Wikimedia Foundation elections/Candidate Resources
Welcome to the Wikimedia Foundation Board Candidate Resources!
This resource toolkit is intended for community members who are considering submitting their candidacy for the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees, and who want to better understand what to expect and how to prepare for the role.
Introduction
What is included here?
On this page, you will find a curated list of freely-accessible resources. The resources are in English and include articles, reflection questions, podcasts, and videos.
These themes are covered, with a section for each:
- Self Reflection
- Purpose and Function
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Expectations
- Skills Needed
How do I use this toolkit?
To use this toolkit, we suggest beginning by asking yourself the self reflection questions in the first section. Reflection and self-awareness are key to preparing and succeeding in this Board role.
Each of the five sections are stand-alone. They can be viewed on their own, so feel free to choose where you would like to begin and what resources you want to explore. A summary is provided for each resource, outlining its purpose and relevance.
Where possible, the resources have been ordered so that the first resource in each section provides a general overview, and those that follow offer more detailed perspectives.
We provided resources in multiple media formats. Be aware that the Board's work involves reading and meaningfully responding to a lot of written documentation, most of which won't be available in video form.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about this toolkit, please email the Community Development team directly at comdevteam@wikimedia.org.
Self Reflection
This section includes reflection questions for community members who are thinking about becoming Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustee candidates. We suggest that you take some time to think about these questions and write down your answers. Answering these questions can not only help you understand whether you are ready for this role, but also help you prepare a clear and convincing message for answering questions from the community as a candidate.
Purpose
- Why do I want to be a Wikimedia Foundation Trustee?
- How do my goals and values align with this opportunity?
Time Commitment
- Do I have the time and energy to commit to this? (Board members should expect to spend around 12 to 15 days per year on Board business.)
- How will I prioritize this work alongside other responsibilities?
What I Know
- What do I know about this role?
- What do I not know?
- What do I want to know more about?
- What assumptions do I have about this role?
- What are my expectations of what the Board of Trustees or an individual trustee does?
- What would surprise me about this role? About working with other board members? About working with Wikimedia Foundation staff?
What I Bring
- What experiences and skills do I bring to this role?
- What social and cultural perspectives do I bring? (e.g. age, gender identity, race, ethnicity, nationality, immigration history, religious tradition)
- How can I apply my past experiences and skills to this role?
- How will my particular membership of the Board of Trustees support the Board’s work?
- How will my membership of the Board of Trustees support, more broadly, the Wikimedia Foundation’s communities and initiatives?
- In what ways could my membership of the Board enhance public perception of the Wikimedia Foundation?
- To what communities, sectors, or ideas could I provide the Board access?
What I Gain
- What will I gain from being a member of this Board? (e.g. new skills, relationships, perspectives)
- How could this role benefit or harm my existing relationships inside and outside the Wikimedia community?
Challenges
- What tensions can I foresee in my membership of the Board with myself, my family, my community, other board members, Wikimedia Foundation staff?
- How will I handle conflicts that arise between me and others in this role?
- What do I think are the biggest challenges that will come from this role? Do I feel willing and able to tackle them?
Purpose and Procedure
What is the purpose the Board of Trustees? Why does a board exist? What are the procedures around the Board?
[edit]
Why do non-profit organizations need boards?
Type of media: Article
Title: Why do you need a board?
Source: Bridgespan
Summary: All non-profit organizations need a board. Although the specific responsibilities vary due to mission focus and different phases of an organization’s existence, the basic role and purpose of all non-profit boards remain the same. There are legal, ethical, and practical reasons to build a board when a non-profit is created.
What is the purpose of the Wikimedia Foundation board?
Type of media: Web page
Title: The role of the (Wikimedia Foundation) Board
Source: Wikimedia Meta
Summary: This is a section of the Wikimedia Foundation Board Handbook that describes why the Wikimedia Foundation Board exists and how it oversees the Foundation to fulfill its values, mission, and vision.
How are trustees selected, onboarded, and equipped to serve?
Type of media: Web page
Title: Number of Board members; election to the Board; new Board members
Source: Wikimedia Meta
Summary: This is a section of the Wikimedia Foundation Board Handbook that describes details of how Wikimedia Foundation Board members are elected, appointed, and onboarded.
Roles and Responsibilities
What are the basic roles and responsibilities of the Board of Trustees? What does the role of a Trustee involve?
[edit]
General information on board responsibilities
Type of media: Article
Title: Board Responsibilities and Structures
Source: BoardSource, Inc.
Summary: BoardSource's list of basic functional and legal roles of non-profit boards and board members.
