassess the balance between offline and online gatherings. If feasible, we will shift some activities online or adopt hybrid formats to reduce travel requirements while maintaining the effectiveness and collaborative spirit of our review process.
6. The committee noticed a few past project reports are still pending. Could you confirm when these reports will be submitted, and how you plan to ensure timely reporting and evaluation going forward?
   1. We acknowledge that a few past project reports are still pending, and we are in the process of completing and publishing them. Our goal is to finalize and submit all pending reports within the next few weeks. We recognize the importance of timely reporting and evaluation to maintain transparency and accountability.
   2. To ensure this going forward, we have already included that in our current plan. This includes:
      1. Establish a clear reporting timeline at the start of each project, with designated responsibilities for drafting, reviewing, and publishing the intern reports.
      2. The coordinators to oversee documentation and follow-up to prevent delays.
      3. Encourage regular internal reviews and community updates, ensuring everyone is aware of ongoing projects and outcomes.
      4. We designed 3 offline meetups each in a quarter to oversee and review the ongoing process.
7. The budgeted scanning cost appears high, typically ₹1-2 per page is reasonable. Could you please review this cost and adjust accordingly?
   1. We adjusted this cost according to your suggestion.
8. In the budget, you’ve included laptop purchase for video editing, while also budgeting for studio and video editing services (cells E52 & E70). Could you confirm why buying equipment is required?
   1. The inclusion of a laptop purchase in the budget is intended to support the long-term sustainability of our User Group’s activities and documentation efforts. While the studio and video editing services (cells E52 & E70) cover professional service charges which include the remuneration for professional editors, studio rental for audio recording, and video post-production
   2. The studio charge refers specifically to renting a recording studio, equipment for high-quality audio recording, particularly for voice-overs or podcasts that require a controlled acoustic environment. Meanwhile, the video editing services represent the professional fees paid to an external video editor who will manage advanced post-production tasks such as color correction, motion graphics, and subtitling for selected projects.
   3. The laptop, on the other hand, will be used for ongoing in-house activities such as basic video compilation, event documentation, and quick edits, ensuring that the User Group can maintain timely and consistent content creation without always depending on external services. This investment will strengthen our capacity for sustainable and cost-effective media production in the long term.
9. Kindly remove the Institutional Fees (cell 7C) and IDF component (cell E166) from the total project cost. As a reminder, the service fee for institutional partners will be added separately after proposal approval.
   1. We have removed the IDF component from the budget
10. Have you explored whether workspace or venues for project activities could be supported in kind by partner institutions?
    1. Yes, we have often collaborated with partner institutions and community spaces that generously provide venues and logistical support for our events. In most cases, our workshops, training sessions, and meetups are hosted in such partner spaces at no or minimal cost. However, there are instances where this may not be possible due to scheduling conflicts, location constraints, or the specific requirements of certain activities. To ensure the smooth and timely execution of events, we have included a budget component for venue and workspace expenses as a contingency. Whenever partner institutions are able to provide space in kind, we will responsibly reallocate or adjust the unused funds to other relevant budget heads, ensuring efficient and transparent use of resources. This approach allows us to remain flexible while maintaining the quality and success of our programs.
11. The proposal mentions “new tool development” and “feature improvements”. Could you specify whether these involve software development? If yes, please note this would fall under the new Technology (Software) category and may require a tech review.
    1. We are not planning on developing any new standalone software. Instead, our focus is on improving and experimenting with lightweight tools and scripts that support content contribution and management, data visualization, and user engagement. These activities primarily take place as part of training and capacity-building sessions with students and new contributors. The scripts or tool enhancements developed during these sessions serve as learning exercises and community resources.
12. How do you plan to enhance the visibility and public reach of your work, particularly beyond the Wikimedia ecosystem? How will you showcase Malayalam Wikimedia’s contributions in wider educational or cultural spaces?
    1. To extend the visibility of our work beyond the Wikimedia ecosystem, we actively engage with diverse educational, cultural, and open technology communities across Kerala and India. Our approach combines participation in major public events, partnerships with institutions, and cross-sector collaboration.
       1. Showcasing Wikimedia in Public and Technology Spaces
          1. We have been running a Wikimedia stall at the IndiaFOSS conference for three consecutive years, showcasing Wikimedia technology, Wikidata, and Wikipedia to a national audience. IndiaFOSS3, IndiaFOSS4,IndiaFOSS5
          2. Our volunteers have previously conducted Wikimedia technology workshops at IndiaFOSS, introducing participants to open collaboration and structured data.Openrefine Workshop We will be continuing these activities
          3. We regularly participate in Freedom Fest, organized by the Government of Kerala, to promote the principles of open knowledge and free culture. Meetup at Freedom Fest
          4. For the past three years, we have also been partners in the State of the Map Kerala conference, bridging the OpenStreetMap and Wikimedia communities. SOTMK2024,
       2. Collaborating within Kerala’s Open Knowledge Ecosystem
          1. WikiConference Kerala serves as a unique platform connecting Wikimedia communities with FOSS and open knowledge organizations across the state.
          2. We partner with initiatives like Aastro Kerala and LUCA Science Magazine to engage with students, researchers, and science communicators. Wiki Loves Eclipse, Astrophotography Campaign
       3. Educational and Cultural Outreach
          1. We have been collaborating with the Kerala Department of Education and actively documenting the Kerala School Kalolsavam for the past five years. Through this, Wikimedia technology and culture are introduced to thousands of students and teachers each year.
          2. Our volunteers frequently participate in literature and book festivals in Kerala, presenting talks and sessions to raise awareness of Wikimedia’s mission and projects.
          3. We engage with engineering colleges through DevSprints, where students explore Wikimedia APIs, tools, and open data integration. (at CUSAT, Exhibition at CUSAT)
       4. Collaborations We plan to deepen our outreach by collaborating with key cultural and educational institutions, including:
          1. Kerala Sahithya Academy
          2. Kerala Lalithakala Academy
          3. Kerala Folklore Academy
          4. Department of Archaeology, Government of Kerala
          5. Kerala Agricultural University
          6. Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE)
          7. Through these partnerships, we aim to organize thematic campaigns, cultural documentation drives, and edit-a-thons that highlight Kerala’s heritage, literature, and art within Wikimedia projects.

