Użytkownik:Dimi z/Funding 2015

Dear wikimedia Polska Board,

I am Dimitar Dimitrov and currently running the Free Knowledge Advocacy Group EU project as "Wikimedian in Brussels".

The funding during the first two years was guaranteed for by Wikimedia Deutschland with some financial and administrative support from WMAT, WMUK, WMNL and WMSE.

For 2015 we're looking for a way to make it a truly inter-chapter project and fund it with European money from across our European organisations.

Below is the clarification of the budget plan and the plead to help. If you have any additional questions, please contact me using the details in the final section. Thank you!

Why a joint funding scheme?

For 2015, in order to keep the project alive, we need to spread the costs more evenly among European chapters. The need for this is twofold:

1. To work successufully on the European level we must to guarantee that the project "belongs" to everyone and is not "controlled" by or dpendent on individual chapters
2. Wikimedia Deutschland is cutting cost and won't be able to carry the full amount on its own next year

Preliminary Budget

30000 or 2500/month - paid time (Dimi @ 0,8 FTE)
2760 or 230/month - infrastructure (180 for coworking space desk and 80 telecom per month)
2500 events in Brussels
3000 travel budget
2000 information materials (business cards, flyers, brochures, posters, banners, office supplies)
2000 for "Visiting Weasel Project"

Total: 42,140 Euro

Preliminary Pledges

WMUK: 6000 EUR
WMNL: 4000-5000 EUR
WMSE: 3500 EUR
WMDE: 5000-10000 EUR
WMAT: 2500 EUR
WMCH: 6000 CHF (4971 Eur)
WMIT: 1000-2000 EUR

Preliminary total: 26,911-33,971 Euro

What could Wikimedia Polska do?

We're looking for any help that could be given. Amounts in the range of 2,500-5,000-7,500 Euro are most welcome.

Wikimedia Polska could either sponsor direct expenses, like infrastructure cost (2,500 Euro) and parts of the "Visiting Weasel" Project - an initiative to let volunteer Wikimedians come to Brussels for several weeks, help with the project and learn how the EU advocacy processes work. WMPL could for example help with 1000 Euro for trainees - one from Poland and for one from the CEE region.

We are having the problem that many chapters want to give small amounts of money for specific things, which increases the adminsitrative burden of the project and oftentimes leads to overlapping financial pledges. We are therefore thinking of pooling the money in a common bank account hosted by one of the chapters and using the budget globally. I undersstand that WMPL has special rules for expenses as it works with taxpayers' money. Therefore I just want to ask if there is any possiblity to just pledge an amount of money to the global budget or any other workaround that would make adminsitration simpler?

Global administration of funds

We have the problem that most chapters prefer to directly cover the bills for fixed costs, which leads to the situation that the same budget points have many overlapping pledges.

Possible solutions:

1. Trying to take everyone's wishes into account and producing "packages" which Dimi bill directly to chapters.
2. Having one of the established chapters taking over the administration, trying to pool the money or to bill chapters for particular activities.
3. Create a separate bank account (could be hosted in Belgium at Wikimedia Belgium or another chapters), where the money is pooled and used globally for the project budget.

External funding

We're trying to have at least part of the costs covered by third party funding like the EU's Europe for Citizens programme or the Shuttleworth Foundation. Necessary requests have been made but no guarantees can be given nor expected at this point.

2015 Goals/Objectives/Targets

We will contribute to the policy process around copyright reform at the European Union level. Most of the important decisions about copyright law will be made at the EU level, addressing the current chaos of different copyright laws in EU countries. In 2014, we united 13 European Wikimedia Chapters in the Free Knowledge Advocacy Group (FKAGEU), and began to formulate policy priorities and positions. We also established an office infrastructure and working relationships with allies and EU institutions in Brussels. This year, we aim to strengthen relationships with non-movement net policy groups, involve many more Wikimedia community members in the policy process, and jointly affect the current copyright reform process towards improved legal conditions, with a focus on open works of government and freedom of panorama.

We are aware of the restrictions on legislative and policy activities that apply to the APG funds. Our advocacy activities are fully supported by chapter revenue and third-party funds. We list these activities in the FDC proposal, despite the fact that they will not be supported by APG funds, because they are part of the comprehensive annual plan. Without creating favourable policy conditions for Free Knowledge, much of our other work supporting volunteers and content creation may be less effective.

Goal

We engage in collaborative advocacy around EU copyright reform, involving additional Wikimedia contributors and volunteers, and working closely with the Wikimedia Chapters organised in the FKAGEU and other net policy allies.

Objectives and Targets

Objective - 1.1 EU Members of Parliament - By the end of 2015, additional volunteer Wikimedians have established contact with MEPs and are actively consulting them on Free Knowledge issues.

Target - 1.1 Establishing ten new working contacts to MEPs in 2015, which result in ongoing consultations by volunteer Wikimedians (as qualified by meetings, email conversations, phone calls)

Objective - 1.2. Tools – We provide advocacy tools and materials to volunteers.

Target - 1.2 An EU advocacy contact database is available for Wikimedians and policy brochures in at least 3 different languages are shared with the Wikimedia Movement.

Objective - 1.3. Participation – We participate in all EU level dialogues, meetings and consultations that may affect the Copyright Dossier of the European Commission.

Target - 1.3 FKAGEU participates in all relevant EU copyright dialogues, meetings and consultations in 2015 and plays an active role in all opportunities.

Objective - 1.4. Wikimedian in Brussels - Wikimedians from EU Chapters have the opportunity to spend time at our Brussels office, supported by a stipend, to engage in hands-on advocacy activities.

Target - 1.4 By end of 2015 at least 2 volunteer Wikimedians have participated in the “Wikimedian in Brussels” work stipend and our EU advocacy activities.

Objective - 1.5. Partnerships - We develop additional partnerships with like-minded open source and free knowledge organizations active in EU net policy advocacy, and works with them on joint positioning and projects.

Target - 1.5. Addtional working partnerships are established and existing ones are deepened (as qualified by shared vision and goals, joint projects, joint policy statements, collaboratively organized events, # of additional volunteers engaged in advocacy activities) in 2015.

WMF Strategic Priorities

Advocacy is a crucial role of Wikimedia chapters. By advocating on behalf of free knowledge at strategically selected levels of decision-making in Europe and national states, We strive to create the policy environment that will enable volunteers to and chapters to effectively work towards all five movement priorities. FKAGEU is building collaborative capacity among EU chapters and their communities to actively engage in the EU policy making process, which is where many movement sensitive decisions are going to be made in the near future. With our EU level activities, we are building agreement, collaborative capacity and unity among EU chapters, we develop partnerships with allied organisations, and we find new ways of involving our contributors in advocacy.

On all advocacy activities, we are eager to share our learnings with the movement, and to contribute to building movement and volunteer advocacy capacity overall.

Contact information

Dimitar Dimitrov
dimitar.dimitrov@wikimedia.bg
mobile: +32497720374
landline: +32 2 540 2483
Rue du Trône 51 Troonstraat
Ixelles 1050 Elsene
Belgium