Editing Wikimedia Foundation

{{short description|American charitable organization}}
{{See also|Wikimedia movement|List of Wikimedia chapters}}
{{pp-move}}
{{protection padlock|vandalism|small=yes}}
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{{Infobox organization
| name                     = Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
| logo                     = [[File:Wikimedia Foundation logo - vertical.svg|frameless|class=skin-invert|alt=Wikimedia Foundation logo, consisting of circular design depicting character holding an open book with text: WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION]]
| logo_alt                 =
| type                     = [[501(c)(3) organization|501(c)(3)]], [[charitable organization]]
| tax_id                   = {{EIN|20-0049703}}
| founded_date             = {{start date and age|2003|6|20}}, [[St. Petersburg, Florida]], U.S.
| founder                  = [[Jimmy Wales]]
| location                 = [[One Sansome Street]]<br />[[San Francisco]], California, U.S.
| key_people               = 
| area_served              = Worldwide<br />(banned in some territories)
| focus                    = Free, [[open content|open-content]], [[multilingual]], [[wiki]]-based [[Internet]] projects
| products                 = [[Wikipedia]], [[MediaWiki]], [[Wikibooks]], [[Wikidata]], [[Wikifunctions]], [[Wikimedia Commons]], [[Wikinews]], [[Wikiquote]], [[Wikisource]], [[Wikispecies]], [[Wikiversity]], [[Wikivoyage]], [[Wiktionary]]
| revenue                  = {{ublist|class=nowrap|{{increase}} $185.4 million (2024)|{{increase}} $180.2 million (2023)|{{increase}} $167.9 million (2022)}}
| expenses                 = {{ublist|class=nowrap|{{increase}}  $178.6 million (2024)|{{increase}} $168.3 million (2023)|{{increase}} $145.8 million (2022)}}
| endowment                = > $100 million (2021)
| num_volunteers           = 277,000 (2024)
| num_employees            = 650 (2025)<ref>{{cite web |title=7 reasons you should donate to Wikipedia |date=November 9, 2025 |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2025/11/09/7-reasons-you-should-donate-to-wikipedia/}}</ref>
| membership               = [[Board-only]]
| leader_title             = CEO
| leader_name              = [[Bernadette Meehan]]
| Non-profit_slogan        = 
| homepage                 = {{ubl|{{Official URL}}|{{URL|foundation.wikimedia.org}} (Governance)}}
| footnotes                = <ref name="Wales-2003"/><ref>{{cite form 990 | url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/2/27/Form_990_FY_2014-2015_-_Public.pdf | signatory-last=Villagomez | signatory-first=Jaime | preparer-last=Ball | preparer-first=Valerie J. | tax-year=2014 | org=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. | ein=200049703 | publication-date=May 11, 2016 | via=wikimedia.org | access-date=December 13, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914023823/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/2/27/Form_990_FY_2014-2015_-_Public.pdf | archive-date=September 14, 2016 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/2/26/Wikimedia_Foundation_FY2021-2022_Audit_Report.pdf#page=6 |title=File:Wikimedia Foundation FY2021–2022 Audit Report.pdf – Wikimedia Foundation Governance Wiki |publisher=Foundation.wikimedia.org |date= |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Wikimedia Foundation reaches $100 million Endowment goal as Wikipedia celebrates 20 years of free knowledge-2021"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 31, 2023 |title=Wikimedia Foundation Org (EIN: 20-0049703) |website=Nonprofit Explorer |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/200049703 |access-date=August 18, 2025 |publisher=[[ProPublica]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
| abbreviation             = WMF
| module                   = {{infobox network service provider|child=yes}}
}}

The '''Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.''' ('''WMF''') is an American [[501(c)(3)]] nonprofit organization headquartered in [[San Francisco]], California, and registered there as a [[foundation (United States law)|charitable foundation]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Jarice |last=Hanson |title=The Social Media Revolution: An Economic Encyclopedia of Friending, Following, Texting, and Connecting |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ePEZDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA375 |year=2016 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-61069-768-2 |page=375}}</ref> The foundation is most known for being the host of [[Wikipedia]], one of the [[List of most-visited websites|most visited websites]] in the world. It also hosts fourteen related [[open collaboration]] projects, and supports the development of [[MediaWiki]], the [[wiki]] software which underpins them all.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jacobs |first1=Julia |title=Wikipedia Isn't Officially a Social Network. But the Harassment Can Get Ugly. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/08/us/wikipedia-harassment-wikimedia-foundation.html |work=The New York Times |date=April 8, 2019 |access-date=August 29, 2021 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914160713/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/08/us/wikipedia-harassment-wikimedia-foundation.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Cohen-2021" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Culliford |first1=Elizabeth |title=Exclusive: Wikipedia launches new global rules to combat site abuses |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-wikipedia-rules-exclusive-idUSKBN2A21PW |work=Reuters |date=February 2, 2021 |language=en |access-date=August 29, 2021 |archive-date=August 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803193444/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-wikipedia-rules-exclusive-idUSKBN2A21PW |url-status=live}}</ref> The foundation was established in 2003 in [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]], Florida by [[Jimmy Wales]], as a non-profit way to fund Wikipedia and other wiki projects<ref name="Wales-2003" /> which had previously been hosted by [[Bomis]], Wales' for-profit company.<ref name="Wales-2003"/>

The Wikimedia Foundation provides the technical and organizational infrastructure to enable members of the public to develop wiki-based content in languages across the world.<ref name="Devouard"/> The foundation does not write or curate any of the content on the projects themselves.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2021/10/05/a-victory-for-free-knowledge-florida-judge-rules-section-230-bars-defamation-claim-against-the-wikimedia-foundation/ |title=A victory for free knowledge: Florida judge rules Section 230 bars defamation claim against the Wikimedia Foundation |publisher=diff.wikimedia.org |date=October 5, 2021 |quote=the plaintiff argued that the foundation should be treated like a traditional offline publisher and held responsible as though it were vetting all posts made to the sites it hosts, despite the fact that it does not write or curate any of the content found on the projects}}</ref> Instead, this is done by volunteer editors, such as the [[Wikipedians]]. However, it does collaborate with a network of individual volunteers and affiliated organizations, such as Wikimedia chapters, thematic organizations, user groups and other partners.

The foundation finances itself mainly through millions of small donations from readers and editors, collected through email campaigns and annual fundraising banners placed on Wikipedia and its sister projects.<ref name="Wikimedia Foundation-3">{{cite web |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising/2020-21_Report |title=Fundraising report 2020–2021 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation}}</ref> These are complemented by grants from philanthropic organizations and tech companies, and starting in 2022, by services income from [[Wikimedia Foundation#Wikimedia Enterprise|Wikimedia Enterprise]]. As of 2023, it has employed over 700 staff and contractors, with net assets of $255 million and an endowment which has surpassed $100 million.<!-- for sources see infobox -->

== History ==
{{further|History of Wikipedia}}
[[Jimmy Wales]] and [[Larry Sanger]] founded Wikipedia in 2001 as a feeder project to supplement [[Nupedia]]. The project was originally funded by [[Bomis]], Wales's for-profit business, and edited by a rapidly growing community of volunteer editors. The early community discussed a variety of ways to support the ongoing costs of upkeep, and was broadly opposed to running ads on the site,<ref>{{cite news |last=Tkacz |first=Nathaniel |author-link=Nathaniel Tkacz |date=January 20, 2011 |title=The Spanish Fork: Wikipedia's ad-fuelled mutiny |url=https://www.wired.com/story/wikipedia-spanish-fork/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816121649/https://www.wired.com/story/wikipedia-spanish-fork/ |archive-date=2024-08-16 |newspaper=Wired UK}}</ref> so the idea of setting up a charitable foundation gained prominence.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 17, 2003 |title=Wikimedia Foundation - Meta |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikimedia_Foundation&oldid=6476 |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=meta.wikimedia.org |language=en}}</ref> That addressed an open question of what entity should hold onto trademarks for the project.

The Wikimedia Foundation was incorporated in [[St. Petersburg, Florida]], on June 20, 2003.<ref name="Wales-2003">{{cite web |first=Jimmy |last=Wales |author-link=Jimmy Wales |url=https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikipedia-l/2003-June/010743.html |title=Announcing Wikimedia Foundation |date=June 20, 2003 |publisher=[[mail:wikipedia-l]] |access-date=November 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330033331/https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikipedia-l/2003-June/010743.html |archive-date=March 30, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations. [https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResultDetail?inquirytype=EntityName&directionType=Initial&searchNameOrder=WIKIMEDIAFOUNDATION%20N030000053230&aggregateId=domnp-n03000005323-6dc7ff3a-b7ba-4c97-9b9e-4545cef1ca0a&searchTerm=Wikimedia&listNameOrder=WIKIMEDIAFOUNDATION%20N030000053230 Wikimedia Foundation, Inc Record] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618194844/https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResultDetail?inquirytype=EntityName&directionType=Initial&searchNameOrder=WIKIMEDIAFOUNDATION%20N030000053230&aggregateId=domnp-n03000005323-6dc7ff3a-b7ba-4c97-9b9e-4545cef1ca0a&searchTerm=Wikimedia&listNameOrder=WIKIMEDIAFOUNDATION%20N030000053230|date=June 18, 2016}}</ref><ref>[https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/ConvertTiffToPDF?storagePath=COR1%5C2003%5C0620%5C90039369.tif&documentNumber=N03000005323 Letters of Incorporation, Wikimedia Foundation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618163144/https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/ConvertTiffToPDF?storagePath=COR1%5C2003%5C0620%5C90039369.tif&documentNumber=N03000005323|date=June 18, 2016}}, filed June 20, 2003</ref> A small fundraising campaign to keep the servers running was run in October 2003.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=If you enjoy Wikipedia, please consider making a donation to keep the servers running. Thank you! |date=2003-10-06 |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Village_pump/Archive_M&oldid=603930625#If_you_enjoy_Wikipedia,_please_consider_making_a_donation_to_keep_the_servers_running._Thank_you! |magazine=Wikipedia Village Pump |volume=M |language=en |access-date=2022-12-03}}</ref> In 2005, the foundation was granted section [[501(c)(3)]] status by the U.S. [[Internal Revenue Code]] as a public charity, making donations to the foundation [[Tax deduction|tax-deductible]] for U.S. federal income tax purposes.<ref>Charity Navigator
[https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.irs&ein=200049703#.Vq6z_FMrKV4 Charity Navigator IRS (Forms 990) Tab] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218054913/https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.irs&ein=200049703#.Vq6z_FMrKV4|date=December 18, 2015}}.  Page accessed January 31, 2016</ref> Its [[National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities]] (NTEE) code is B60 ([[Adult education|Adult]], [[Continuing education]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=NTEE Classification System |url=https://www.guidestar.org/npo/ntee.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080202052634/https://www.guidestar.org/npo/ntee.jsp |archive-date=February 2, 2008 |access-date=January 28, 2008 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=NCCS definition for Adult Education |url=https://nccs2.urban.org/ntee-cc/b.htm#b60 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226053606/https://nccs2.urban.org/ntee-cc/b.htm |archive-date=December 26, 2007 |access-date=January 28, 2008}}</ref>

The foundation filed an application to trademark the name ''Wikipedia'' in the US to the [[Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences]] on September 14, 2004. The mark was granted registration status on January 10, 2006. Trademark protection was accorded also by Japan on December 16, 2004, and by the [[European Union]] on January 20, 2005. Subsets of Wikipedia were already being distributed in book and DVD form, and there were discussions about licensing the logo and wordmark.<ref>{{cite news |first=Vipin |last=Nair |title=Growing on volunteer power |date=December 5, 2005 |newspaper=Business Line |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2005/12/05/stories/2005120500070100.htm |access-date=December 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011182601/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2005/12/05/stories/2005120500070100.htm |archive-date=October 11, 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On December 11, 2006, the foundation's board noted that it could not become a [[membership organization]], as initially planned but not implemented, due to an inability to meet the registration requirements of Florida statutory law. The bylaws were accordingly amended to remove all references to membership rights and activities.<ref>[[wmf:Resolution:Bylaws revision|Bylaws revision]].</ref>

In 2007, the foundation decided to move its headquarters from Florida to the [[San Francisco Bay Area]]. Considerations cited for choosing San Francisco were proximity to like-minded organizations and potential partners, a better talent pool, as well as cheaper and more convenient international travel.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/sep/25/wikimedia-foundation-moving-another-bay-area/?news-breaking |title=Wikimedia Foundation Moving To Another Bay Area |first=Carlos |last=Moncada |work=[[The Tampa Tribune]] |date=September 25, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071228091301/https://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/sep/25/wikimedia-foundation-moving-another-bay-area/?news-breaking |archive-date=December 28, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tbo.com/news/money/MGBNF5F517F.html |title=Online Encyclopedia To Leave St. Petersburg For San Francisco |first=Richard |last=Mullins |work=The Tampa Tribune |date=September 26, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071228091316/https://www.tbo.com/news/money/MGBNF5F517F.html |archive-date=December 28, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/10/BU69SNMQ2.DTL&tsp=1 |title=Wikimedia abandons Florida for San Francisco |first=Ryan |last=Kim |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=October 10, 2007 |access-date=August 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011020807/https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2007%2F10%2F10%2FBU69SNMQ2.DTL&tsp=1 |archive-date=October 11, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The move was completed by January 31, 2008, into a headquarters on Stillman Street in San Francisco.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Relocation |title=Press releases/Relocation |date=October 9, 2007 |website=Wikimedia Foundation |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316152024/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Relocation |archive-date=March 16, 2018 |url-status=unfit |access-date=March 16, 2018}}</ref> It later moved to New Montgomery Street, and then in 2017 to [[One Montgomery Tower]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2017-September/088654.html |website=lists.wikimedia.org |title=Wikimedia Foundation Office Move |last=Villagomez |first=Jaime |date=September 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413050245/https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2017-September/088654.html |archive-date=April 13, 2019 |url-status=live |access-date=March 15, 2018}}</ref>

On October 25, 2021, the foundation launched [[Wikimedia Foundation#Wikimedia Enterprise|Wikimedia Enterprise]], a commercial Wikimedia content delivery service aimed at groups that want to use high-volume APIs, starting with [[Big Tech]] enterprises.<ref name="Cohen-2021" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Wikimedia Foundation launches Wikimedia Enterprise: the new, opt-in product for companies and organizations to easily reuse content from Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2021/10/25/wikimedia-foundation-launches-wikimedia-enterprise-the-new-opt-in-product-for-companies-and-organizations-to-easily-reuse-content-from-wikipedia-and-wikimedia-projects/ |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=October 25, 2021 |date=October 25, 2021 |archive-date=October 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025203708/https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2021/10/25/wikimedia-foundation-launches-wikimedia-enterprise-the-new-opt-in-product-for-companies-and-organizations-to-easily-reuse-content-from-wikipedia-and-wikimedia-projects/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2022, [[Google]] and the [[Internet Archive]] were announced as the service's first customers, though only Google will pay for the service.<ref name="Roth-2022a">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/22/23178245/google-paying-wikimedia-foundation-information |title=Google is paying the Wikimedia Foundation for better access to information |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=June 22, 2022 |website=[[The Verge]] |access-date=23 June 2022 |archive-date=23 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623043046/https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/22/23178245/google-paying-wikimedia-foundation-information |url-status=live}}</ref> The same announcement noted a shifting focus towards smaller companies with similar data needs, supporting the service through "a lot paying a little".