I appreciate your continuous support for activities by Wikimedians of Kerala User Group. We open to answering any follow up questions and welcomes the committee to provide their suggestions.

Regards,

on behaf of Wikimedians of Kerala User Group Ranjithsiji (talk) 18:23, 25 October 2025 (UTC)

Your Project has been Approved

Dear Wikimedians of Kerala User Group team,

Your proposal for "Annual Plan 2026" has been approved for partial funding of ₹18,25,344 (53% of the requested project fund). The funding will be disbursed in phases: 60% initially and 40% after the mid-year review.

The committee had strong appreciation for the user group track record and community engagement. The blend of technical and cultural documentation you've built over three years is impressive.

The more substantive conversation we had was about activity scope and sustainability. What the committee kept coming back to was whether trying to execute all of these simultaneously, with your current volunteer base, sets you up for success or creates risk. We've seen patterns in other communities where ambitious programs end up stretching the same core people too thin, resulting in volunteer burnout.

Rather than seeing this as limiting your potential, we'd like to frame it as an invitation to be strategic. We would recommend selecting key activities that have the strongest community demand right now, the most mature partnerships ready to activate, and the clearest pathways for recruiting new volunteers. Execute those really well, demonstrate the impact, build your contributor base, and then scale from that foundation in the future funding rounds. It's about building sustainable capacity that actually lets you do more in the long run.

The committee also wondered whether some of your quarterly offline meetups (3 per quarter for review and planning) could shift to online or hybrid formats, reserving resources for programmatic activities rather than administration.

The laptop purchase couldn't be funded, and the committee encourages looking at equipment rental options or using partner facilities as alternatives. We genuinely want to support your growth and would like to work with you.

Please submit a revised budget along with activities reflecting the updated funding level by 30th November 2025. We wish you all the best!