Type of media: Article
Title: Checklist of Board Roles and Responsibilities
Source: BoardSource, Inc.
Summary: BoardSource checklist of basic roles and responsibilities of the non-profit board.
Type of media: Article
Title: Board Roles and Responsibilities
Source: National Council of Nonprofits
Summary: National Council of Nonprofits page of links and basic information on board roles and responsibilities
Type of media: Video
Title: How to Manage for Collective Creativity
Source: TEDx Cambridge
Summary: Harvard professor Linda A. Hill, co-author of Collective Genius, has studied some of the world's most creative companies to come up with a set of tools and tactics to keep great ideas flowing -- from everyone in the company, not just the designated "creatives."
Type of media: Podcast
Title: Managing International and Global Organizations (Episode 27 09.11.2020)
Source: Nonprofit Management and Leadership - Duke University
Summary: Overview of the types and structures of NGOs and how they differ from non-profit organizations in the United States.
Fiduciary duties
[edit]This role involves understanding and abiding by fiduciary duties
Type of media: Article
Title: Conflicts of Interest
Source: National Council of Nonprofits
Summary: A policy governing conflicts of interests is perhaps the most important policy a non-profit board can adopt. To have the most impact, the policy should be in writing, and the board and staff should review the policy regularly.
Type of media: Article
Title: Common Board Shortcomings
Source: BoardSource, Inc.
Summary: Ten weaknesses and mistakes common to boards or individual board members -- and how to remedy them.
Overseeing financial health
[edit]This role involves overseeing the organization’s financial health
Type of media: Article
Title: Finance Committee Fundamentals
Source: BoardSource, Inc.
Summary: Basic roles and practices for the Finance Committee
Overseeing alignment of mission and strategic direction
[edit]This role involves aligning the organization’s mission and strategic direction
Type of media: Article
Title: What Every Non-profit Should Know
Source: Forbes
Summary: Edited 2021 interview with Alnoor Ebrahim, associate professor and faculty chair of the “Governing for Nonprofit Excellence” executive program at Harvard Business School, on the challenges and opportunities facing nonprofit boards.
Type of media: Podcast
Title: Mission, Vision, and Values (Episode 3, 05.09.2020)
Source: Nonprofit Management & Leadership (Duke University)
Summary: Class lecture - the purpose and relationship of a nonprofit's mission, vision, and values statements to each other and to the work of the organization.
Type of media: Article
Title: Productive Board Meetings
Source: Adapted from BoardSource, Inc.
Summary: What happens before, during, and after board meetings to make best use of the time.
Type of media: Article
Title: Intended Impact & Theory of Change
Source: Bridgespan Group
Summary: Intended impact and theory of change clarify what impact a nonprofit will hold itself accountable for and how it will achieve it. The resources here include an article that describes the concepts in-depth, a toolkit with templates for building an intended impact and theory of change, and case studies detailing how a number of organizations approached developing their own.
Overseeing activities
[edit]This role involves monitoring activities and providing oversight
Type of media: Article
Title: Measuring Fundraising Effectiveness
Source: GuideStar
Summary: This guide is about organizations' fundraising effectiveness, future strategy, and annual planning.
Type of media: Article
Title: Strategic Planning 101
Source: Blue Avocado
Summary: A poor relationship between the Board and the Executive Director (or CEO) can create unnecessary friction that diverts time and energy from other institutional challenges. This article provides a step-by-step guide to strengthen the board-executive director relationship with a nonprofit’s mission.
What does the role of a Trustee not involve? What do we avoid doing?
[edit]
This role involves avoiding unproductive conflict
Type of media: Video
Title: How to Disagree Productively
Source: TED Talk | Leadership & Disagreement Productively
Summary: Drawing on her background as a world school-debate champion, Julia Dhar offers three techniques to reshape the way we talk to each other so we can start disagreeing productively and find common ground.
This role involves avoiding conflicts of interest
Type of media: Article
Title: Conflicts of Interest - an introduction
Source: Legal Center for Nonprofits, Inc.
Summary: Avoiding conflicts of interest is part of the fiduciary duty of loyalty owed by directors and officers to their non-profit corporations. The duty of loyalty requires directors and officers to act at all times in the best interests of the non-profit.
This role involves avoiding biases and recognizing one's implicit biases
Type of media: Online Test
Title: Implicit Bias Test
Source: Project Implicit
Summary: A variety of test instruments for discovering one's implicit biases regarding age, race, gender, religion, and more. (Note: the "demographics" part of the questionnaire is rather US-centric, but all questions can be skipped if desired.)