== Projects and initiatives ==
=== <span class="anchor" id="Projects"></span> Content projects ===
{{For-text|the list|[[m:Special:SiteMatrix|Special:SiteMatrix]]|[[m:Complete list of Wikimedia projects|Complete list of Wikimedia projects]] at Meta-Wiki}}
[[File:Wikimedia logo family complete-current.svg|thumb|Logos of Wikimedia projects. Clockwise from directly above the Wikimedia logo: [[Wikimania]], [[Wikifunctions]], [[Wikibooks]], Meta-Wiki, [[Wikiquote]], [[Wikispecies]], [[MediaWiki]], Wikimedia Incubator, [[Wikidata]], [[Wikivoyage]], [[Wikiversity]], [[Wiktionary]], [[Wikinews]], [[Wikisource]], [[Wikimedia Commons]], and [[Wikipedia logo|Wikipedia]].]]
The foundation operates 12 wiki-based content projects that are written and governed by volunteer editors. They include, by launch date:

* [[Wikipedia]] – [[online encyclopedia]]
* [[Wiktionary]] – [[online dictionary]] and [[thesaurus]]
* [[Wikibooks]] – a collection of [[textbook|book]]s, mostly textbooks
* [[Wikiquote]] – a collection of [[quotation]]s
* [[Wikivoyage]] – [[travel guide]]
* [[Wikisource]] – [[digital library]]
* [[Wikimedia Commons]] – repository of images, sounds, videos, and general media
* [[Wikispecies]] – [[taxonomy (biology)|taxonomic]] catalog of [[species]]
* [[Wikinews]] – [[online newspaper]]
* [[Wikiversity]] – a collection of tutorials and courses, also a hosting point to coordinate research
* [[Wikidata]] – [[knowledge base]]
* [[Wikifunctions]] – a catalog of computer [[Function (computer programming)|functions]]

The foundation also operates wikis and services that provide infrastructure or coordination of the content projects. These include:

* [[:m:|Meta-Wiki]] – a central wiki for coordinating all projects and the [[Wikimedia community]]
* [[:incubator:|Wikimedia Incubator]] – a wiki for drafting the core pages of new language editions in development
* [[:mw:|MediaWiki.org]] – a wiki for coordinating work on the [[MediaWiki]] software
* [[:wikitech:|Wikitech]] – a wiki for hosting technical documentation for Wikimedia infrastructure and other projects
* [[:wikitech:Help:Cloud Services introduction|Wikimedia Cloud Services]] — hosting provider for tools
* [[phab:|Wikimedia Phabricator]] – a global ticketing system for tracking issues and feature requests powered by Phorge, a fork of the open-source development collaboration tool [[Phabricator]]

=== Wikimedia Enterprise ===
[[File:Wikimedia_Enterprise_logo.svg|thumb|150x150px|alt=Wikimedia Enterprise logo with text: WIKIMEDIA ENTERPRISE|Logo of Wikimedia Enterprise]]
'''Wikimedia Enterprise''' is a commercial product by the Wikimedia Foundation to provide, in a more easily consumable way, the data of the Wikimedia projects, including [[Wikipedia]].<ref name="Jon Gertner-2023">{{Cite Q|Q121766597 |access-date=2023-08-22}}</ref> It allows customers to retrieve data at large scale and high availability through different formats like [[Web API]]s, data snapshots or [[Stream processing|streams]].

It was announced in March 2021,<ref name="Cohen-2021">{{cite magazine |last1=Cohen |first1=Noam |author-link=Noam Cohen |title=Wikipedia Is Finally Asking Big Tech to Pay Up |url=https://www.wired.com/story/wikipedia-finally-asking-big-tech-to-pay-up/ |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=March 16, 2021 |access-date=March 17, 2021 |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=March 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210317004641/https://www.wired.com/story/wikipedia-finally-asking-big-tech-to-pay-up/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2021/03/16/introducing-the-wikimedia-enterprise-api/ |title=Introducing the Wikimedia Enterprise API |last=Wyatt |first=Liam |date=March 16, 2021 |website=Diff |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=7 July 2022 |archive-date=15 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515100125/https://diff.wikimedia.org/2021/03/16/introducing-the-wikimedia-enterprise-api/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and launched on October 26, 2021.<ref name="Roth-2022a" /><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=October 27, 2021 |title=Wikimedia Enterprise: A New Part of Free Knowledge Infrastructure |url=https://openfuture.eu/blog/wikimedia-enterprise/ |access-date=2022-07-07 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204111651/https://openfuture.eu/blog/wikimedia-enterprise/ |archive-date=2022-02-04 |website=Open Future |language=en |type=Blogpost}}</ref> [[Google]] and the [[Internet Archive]] were its first customers, although Internet Archive is not paying for the product.<ref name="Roth-2022a"/> Its total revenue in 2022 was $3.1 million.<ref name="Jon Gertner-2023" />

=== Affiliates<span class="anchor" id="Movement affiliates"></span> ===
{{Further|Wikimedia movement|List of Wikimedia chapters}}

Wikimedia affiliates are independent and formally recognized groups of people working together to support and contribute to the Wikimedia movement. The Wikimedia Foundation officially recognizes three types of affiliates: chapters, thematic organizations, and user groups. Affiliates organize and engage in activities to support and contribute to the Wikimedia movement, such as regional conferences, outreach, [[edit-a-thon]]s, [[hackathon]]s, [[public relation]]s, [[public policy]] advocacy, [[GLAM (cultural heritage)|GLAM]] engagement, and [[Wikimania]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Wikimedia movement affiliates |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |author=Various |work=meta.wikimedia.org |access-date=October 27, 2015 |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_movement_affiliates |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905075331/https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_movement_affiliates |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Various">{{cite web |title=Wikimedia movement affiliates/Frequently asked questions |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |author=Various |work=meta.wikimedia.org |access-date=October 27, 2015 |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_movement_affiliates/Frequently_asked_questions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208153246/https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_movement_affiliates/Frequently_asked_questions |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Various-2">{{cite web |title=Wikimedia movement affiliates/Models – Meta |author=Various |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |work=meta.wikimedia.org |access-date=October 27, 2015 |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_movement_affiliates/Models |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208182352/https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_movement_affiliates/Models |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> While many of these things are also done by individual contributors or less formal groups, they are not referred to as affiliates.

Wikimedia chapters and thematic organizations are [[Incorporation (business)|incorporated]] non-profit organizations. They are recognized by the foundation as affiliates officially when its board does so. The board's decisions are based on recommendations of an [[m:Affiliations Committee|Affiliations Committee]] (AffCom), composed of Wikimedia community members, which reports regularly to the board. The Affiliations Committee directly approves the recognition of unincorporated user groups. Affiliates are formally recognized by the Wikimedia Foundation, but are independent of it, with no legal control of or responsibility for Wikimedia projects and their content.<ref name="Various" /><ref name="Various-2" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Affiliations Committee |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |author=Various |work=meta.wikimedia.org |access-date=October 27, 2015 |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004151706/https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee |archive-date=October 4, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The foundation began recognizing chapters in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_chapters |title=Wikimedia chapters |author=Various |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=October 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104192911/https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_chapters |archive-date=November 4, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2012, the foundation approved, finalized and adopted the thematic organization and user group recognition models. An additional model for movement partners, was also approved, but {{as of|2022|05|19|df=US|lc=y}} has not yet been finalized or adopted.<ref name="Various-2" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Resolution:Recognizing Models of Affiliations – Wikimedia Foundation |author=Various |work=wikimediafoundation.org |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=October 27, 2015 |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolution:Recognizing_Models_of_Affiliations |date=March 31, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208155637/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolution:Recognizing_Models_of_Affiliations |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Wikimania ===
{{Main|Wikimania}}

Wikimania is an annual global conference for Wikimedians and Wikipedians, started in 2005. The first Wikimania was held in [[Frankfurt]], Germany, in 2005. Wikimania is organized by a committee supported usually by the local national chapter, with support from local institutions (such as a library or university) and usually from the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikimania has been held in cities such as [[Buenos Aires]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimania2009.wikimedia.org/wiki/Portal |title=Wikimania |work=wikimedia.org |access-date=October 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151014030254/https://wikimania2009.wikimedia.org/wiki/Portal |archive-date=October 14, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/07/technology/07wiki.html?ex=1312603200&en=c7f5a3bc5ad54239&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss |title=The Many Voices of Wikipedia, Heard in One Place |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 7, 2006 |access-date=February 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420102109/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/07/technology/07wiki.html?ex=1312603200&en=c7f5a3bc5ad54239&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss |archive-date=April 20, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Haifa]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://it.themarker.com/tmit/article/16395 |title=Wikimania Conference at Its Peak; Founder Jimmy Wales to Speak Tomorrow |work=[[TheMarker]] |date=August 5, 2011 |author=Levin, Verony |access-date=August 12, 2011 |language=he |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006082831/https://it.themarker.com/tmit/article/16395 |archive-date=October 6, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Hong Kong]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Keira |last=Lu Huang |title=Wikimania challenge for Hong Kong as conference comes to town |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1291419/wikimania-challenge-hong-kong-conference-comes-town |publisher=South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. |date=July 29, 2013 |access-date=August 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309234658/https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1291419/wikimania-challenge-hong-kong-conference-comes-town |archive-date=March 9, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Taipei]], [[London]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Wikimania! Head to Wikipedia's first ever London festival |url=https://now-here-this.timeout.com/2014/08/06/wikipedia-wikimania-2014-london/ |work=Time Out London |date=August 6, 2014 |access-date=August 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808223927/https://now-here-this.timeout.com/2014/08/06/wikipedia-wikimania-2014-london/ |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Mexico City]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Main Page – Wikimania 2015 in Mexico City |url=https://wikimania2015.wikimedia.org |website=wikimania2015.wikimedia.org |access-date=June 19, 2015 |archive-date=February 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218014849/https://wikimania2015.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimania |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Esino Lario]], [[Italy]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2016_bids/Esino_Lario |title=Lario |website=meta.wikimedia.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429040851/https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2016_bids/Esino_Lario |archive-date=April 29, 2015 |url-status=dead}}, retrieved May 17, 2015</ref> [[Montreal]], Canada, [[Cape Town]], [[Stockholm]], and [[Nairobi]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Editorial |first1=TechTrends Media |title=Wikimania 2025 in Nairobi Unites 2,300 Attendees from 135 Countries |url=https://techtrendske.co.ke/2025/08/14/wikimania-2025-in-nairobi-unites-2300-attendees-from-135-countries/ |website=TechTrendsKE |access-date=14 August 2025 |date=14 August 2025}}</ref> The 2020 conference scheduled to take place in [[Bangkok]] was canceled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], along with those of 2021 and 2022, which were held online as a series of virtual, interactive presentations. The in-person conference returned in 2023 when it was held in Singapore, at which [[UNESCO]] joined as a partner organization.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-joins-2023-wikimedia-movement-singapore-0 |title=UNESCO joins the 2023 Wikimedia Movement in Singapore |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |date=2023-08-25}}</ref> In 2024, Wikimania was held in [[Katowice]], Poland.

== Technology ==
The Wikimedia Foundation maintains the hardware that runs its projects in its own servers. It also maintains the MediaWiki platform and many other software libraries that run its projects.<ref>{{cite web |date=January 9, 2021 |title=What is MediaWiki? |url=https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:What_is_MediaWiki%3F |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722205421/https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:What_is_MediaWiki%3F |archive-date=July 22, 2018 |website=MediaWiki |access-date=March 27, 2021}}</ref>

=== Hardware ===
{{See also|Wikipedia#Hardware operations and support}}
[[File:Wikipedia_webrequest_2022.png|thumb|Overview of system architecture, August 2022. See [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Server_layout_diagrams server layout diagrams on Meta-Wiki].]]
[[File:Wikimedia Foundation Servers-8055 13.jpg|thumb|Wikimedia Foundation servers]]

Wikipedia employed a single server until 2004, when the server setup was expanded into a distributed [[multitier architecture]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aulinx.de/oss/code/wikipedia/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040710213535/https://www.aulinx.de/oss/code/wikipedia/ |title=Aulinx |archive-date=July 10, 2004}}</ref> Server downtime in 2003 led to the first fundraising drive. By December 2009, Wikimedia ran on [[colocation centre|co-located]] servers, with 300 servers in Florida and 44 in [[Amsterdam]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2008/06/24/a-look-inside-wikipedias-infrastructure |title=A Look Inside Wikipedia's Infrastructure |date=June 24, 2008 |work=Data Center Knowledge |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011832/https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2008/06/24/a-look-inside-wikipedias-infrastructure |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, it also switched from multiple different [[Linux]] operating system vendors to [[Ubuntu|Ubuntu Linux]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Wikipedia simplifies IT infrastructure by moving to one Linux vendor |first=Todd R. |last=Weiss |url=https://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9116787/Wikipedia_simplifies_IT_infrastructure_by_moving_to_one_Linux_vendor?taxonomyId=154&pageNumber=1&taxonomyName=Servers%20and%20Data%20Center |newspaper=[[Computerworld]] |date=October 9, 2008 |access-date=November 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005181633/https://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9116787/Wikipedia_simplifies_IT_infrastructure_by_moving_to_one_Linux_vendor?taxonomyId=154&pageNumber=1&taxonomyName=Servers%20and%20Data%20Center |archive-date=October 5, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Wikipedia adopts Ubuntu for its server infrastructure |first=Ryan |last=Paul |url=https://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2008/10/wikipedia-adopts-ubuntu-for-its-server-infrastructure.ars |newspaper=[[Ars Technica]] |date=October 9, 2008 |access-date=November 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130021503/https://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2008/10/wikipedia-adopts-ubuntu-for-its-server-infrastructure.ars |archive-date=January 30, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, it switched to [[Debian]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Debian – Wikitech |url=https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Debian |access-date=April 18, 2021 |website=wikitech.wikimedia.org |language=en |archive-date=April 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418084905/https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Debian |url-status=live}}</ref>

