Hello Everyone, We have posted an update on the Endowment talk page [ https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Endowment#Response_to_off-wiki_question_on_mailing_list_about_timeline_for_the_move_of_Endowment_assets_out_of_Tides ].
Best Regards, Jaime Jaime Villagomez Chief Financial Officer Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> *Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. That's our commitment. Donate. <https://donate.wikimedia.org/>* On Mon, Jul 3, 2023 at 8:59 AM Andreas Kolbe <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear all, > > A full year has now passed since the WMF received IRS approval for its > new, transparent 501(c)(3) organisation, set up to take over the Wikimedia > Endowment and end almost a decade of financial non-transparency.[1] > > Let us not forget – Caitlin Virtue told us over two years ago, in April > 2021:[2] > > "We are in the process of establishing a new home for the endowment in a > stand-alone 501(c)(3) public charity. *We will move the endowment in its > entirety to this new entity once the new charity receives its IRS 501(c)(3) > determination letter.*" > > Said determination letter was received[3] in late June 2022 and > announced[4] in late October 2022. > > Today, more than a year on, the Wikimedia Endowment website still says[5] > that the money – an undisclosed nine-figure sum – is with the Tides > Foundation. Unlike a standalone 501(c)(3), Tides publishes no audited > accounts for the Endowment and releases no figures for the Endowment fund's > revenue and expenses. > > The WMF has been talking[6] about this move to a transparent standalone > 501(c)(3) since 2017. > > When will the move take place? > > Andreas > > [1] > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2023-03-09/News_and_notes > and > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2022-05-29/Opinion > [2] > https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Wikimedia_Endowment&diff=prev&oldid=21366511 > [3] > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IRS_Determination_Letter_dated_6-28-2022_-_Wikimedia_Endowment_(01523354-2xA3536).pdf > [4] > https://diff.wikimedia.org/2022/10/26/governance-updates-for-the-wikimedia-endowment/ > [5] https://wikimediaendowment.org/#contact and https://archive.ph/CjcvW > [6] > https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk%3AWikimedia_Endowment&diff=16507295&oldid=16503857 > > > On Thu, Mar 9, 2023 at 7:12 PM Lane Chance <[email protected]> wrote: > >> ... >> > It's not causing any form of disruption to make these changes in a >> deliberate and thoughtful manner. Everyone can take a deep breath. >> > Risker/Anne >> >> The WMF has never claimed that setting out a fixed timetable that >> their CEO and the Endowment "agents" can be held accountable to is >> either impossible or bad. They have been talking this change up for >> years, and failed to move forward for reasons that have been >> obfuscated deliberately, as demonstrated by "thoughtful" tangential >> and delaying responses to basic yes/no questions. Considering that the >> aim here is ethical accountability, any delay is a choice for >> "non-accountability". >> >> The facts are public, the failure to be transparent or accountable >> with many millions of dollars is a public failure. The WMF has damaged >> the reputation of the "Endowment Fund" within its own community of >> volunteers* and employees, and now risks a loss of public trust in its >> own claims to its donors and in the media for a declared value of >> transparency. Let's debunk the myth, as this is now playing pass the >> parcel with millions of dollars of donated charitable funds, the WMF >> can no longer have any credible claim to be transparent. This does not >> pass the sniff test, it wouldn't for any other not for profit or >> organization that claims to have charitable values or world leading >> ethics but chooses to hide millions of dollars from correct scrutiny. >> >> * Really, do volunteers believe the Endowment Fund is or has done the >> things it was set up to do? Do we volunteers have reason to be >> confident that in 10 or 30 years time, these monies will be spent on >> the original objectives that were claimed for it by Jimmy Wales and >> others? I no longer have reason to be confidence in these purposes or >> that this very large sum of money will not be chipped away by "agents" >> or the careful re-spinning of what the words in the Endowment >> incorporation mean by the unelected board of trustees that are >> responsible for it. >> >> As a polite observation on "take a deep breath", I would never say >> that to any member of my staff or a customer with a complaint unless I >> wanted them to walk out or put the phone down on me. >> >> Thanks, >> Lane >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/M7NFIYBISPN54CF4CZ5QYKBSIONZ3PKR/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >> > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], guidelines > at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > Public archives at > https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/AYE7FIW6HSZI4H4QDUO5GN4X6V4RSMIY/ > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
_______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/JPNXG6VUYIYMFBRH5LIMYNSY3277EROV/ To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
