The Million Wiki Project/Funding Guidelines

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To ensure impactful contributions while maintaining transparency, legality, and effectiveness, the funding process adheres to a well-defined structure. These guidelines apply to all funding requests associated with the MENA Wikimedia initiative.

What We Can Fund

Contest Prizes and Awards

• Monetary or in-kind prizes for top contributors in editing or media contests.
• Vouchers, gift cards, or symbolic items (books, merchandise, etc.).
• Prizes must be transparent, non-excessive, and tied to clear contribution metrics.

Compensation for Time and Expertise

• Reasonable honorariums for:
  • Jury members in contests.
  • Contributors performing significant verified work (e.g., high-quality editing, multilingual translation, metadata curation).
• Payment must be pre-approved, with clear deliverables.

Costs Related to Organizing Wikimedia Activities

• Hosting edit-a-thons, workshops, or webinars (e.g., platform subscriptions, printing, internet costs), Only if these activities have an outcome in one of the Wikimedia projects that we are working with.
• Local transportation or communication costs for outreach.
• Promotion of the initiative (flyers, social media ads, etc.).

Data and Internet Support (if justified)

• Mobile data or internet access reimbursement for participants with financial need.
• Must be tied to specific contributions and tracked transparently.

What We Do Not Fund

Hardware Purchases

• No funding for personal electronics, such as:
  • Laptops
  • Smartphones
  • Cameras or camera accessories
  • Storage devices
• Exceptions will not be made, even if the request is linked to content creation.

General-Purpose Salaries

• No payment for unrelated jobs or full-time employment.
• Funding is only for clearly defined tasks directly tied to Wikimedia contributions.

Travel or Per Diem without Justified Purpose

• No leisure travel or unsupported requests for accommodation or meals.
• Travel must be directly tied to a Wikimedia event or content-gathering activity.

Unverified or Vague Requests

• Any request without specific deliverables, timeline, or justification will be rejected.
• Funding must align with the goals of the initiative and Wikimedia movement values.

Software or Licensing Tools (if critical to contributions)

• Subscription or one-time licenses for tools essential to creating or processing content.
• Example: transcription software, language dictionaries, metadata editors.

Country-Specific Funding Limitations

Due to financial restrictions, banking sanctions, and institutional constraints, funds cannot be directly transferred to contributors in certain countries. This includes regions under international financial sanctions or severe restrictions.

If You Are in a Restricted Country

You may still participate and receive funding indirectly by proposing one of the following alternatives:

• Appoint a trusted representative in a country where funds can be legally transferred, who will act on your behalf.
• Coordinate with a participant from the WikiMillion Project (or another related program) to receive and deliver the funds at a shared Wikimedia event or conference.
• Suggest another method that is both legal and verifiable for the committee to consider.

Note: You are responsible for proposing a safe and lawful method of receiving your grant. The organizing committee cannot process or circumvent international regulations.

Grant Disbursement Procedure

To ensure accountability and quality, approved grants will be released in two installments:

First Installment – Upon Approval

• A portion of the grant (typically 25 to 50%) will be sent once the project or contribution plan is approved.
• Proof of initiation (e.g., participation, first drafts, event preparation) may be required.

Second Installment – Upon Completion

• The remaining amount will be paid after the contributor submits a final report, and it is reviewed and approved by the funding committee.

The final report must:

• Detail what was done.
• Include metrics and links to contributions.
• Provide supporting materials (e.g., screenshots, links, photos, budget receipts).

Failure to submit the final report or meet expected deliverables may result in:

• Cancellation of the second installment.
• Deduction in the budget based on the financial report.
• Ineligibility for future funding.