By January 2013, Wikimedia transitioned to newer infrastructure in an [[Equinix]] facility in [[Ashburn, Virginia|Ashburn]], Virginia, citing reasons of "more reliable connectivity" and "fewer [[hurricane]]s".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2013/01/14/its-official-equinix-ashburn-is-wikimedias-home/ |title=It's Official: Ashburn is Wikipedia's New Home |date=January 14, 2013 |work=Data Center Knowledge |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011703/https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2013/01/14/its-official-equinix-ashburn-is-wikimedias-home/ |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2013/01/19/wikimedia-sites-move-to-primary-data-center-in-ashburn-virginia/ |title=Wikimedia sites to move to primary data center in Ashburn |date=January 19, 2013 |website=Wikimedia Diff |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011114/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2013/01/19/wikimedia-sites-move-to-primary-data-center-in-ashburn-virginia/ |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=July 14, 2018}}</ref> In years prior, the hurricane seasons had been a cause of distress.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2009/04/07/wmf-needs-additional-datacenter-space/ |title=WMF needs additional datacenter space |date=April 7, 2009 |website=Wikimedia Diff |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011051/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2009/04/07/wmf-needs-additional-datacenter-space/ |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=July 14, 2018}}</ref>

In October 2013, Wikimedia Foundation started looking for a second facility that would be used side by side with the main facility in Ashburn, citing reasons of redundancy (e.g. [[failover|emergency fallback]]) and to prepare for simultaneous multi-datacenter service.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2013/10/23/wikipedia-on-the-hunt-for-more-data-center-space |title=Wikipedia On The Hunt For More Data Center Space |date=October 23, 2013 |work=Data Center Knowledge |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011212/https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2013/10/23/wikipedia-on-the-hunt-for-more-data-center-space |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/RFP/2013_Datacenter |title=RFP/2013 Datacenter – Wikimedia Foundation |date=October 18, 2013 |website=Wikimedia Foundation |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011312/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/RFP/2013_Datacenter |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=July 14, 2018}}</ref> This followed a year in which a [[fiber-optic communication|fiber]] cut caused the Wikimedia projects to be unavailable for one hour in August 2012.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2012/08/07/fiber-cut-wikipedia/ |title=Fiber Cut Knocks Wikipedia Offline |date=August 7, 2012 |work=Data Center Knowledge |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011446/https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2012/08/07/fiber-cut-wikipedia/ |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2012/08/06/wikimedia-site-outage-6-august-2012/ |title=Wikimedia site outage |date=August 6, 2012 |website=Wikimedia Diff |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011447/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/08/06/wikimedia-site-outage-6-august-2012/ |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=July 14, 2018}}</ref> The result of this was another datacenter being added in 2014 at a [[CyrusOne]] facility in [[Carrollton, Texas]], to further improve reliability.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Data centers - Wikitech |url=https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Data_centers |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=wikitech.wikimedia.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bergsma |first=Mark |date=2014-05-05 |title=Wikimedia Foundation selects CyrusOne in Dallas as new data center |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2014/05/05/wikimedia-foundation-selects-cyrusone-in-dallas-as-new-data-center/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=Diff |language=en-US}}</ref> Both datacenters work as the primary one in alternate semesters, with the other one working as secondary datacenter.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Switch Datacenter - Wikitech |url=https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Switch_Datacenter |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=wikitech.wikimedia.org |language=en}}</ref>

Apart from the second facility for redundancy coming online in 2014,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2014/05/05/wikimedias-data-center-search-ends-cyrusone |title=Wikimedia's Data Center Search Ends With CyrusOne |date=May 5, 2014 |work=Data Center Knowledge |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011637/https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2014/05/05/wikimedias-data-center-search-ends-cyrusone |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2014/05/05/wikimedia-foundation-selects-cyrusone-in-dallas-as-new-data-center/ |title=Wikimedia Foundation selects CyrusOne in Dallas as new data center – Wikimedia Diff |website=Wikimedia Diff |date=May 5, 2014 |language=en |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011353/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2014/05/05/wikimedia-foundation-selects-cyrusone-in-dallas-as-new-data-center/ |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> the number of servers needed to run the infrastructure in a single facility has been mostly stable since 2009. As of November 2015, the main facility in Ashburn hosts 520 servers in total which includes servers for newer services besides Wikimedia project [[wiki]]s, such as [[cloud services]] (Toolforge)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Portal:Toolforge |title=Portal:Toolforge – Wikitech |website=wikitech.wikimedia.org |access-date=September 30, 2021 |archive-date=September 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930124417/https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Portal:Toolforge |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://pageviews.toolforge.org/ |title=Pageviews Analysis |website=pageviews.toolforge.org |access-date=October 20, 2021 |archive-date=October 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007085502/https://pageviews.toolforge.org/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and various services for metrics, monitoring, and other system administration.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Upstream_projects |title=Upstream projects |publisher=[[MediaWiki]] |access-date=January 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208171215/https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Upstream_projects |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, Wikimedia Foundation deployed a caching cluster in an Equinix facility in [[Singapore]], the first of its kind in Asia.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T156028 |title=⚓ T156028 Name Asia Cache DC site |website=Wikimedia Phabricator |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512040933/https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T156028 |archive-date=May 12, 2019 |url-status=live |access-date=May 12, 2019}}</ref> In 2024, a caching data center was opened in [[São Paulo]], the first of its kind in South America.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-26 |title=The journey to open our first data center in South America |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/07/26/the-journey-to-open-our-first-data-center-in-south-america/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921054425/https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/07/26/the-journey-to-open-our-first-data-center-in-south-america/ |archive-date=2024-09-21 |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=Diff |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Software ===
The operation of Wikimedia depends on [[MediaWiki]], a custom-made, [[free software|free]] and [[open-source software|open-source]] [[wiki software]] platform written in [[PHP]] and built upon the [[MariaDB]] database since 2013;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2013/04/22/wikipedia-adopts-mariadb/ |title=Wikipedia Adopts MariaDB |work=Wikimedia Diff |date=April 22, 2013 |access-date=December 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208065746/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2013/04/22/wikipedia-adopts-mariadb/ |archive-date=December 8, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> previously the MySQL [[database]] was used.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nedworks.org/~mark/presentations/san/Wikimedia%20architecture.pdf |title=Wikimedia Architecture |first=Mark |last=Bergman |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation Inc. |access-date=June 27, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303204708/https://www.nedworks.org/~mark/presentations/san/Wikimedia%20architecture.pdf |archive-date=March 3, 2009}}</ref> The software incorporates programming features such as a [[macro (computer science)|macro language]], [[variable (programming)|variables]], a [[transclusion]] system for [[web template|templates]], and [[URL redirection]]. MediaWiki is licensed under the [[GNU General Public License]] and it is used by all Wikimedia projects.

Originally, Wikipedia ran on [[UseModWiki]] written in [[Perl]] by [[Clifford Adams]] (Phase I), which initially required [[CamelCase]] for article hyperlinks; the double bracket style was incorporated later. Starting in January 2002 (Phase II), Wikipedia began running on a [[PhpWiki|PHP wiki]] engine with a MySQL database; this software was custom-made for Wikipedia by [[Magnus Manske]]. The Phase II software was repeatedly modified to accommodate the [[exponential growth|exponentially increasing]] demand. In July 2002 (Phase III), Wikipedia shifted to the third-generation software, MediaWiki, originally written by [[Lee Daniel Crocker]].

Some MediaWiki extensions are [[Special:Version#Installed extensions|installed]] to extend the functionality of MediaWiki software. In April 2005, an [[Apache Lucene]] extension<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2005-04-18/Lucene_search |date=2005-04-18 |title=Lucene search: Internal search function returns to service |work=[[The Signpost]] |publisher=[[Wikipedia]] |first=Michael |last=Snow |access-date=February 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731211712/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2005-04-18/Lucene_search |archive-date=July 31, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2005-April/016297.html |title=[Wikitech-l] Lucene search |first=Brion |last=Vibber |access-date=February 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330033506/https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2005-April/016297.html |archive-date=March 30, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> was added to MediaWiki's built-in search and Wikipedia switched from MySQL to [[Lucene]] and later switched to CirrusSearch which is based on [[Elasticsearch]] for searching.<ref>{{cite web |title=Extension:CirrusSearch – MediaWiki |url=https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:CirrusSearch |access-date=April 18, 2021 |website=MediaWiki.org |language=en |archive-date=April 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413230335/https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:CirrusSearch |url-status=live}}</ref> The Wikimedia Foundation also uses [[CiviCRM]]<ref>[https://diff.wikimedia.org/2009/06/10/wikimedia-fourkitchens-support-civicrm-development/ Wikimedia & FourKitchens support CiviCRM development] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922160241/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2009/06/10/wikimedia-fourkitchens-support-civicrm-development/ |date=September 22, 2012 }} Wikimedia Diff, June 10, 2009</ref> and [[WordPress]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org |title=Wikimedia Diff |publisher=Wikimedia Diff |access-date=July 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816154737/https://blog.wikimedia.org/ |archive-date=August 16, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> The foundation published official Wikipedia [[mobile app]]s for [[Android (operating system)|Android]] and [[iOS]] devices and in March 2015, the apps were updated to include mobile user-friendly features.<ref>[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.wikipedia Wikipedia – Android Apps on Google Play] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321063321/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.wikipedia |date=March 21, 2015 }}. Retrieved April 15, 2015.</ref>

== Corporate identity ==
The Wikimedia Foundation was founded in 2003 by [[Jimmy Wales]] so that there would be an independent charitable entity responsible for company domains and trademarks, and so that Wikipedia and its sister projects could be funded through non-profit means in the future.<ref>{{cite news |first=Rupert |last=Neate |title=Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales goes bananas |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=October 7, 2008 |access-date=October 25, 2009 |quote=The encyclopedia's huge fan base became such a drain on Bomis's resources that Mr. Wales, and co-founder Larry Sanger, thought of a radical new funding model&nbsp;– charity. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081110041546/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html |archive-date=November 10, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Bylaws#ARTICLE_II_-_STATEMENT_OF_PURPOSE |title=Bylaws |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=2016-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225172741/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Bylaws#ARTICLE_II_-_STATEMENT_OF_PURPOSE |archive-date=2017-02-25 |url-status=live}}</ref> The name "Wikimedia", a [[Compound (linguistics)|compound]] of [[wiki]] and [[media (communication)|media]], was coined by American author [[Sheldon Rampton]] in a post to the English Wikipedia mailing list in March 2003,<ref>{{cite web |last=Rampton |first=Sheldon |author-link=Sheldon Rampton |date=March 16, 2003 |title=Wikipedia English mailing list message |url=https://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2003-March/001887.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051101074301/https://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2003-March/001887.html |archive-date=November 1, 2005 |access-date=July 11, 2005}}</ref> three months after [[Wiktionary]] became the second wiki-based project hosted on the original server. The foundation's mission is collection and distribution of educational knowledge under free licenses or public domain and promised to keep these projects free of charge.<ref name="Devouard">{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mission_statement |title=Mission statement |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=January 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080117000000/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mission_statement |archive-date=January 17, 2008 |first=Florence |last=Devouard |author-link=Florence Devouard |url-status=live}}</ref>

All intellectual property rights and domain names about Wikipedia were moved to the foundation after its inception,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales goes bananas |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=December 26, 2017 |date=November 7, 2008 |last=Neate |first=Rupert}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and it currently owns the [[domain name]]s and maintains most of the [[Wikimedia movement]]'s websites.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.guidestar.org/profile/20-0049703 |title=GuideStar – WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION, INC. |access-date=2020-02-11 |archive-date=2021-01-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121083722/https://www.guidestar.org/profile/20-0049703 |url-status=live}}</ref> WMF is now the registrant of the domain [https://www.wikipedia.org/ wikipedia.org], owner of the trademark and operator of the wiki platform. It runs projects like [[Wikibooks]], [[Wikidata]], [[Wiktionary]] and [[Wikimedia Commons]]; it raises money, distributes grants, controls the servers, develops and deploys software, and does outreach to support Wikimedia projects, including the [[English Wikipedia]]. It also engages in [[advocacy group|political advocacy]] regarding copyright, [[press freedom]] and legal protection of websites from liability related to user content.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jackson |first=Jasper |date=February 12, 2017 |title='We always look for reliability': why Wikipedia's editors cut out the Daily Mail |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/12/wikipedia-daily-mail-reliability-ban-katherine-maher |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=February 13, 2017 |quote="Another core job for the foundation – and Maher – is political advocacy. While copyright and press freedom are important issues for Wikipedia, there is one area even more fundamental to its operation – the rules that protect web firms from full liability for what their users post." |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213213309/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/12/wikipedia-daily-mail-reliability-ban-katherine-maher |archive-date=February 13, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Finances ==
[[File:WMF Support and Revenue, Expenses and Net Assets at Year End.jpg|thumb|400px|Wikimedia Foundation revenue, expenses and end-of-year net assets (in US$), 2003–2023<br>Green: revenue (excluding direct donations to the endowment)<br>Red: expenses (including WMF payments into the endowment)<br>Black: net assets (excluding the endowment)<ref name="Wikimedia Foundation-2019" />]]

The Wikimedia Foundation mainly finances itself through donations from the public, collected through email campaigns and annual fundraising banners placed on Wikipedia, as well as grants from various tech companies and philanthropic organizations.<ref name="Wikimedia Foundation-3"/><ref name="Wikimedia Foundation-2">{{cite web |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/1/1e/Wikimedia_Foundation_FY2020-2021_Audit_Report.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. – Financial Statements – June 30, 2021 and 2020 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> Campaigns for the Wikimedia Endowment have included emails asking donors to leave Wikimedia money in their will.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.startribune.com/lileks-wikipedia-wants-me-to-do-what/600052774/ |first=James |last=Lileks |title=Lileks: Wikipedia wants me to do what? |date=May 2, 2021 |work=Star Tribune}}</ref>