Type of media: Video
Title: How to Outsmart Your Unconscious Bias
Source: TEDx Pasadena
Summary: Author, speaker and CEO, Valerie Alexander, explains how the human brain instinctively reacts when encountering the unexpected, like saber-toothed tigers or female tech execs, and proposes that if we have the courage to examine our own behavior when faced with the unfamiliar, we can take control of our expectations, and by doing so, change the world.
Board Officers and Committees: what are these?
[edit]
General information
Type of media: Article
Title: Officers and Directors - Not the Same Thing
Source: Nonprofit Law Blog
Summary: It’s important for every trustee to understand their fiduciary duties and responsibilities, including those related to complying with the laws and the corporation’s governing documents (sometimes referred to as the duty of obedience). Among the critical compliance matters for the board is the proper election of directors and officers. Conflating these processes can create problems that the board should not let happen.
Type of media: Article & Video
Title: Board Officers and Committees: What Structure Works Best?
Source: Mission Box
Summary: A well-functioning board of trustees is essential to the health and sustainability of any nonprofit. This document and video discuss board structure.
What is the Board Chair and what does this person do?
Type of media: Article
Title: How to Be a Good Board Chair
Source: Harvard Business Review (Archives)
Summary: The chair leads the board, not the organization, and that means being a facilitator of effective group discussions, not a team commander. This article offers eight principles of the chair's role.
Type of media: Article
Title: Board Chair and Chief Executive Responsibilities
Source: BoardSource
Summary: A strong partnership between the chief executive and board chair is essential to leading an effective organization. When the relationship goes awry, it’s often due to confusion or disagreement about their respective responsibilities.
What are committees and what do they do?
Type of media: Article
Title: Nonprofit Board Committee Structure
Source: Board Effect
Summary: Even when you have good people all around on a nonprofit board, the structure of the board and its committees is important to the health and sustainability of the operation. Well-chosen board officers enhance an existing good nonprofit board committee structure. Since much of a board’s work is done in committees, the structure of standing and ad hoc committees can make a big difference in how much work the board can accomplish.
Type of media: Article
Title: The Basics of Board Committee Structure
Source: American Society of Association Executives
Summary: If the committee structure has not been revisited in a few years, the board should consider looking at the current committee structure and what the committees actually do. If there are overlapping responsibilities or no work being done, then it is time to re-align the committee structure. Committees with no work can be abolished, and committees with overlapping work can be merged. Committees should not take on a life of their own, nor should they overshadow the board itself.
Expectations
What is expected of me as a Trustee?
[edit]
General information
Type of media: Web page
Title: Wikimedia Foundation Code of Conduct of the Board of Trustees
Source: foundation:Home Wikimedia Foundation Governance Wiki
Summary: This page is the Wikimedia Foundation Board’s Code of Conduct, which is binding on all trustees.
What is my role in relation to the community?
Type of media: Web page
Title: Community Participation
Source: Wikimedia Meta
Summary: This is a section of the Wikimedia Foundation Board Handbook that describes the distinction between Board work and community participation.
Skills Needed
This section includes resources that relate to [soft skills] and [hard skills].
It is not expected that you possess all of these skills prior to joining the Wikimedia Foundation Board, however these are skills that are important to learn when becoming a board member. The purpose of the resources below is to direct your attention to the types of skills that are important for the Board role.
What “soft skills" do I need?
[edit]
Strategic thinking
[edit]This role involves strategic thinking skills
Type of media: Video
Title: Introducing the Art of Strategic Thinking – Getting Execution Right
Source: Balanced Scorecard Institute
Summary: This 30-minute session will focus on seven specific competencies individuals and teams should develop to build organizational capacity to get strategy execution right. • See the big picture for your organization • Articulate strategic objectives • Identify relationships, patterns, and trends in seemingly unrelated issues or problems • Get creative by looking at alternatives • Analyze information • Prioritize your actions • Make trade-offs
Type of media: Video
Title: The Difference Between Strategic Planning and Strategic Thinking
Source: Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning
Summary: A 2-minute "mini-explainer" on the differences between strategic thinking and strategic planning.
Type of media: Article
Title: How to Develop Strategic Thinking Skills
Source: Harvard Business School Online
Summary: Approaches to develop strategic thinking to spot new opportunities, address emerging challenges, and plan for future success.
Type of media: Article
Title: 4 Ways to Improve Your Strategic Thinking Skills
Source: Harvard Business Review
Summary: First, routinely explore the internal trends - such as issues that come up repeatedly. The second ability is asking relevant tough questions. Third, structure communication in a way that helps your audience focus on the core message. Finally, make time for reflection.
