Dear all, The lack of transparency around the Wikimedia Endowment is reaching new levels. A week ago, Jayde Antonio posted the minutes for the January 2023 Endowment board meeting on Meta:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Endowment/Meetings/January_19,_2023 These minutes are an exercise in non-communication. You will look in vain for any *information* in these minutes telling you anything you didn't know before. For example, we were already told back in February 2023 <https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.ph000tle=Wikimedia_Endowment/Meetings/January_19,_2023&oldid=24524042> that the meeting covered the following agenda items: 6:25 - 6:55 pm UTC: Fundraising Update (Board Chair, Jimmy Wales and Endowment Director, Amy Parker) - FY22-23 year to date update - Campaign strategy So, what do we know now that the actual board-approved minutes have been posted? All the minutes now say is this: - *Fundraising Update* (Amy Parker) - FY22-23 year to date update - Presentation of campaign strategy This is actually *less* information than we were given in February. In February we were at least told at what *time* these dicussions were held: from "6:25 - 6:55 pm UTC". As for what Amy actually said: nothing. The Endowment was set up in early 2016. The community and the wider public have never seen an audited financial statement. The last time we were told anything at all about the status of the Endowment was in the January 2022 meeting minutes <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Endowment/Meetings/January_27,_2022> . Could we please have an explanation for this complete lack of transparency? Regards, Andreas On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 5:39 PM Jaime Villagomez <[email protected]> wrote: > 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]
_______________________________________________ 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/QCFJMCWAMD54GRXXVRQQ47ZXRW2OOXUB/ To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