As a 501(c)(3) charity, the foundation is exempt from federal and state income tax.<ref>See also Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code</ref><ref>See also Chapter 220.13 of the Florida Statutes</ref> It is not a private foundation, and contributions to it qualify as tax-deductible charitable contributions.<ref name="Wikimedia Foundation-2" /> In 2007, 2008 and 2009, [[w:Charity Navigator|Charity Navigator]] gave Wikimedia an overall rating of four out of four possible stars,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?keyword_list=Wikimedia+Foundation&bay=search.results |title=Charity Navigator Rating – Wikimedia Foundation |publisher=charitynavigator.org |date=April 15, 2022 |access-date=April 15, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204202819/http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=11212 |archive-date=December 4, 2010}}</ref> increased from three to four stars in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.history&orgid=11212 |title=Charity Navigator Rating – Wikimedia Foundation – Historical Data (Note: Requires free login) |publisher=charitynavigator.org |access-date=December 24, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707202122/https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.history&orgid=11212 |archive-date=July 7, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2020|January}}, the rating was still four stars (overall score 98.14 out of 100), based on data from FY2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=11212 |title=Charity Navigator Rating – Wikimedia Foundation |publisher=Charitynavigator.org |date=November 1, 2019 |access-date=November 17, 2019 |archive-date=September 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190927141027/https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=11212 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The foundation also increases its revenue through [[federal grant]]s, sponsorship, services and brand merchandising. The Wikimedia [[OAI-PMH]] update feed service, targeted primarily at search engines and similar bulk analysis and republishing, was a source of revenue for a number of years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/a/ac/FINAL_10_11From_KPMG.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. – Financial Statements – June 30, 2011 and 2010 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=October 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418033650/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/a/ac/FINAL_10_11From_KPMG.pdf |archive-date=April 18, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[[meta:Wikimedia update feed service|Wikimedia update feed service]]</ref> [[DBpedia]] was given access to this feed free of charge.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bizer |first1=Christian |last2=Lehmann |first2=Jens |last3=Kobilarov |first3=Georgi |last4=Auer |first4=Sören |last5=Becker |first5=Christian |last6=Cyganiak |first6=Richard |last7=Hellmann |first7=Sebastian |title=DBpedia - A crystallization point for the Web of Data |journal=Journal of Web Semantics |date=September 2009 |volume=7 |issue=3 |pages=154–165 |doi=10.1016/j.websem.2009.07.002}}</ref> An expanded version of data feeds and content services was launched in 2021 as Wikimedia Enterprise, an LLC subsidiary of the foundation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Learn more about Wikimedia Enterprise |url=https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/about/ |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=Wikimedia Enterprise |language=en-US}}</ref>

In July 2014, the foundation announced it would accept [[Bitcoin]] donations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/07/30/wikipedia-begins-taking-donations-in-bitcoin/ |title=Wikipedia Begins Taking Donations in Bitcoin |work=The New York Times |date=July 31, 2014 |access-date=February 12, 2020 |author=Ember, Sydney |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730232047/https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/07/30/wikipedia-begins-taking-donations-in-bitcoin/ |archive-date=July 30, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2021, [[cryptocurrency|cryptocurrencies]] accounted for just 0.08% of all donations<ref>{{cite web |last=Quiles |first=Emily |date=February 7, 2022 |title=There's a growing chorus of tech people who dislike crypto. A Wikipedia editor has spelled out the case against it. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/wikipedia-editor-argues-against-crypto-bitcoin-environment-scams-2022-2 |access-date=February 13, 2022 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US |archive-date=February 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213022813/https://www.businessinsider.com/wikipedia-editor-argues-against-crypto-bitcoin-environment-scams-2022-2 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Roth-2022">{{cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=May 1, 2022 |title=The Wikimedia Foundation has stopped accepting cryptocurrency donations |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/1/23052309/wikimedia-foundation-stops-cryptocurrency-donations-wikipedia |access-date=May 3, 2022 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref> and on May 1, 2022, the foundation stopped accepting cryptocurrency donations, following a [[Wikimedia movement|Wikimedia community]] vote.<ref name="Roth-2022" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Mlot |first=Stephanie |date=May 2, 2022 |title=Wikimedia Foundation Agrees to End Cryptocurrency Donations |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/wikimedia-foundation-agrees-to-end-cryptocurrency-donations |access-date=May 3, 2022 |website=[[PC Magazine]] |language=en}}</ref>

The foundation's net assets grew from an initial $57,000 at the end of its first fiscal year, ending June 30, 2004,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/2/28/Wikimedia_2006_fs.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. – Financial Statements – June 30, 2006–2004 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=August 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617091947/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/2/28/Wikimedia_2006_fs.pdf |archive-date=June 17, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> to $53.5 million in mid-2014<ref>{{cite web |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/b/bf/Audit_Report_-_FY_13-14_-_Final_v2.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June, 2014 and 2013 |publisher=Upload.wikimedia.org |access-date=December 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122072714/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/b/bf/Audit_Report_-_FY_13-14_-_Final_v2.pdf |archive-date=January 22, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/sue-gardner/ |title=Sue Gardner |magazine=Forbes |date=April 18, 2012 |access-date=November 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121212180328/https://www.forbes.com/profile/sue-gardner/ |archive-date=December 12, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> and $231 million (plus a $100 million endowment) by the end of June 2021; that year, the foundation also announced plans to launch Wikimedia Enterprise, to let large organizations pay by volume for high-volume access to otherwise rate-limited APIs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/wikipedia-contracts-with-apple-google-could-fund-global-initiatives-2021-3 |title=Apple, Amazon, and Google don't pay to integrate Wikipedia articles into their search products. The non-profit now hopes to use contracts with Big Tech to help fund 'knowledge equity' around the world. |first=Allana |last=Akhtar |website=Business Insider |access-date=April 16, 2021 |archive-date=April 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416180048/https://www.businessinsider.com/wikipedia-contracts-with-apple-google-could-fund-global-initiatives-2021-3 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2020, the foundation donated $4.5 million to [[Tides Advocacy]] to create a "Knowledge Equity Fund", to provide grants to organizations whose work would not otherwise be covered by Wikimedia grants but addresses racial inequities in accessing and contributing to free knowledge resources.<ref>[[metawiki:Knowledge Equity Fund|Knowledge Equity Fund]] on meta.wikimedia.org.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Longley |first=Liz |title=5 Things To Know About the Wikimedia Foundation's First Round of Racial Equity Grants |url=https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2021/9/16/5-things-to-know-about-the-wikimedia-foundations-first-round-of-racial-equity-grants |access-date=2022-12-04 |website=Inside Philanthropy |date=September 16, 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Wikimedia Endowment ===
In January 2016, the foundation announced the creation of an [[Financial endowment|endowment]] to safeguard its future.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-01-15 |title=Wikipedia launching $100m fund to secure long-term future as site turns 15 |url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/15/wikipedia-fund-future |access-date=2022-12-04 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> The Wikimedia Endowment was established as a donor-advised fund at the [[Tides (organization)|Tides Foundation]], with a stated goal to raise $100 million in the next 10 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Wikipedia_celebrates_15_years_of_free_knowledge |title=Wikipedia celebrates 15 years of free knowledge |date=January 14, 2016 |work=Wikimedia Foundation |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709215659/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Wikipedia_celebrates_15_years_of_free_knowledge |archive-date=July 9, 2018 |access-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref> [[Craig Newmark]] was one of the initial donors, giving $1 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2016/06/08/craig-newmark-wikipedia-future/ |title=Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, gives to Wikipedia's future |date=June 8, 2016 |work=Wikimedia Foundation blog |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709215701/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2016/06/08/craig-newmark-wikipedia-future/ |archive-date=July 9, 2018 |access-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref> [[Peter Baldwin (professor)|Peter Baldwin]] and [[Lisbet Rausing]], of [[Arcadia Fund]], donated $5 million in 2017.<ref name="Wikimedia Endowment-2023"/>

In 2018, major donations to the endowment were received from [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] and [[Facebook]] ($1 million each) and [[George Soros]] ($2 million).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2018/amazon-donates-1m-wikipedias-nonprofit-parent-organization/ |title=Amazon donates $1M to Wikipedia's nonprofit parent organization |date=September 25, 2018 |website=www.geekwire.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027190008/https://www.geekwire.com/2018/amazon-donates-1m-wikipedias-nonprofit-parent-organization/ |archive-date=October 27, 2018 |access-date=October 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/2018/12/20/facebook-makes-1-million-gift-to-support-the-future-of-free-knowledge/ |title=Facebook makes $1 million gift to support the future of free knowledge |date=December 20, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103055656/https://wikimediafoundation.org/2018/12/20/facebook-makes-1-million-gift-to-support-the-future-of-free-knowledge/ |archive-date=January 3, 2019 |access-date=January 2, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/2018/10/15/george-soros-invests-future-free-open-knowledge/ |title=George Soros, founder of Open Society Foundations, invests in the future of free and open knowledge |date=October 15, 2018 |work=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=October 19, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020011626/https://wikimediafoundation.org/2018/10/15/george-soros-invests-future-free-open-knowledge/ |archive-date=October 20, 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2019, donations included $2 million from Google,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.google/products/search/expanding-knowledge-access-wikimedia-foundation/ |title=Expanding knowledge access with the Wikimedia Foundation |date=January 22, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123000047/https://www.blog.google/products/search/expanding-knowledge-access-wikimedia-foundation/ |archive-date=January 23, 2019 |access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref> $3.5 million more from Baldwin and Rausing,<ref name="Wikimedia Endowment-2023">{{cite web |title=Wikimedia Endowment – Meta |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Endowment |date=November 22, 2023 |access-date=December 12, 2023 |archive-date=November 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115074258/https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Endowment |url-status=live}}</ref> $2.5 million more from Newmark,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2019/09/10/wikimedia-foundation-announces-2-5-million-in-support-from-craig-newmark-philanthropies-for-security-of-wikipedia-and-organizations-other-free-knowledge-projects/ |title=Wikimedia Foundation announces $2.5 million in support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies for security of Wikipedia and organization's other free knowledge projects |date=September 10, 2019 |website=Wikimedia Foundation |language=en-US |access-date=February 28, 2020 |archive-date=September 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912022255/https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2019/09/10/wikimedia-foundation-announces-2-5-million-in-support-from-craig-newmark-philanthropies-for-security-of-wikipedia-and-organizations-other-free-knowledge-projects/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and another $1 million from Amazon in October 2019 and again in September 2020.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2019/10/14/amazon-to-help-advance-free-knowledge-for-all-with-new-1-million-gift-to-the-wikimedia-endowment/ |title=Amazon to help advance free knowledge for all with new $1 million gift to the Wikimedia Endowment |date=October 14, 2019 |website=Wikimedia Foundation |language=en-US |access-date=February 28, 2020 |archive-date=October 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014160350/https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2019/10/14/amazon-to-help-advance-free-knowledge-for-all-with-new-1-million-gift-to-the-wikimedia-endowment/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2020/09/25/amazon-donates-1-million-gift/ |title=Amazon donates $1 million gift to the Wikimedia Endowment to sustain free knowledge |website=Wikimedia Foundation |date=September 25, 2020 |language=en-US |access-date=September 26, 2020 |archive-date=October 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003092737/https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2020/09/25/amazon-donates-1-million-gift/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{As of|2023|post=,}} the advisory board consists of [[Jimmy Wales]], [[Peter Baldwin (professor)|Peter Baldwin]], former Wikimedia Foundation Trustees [[Patricio Lorente]] and [[Phoebe Ayers]], former Wikimedia Foundation Board Visitor [[Doron Weber]] of the [[Alfred P. Sloan Foundation|Sloan Foundation]], investor [[Annette Campbell-White]], venture capitalist Michael Kim, portfolio manager Alexander M. Farman-Farmaian, and strategist Lisa Lewin.<ref name="Wikimedia Endowment-2023"/>

The foundation itself has provided annual grants of $5&nbsp;million to its Endowment since 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/d/da/Wikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY16-17.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, Financial Statements, June 30, 2017 and 2016 |date=September 27, 2019 |access-date=September 29, 2019 |archive-date=December 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211175050/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/d/da/Wikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY16-17.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> These amounts have been recorded as part of the foundation's "awards and grants" expenses.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/6/60/FY17-18_-_Independent_Auditors%27_Report.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, Financial Statements, June 30, 2018 and 2017 |date=September 26, 2018 |website=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=September 29, 2019 |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309113326/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/6/60/FY17-18_-_Independent_Auditors%27_Report.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> The Endowment pays the foundation for expenses the foundation incurs on behalf of the Endowment, mostly salaries of staff; in 2022–2023, this payment was 1.8 million.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2023-2024/Finances - Meta |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2023-2024/Finances#Multi-year_revenue_streams:_Endowment_and_Enterprise |website=meta.wikimedia.org |access-date=5 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref> In September 2021, the foundation announced that the Wikimedia Endowment had reached its initial $100&nbsp;million fundraising goal in June 2021, five years ahead of its initial target.<ref name="Wikimedia Foundation reaches $100 million Endowment goal as Wikipedia celebrates 20 years of free knowledge-2021">{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2021/09/22/wikimedia-foundation-reaches-100-million-endowment-goal/ |title=Wikimedia Foundation reaches $100 million Endowment goal as Wikipedia celebrates 20 years of free knowledge |date=September 22, 2021 |access-date=September 22, 2021 |archive-date=September 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923001815/https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2021/09/22/wikimedia-foundation-reaches-100-million-endowment-goal/ |url-status=live}}. See also [https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikimedia_Endowment&diff=22056029&oldid=21872920 announcement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929214111/https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikimedia_Endowment&diff=22056029&oldid=21872920 |date=September 29, 2022 }} on meta.wikimedia.org.</ref> In January 2024, the endowment was reported to have a value of $140 million.<ref name="Folkenflik"/>