Thanks,

On behalf of the South Asia Regional Funds Committee PDas (WMF) (talk) 18:07, 22 November 2025 (UTC)

Dear @PDas (WMF) and South asia regional funds committee,

Thank you for your thoughtful review and for approving partial funding (53%) for our proposed Annual Plan 2026. We appreciate the committee’s confidence in our work and the recognition of the user group’s track record and community engagement.

As per your suggestion to prevent core team volunteer burnout we would like to select key activities that have the strongest community demand. But to prioritize most important activities we expect expert advice from the review committee. If the review committee could share which activities the committee has identified as the most impactful, and important to implement this year, it would greatly assist us in redrawing the plan and adjusting the budget to align with the approved funding level.

This budget was prepared after consulting with several teams in different parts of the plan. To revise it responsibly and fairly, we need to revisit those consultations and the input from the committee will be crucial for us to make well-informed decisions.

Regarding the feedback on quarterly offline meetups, we would like to clarify that our plan includes a total of three meetups for the entire year; one per quarter for review and planning rather than three per quarter. (Please check our timeline)

We understand the decision not to fund the laptop purchase and will explore alternative options such as equipment rentals or using partner facilities.

Before we proceed with preparing the revised budget and updated activity list, we kindly request the committee’s specific recommendations or priorities. Once we receive that guidance, we will revise the plan accordingly and submit the updated documents.

We look forward to your recommendations so we can move forward effectively.

Warm regards,

on behalf of Wikimedians of Kerala User Group

--Ranjithsiji (talk) 17:37, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

Dear @Ranjithsiji,

I appreciate you getting back seeking RFC to identify which activities are most impactful and important for the User Group implementation. However, I must respectfully clarify that activity prioritization is the applicant's responsibility. The committee has tried to understand the priority area of the User Group in the past and had asked a question to which we were informed, "Because the objectives and impact of each activity differ, we do not prioritize one over another." (Refer to question 2).

With the adjusted funding level, prioritization has become necessary. We believe your team is best positioned to make these decisions as they have direct knowledge of community needs and demand and have better understanding of local context and implementation realities.

Regarding meetup plan, I see a discrepancy in the response. In response to Question 5 it was mentioned that “According to our current timeline, we have planned three offline meetups per quarter”. However in your recent response, you said, "Our plan includes a total of three meetups for the entire year, one per quarter." Could you please clarify what was actually planned in your original proposal?

I request you to kindly submit the activities post programmatic discussion with your team, along with the revised budget and timeline, on or before 30th November 2025. Thanks PDas (WMF) (talk) 18:27, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

Dear @PDas (WMF)

We apologize for the confusion caused by the earlier response; it was a typo error. As outlined in our original timeline, our plan is to conduct one offline meetup per quarter, making it a total of three offline meetups for the year.

Due to the approved partial funding of 53%, we had to make difficult adjustments to the proposal. As a result, we have removed several of our major projects, including Wiki Loves Onam, Wiki Loves Earth, Wiki Loves Birds. We have removed other Wiki projects like Wiki project Western Ghats, Wiki Asian Month and revival of Malayalam Wikivoyage from Incubator. In addition, we have scaled down multiple other projects, activities, and partnerships to align our overall plan and budget with the reduced funding amount.

We reduced the number of Wikimedia Technical workshops to one. Also reduced the team size to match with the volume. We changed the mode of the Wiki Loves Museum project from government collaboration to community's own initiative.

While it is disappointing to step back from these meaningful programs, we remain committed to supporting our community and sustaining our work.

At the same time, we are actively seeking alternative resources and partnerships to continue implementing the shelved projects proposed in our Annual Plan to the best of our ability, beyond the support currently available.

We have revised the budget, timeline and the proposed activities and metrics in the flux reflecting the updated funding.

We remain committed to making the most of the approved support and delivering impactful programs within the available resources.

Best regards,

On behalf of Wikimedians of Kerala User Group

-- Ranjithsiji (talk) 17:51, 30 November 2025 (UTC)