Trust-building and collaboration
[edit]This role involves trust building and collaboration skills
Type of media: Video
Title: Understanding Trust in Civil Society
Source: Independent Sector
Summary: While we intuitively know that trust building is vital to the success of any social movement, we don’t always have the data necessary to understand where we stand, or what we need to change to build and strengthen that trust.
Type of media: Essay
Title: So you've made a mistake and it's public...
Source: Wikimedia Meta-wiki
Summary: On the importance of a genuine public apology when a community-affecting mistake was made.
Consensus-building skills
[edit]This role involves consensus building skills
Type of media: Video & Article
Title: Ten Steps to Building Consensus
Source: SmithCulp Consulting
Summary: A step-by-step process for reaching a consensus decision.
Type of media: Article
Title: Facilitating Group Consensus
Source: Professionalism Matters
Summary: A process for reaching consensus -- especially with difficult personalities.
Type of media: Article
Title: Consensus Decision Making: A Short Guide
Source: Seeds for Change
Summary: Consensus decision-making is a creative and dynamic way of reaching agreement in a group. Instead of simply voting for an item and having the majority get their way, a consensus group is committed to finding solutions that everyone actively supports – or at least can live with.
Type of media: Video & Article
Title: Consent is a Third Option
Source: Circle Forward
Summary: An Alternative to Consensus: The Consent Principle means that a decision has been made when none of the participants in the decision have any significant objections to it; i.e. when no one can identify a risk that the group cannot afford to take. Those risks typically involve conflicts with the stated purpose or strategies, or the creation of conditions that would make it very difficult for a member to perform his or her role. Under those conditions, the group or person would be out of their range of tolerance.
Communication skills
[edit]Type of media: Video
Title: Marcus Alexander Velaquez - The Art of Effective Communication
Source: TEDx
Summary: This presentation is intended to challenge its hearers to evaluate their current methods of communicating for the purposes of saving time and emotions, as well as increasing the effectiveness of one’s communication. Effective communication can be defined as the delivering of information that is accurately received, in the least amount of time, without being an emotional burden. We can conserve our time, which is our greatest asset, by effectively communicating.
Type of media: Video
Title: Patricia Ryan - Don’t insist on English!
Source: TEDx
Summary: Patricia Ryan is a longtime English teacher who asks a provocative question: Is the world's focus on English preventing the spread of great ideas in other languages? In other words: What if Einstein had to pass the TOEFL? It's a passionate defense of translating and sharing ideas.
Type of media: Article
Title: The Five Steps to Conflict Resolution
Source: American Management Association
Summary: Disagreement in the boardroom is not only inevitable – it is desirable. The board makes critical and often difficult decisions between competing benefits. How we handle disagreement matters. The article offers a simple process for handling conflict productively.
Type of media: Video
Title: How great leaders inspire action - Simon Sinek
Source: TED
Summary: Simon Sinek presents a simple but powerful model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?" His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers.
What “hard” skills would I need?
[edit]
Financial skills
[edit]Type of media: Glossary
Title: Glossary of Financial Terms
Source: Nonprofit Finance Fund
Summary: An extensive glossary of financial terms used by foundations and other nonprofits.
Type of media: Article
Title: Where to Find Nonprofit Financial Information
Source: BridgeSpan
Summary: Use a foundation's annual report, the IRS Form 990, and the annual audit to find financial information about the organization.
Type of media: Article - pdf
Title: Board Members Finance and Accounting Booklet
Source: Jacobson Jarvis & Co PLLC
Summary: A useful handbook for board members with little to no previous training in finance and accounting.
Type of media: Video
Title: Understanding Cost Allocation
Source: Propel Nonprofits
Summary: Learn the four methods of cost allocation – direct assignment, staff time, cost drivers based on volume, and estimates — and what questions to ask yourself as you go through the process.
Type of media: Video
Title: Understanding Reserves
Source: Propel Nonprofits
Summary: Three reasons to have a reserve fund: for unforeseen expenses or cash shortfalls, replacement or repair of equipment or property, or unexpected opportunities.
Type of media: Article
Title: Endowments
Source: National Council of Nonprofits
Summary: The purpose, use, and fiduciary requirements of a financial endowment.
Type of media: Article
Title: Nonprofit Audit Guide
Source: National Council of Nonprofits
Summary: The purpose of a financial audit -- and the board's role in the audit process.