=== Financial development ===
The foundation summarizes its assets in the "Statements of Activities" in its audited reports. These do not include funds in the Wikimedia Endowment, however expenses from the 2015–16 financial year onward include payments to the Wikimedia Endowment.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/f/f7/Wikimedia_Foundation_FY2019-2020_Audit_Report.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, Financial Statements, June 30, 2019 and 2020 |pages=3, 13 |date=November 16, 2020 |access-date=April 16, 2021 |archive-date=May 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502235700/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/f/f7/Wikimedia_Foundation_FY2019-2020_Audit_Report.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! class="unsortable"|Source
! Revenue
! Expenses
! Asset rise
! Net assets at<br/>end of year
|- align=right
| '''2023/2024'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/f/f6/Wikimedia_Foundation_2024_Audited_Financial_Statements.pdf#page=6 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $185,383,511
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $178,471,109
| $16,584,053
| $271,555,390
|- align=right
| '''2022/2023'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wikimedia_Foundation_FS_FY2022-2023_Audit_Report.pdf#page=6 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $180,174,103
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $169,095,381
| $15,619,804
| $254,971,336
|- align=right
| '''2021/2022'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/2/26/Wikimedia_Foundation_FY2021-2022_Audit_Report.pdf#page=6 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $154,686,521
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $145,970,915
| $8,173,996
| $239,351,532
|- align=right
| '''2020/2021'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/1/1e/Wikimedia_Foundation_FY2020-2021_Audit_Report.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $162,886,686
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $111,839,819
| $50,861,811
| $231,177,536
|- align=right
| '''2019/2020'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/f/f7/Wikimedia_Foundation_FY2019-2020_Audit_Report.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $129,234,327
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $112,489,397
| $14,674,300
| $180,315,725
|- align=right
| '''2018/2019'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/3/31/Wikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY18-19.pdf#page=6 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $120,067,266
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $91,414,010
| $30,691,855
| $165,641,425
|- align=right
| '''2017/2018'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/6/60/FY17-18_-_Independent_Auditors%27_Report.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $104,505,783
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $81,442,265
| $21,619,373
| $134,949,570
|- align=right
| '''2016/2017'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/d/da/Wikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY16-17.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $91,242,418
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $69,136,758
| $21,547,402
| $113,330,197
|- align=right
| '''2015/2016'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/43/Wikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY15-16.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $81,862,724
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $65,947,465
| $13,962,497
| $91,782,795
|- align=right
| '''2014/2015'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/0/0b/Audit_Report_-_FY_14-15_-_Final.PDF#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $75,797,223
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $52,596,782
| $24,345,277
| $77,820,298
|- align=right
| '''2013/2014'''
| <!-- This uses the 2014/2015 file as there was a late correction. The correct figures for 2013/2014 are shown in the right-hand column of the linked page. --><span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/0/0b/Audit_Report_-_FY_14-15_-_Final.PDF#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $52,465,287
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $45,900,745
| $8,285,897
| $53,475,021
|- align=right
| '''2012/2013'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/6/6e/FINAL_12_13From_KPMG.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $48,635,408
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $35,704,796
| $10,260,066
| $45,189,124
|- align=right
| '''2011/2012'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/0/09/FINAL_11_12From_KPMG.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $38,479,665
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $29,260,652
| $10,736,914
| $34,929,058
|- align=right
| '''2010/2011'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/a/ac/FINAL_10_11From_KPMG.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $24,785,092
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $17,889,794
| $9,649,413
| $24,192,144
|- align=right
| '''2009/2010'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/c/cc/FINAL_09_10From_KPMG.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $17,979,312
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $10,266,793
| $6,310,964
| $14,542,731
|- align=right
| '''2008/2009'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/4f/FINAL_08_09From_KPMG.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $8,658,006
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $5,617,236
| $3,053,599
| $8,231,767
|- align=right
| '''2007/2008'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/4c/Wikimedia_20072008_fs.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $5,032,981
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $3,540,724
| $3,519,886
| $5,178,168
|- align=right
| '''2006/2007'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/49/Wikimedia_2007_fs.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $2,734,909
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $2,077,843
| $654,066
| $1,658,282
|- align=right
| '''2005/2006'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/2/28/Wikimedia_2006_fs.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $1,508,039
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $791,907
| $736,132
| $1,004,216
|- align=right
| '''2004/2005'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/2/28/Wikimedia_2006_fs.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $379,088
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $177,670
| $211,418
| $268,084
|- align=right
| '''2003/2004'''
| <span class="plainlinks">[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/2/28/Wikimedia_2006_fs.pdf#page=5 PDF]</span>
| style="background:#EEFEEE;" | $80,129
| style="background:#FEEEEE;" | $23,463
| $56,666
| $56,666
|}

=== Expenses (2004–2020) ===
A plurality of Wikimedia Foundation expenses are salaries and wages, followed by community and affiliate grants, contributions to the endowment, and other professional operating expenses and services.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Statistical_analysis_of_Wikimedia_Foundation_financial_reports |title=Statistical analysis of Wikimedia Foundation financial reports – Wikiversity |website=en.wikiversity.org |language=en |access-date=June 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626192206/https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Statistical_analysis_of_Wikimedia_Foundation_financial_reports |archive-date=June 26, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Wikimedia Foundation-2019">{{cite web |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/3/31/Wikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY18-19.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, Financial Statements, June 30, 2018 and 2019 |pages=4, 14 |date=September 27, 2019 |access-date=January 26, 2020 |archive-date=January 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126203026/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/3/31/Wikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY18-19.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{Gallery
| title        = Wikimedia Foundation expenses 2004–2020
| align        =
| footer       =
| style        =
| state        =
| mode         = packed
| height       = 300
| width        =
| captionstyle =
| File:Wikimedia Foundation's expenses evolution by rubrics in US Dollars.svg
| Wikimedia Foundation's expenses evolution by type in USD
| alt1         = Bar charts show expenses in each category generally on an upward trend between 2004 and 2024.
| File:Wikimedia Foundation's expenses percentage.svg
| Wikimedia Foundation's expenses as a percentage of the whole
| alt2         = Bar charts show salaries and expenses growing as a percentage, salaries to about 50%, while other categories are flatter or decrease. Hosting decreases from about 27% to about 2%
}}

=== Grants ===
[[File:Finance Meeting Paris 2012-02-18 n06.jpg|thumb|Wikimedia Foundation and chapters finance meeting 2012, Paris]]

The Wikimedia Foundation has received a steady stream of grants from other foundations throughout its history.
In 2008, the foundation received a $40,000 grant from the [[Open Society Foundations|Open Society Institute]] to create a printable version of Wikipedia.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wikis Go Printable |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Wikis_Go_Printable |work=Wikimedia Foundation |date=December 13, 2007 |access-date=July 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708221047/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Wikis_Go_Printable |archive-date=July 8, 2018 |url-status=unfit}}</ref> It also received a $262,000 grant from the [[Stanton Foundation]] to purchase [[Computer hardware|hardware]],<ref name="Wikipedia:Meta-2015">{{cite web |title=Fundraising 2008/benefactors |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising_2008/benefactors |date=August 8, 2015 |work=[[Wikipedia:Meta]] |access-date=July 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709010412/https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising_2008/benefactors |archive-date=July 9, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> a $500,000 unrestricted grant from [[Vinod Khosla|Vinod]] and [[Neeru Khosla]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Khosla Gift: Wikimedia Foundation Receives $500K Donation |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Khosla_Gift |work=Wikimedia Foundation |date=March 24, 2008 |access-date=July 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708221209/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Khosla_Gift |archive-date=July 8, 2018 |url-status=unfit}}</ref> who later that year joined the foundation advisory board,<ref>{{cite web |title=Neeru Khosla to Become Wikimedia Advisor Dec 2008 |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Neeru_Khosla_to_Become_Wikimedia_Advisor_Dec_2008 |work=Wikimedia Foundation |date=December 15, 2008 |access-date=July 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708221124/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Neeru_Khosla_to_Become_Wikimedia_Advisor_Dec_2008 |archive-date=July 8, 2018 |url-status=unfit}}</ref> and $177,376 from the historians [[Lisbet Rausing]] and [[Peter Baldwin (professor)|Peter Baldwin]] ([[Arcadia Fund]]), among others.<ref name="Wikipedia:Meta-2015" /> In March 2008, the foundation announced what was then its largest donation yet: a three-year, $3 million grant from the [[Alfred P. Sloan Foundation|Sloan Foundation]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i8x-wlh7nMm12x_kVQ6MZxrYWK9QD8VKMV1G0 |agency=Associated Press |title=Sloan Foundation to Give Wikipedia $3M |first1=Brian |last1=Bergstein |via=Google News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080329221240/https://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i8x-wlh7nMm12x_kVQ6MZxrYWK9QD8VKMV1G0 |archive-date=March 29, 2008}}</ref>

In 2009, the foundation received four grants. The first was a $890,000 Stanton Foundation grant to help study and simplify the user interface for first-time authors of Wikipedia.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/StantonGrantQA |title=Stanton Grant Q&A |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |date=December 3, 2008 |access-date=September 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018071429/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/StantonGrantQA |archive-date=October 18, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The second was a $300,000 [[Ford Foundation]] grant in July 2009 for [[Wikimedia Commons]], to improve the interface for uploading multimedia files.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2009/07/02/ford-foundation-awards-300k-grant-for-wikimedia-commons/ |title=Ford Foundation Awards $300K Grant for Wikimedia Commons |date=July 2, 2009 |publisher=Diff |first1=Erik |last1=Moeller |access-date=December 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319102012/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2009/07/02/ford-foundation-awards-300k-grant-for-wikimedia-commons/ |archive-date=March 19, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> In August 2009, the foundation received a $500,000 grant from The William and Flora [[Hewlett Foundation]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Hewlett_Foundation_grant_August_2009 |title=Wikimedia Foundation receives $500,000 in operational support from Hewlett Foundation |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |date=August 20, 2009 |access-date=December 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103175824/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Hewlett_Foundation_grant_August_2009 |archive-date=January 3, 2012 |url-status=unfit}}</ref> Also in August 2009, the [[Omidyar Network]] committed up to $2 million over two years to Wikimedia.<ref>{{cite web |title=Omidyar Network Commits $2 Million Grant to Wikimedia Foundation |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Omidyar_Network_Grant_August_2009 |work=Wikimedia Foundation |date=August 25, 2009 |access-date=November 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414002610/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Omidyar_Network_Grant_August_2009 |archive-date=April 14, 2010}}</ref> In 2010, [[Google]] donated $2 million<ref>{{cite web |first=Ben |last=Parr |url=https://mashable.com/2010/02/16/google-wikipedia-donation/ |title=Google Gives $2 Million to Wikipedia's Foundation |publisher=Mashable |date=February 16, 2010 |access-date=December 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203220800/https://mashable.com/2010/02/16/google-wikipedia-donation/ |archive-date=December 3, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> and the Stanton Foundation granted $1.2&nbsp;million to fund the Public Policy Initiative, a pilot program for what later became the Wikipedia Education Program (and the spin-off [[Wiki Education Foundation]]).<ref>{{cite news |title=UC Berkeley students help improve Wikipedia's credibility |first=Andrea |last=Hicklin |work=Berkeley News |date=November 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Wikimedia Foundation Receives $1.2 Million for Wikipedia Public Policy Initiative |date=May 14, 2010 |work=Philanthropy News Digest |url=https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/wikimedia-foundation-receives-1.2-million-for-wikipedia-public-policy-initiative |access-date=February 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016174527/https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/wikimedia-foundation-receives-1.2-million-for-wikipedia-public-policy-initiative |archive-date=October 16, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=McNamara |title=Wikipedia lands $1.2M grant to improve 'public policy' articles: Stanton Foundation ponies up for "accuracy" project that will be anything but easy |url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/755560/data-center-wikipedia-lands-1-2m-grant-to-improve-public-policy-articles.html |work=Network World |access-date=February 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426190053/https://www.networkworld.com/article/755560/data-center-wikipedia-lands-1-2m-grant-to-improve-public-policy-articles.html |archive-date=April 26, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2011, the Sloan Foundation authorized another $3 million grant, to be funded over three years, with the first $1 million to come in July 2011 and the remaining $2 million to be funded in August 2012 and 2013. As a donor, [[Doron Weber]] from the Sloan Foundation gained Board Visitor status at the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees.<ref name="Wikimedia Foundation-2017">{{cite web |title=Wikimedia Foundation receives $3 million grant from Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to make freely licensed images accessible and reusable across the web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Wikimedia_Foundation_receives_$3_million_grant_from_Alfred_P._Sloan_Foundation_to_make_freely_licensed_images_accessible_and_reusable_across_the_web |work=Wikimedia Foundation |date=January 9, 2017 |access-date=July 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708221210/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Wikimedia_Foundation_receives_$3_million_grant_from_Alfred_P._Sloan_Foundation_to_make_freely_licensed_images_accessible_and_reusable_across_the_web |archive-date=July 8, 2018 |url-status=unfit}}</ref> In August 2011, the Stanton Foundation pledged to fund a $3.6 million grant of which $1.8 million was funded and the remainder was to come in September 2012. As of 2011, this was the largest grant the Wikimedia Foundation had ever received.<ref>{{cite web |first=Jay |last=Walsh |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2011/10/05/wikimedia-receives-3-5million-usd-grant-from-stanton-foundation/ |title=Wikimedia receives US$3.5 million grant from Stanton Foundation |work=Wikimedia Community blog |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |date=October 5, 2011 |access-date=October 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010084600/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2011/10/05/wikimedia-receives-3-5million-usd-grant-from-stanton-foundation/ |archive-date=October 10, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2011, the foundation received a $500,000 donation from the [[Brin Wojcicki Foundation]].<ref name="Meta.wikimedia.org">{{cite web |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising_2011/Foundation_Grants |title=Foundation Grants |publisher=Meta.wikimedia.org |access-date=November 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121219165049/https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising_2011/Foundation_Grants |archive-date=December 19, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Shaw |first=Lucas |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUS309090140520120118 |title=More Anti-Piracy Bill Co-Sponsors Bail (Updated) |work=Reuters |access-date=October 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924161716/https://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/18/idUS309090140520120118 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2012, the foundation was awarded a grant of $1.25 million from [[Lisbet Rausing]]<ref name="Meta.wikimedia.org" /> and [[Peter Baldwin (professor)|Peter Baldwin]] through the [[Charities Aid Foundation]], scheduled to be funded in five equal installments from 2012 through 2015. In 2014, the foundation received the largest single gift in its history, a $5&nbsp;million unrestricted donation from an anonymous donor supporting $1&nbsp;million worth of expenses annually for the next five years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/2014-2015_Fundraising_Report |title=2014–2015 Fundraising Report |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |date=October 1, 2015 |access-date=January 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124163350/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/2014-2015_Fundraising_Report |archive-date=January 24, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> In March 2012, The [[Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation]], established by the [[Intel]] co-founder and his wife, awarded the Wikimedia Foundation a $449,636 grant to develop [[Wikidata]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Developing the Wikidata software platform |url=https://www.moore.org/grant-detail?grantId=GBMF3357 |work=[[Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation]] |access-date=July 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708221006/https://www.moore.org/grant-detail?grantId=GBMF3357 |archive-date=July 8, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> This was part of a larger grant, much of which went to Wikimedia Germany, which took on ownership of the development effort.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=2012-03-30 |title=Wikipedia's Next Big Thing: Wikidata, A Machine-Readable, User-Editable Database Funded By Google, Paul Allen And Others |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/30/wikipedias-next-big-thing-wikidata-a-machine-readable-user-editable-database-funded-by-google-paul-allen-and-others/ |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref>

