Today we read the article "Wikipedia is bathed in money" and were fascinated. It tells how the Wikimedia foundation is collecting donations around the world, and how its endowment is developing. Yes, everything in the article is true: in the USA there is a fund, and there are assets, and there is income. However, in our country the situation is different. Truly, the Russian volunteer editors of Wikipedia are "worried" about something else.
Generally speaking, Wikimedia supports volunteers very well. It offers project grants, equipment grants, travel grants. He is involved in diplomacy and helps his chapters - local allied organizations. However, due to political reasons, the fund does not work with residents of Russia in any way, does not accept any donations from Russia.
Here, make sure with your own eyes .
In many countries, there are local independent (!) Organizations created by Wikipedia contributors. Of course, the Wikimedia Foundation helps them. Since 2008, Russia has also had such an alliance - the Wikimedia RU partnership . And the head fund does not help him in any way, does not list anything.
In general terms, the Wikimedia Foundation explained that Russian laws impose restrictions on the collection of donations by foreign organizations. The foundation stopped accepting donations from Russia in 2014 when political sanctions were imposed. The foundation did not name the exact reason for this policy.
Therefore, for us, residents of Russia, donations to the Wikimedia Foundation are completely useless. These donations will in no way affect the Russian-language Wikipedia, Russian participants. They will remain in the overseas society.
This means that we need to treat donations in a completely different way. And how? That's how.
1) If you want to help Wikipedia , help her where you live. Help the participants in your area, in your city, in your village. Connect with people who fill Wikipedia with photos and books ( Wikimedia Commons ) who write articles for it. Ask them what help is needed. Give money for specific local tasks.
2) If you want to support a specific project , for example, Wikinews or Wikiguide - open the forum of that project, contact the participants, offer them your help.
3) If you just want to donate money to Wikipedia , contact Wikimedia RU and send the money there. Your help will remain in Russia and will go to those who create wiki material in Russian.
4) You can support not only money. It can be supported by diplomacy, content digitization, and propaganda. You know how Wikipedia works, but the staff of the local university do not know. You know how to add content to Wikipedia, but the local library staff doesn't. You know what a free license is, but the local administration and the city newspaper do not know. You know what Wikimedia Commons is, but your photographer friends don't.
Please open their eyes. Zuleikha Valieva should not be left alone.
That, in fact, is all there is to know about donations to Wikipedia in today's Russia.