Type of media: Video
Title: Understanding Audited Financial Statements
Source: Wallace Foundation
Summary: A video guide explaining the components of nonprofit audited financial statements and key indicators of financial health and performance.
Social media skills
[edit]Type of media: Article
Title: Social Media Meets (and Makes) the Nonprofit Board
Source: Board Effect
Summary: Board members serve as ambassadors and advocates for the nonprofit organization. As the expert points out, sharing positive commentary via social media can amplify the nonprofit’s online presence, helping to attract more attention and increase credibility of its mission. Furthermore, board members’ online activity can support planned communications campaigns around events and also diffuse any negative attention that might develop around the organization.
Advocacy
[edit]This role involves advocacy skills
Type of media: Article
Title: Working with Legislators: Advocacy Briefing Guide for Board Members
Source: BoardSource
Summary: Board members can effect change by advocating for the mission to legislators. This overview covers how to prepare for meetings with legislators - as well as the restrictions on lobbying placed on different types of foundations and nonprofits.
Type of media: Article
Title: Advocacy Basic Every Nonprofit Should Understand
Source: PICnet
Summary: Many organizations use advocacy in an attempt to address the root causes of the problem they are trying to solve. As Desmond Tutu said, "There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they're falling in." Advocacy can be a way for many nonprofits to "go upstream".
Strategic planning
[edit]This role involves strategic planning skills
Type of media: Video
Title: Overview of the Strategic Planning Process
Source: Virtual Strategist
Summary: Erica Olsen, COO and Co-Founder of https://OnStrategyHQ.com illustrates the full strategic planning process in less than five minutes. Understand the importance of defining your direction, setting up an effective strategic plan that can be communicated to your staff so everyone knows what the priorities are. With everyone pulling in the same direction, momentum is easy to achieve.
Type of media: Article
Title: Ten Keys to Successful Strategic Planning for Nonprofits and Foundations
Source: TCC Group
Summary: A more detailed look at strategic vision, planning, and execution. What strategic planning is (and isn't), the components of an effective plan, and a bibliography of additional resources.
Type of media: Podcast
Title: Strategic Planning (Episode 13, 03.10.2020)
Source: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Duke University
Summary: Audio recording of a university course session on boards and strategic planning. Although some board members may have experience with strategic planning, most arrive on a nonprofit board knowing anything about how nonprofits work. Strategy is about aligning and coordinating organizational actions with intended outcomes.
Type of media: Video
Title: SWOT Analysis
Source: Virtual Strategist
Summary: SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. The purpose of a SWOT analysis is to create a synthesized view of your current state.
Type of media: Video
Title: Putting Your SWOT to Work
Source: Virtual Strategist
Summary: After creating an initial SWOT analysis, use it as a platform for designing and executing responsive actions that align actions with strategic priorities.
Type of media: Video & Article
Title: 16 Strategic Planning Models To Consider
Source: ClearPoint Strategy
Summary: Strategic planning tools, or models, are designed to help organizations develop their action plan to achieve their goals. There are many types of planning tools available. Here are 16 of the most popular with the scenarios in which they are most useful.
Type of media: Article
Title: Scenario and Contingency Planning
Source: ClearPoint Strategy
Summary: Scenario planning enables leaders to explore and prepare for hypothetical circumstances and environments (e.g., economic downturn vs. recovery, or fundraising decline vs. growth). Contingency planning is a form of scenario planning focused on navigating worst-case scenarios (e.g., loss of primary funding, programmatic failure, adverse policy change).
Type of media: Article
Title: Making Sense of Uncertainty: Nonprofit Scenario Planning During a Crisis
Source: The Bridgespan Group
Summary: Scenario planning helps organization leaders navigate uncertainty while providing structure for making key strategic decisions. This article, and the accompanying tool, can support you and your leadership team through a scenario planning process that could help preserve your organization’s ability to pursue its goals for impact.
Type of media: Video
Title: Preparing for Transformative Scenario Planning (TSP) in India
Source: ASSAR Project
Summary: An example of scenario planning in action: In 2016, stakeholders from Bangalore’s government, civil society, and private and academic sectors met to think about Bangalore's water future. Here, participants learned about Transformative Scenario Planning (TSP), which helps stakeholders from diverse perspectives to discuss a complex issue by collectively developing a range of relevant and plausible future scenarios and their possible outcomes.
Questions and Feedback
If you have questions about Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees elections, visit the election hub for more information.
If you have any questions or feedback about this candidate resource page, please email the Community Development team comdevteam@wikimedia.org directly or fill out our Google form.