Between 2014 and 2015, the foundation received $500,000 from the Monarch Fund, $100,000 from the Arcadia Fund and an undisclosed amount from the [[Stavros Niarchos Foundation]] to support the [[Wikipedia Zero]] initiative.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/266/266049750/266049750_201512_990PF.pdf |title=Monarch Fund 990-PF 2015 Form |access-date=July 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708224737/https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/266/266049750/266049750_201512_990PF.pdf |archive-date=July 8, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Grant Awards 2014 |url=https://www.arcadiafund.org.uk/media/9662/arcadia_grant-awards_pamphlet.pdf |work=Arcadia |access-date=July 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523122942/https://www.arcadiafund.org.uk/media/9662/arcadia_grant-awards_pamphlet.pdf |archive-date=May 23, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Wikimedia Foundation: program support |url=https://www.snf.org/en/grants/grantees/w/wikimedia-foundation/program-support/ |work=[[Stavros Niarchos Foundation]] |access-date=July 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617160117/https://www.snf.org/en/grants/grantees/w/wikimedia-foundation/program-support/ |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2015, a grant agreement was reached with the [[John S. and James L. Knight Foundation]] to build a search engine called the "[[Knowledge Engine (search engine)|Knowledge Engine]]", a project that [[#Knowledge Engine project|proved controversial]].<ref>[[wmf:File:Knowledge engine grant agreement.pdf]], September 18, 2015. Published February 11, 2016, retrieved February 16, 2016.</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Wikimedia Foundation director resigns after uproar over "Knowledge Engine": It's damage-control time at the world's biggest encyclopedia |first=Joe |last=Mullin |date=February 29, 2016 |work=Ars Technica |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/02/head-of-wikimedia-foundation-resigns-as-tensions-with-editors-mount/ |access-date=February 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160301082152/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/02/head-of-wikimedia-foundation-resigns-as-tensions-with-editors-mount/ |archive-date=March 1, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, the Sloan Foundation awarded another $3 million grant for a three-year period,<ref name="Wikimedia Foundation-2017"/> and Google donated another $1.1 million to the foundation in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |author=Megan Rose Dickey |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/22/google-org-donates-2-million-to-wikipedias-parent-org/ |title=Google.org donates $2 million to Wikipedia's parent org |publisher=TechCrunch |date=January 22, 2019}}</ref>

The following have donated $500,000 or more each (2008–2019, not including gifts to the Wikimedia Endowment):
{| class="wikitable"
! Total<br />($000s)
! Donor
! Years
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,000
| Sloan Foundation
| {{Cslist
 | 2008–2013
 | 2017–2019
 }}
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,952
| Stanton Foundation
| 2009–2012
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,000
| (anonymous)
| 2014–2018
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| 3,100
| Google
| 2010, 2019
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| 2,000
| Omidyar Network
| 2009–2010
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,527
| Rausing, Baldwin<br />via Arcadia, Charities Aid
| {{Cslist
 | 2008
 | 2012–2015
 }}
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,300
| Hewlett
| 2009–2010
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| 500
| Sergey Brin & Anne Wojcicki
| 2010
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| 500
| Monarch Fund
| 2014–2015
|}

== Board of trustees ==
The foundation's [[board of trustees]] supervises the activities of the foundation. The founding board had three members, to which two community-elected trustees were added. Starting in 2008 it was composed of ten members:
* three selected by the community encompassed by all the different Wikimedia projects;
* two selected by Wikimedia chapters;
* four appointed by the board itself; and
* one founder's seat, reserved for Jimmy Wales.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees/Restructure_Announcement |title=Board of Trustees Restructure Announcement |last=de Vreede |first=Jan-Bart |date=April 26, 2008 |access-date=April 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501100733/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees/Restructure_Announcement |archive-date=May 1, 2008 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Wikimedia Foundation-2019a"/>

Over time, the size of the board and details of the selection processes have evolved. As of 2020, the board may have up to 16 trustees:<ref>{{cite web |date= |title=Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees - Meta |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees&oldid=23278424 |access-date=May 18, 2022 |publisher=Meta.wikimedia.org}}</ref>
* eight seats sourced from the wider Wikimedia community (affiliates and volunteer community);
* seven appointed by the board itself; and
* one founder's seat reserved for Wales.

In 2015, [[James Heilman]], a trustee recently elected to the board by the community,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2015/06/05/board-election-results/ |title=Wikimedia Foundation Board election results are in |work=Wikimedia Diff |date=June 5, 2015 |access-date=June 11, 2015 |author=Varnum, Gregory |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150614011940/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2015/06/05/board-election-results/ |archive-date=June 14, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> was removed from his position by a vote of the rest of the board.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolution:James_Heilman_Removal |title=Resolution:James Heilman Removal |work=Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees |date=December 28, 2015 |access-date=December 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215153552/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolution:James_Heilman_Removal |archive-date=February 15, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2015-December/080479.html |title=[Wikimedia-l] Announcement about changes to the Board |work=wikimedia.org |access-date=January 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617160221/https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2015-December/080479.html |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> This decision generated dispute among members of the Wikipedia community.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Wikimedia-Foundation-feuert-Vorstandsmitglied-3056680.html |title=Wikimedia Foundation feuert Vorstandsmitglied |first=Torsten |last=Kleinz |date=December 29, 2015 |work=heise online |access-date=February 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304214328/https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Wikimedia-Foundation-feuert-Vorstandsmitglied-3056680.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lih |first1=Andrew |title=Wikipedia just turned 15 years old. Will it survive 15 more? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/01/15/wikipedia-just-turned-15-years-old-will-it-survive-15-more/ |access-date=January 16, 2016 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 15, 2016 |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160225024419/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/01/15/wikipedia-just-turned-15-years-old-will-it-survive-15-more/ |archive-date=February 25, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Heilman later said that he "was given the option of resigning [by the Board] over the last few weeks. As a community elected member I see my mandate as coming from the community which elected me and thus declined to do so. I saw such a move as letting down those who elected me."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/12/wikimedia_dumps_elected_trustee/ |title=Wikimedia Foundation bins community-elected trustee |work=[[The Register]] |date=January 12, 2016 |access-date=January 27, 2016 |author=Orlowski, Andrew |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204024007/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/12/wikimedia_dumps_elected_trustee/ |archive-date=February 4, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> He subsequently added that while on the Board, he had pushed for greater transparency regarding the Wikimedia Foundation's [[Knowledge Engine (Wikimedia Foundation)|Knowledge Engine]] project and its financing,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://rue89.nouvelobs.com/2016/02/26/crise-a-fondation-wikimedia-directrice-demissionne-263290 |title=Crise à la fondation Wikimedia: sa directrice démissionne |language=fr |trans-title=Crisis at the Wikimedia Foundation: director resigns |last=Noisette |first=Thierry |work=[[Nouvel Observateur]] |date=February 26, 2016 |access-date=December 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509082903/https://www.nouvelobs.com/rue89/rue89-internet/20160226.RUE2291/crise-a-la-fondation-wikimedia-sa-directrice-demissionne.html |archive-date=May 9, 2019 |url-status=dead}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and indicated that his attempts to make public the [[Knight Foundation]] grant for the engine had been a factor in his dismissal.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/wikipedias-secret-google-competitor-search-engine-is-tearing-it-apart/ |title=The Secret Search Engine Tearing Wikipedia Apart |work=Vice |date=February 15, 2016 |access-date=February 29, 2016 |author=Koebler, Jason |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161216072523/https://motherboard.vice.com/read/wikipedias-secret-google-competitor-search-engine-is-tearing-it-apart |archive-date=December 16, 2016}}{{void|Fabrickator|comment|drop "url-status" since archive url provides a better rendering than live url}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Heilman was reelected to the board by the community in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chan |first1=Katie |last2=Sutherland |first2=Joe |date=2017-05-21 |title=Results from the 2017 Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees elections |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2017/05/20/board-of-trustees-elections-2017/ |access-date=2022-12-04 |website=Diff |language=en-US}}</ref>

In January 2016, [[Arnnon Geshuri]] joined the board before stepping down amid community controversy about a "[[High-Tech Employee Antitrust Litigation|no poach]]" agreement he executed when at [[Google]], which violated [[United States antitrust law]] and for which the participating companies paid US$415 million in a class action suit on behalf of affected employees.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mullin |first=Joe |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/01/wikimedias-newest-board-appointment-steps-down-amid-editor-hostility/ |title=Wikimedia's newest board appointment steps down amid editor hostility |website=Ars Technica |date=January 27, 2016 |access-date=June 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704163641/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/01/wikimedias-newest-board-appointment-steps-down-amid-editor-hostility/ |archive-date=July 4, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url-status=live |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/01/editors-demand-ouster-of-wikimedia-board-member-involved-in-no-poach-deal/ |title=Wikipedia editors revolt, vote "no confidence" in newest board member |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160225220426/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/01/editors-demand-ouster-of-wikimedia-board-member-involved-in-no-poach-deal/ |archive-date=February 25, 2016 |website=Ars Technica |date=January 25, 2016 |first1=Joe |last1=Mullin}}</ref>

As of January 2024, the board comprised six community-and-affiliate-selected trustees (Shani Evenstein Sigalov, [[Dariusz Jemielniak]], [[Rosie Stephenson-Goodknight]], Victoria Doronina, Mike Peel and Lorenzo Losa);<ref>{{cite web |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2021/10/13/wikimedia-foundation-welcomes-new-trustees-rosie-stephenson-goodknight-victoria-doronina-dariusz-jemielniak-and-lorenzo-losa/ |title=Wikimedia Foundation welcomes new Trustees Rosie Stephenson-Goodknight, Victoria Doronina, Dariusz Jemielniak, and Lorenzo Losa |first=Wikimedia Foundation Board of |last=Trustees |date=October 13, 2021 |access-date=October 18, 2021 |archive-date=October 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021094308/https://diff.wikimedia.org/2021/10/13/wikimedia-foundation-welcomes-new-trustees-rosie-stephenson-goodknight-victoria-doronina-dariusz-jemielniak-and-lorenzo-losa/ |url-status=live}}</ref> five Board-appointed trustees ([[McKinsey & Company]] director [[Raju Narisetti]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Raju_Narisetti_joins_Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees |title=Raju Narisetti joins Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trusteess |date=October 16, 2017 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=October 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020142641/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Raju_Narisetti_joins_Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees |archive-date=October 20, 2017 |url-status=unfit}}</ref> Bahraini human rights activist and blogger [[Esra'a Al Shafei]],<ref>[https://diff.wikimedia.org/2017/12/01/esraa-al-shafei/ Esra'a Al Shafei joins Board] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202083246/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2017/12/01/esraa-al-shafei/ |date=December 2, 2017 }}, Wikimedia Diff, December 1, 2017</ref> technology officer Luis Bitencourt-Emilio, Nataliia Tymkiv, and financial expert Kathy Collins); and Wales.<ref name="Wikimedia Foundation-2019a">{{cite web |url=https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Bylaws#ARTICLE_IV_-_THE_BOARD_OF_TRUSTEES |title=Bylaws – Wikimedia Foundation |date=July 10, 2019 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |language=en |access-date=December 5, 2020 |quote=(F) Community Founder Trustee Position. The Board may appoint Jimmy Wales as Community Founder Trustee for a three-year term. The Board may reappoint Wales as Community Founder Trustee for successive three-year terms (without a term limit). In the event that Wales is not appointed as Community Founder Trustee, the position will remain vacant, and the Board shall not fill the vacancy. |archive-date=December 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203112947/https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Bylaws#ARTICLE_IV_-_THE_BOARD_OF_TRUSTEES |url-status=live}}</ref> Tymkiv chairs the board, with Al Shafei and Sigalov as vice chairs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Board_Officers_and_Committee_Membership,_2021 |title=Resolution:Board Officers and Committee Membership, 2021 – Wikimedia Foundation Governance Wiki |website=foundation.wikimedia.org |access-date=October 18, 2021 |archive-date=October 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016115810/https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Board_Officers_and_Committee_Membership,_2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In August 2025, [[Mayree Carroll Clark|Mayree Clark]] was appointed to serve the remainder of Esra’a El-Shafei’s term, extended through January 1, 2027, as El-Shafei stepped off the Board after eight years as a Trustee.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Wikimedia |date=2025-08-27 |title=Wikimedia Foundation welcomes incoming Board Trustee Mayree Clark |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2025/08/27/wikimedia-foundation-welcomes-incoming-board-trustee-mayree-clark/ |access-date=2026-01-27 |website=Wikimedia Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref> 

As of March 2024 there are six committees of the Board of Trustees: the executive committee (Chair: Nataliia Tymkiv, as the chair of the board), the Audit Committee (Chair: Kathy Collins, appointed in 2023), the Governance Committee (Chair: Dariusz Jemielniak, appointed in 2021), the Talent and Culture Committee (Chair: Rosie Stephenson-Goodknight, appointed in 2023), the Community Affairs Committee (Chair: Shani Evenstein Sigalov, appointed in 2021), and the Product and Technology Committee (Chair: Lorenzo Losa, appointed in 2023).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Committee:Main |title=Committee:Main |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation Governance Wiki |author= |date= |access-date=2024-03-11 |language=}}</ref>

== Staff ==
===History===
[[File:Wikimedia All Hands 2019 Group Photo.jpg|thumb|Foundation staff in January 2019]]

In 2004, the foundation appointed Tim Starling as developer liaison to help improve the [[MediaWiki]] software, Daniel Mayer as chief financial officer ([[management accounting|finance]], [[budgeting]], and coordination of fund drives), and [[Erik Möller]] as content partnership coordinator. In May 2005, the foundation announced seven more official appointments.<ref>{{cite news |last=Snow |first=Michael |title=Wikimedia names seven to official positions |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2005-05-30/Foundation_official_positions |work=[[The Signpost]] |date=May 30, 2005 |access-date=April 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427032629/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2005-05-30/Foundation_official_positions |archive-date=April 27, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In January 2006, the foundation created a number of committees, including the Communication Committee, in an attempt to further organize activities somewhat handled by volunteers at that time.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=February 4, 2008 |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolutions |title=Resolutions |first=Florence |last=Devouard |author-link=Florence Devouard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080129221627/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolutions |archive-date=January 29, 2008 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{As of|2006|10|04|df=US}}, the foundation had five paid employees:<ref>{{cite video |people=[[Jimmy Wales]] |date=October 4, 2006 |title=Charlie Rose (46:22) |url=https://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5184822358876183858 |format=internet video |access-date=December 8, 2006 |medium=TV-Series |location=Google Video |publisher=Charlie Rose |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061014133227/https://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5184822358876183858 |archive-date=October 14, 2006}}</ref> two programmers, an administrative assistant, a coordinator handling fundraising and grants, and an interim [[chief executive officer|executive director]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Wikimedia_Foundation_Announces_Interim_Executive_Director |title=Wikimedia Foundation Announces Interim Executive Director |archive-date=July 2, 2006 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=June 12, 2006 |author=Korg |author-link=foundation:User:Korg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060702230216/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Wikimedia_Foundation_Announces_Interim_Executive_Director |url-status=unfit}}</ref> Brad Patrick, previously the foundation's [[general counsel]]. Patrick ceased his activity as interim director in January 2007 and then resigned from his position as legal counsel, effective April 1, 2007. He was replaced by [[Mike Godwin]] who served as general counsel and legal coordinator from July 2007<ref>[https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2007-July/031128.html Mailing list post] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330033357/https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2007-July/031128.html |date=March 30, 2013 }} by the Chair of the Wikimedia Foundation's Board of Trustees announcing the appointment.</ref> to 2010.

