Volunteer Supporters Network

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• Annual Meetings

Volunteer Supporters Network

Volunteer supporters meeting in Wallisellen, 2019

Volunteer supporters meeting in Vienna, 2018

Volunteer supporters meeting in Berlin, 2017

Workshop at Wikimedia Conference 2015

Volunteer support pre-conference, Wikimania 2014

The Volunteer Supporters Network (VSN) is an open network of Wikimedians supporting Wikimedia volunteers. Our mission is to enhance volunteer support in the Wikimedia movement.

The impact we want to achieve is to improve the conditions for online and offline participation of volunteers, to increase diversity and to strengthen the spirit of global cooperation and innovation. We develop, grow and maintain collaboration and exchange of expertise, ideas and resources.

About us

The project of an open global volunteer supporters network got going at Wikimania 2014 in London. Since then, we exchange our expertise and experiences as well as collaborate on common issues and tasks on a regular basis by

• Establishing and maintaining communication channels for volunteer supporters from Wikimedia organisations
• Holding meetings/workshops in the context of international Wikimedia events and beyond
• Creating and sharing resources for volunteer support.

Seit 2023 wird das Netzwerk von Wikimedia Argentinien und Wikimedia UK geleitet.

Hub-Pilotprojekt

In the 2025–2026 period, the VSN is piloting as a Hub, supported by the Hubs fund. The grant application and associated paperwork can be seen here:

• WMUK-Anwendung
• WMAR-Anwendung

How to get involved

Any person working in volunteer support as a staff member of a Wikimedia affiliate can become a Member of the Volunteer Supporters Network. Any Wikimedian active in volunteer support and with a good standing in the Wikimedia communities can apply to become a Liaison of the Volunteer Supporters Network. Liaisons can include volunteers as well as staff members of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Find out more by reading our internal regulations.

Hub partnerships

Capacity Exchange

The Volunteer Supporters Network are very happy to announce that we have established the first official Hub pilot partnership for the VSN, with Capacity Exchange (CapX).

As part of our Hub Pilot, we’re looking to develop partnerships with other Wikimedia organisations to explore opportunities for collaboration around activities that support the improvement of volunteer management capacities across the movement. We’ve both signed a Memorandum of Understanding in which we commit to:

• Exploring the potential of the CapX tool to map and further understand the roles of those involved globally in volunteer management and support
• Cross-promotion of VSN & CapX activities
• Training & encouragement of VSN members and liaisons on the utilisation of the CapX tool to enhance their connections with other Wikimedians.

The VSN can be found on CapX.

The VSN are really looking forward to collaborating with CapX – we hope that this will help us toward our goal of supporting the improvement of volunteer management capacities within the movement. (Sara Thomas, WMUK & VSN co-lead)

As the VSN has always been a remarkable partner of CapX, we are thrilled to now formally establish this partnership. I am confident that we will achieve many successes in our shared goal of improving capacity-building within the movement. (Amanda Jurno, WMB & CapX project manager)