Talk:Community Resources and Partnerships/India Rapid Project/Wikipedia 25 Celebration in Central India

Feedback to applicant

Dear @Shreya.Bhopal,

1. The commuinty discussion referred in the proposal has a missing link. Kindly share the correct link.

2. The budget allocation for swags (T-shirts, Caps Hoodies and Tumbler) appears higher than necessary for the scope of this event. It may be worth reconsidering if all items are essential, and if a more minimal approach could support participant engagement. Prioritizing one item could help optimize resources while keeping the focus on the core objectives of the event.

3. Since, it's a community lead celebration, we are in an impression that the professional photographer is not needed and the line item needs to be removed from the budget.

4. The WikiClub SATI is a promininent college club and if this event is being done in college (which should ideally be the case) then why there is venue fees? Kindly readjust the budget accordingly.

5. The transportation cost can be further reviewed and reduced. (Transportation for committe members lives out of city and Transportation for participants).

6. The India Rapid Project requires utilization certificate from an authorised CA. The budget seems to be missing Charter accountant fee. Kindly add ₹5000 towards CA fees for auditing the bills. Read more at https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_Resources_and_Partnerships/India_Rapid_Project

Kindly readjust the budget accordingly and update by 29th April, 2026. Thanks PDas (WMF) (talk) 05:37, 26 April 2026 (UTC)

Dear @PDas (WMF),

Thank you for your thoughtful review and valuable suggestions. We sincerely appreciate your guidance and have addressed each point below.

Thank you for pointing out the missing community discussion link, and we apologize for not including it earlier. The idea for this grant has been discussed within the community calls and offline meetups over time. During earlier phases of grant, many members were engaged with academic commitments (examinations) and ongoing Wikimedia activities such as Wiki Loves Folklore, photo walks, and the Wiki Science Competition, therefore we did not apply for the grant earlier. ( Check events here: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Club_SATI/Events ) More recently, during an in-person workshop on feminism and folklore, we held a small community gathering where we also organized a cake-cutting to mark the occasion (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wikipedia_25th_b%27day_celebration_(02).jpg). During this interaction, we discussed and collectively agreed on organizing a larger-scale celebration, which led to this proposal. We have now updated the proposal with the correct community discussion link: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7442946692892598272

Regarding the swag budget, our initial intention behind including multiple items was to create excitement around Wikipedia’s 25th celebration and encourage participation, especially among students and first-time contributors. However, we understand the importance of maintaining a focused and cost-effective budget. Based on your feedback, we have revised this section to adopt a more minimal approach by retaining one primary swag item for participants and removing additional items such as caps, hoodies, and tumblers. This ensures more efficient use of resources while still supporting participant engagement and the core objectives of the event.

We also agree with your suggestion regarding the professional photographer. As this is a community-led celebration, we have removed this line item from the budget. Event documentation, including photos and short videos, will be handled by community members to ensure adequate coverage while keeping costs optimized.

With respect to the venue, while Wiki Club SATI (South Asia Technical Initiative) was initially founded within a college setting, it has since expanded beyond the campus and actively engages volunteers and contributors from across the region. For this event, we are planning to invite representatives from GLAM institutions and partner organizations, including the Regional Museum of Natural History and other cultural and educational institutions. As the event is envisioned as a regional celebration and an opportunity for partnership-building, we explored the option of a venue that is accessible and suitable for hosting a broader and more diverse audience.

Regarding transportation, the support was initially planned to ensure participation from contributors traveling from outside the city and to make the event accessible to a wider group of participants.

Thank you as well for highlighting the requirement for a Utilization Certificate. We were previously unaware that the India Rapid Project requires certification from an authorized Chartered Accountant. We have now included ₹5000 towards CA/audit fees in the revised budget.

All the above changes have been incorporated into the revised proposal and budget. Please let us know if any further clarifications or revisions are required.

Thank you once again for your support.

Warm regards,

Shreya (talk) 13:39, 29 April 2026 (UTC)

Application Approved

Dear @Shreya.Bhopal,

We are pleased to approve your funding request for Wikipedia 25 Celebration in Central India for ₹126,960. We look forward to your successful implementation.

Thanks

On behalf of the Wikipedia 25 Funds organizing team PDas (WMF) (talk) 19:17, 30 April 2026 (UTC)

Thank you @PDas (WMF),

Looking forward for further communication. Shreya (talk) 10:29, 7 May 2026 (UTC)