In January 2007, Carolyn Doran was named chief operating officer and Sandy Ordonez joined as [[wmf:Head of Communications|head of communications]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Current staff |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Current_staff |access-date=February 1, 2007 |author=Danny |author-link=foundation:User:Danny |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204015306/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Current_staff |archive-date=February 4, 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> Doran began working as a part-time bookkeeper in 2006 after being sent by a [[Temporary work|temporary agency]]. Doran, found to have had a criminal record,<ref>{{cite news |first=Brian |last=Bergstein |title=Former Wikipedia Officer Found To Have Long Criminal Record |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/21/AR2007122102223.html |work=[[Associated Press]] in [[Washington Post]] |date=December 22, 2007 |access-date=March 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327230526/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/21/AR2007122102223.html |archive-date=March 27, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> left the foundation in July 2007 and [[Sue Gardner]] was hired as consultant and special advisor; she became the executive director in December 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208164834/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Sue_Gardner |archive-date=Dec 8, 2007 |title=Sue Gardner Hired as Executive Director |website=Wikimedia Foundation |date=December 3, 2007 |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Sue_Gardner}}</ref> Florence Devouard cited Doran's departure from the organization as one of the reasons the foundation took about seven months to release its fiscal 2007 financial audit.<ref>{{cite news |author=((Ral315)) |title=''Signpost'' interview: Florence Devouard |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2007-11-19/Anthere_interview |work=The Wikipedia Signpost |date=November 19, 2007 |access-date=February 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127220858/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2007-11-19/Anthere_interview |archive-date=November 27, 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:149 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco.jpg|thumb|The [[New Montgomery Street]] building which housed the headquarters until 2017]]

Danny Wool, officially the grant coordinator and also involved in [[fundraising]] and business development, resigned in March 2007. He accused Wales of misusing the foundation's funds for recreational purposes and said that Wales had his Wikimedia credit card taken away in part because of his spending habits, a claim Wales denied.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moses |first=Asher |date=March 5, 2008 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/wikipedia-head-accused-of-expenses-rort/2008/03/05/1204402516874.html |title=Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales accused of expenses rort |work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |access-date=October 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327130452/https://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/wikipedia-head-accused-of-expenses-rort/2008/03/05/1204402516874.html |archive-date=March 27, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2007, the foundation added a position, chapters coordinator, and hired Delphine Ménard,<ref>{{cite web |title=Resolution: Chapters coordinator |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolution:Chapters_coordinator_-_Delphine_M%C3%A9nard |access-date=April 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502015110/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolution:Chapters_coordinator_-_Delphine_M%C3%A9nard |archive-date=May 2, 2012 |url-status=live}}, wikimediafoundation.org</ref> who had been occupying the position as a volunteer since August 2005. Cary Bass was hired in March 2007 in the position of volunteer coordinator. In January 2008, the foundation appointed Veronique Kessler as the new chief financial and operating officer, Kul Wadhwa as head of business development and Jay Walsh as head of communications.

In March 2013, Gardner announced she would be leaving her position at the foundation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.wikimedia.org/2013/03/27/sue-gardner-departure-announcement/ |title=Please read: an announcement from Wikimedia Foundation ED Sue Gardner « Wikimedia blog |date=March 27, 2013 |access-date=February 17, 2022 |archive-date=December 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219144901/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2013/03/27/sue-gardner-departure-announcement/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Lila Tretikov]] was appointed executive director in May 2014;<ref>{{cite web |last=Elder |first=Jeff |date=May 1, 2014 |title=Wikipedia's New Chief: From Soviet Union to World's Sixth-Largest Site |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/05/01/wikipedia-names-software-executive-tretikov-as-new-chief/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715043240/https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/05/01/wikipedia-names-software-executive-tretikov-as-new-chief/ |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |access-date=July 15, 2018 |website=WSJ |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Open-Source Software Specialist Selected as Executive Director of Wikipedia |work=The New York Times |date=May 2, 2014 |language=en |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/02/business/media/open-source-software-specialist-selected-as-executive-director-of-wikipedia.html |url-status=live |access-date=July 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715040456/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/02/business/media/open-source-software-specialist-selected-as-executive-director-of-wikipedia.html |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |last1=Cohen |first1=Noam}}</ref> she resigned in March 2016. Former chief communications officer [[Katherine Maher]] (joined Wikimedia in 2014<ref name="Folkenflik"/>) was appointed the interim executive director, a position made permanent in June 2016.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lorente |first1=Patricio |last2=Henner |first2=Christophe |date=June 24, 2016 |title=Foundation Board appoints Katherine Maher as Executive Director |work=Wikimedia Blog |url=https://blog.wikimedia.org/2016/06/24/katherine-maher-executive-director/ |access-date=December 24, 2021 |archive-date=August 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809200708/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2016/06/24/katherine-maher-executive-director/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Maher served as [[executive director]] until April 2021<ref>{{cite news |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2016/06/24/katherine-maher-executive-director/ |access-date=June 12, 2020 |work=Wikimedia Foundation |publisher=Patricio Lorente, Christophe Henner |title=Foundation Board appoints Katherine Maher as Executive Director |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613000316/https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2016/06/24/katherine-maher-executive-director/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.axios.com/exclusive-the-end-of-the-maher-era-at-wikipedia-c1ed1408-bab7-4308-9407-db093e24c80d.html |title=Exclusive: End of the Maher era at Wikipedia |first=Felix |last=Salmon |website=Axios |date=February 4, 2021 |access-date=April 16, 2021 |archive-date=February 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204180613/https://www.axios.com/exclusive-the-end-of-the-maher-era-at-wikipedia-c1ed1408-bab7-4308-9407-db093e24c80d.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and is credited with building the foundation [[#Wikimedia Endowment|endowment]] in her tenure.<ref name="Folkenflik">[[David Folkenflik|Folkenflik, David]], [https://www.npr.org/2024/01/24/1226035539/npr-ceo-katherine-maher-wikimedia "NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era"], [[NPR]], January 24, 2024. Retrieved 2024-01-26.</ref>

===Present department structure===
[[File:One_Sansome_Street.jpg|thumb|[[One Sansome Street]] has held the headquarters since October 2024]]
{{as of|2025|11|9|df=US|post=,}} there were about 650 people working at the foundation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Seitz-Gruwell |first1=Lisa |author1-link=Lisa Seitz-Gruwell |title=7 reasons you should donate to Wikipedia |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2025/11/09/7-reasons-you-should-donate-to-wikipedia/ |access-date=20 February 2026 |work=Wikimedia Foundation |date=9 November 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260214231755/https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2025/11/09/7-reasons-you-should-donate-to-wikipedia/ |archive-date=14 February 2026 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bernadette Meehan]] was appointed CEO on January 20, 2026.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wikimedia Foundation appoints Bernadette Meehan as Chief Executive Officer |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2025/12/09/wikimedia-foundation-appoints-bernadette-meehan-as-chief-executive-officer/ |website=Wikimedia Foundation |date=December 9, 2025}}</ref>

WMF maintains the following department structure:<ref>[https://wikimediafoundation.org/role/staff/ Wikimedia Foundation Staff]</ref>
* '''Office of the Chief Executive Officer''': supports the work of the Wikimedia Foundation Chief Executive Officer.
* '''Advancement''': responsible for fundraising, strategic partnerships, and grantmaking programs.
* '''Communications''': responsible for Wikimedia brand development, marketing, social media, public relations, and global awareness efforts.
* '''Finance and Administration''': responsible for ensuring responsible management of Wikimedia Foundation funds and resources.
* '''Legal''': responsible for mounting opposition to government surveillance and censorship, defending volunteer communities, facilitating policy discussions, and advocating for privacy.
* '''Product and Technology''': builds, improves, and maintains the infrastructure of Wikimedia sites.
* '''People''': responsible for recruitment and training.

== Disputes and controversies ==
{{See also|Litigation involving the Wikimedia Foundation}}
[[File:Post-Sopa Blackout Party for Wikimedia Foundation staff-3.jpg|thumb|Wikimedia Foundation post-[[Stop Online Piracy Act|SOPA]] party, 2012]]

A number of disputes have resulted in [[litigation]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=91968 |title=UK: High Court Warning To Applicants Seeking To Derogate From Open Justice |date=8 January 2010 |first1=Susan |last1=Barty |first2=Susie |last2=Carr |publisher=Mondaq |access-date=December 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812192915/https://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=91968 |archive-date=August 12, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Neuburger |first=Jeffrey D. |url=https://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2008/11/canadian-court-rules-linking-to-libel-isnt-necessarily-libel318.html |title=Canadian Court Rules Linking to Libel Isn't (Necessarily) Libel |publisher=PBS |date=November 13, 2008 |access-date=December 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305090629/https://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2008/11/canadian-court-rules-linking-to-libel-isnt-necessarily-libel318.html |archive-date=March 5, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pr-inside.com/wikipedia-wikimedia-fraud-lawsuit-r1645034.htm |title=PS-Inside.com |publisher=Pr-inside.com |access-date=December 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812190333/https://www.pr-inside.com/wikipedia-wikimedia-fraud-lawsuit-r1645034.htm |archive-date=August 12, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Timmer |first=John |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2008/08/judge-puts-defamation-lawsuit-against-wikipedia-to-the-sword/ |title=Judge puts defamation lawsuit against Wikipedia to the sword |website=Ars Technica |date=August 13, 2008 |access-date=March 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150309232519/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2008/08/judge-puts-defamation-lawsuit-against-wikipedia-to-the-sword/ |archive-date=March 9, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> while others have not.<ref>{{cite web |last=Foresman |first=Chris |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/04/wikipedia-suit-could-put-it-on-the-wrong-side-of-fair-use.ars |title=ArsTechnica.com |publisher=ArsTechnica.com |date=April 23, 2009 |access-date=December 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225014940/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/04/wikipedia-suit-could-put-it-on-the-wrong-side-of-fair-use.ars |archive-date=December 25, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> Attorney Matt Zimmerman has said, "Without strong liability protection, it would be difficult for Wikipedia to continue to provide a platform for user-created encyclopedia content."<ref>{{cite press release |title=EFF and Sheppard Mullin Defend Wikipedia in Defamation Case |url=https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2008/05/02 |publisher=[[Electronic Frontier Foundation]] |access-date=March 11, 2014 |date=May 2, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407223854/https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2008/05/02 |archive-date=April 7, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In December 2011, the foundation hired Washington, D.C., lobbyist [[Dow Lohnes]] Government Strategies LLC to lobby [[United States Congress|Congress]].<ref>[https://disclosures.house.gov/ld/pdfform.aspx?id=300433882 New Client Registration] ''House of Representatives Lobbying Disclosure'' December 12, 2011 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016202104/https://disclosures.house.gov/ld/pdfform.aspx?id=300433882 |date=October 16, 2012 }}</ref> At the time of the hire, the foundation was concerned about a bill known as the [[Stop Online Piracy Act]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111214/04212117082/wikipedia-explains-great-detail-how-even-updated-sopa-hurts-web-wikipedia.shtml |title=Wikipedia Explains, In Great Detail, How Even An Updated SOPA Hurts The Web & Wikipedia |work=[[Techdirt]] |date=December 14, 2011 |access-date=January 15, 2012 |author=Masnick, Mike |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108081524/https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111214/04212117082/wikipedia-explains-great-detail-how-even-updated-sopa-hurts-web-wikipedia.shtml |archive-date=January 8, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> The communities were as well, organizing some of the most visible [[Protests against SOPA and PIPA|protest]] against the bill on the Internet alongside other popular websites.

