Wikimedia Deutschland/Plan 2026/Strategic Goals
| Strategic Goals | Programs & Success Criteria | Functional Teams | Business Plan 2026 |
Wikimedia Deutschland promotes free knowledge in various ways. We support communities like the Wikipedia community, we develop software for Wikimedia projects and the ecosystem of free knowledge, and we seek to improve the political and legal framework for Wikipedia and for free knowledge in general. Wikimedia Deutschland's strategic goals for 2030 serve as the basis for its 2026 program planning.
Wikimedia Deutschland's strategic goals for 2030
[edit]The strategic goals provide focus and long-term orientation throughout the organization, while also enabling continuous evaluation and strategic management of our work using measurable indicators.
WMDE office employees and the management team developed the strategic goals together between September 2023 and October 2024. The key question was, “What social impact do we want our work to have in the world and how can we tell whether we have achieved it?" The strategic alignment adopted by the General Assembly in June 2023 served as the starting point for defining the strategic goals. The goals make the strategic alignment more concrete for the organization's day-to-day work.
Compared to last year, in 2026 we are placing a stronger focus on community growth (goal 4) with a budget increase of EUR +2.65 million and twelve contributing teams, as well as on attracting new end users (goal 6) with a budget increase of EUR +2.19 million and five contributing teams. This is where the largest financial increase took place. In addition to these two objectives, connecting people by improving our infrastructure (objective 1) continues to be a focus of our work, with 13 contributing teams.
| Strategic goals until 2030 | |
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A strong infrastructure for free knowledge The technical, social, and financial infrastructure of free knowledge should be resilient and sustainable. With the greatest possible participation of the various communities, we shall work to create, maintain, and develop essential elements of this infrastructure as well as potentially no longer supporting less forward-looking and sustainable aspects. Goal 1- Strong infrastructure Goal 2 - More technology creators |
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Thriving and enduring communities We want to nurture and strengthen communities within the free knowledge network that share our vision and values. Toward this goal we shall support existing communities and encourage many more people to join them.
Goal 3- Respectful communication within communities Goal 4 - Community growth |
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Greater diversity and equitable participation' We want to make it possible for more people from structurally disadvantaged groups, who have experienced discrimination caused by societal power structures, to meaningfully participate in all areas of our work. By breaking down barriers that currently prevent participation, we intend to fulfill our obligation as an influential player in the network of free knowledge. Goal 5 - Inclusive Wikimedia communities |
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More usage, easier access We want to see the content of Wikimedia projects used much more by many more people. At the same time, we want to pave the way toward easier and more equitable access to this content. Goal 6- More end users Goal 7 - More usage by external projects |
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Wider political and social support We shall bring more decision-makers in politics and society to use their skills and influence to create a world in which all people can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Goal 8 - More free knowledge in publicly funded institutions Goal 9 - Working together for free knowledge policies |
Changes to programs & functional teams in 2026
[edit]The "Zukunft D" program has been added to the Communication & Advocacy department. Since the beginning of 2025, four civil society organizations have been working on setting up an association to strengthen digital democracy as part of the BMFSFJ's new "Demokratie leben!" (Live Democracy!) funding program. Zukunft D will promote the development of expertise, knowledge exchange and nationwide networking in this area for increased participation, a new information culture, easy access, secure data and infrastructures, and the involvement of citizens in decision-making processes that directly affect them. The association is to be established by the end of 2028. In addition to Wikimedia Deutschland, AlgorithmWatch, aula and the Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe are involved in Zukunft D. The program team began its work in 2025 and will be included in annual planning for the first time for 2026. Click here for more information on Zukunft D.
In the software development department, the "Free and Open Knowledge within the AI Ecosystem" (FOKAI) program will be added starting in 2026. The program is currently being developed and will submit its annual plan later (see "Track 2" below). For the first time, three established areas of work are listed in the annual planning as programs or functional teams and therefore made visible: our support for "Wikimedia Europe", the work in the "Legal" team and technical work in fundraising ("Fundraising Tech"). Two programs have been renamed: "Support and Consultancy" (formerly "Respectful Interaction and Support Services") and "Wikibase Reuse" (formerly "Wikibase Product Platform").
Changes to processes & documentation in 2026
[edit]Track 2
[edit]We have decided to introduce an official "Track 2" for the first time in planning for 2026. This takes into account the special circumstances the fundraising teams are faced with. They can't draw conclusions from the autumn campaign until the beginning of the new calendar year. Only then can they plan the appropriate content, methodological and technical development measures for the following year and other projects. The affected teams (Campaigns & Fundraising, Donations & Member Data, Donations & Member Services, Fundraising Tech and UX) as well as the new program "Free and Open Knowledge within the AI Ecosystem" (FOKAI) will submit their annual plans for 2026 by 28 February. Subsequent planning is documented on Meta in the same way as regular planning.
Documentation of changes to goals during the year on Meta
[edit]Experience shows that a single source of truth is needed to serve as a reference for the latest approved planning status. We have therefore decided to document changes to goals (objectives) and/or success criteria (indicators) transparently on Meta starting in 2026.