In October 2013, a German court ruled that the Wikimedia Foundation can be held liable for content added to Wikipedia when there has been a specific complaint; otherwise, the Wikimedia Foundation does not check the content Wikipedia publishes and has no duty to do so.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2067460/wikimedia-is-liable-for-contents-of-wikipedia-articles-german-court-rules.html#tk.rss_all |title=Wikimedia is liable for contents of Wikipedia articles, German court rules |magazine=PCWorld |date=November 27, 2013 |access-date=December 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205234328/https://www.pcworld.com/article/2067460/wikimedia-is-liable-for-contents-of-wikipedia-articles-german-court-rules.html#tk.rss_all |archive-date=December 5, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2014, Bildkonst Upphovsrätt i Sverige filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against [[Wikimedia Sweden]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediasverige.wordpress.com/2014/06/13/angaende-stamningsansokan-fran-bus-mot-offentligkonst-se/ |title=Angående stämningsansökan från BUS mot offentligkonst.se |work=Wikimedia Sverige |access-date=October 25, 2015 |date=June 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822083507/https://wikimediasverige.wordpress.com/2014/06/13/angaende-stamningsansokan-fran-bus-mot-offentligkonst-se/ |archive-date=August 22, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> On June 20, 2014, a defamation lawsuit (Law Division civil case No. L-1400-14) involving Wikipedia editors was filed with the Mercer County Superior Court in New Jersey seeking, inter alia, compensatory and punitive damages.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://njcourts.judiciary.state.nj.us/web15z/ACMSPA/ |title=ACMS Public Access |author=Bob.Reaman |work=state.nj.us |access-date=October 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924061203/https://njcourts.judiciary.state.nj.us/web15z/ACMSPA/ |archive-date=September 24, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.williamslopatto.com/uploads/2/5/8/4/25843913/blacklight_power_inc._complaint.pdf |title=Civil Case Information Statement: Blacklight Power Inc. Complaint |access-date=August 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031060310/https://www.williamslopatto.com/uploads/2/5/8/4/25843913/blacklight_power_inc._complaint.pdf |archive-date=October 31, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In a March 10, 2015, op-ed for ''[[The New York Times]]'', Wales and Tretikov announced the foundation was filing [[Wikimedia Foundation v. NSA|a lawsuit]] against the [[National Security Agency]] and five other government agencies and officials, including [[United States Department of Justice|DOJ]], calling into question its practice of [[mass surveillance]], which they argued infringed the constitutional rights of the foundation's readers, editors and staff. They were joined in the suit by eight additional plaintiffs, including [[Amnesty International]] and [[Human Rights Watch]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wales |first1=Jimmy |last2=Tretikov |first2=Lila |author-link1=Jimmy Wales |author-link2=Lila Tretikov |title=Stop Spying on Wikipedia Users |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/10/opinion/stop-spying-on-wikipedia-users.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=March 10, 2015 |location=San Francisco |date=March 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311033930/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/10/opinion/stop-spying-on-wikipedia-users.html |archive-date=March 11, 2015 |url-access=subscription}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Paulson |first1=Michelle |last2=Brigham |first2=Geoff |title=Wikimedia v. NSA: Wikimedia Foundation files suit against NSA to challenge upstream mass surveillance |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2015/03/10/wikimedia-v-nsa/ |website=Wikimedia Diff |access-date=March 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150310140413/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2015/03/10/wikimedia-v-nsa/ |archive-date=March 10, 2015 |url-status=live |date=March 10, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rayman |first=Noah |title=Saving Wikipedia: Meet Lila Tretikov |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=April 14, 2015 |url=https://time.com/wikipedia/ |access-date=April 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418212234/https://time.com/wikipedia/ |archive-date=April 18, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> On October 23, 2015, the [[United States District Court for the District of Maryland]] dismissed the suit ''[[Wikimedia Foundation v. NSA]]'' on grounds of [[Standing (law)|standing]]. U.S. District Judge [[T. S. Ellis III]] ruled that the plaintiffs could not plausibly prove they were subject to [[upstream surveillance]], and that their argument is "riddled with assumptions", "speculations" and "mathematical gymnastics".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Farivar |first1=Cyrus |date=October 23, 2015 |title=Judge tosses Wikimedia's anti-NSA lawsuit because Wikipedia isn't big enough. Not enough facts to "plausibly establish that the NSA is using upstream surveillance." |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/10/judge-tosses-wikimedias-anti-nsa-lawsuit-because-wikipedia-isnt-big-enough/ |website=[[Ars Technica]] |access-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304120744/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/10/judge-tosses-wikimedias-anti-nsa-lawsuit-because-wikipedia-isnt-big-enough/ |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Wikimedia v. NSA – D. MD. Opinion |url=https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/wikimedia-v-nsa-d-md-opinion |publisher=[[American Civil Liberties Union|ACLU]] |date=October 23, 2015 |access-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052405/https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/wikimedia-v-nsa-d-md-opinion |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> The plaintiffs filed an appeal with the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit]] on February 17, 2016.<ref>{{cite web |title=Appeal No. 15-2560. Brief for plaintiffs–appellants |url=https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/23._aclu_appeal_brief_2.17.2016.pdf |publisher=[[American Civil Liberties Union|ACLU]] |date=February 17, 2016 |access-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312225445/https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/23._aclu_appeal_brief_2.17.2016.pdf |archive-date=March 12, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2020, WMF's application to become an observer at the [[World Intellectual Property Organization]] (WIPO) was blocked after objections from the government of China<ref>{{cite web |date=September 23, 2020 |title=China blocks Wikimedia Foundation's application to become an observer at WIPO |url=https://www.keionline.org/33999 |access-date=September 23, 2020 |website=Knowledge Ecology International |language=en-US |archive-date=September 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924083253/https://www.keionline.org/33999 |url-status=live}}</ref> over the existence of a Wikimedia Foundation affiliate in [[Taiwan]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hui |first1=Mary |title=Beijing blocked Wikimedia from a UN agency because of "Taiwan-related issues" |url=https://qz.com/1908836/china-blocks-wikimedia-from-un-agency-wipo-over-taiwan-dispute/ |website=qz.com |date=September 25, 2020 |publisher=Quartz |access-date=September 25, 2020 |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119120833/https://qz.com/1908836/china-blocks-wikimedia-from-un-agency-wipo-over-taiwan-dispute/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2021, WMF's second application was blocked by the government of China for the same reason.<ref>{{cite web |last=Moody |first=Glyn |date=October 7, 2021 |title=If You Want To Know Why Section 230 Matters, Just Ask Wikimedia: Without It, There'd Be No Wikipedia |url=https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20211007/07051447716/if-you-want-to-know-why-section-230-matters-just-ask-wikimedia-without-it-thered-be-no-wikipedia.shtml |url-status=live |access-date=October 23, 2021 |website=[[Techdirt]] |archive-date=October 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023213145/https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20211007/07051447716/if-you-want-to-know-why-section-230-matters-just-ask-wikimedia-without-it-thered-be-no-wikipedia.shtml}}</ref> In May 2022, six Wikimedia movement affiliate chapters were blocked from being accredited to WIPO's Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) by China, claiming that the chapters were spreading disinformation.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 9, 2022 |title=Six Wikimedia Chapters Rejected as Observers to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2022/05/09/six-wikimedia-chapters-rejected-as-observers-to-wipo/ |access-date=May 11, 2022 |website=Wikimedia Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref> In July 2022, China blocked an application by seven Wikimedia chapters to be accredited as permanent observers to WIPO;<ref>{{cite web |date=July 15, 2022 |title=Seven Wikimedia chapters rejected as permanent observers to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2022/07/15/seven-wikimedia-chapters-rejected-as-permanent-observers-to-wipo/ |access-date=July 22, 2022 |website=Wikimedia Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref> China's position was supported by a number of other countries, including Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Algeria, Zimbabwe and Venezuela.<ref>WIPO: Webcast of July 15, 2022, proceedings, [https://webcast.wipo.int/home "Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO Sixty-Third Series of Meetings - A 63 Day 2 Afternoon"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722065956/https://webcast.wipo.int/home |date=July 22, 2022 }}, 6. Admission of Observers</ref>

=== Spending and fundraising practices ===
In 2014, Jimmy Wales was confronted with allegations that WMF had "a miserable cost/benefit ratio and for years now has spent millions on software development without producing anything that actually works". He acknowledged that he had "been frustrated as well about the endless controversies about the rollout of inadequate software not developed with sufficient community consultation and without proper incremental rollout to catch show-stopping bugs".<ref>{{cite web |title=User talk:Jimbo Wales |date=2014-08-29 |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Jimbo_Wales&oldid=623290239 |website=Wikipedia |language=en |access-date=2022-12-03}}</ref>

During the 2015 fundraising campaign, members of the community voiced their concerns about the fundraising banners. They argued that they were obtrusive and could deceive potential donors by giving the impression that Wikipedia had immediate financial problems, which was not true. The Wikimedia Foundation vowed to improve wording on further fundraising campaigns to avoid these issues.<ref>{{cite news |first=Caitlin |last=Dewey |title=Wikipedia has a ton of money. So why is it begging you to donate yours? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/12/02/wikipedia-has-a-ton-of-money-so-why-is-it-begging-you-to-donate-yours/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 2, 2015 |access-date=July 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710021353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/12/02/wikipedia-has-a-ton-of-money-so-why-is-it-begging-you-to-donate-yours/ |archive-date=July 10, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite this, the foundation has continued to come under criticism for running campaigns seemingly designed to "make its readers feel guilty." Such campaigns have additionally been condemned for, in 2021, being run in countries that had been badly affected by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], such as [[Argentina]] and [[Brazil]],<ref name="Kolbe-2021">{{Cite web |last=Kolbe |first=Andreas |date=2021-05-24 |title=Wikipedia is swimming in money—why is it begging people to donate? |url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/wikipedia-endownemnt-fundraising/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=The Daily Dot |language=en-US}}</ref> as well as for sparking fears in [[India]] that Wikipedia might be "dying".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is Wikipedia dying? The online encyclopedia seeks donation from users |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/technology/is-wikipedia-dying-the-online-encyclopedia-seeks-donation-from-users |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Free Press Journal |language=en}}</ref> This is despite the foundation being in ownership of "vast money reserves", in 2021 reaching its 10-year goal of compiling a $100&nbsp;million endowment fund in only 5 years.<ref name="Kolbe-2021" />

In February 2017, an op-ed published by ''[[The Signpost]]'', the [[English Wikipedia]]'s online newspaper, titled "Wikipedia has Cancer",<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2017-02-27/Op-ed&oldid=1026368793 |title=Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2017-02-27/Op-ed |date=June 1, 2021 |via=Wikipedia |access-date=February 18, 2022 |archive-date=February 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218014903/https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3AWikipedia_Signpost%2F2017-02-27%2FOp-ed&oldid=1026368793 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Guy |last=Macon |title=Wikipedia has cancer |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Guy_Macon/Wikipedia_has_Cancer |access-date=October 14, 2019 |archive-date=November 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120164416/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Guy_Macon/Wikipedia_has_Cancer |url-status=live}}</ref> produced a debate in both the Wikipedian community and the wider public. The author criticized the Wikimedia Foundation for its ever-increasing annual spending, which, he argued, could put the project at financial risk should an unexpected event happen. The author proposed to cap spending, build up the endowment, and restructure the endowment so that WMF cannot dip into the principal when times get bad.<ref>{{cite web |author-first2=Joon Ian |author-last2=Wong |author-first1=Joshua |author-last1=Wong |title=Reddit is going nuts over Wikipedia's spending, but it's doing far better than its competitors |url=https://qz.com/978416/reddit-is-going-nuts-over-a-post-named-wikipedia-has-cancer/ |work=[[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]] |date=May 8, 2017 |access-date=July 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709215712/https://qz.com/978416/reddit-is-going-nuts-over-a-post-named-wikipedia-has-cancer/ |archive-date=July 9, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

As of June 2022, the WMF reported $239 million in net assets. It is expected to raise $174 million in revenue in the 2023.<ref name="Orlowski-2023">{{Cite news |last=Orlowski |first=Andrew |date=2023-08-28 |title=Wikipedia should focus on content creation – not social justice campaigns |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/08/28/wikipedia-donations-contributors-social-justice-charities/ |access-date=2023-09-27 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> Despite expenses on the foundation staff's salaries, there's a significant surplus left. To manage these funds, the WMF has created an endowment composed of investments and cash. This is managed not by the WMF but by the Tides Foundation.<ref name="Orlowski-2023" />

The endowment aims to grow this capital to $130.4 million in the next fiscal year. However, there has been controversy over the administration of the funds. While the Tides Foundation has promised to become a more transparent ''[[501(c)(3) organization|501(c)(3)]]'' organization to reveal how it manages funds, details on expenses and salaries are still lacking seven years later. Additionally, the WMF's salary costs have risen from $7 million in 2010/11 to $88 million in 2021/22.<ref name="Orlowski-2023" />

=== Knowledge Engine project ===
{{Main|Knowledge Engine (search engine)}}

Knowledge Engine was a [[search engine]] project initiated in 2015 by WMF to locate and display verifiable and trustworthy information on the Internet.<ref name="Koebler-2016">{{cite news |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/wikipedias-secret-google-competitor-search-engine-is-tearing-it-apart/ |title=The Secret Search Engine Tearing Wikipedia Apart |last=Koebler |first=Jason |date=February 16, 2016 |work=[[Vice.com|Vice]] |access-date=July 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709215630/https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/8q8gvg/wikipedias-secret-google-competitor-search-engine-is-tearing-it-apart |archive-date=July 9, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> The KE's goal was to be less reliant on traditional search engines. It was funded with a $250,000 grant from the [[John S. and James L. Knight Foundation|Knight Foundation]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://searchengineland.com/wikimedia-foundation-secures-250000-grant-for-search-engine-development-242544 |title=Wikimedia Foundation Secures $250,000 Grant For Search Engine Development |last=McGee |first=Matt |date=February 15, 2016 |work=[[Search Engine Land]] |access-date=July 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160523004937/https://searchengineland.com/wikimedia-foundation-secures-250000-grant-for-search-engine-development-242544 |archive-date=May 23, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Some perceived the project as a scandal, mainly because it was conceived in secrecy, and the project proposal was even a surprise to some staff, in contrast with a general culture of transparency in the organization and on the projects. Some of the information available to the community was received through leaked documents published by ''[[The Signpost]]'' in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |first=Andreas |last=Kolbe |title=An in-depth look at the newly revealed documents |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2016-02-10/In_focus |work=[[The Signpost]] |date=February 10, 2016 |access-date=July 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901083007/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2016-02-10/In_focus |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Koebler-2016"/> Following this dispute, Executive Director [[Lila Tretikov]] resigned.<ref>{{cite web |first=Ashley |last=Allen |title=Wikimedia Director Resigns Following Internal Row Over Search Engine Plans |url=https://www.eteknix.com/wikimedia-director-resigns-following-internal-row-search-engine-plans/ |work=eteknix |access-date=July 9, 2018 |date=February 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710010458/https://www.eteknix.com/wikimedia-director-resigns-following-internal-row-search-engine-plans/ |archive-date=July 10, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/26/wikimedia-head-lila-tretikov-resigns-search-engine-plans |title=Head of Wikimedia resigns over search engine plans |last=Hern |first=Alex |date=February 26, 2016 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=December 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328201350/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/26/wikimedia-head-lila-tretikov-resigns-search-engine-plans |archive-date=March 28, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/wikipedia-streit-um-knowledge-engine-lila-tretikov-tritt-zurueck-a-1079448.html |title=Online-Enzyklopädie: Chefin der Wikipedia-Stiftung tritt zurück |date=February 26, 2016 |work=[[Spiegel Online]] |access-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305100002/https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/wikipedia-streit-um-knowledge-engine-lila-tretikov-tritt-zurueck-a-1079448.html |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Security incident===
On March 5, 2025, a malicious JavaScript worm resulted in some administrative accounts vandalizing and deleting Meta-Wiki pages for about 23 minutes. The incident put the wikis on read-only lockdown.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Abrams |first1=Lawrence |title=Wikipedia hit by self-propagating JavaScript worm that vandalized pages |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/wikipedia-hit-by-self-propagating-javascript-worm-that-vandalized-pages |website=BleepingComputer |access-date=13 March 2026 |language=en-us}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{meta|Wikimedia Foundation/Chief Executive Officer/History}}
{{sister project links|Wikimedia|d=Q180|collapsible=true}}
* [https://wikimediafoundation.org/ Official website (wikimediafoundation.org)]
* [https://www.wikimedia.org/ Wikimedia site navigation (wikimedia.org)]

===Organization===
* [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2022-2023/draft Wikimedia Foundation 2022–23 Annual Plan (draft)]
* [https://wikimediafoundation.org/about/annual-reports/ Wikimedia Foundation annual reports]
* [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:Bylaws Wikimedia Foundation bylaws]
* Wikimedia Foundation social media profiles: [https://twitter.com/Wikimedia Twitter], [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK_cUZLMpibyRiIdp0uF-lQ YouTube]

===Financials===
* [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AWikimedia_Foundation_FY2020-2021_Audit_Report.pdf&page=5 Wikimedia Foundation's 2020/2021 audited financial statements]{{Update inline|date=October 2024}}
* {{ProPublicaNonprofitExplorer|200049703}}

=== Charity status ===
* [https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/200049703 Wikimedia Foundation] profile at [[Charity Navigator]], charitynavigator.org

===Community===
* [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/ Wikimedia mailing list archives]
* [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Global community site for the Wikimedia Foundation's projects] (meta.wikimedia.org)
* [https://wikiworkersunited.org/ Wiki Workers United], a global union for Wikimedia Foundation staff

{{Wikimedia Foundation}}
{{Wikipedia}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Wikimedia Foundation| ]]
[[Category:2003 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 2003]]
[[Category:501(c)(3) organizations]]
[[Category:Charities based in California]]
[[Category:Educational foundations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Foundations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Free software project foundations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Online nonprofit organizations]]
[[Category:Wiki communities]]
[[Category:Jimmy Wales]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]