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Wikimedia Europe/Fundraising support for members

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At Wikimedia Europe, we help our members across more than 20 countries in navigating and leveraging new funding opportunities. As a Wikimedia Europe member, you can receive practical, strategic guidance tailored to the needs of your organisation.

What We Offer

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1. Receive expert advice on EU Funding as EU and non-EU member

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Your objective How you can benefit What is the result
Familiarise yourself with EU Funding Get a clear overview of how EU funding works, including funding programs, types of funding, key themes, and eligibility criteria for organisations, activities, and expenses. This also applies to non-EU organisations that may qualify for EU partnership opportunities. You will be able assess whether EU funding is a suitable option for you and identify the EU programmes that best match your funding needs.
Understand capacity requirements Learn about the time, money, and people usually required to apply for funding through an EU call for proposals. You will be able to evaluate whether you have everything in place to develop, manage or join an EU proposal, or understand what additional resources you need to make it possible.
Find the right partners Understand which are the partners’ profiles required in a specific EU call for proposals. In some cases, you can get connected to other Wikimedia organisations or third parties aligned with the funding requirements and your strategic goals. You will strategically choose your partners in EU calls for proposals and increase your chances to receive EU funding for the work you want to do.
Build a winning funding strategy Gain strategic guidance on how to use EU funds to best match and advance your organisation’s goals. You will save your time and efforts to focus on opportunities that really contribute to the long-term sustainability of your organisation.
Master proposal development Get a clear understanding of how to build the frameworks required by the EU funding agencies, such as the logical framework or theory of change. You will learn the methodology required by the EC that will help you create more and different proposals
Stay updated on funding opportunities Receive curated information on relevant EU funding calls. You will not miss out on funding opportunities for the Wikimedia movement.
Possibility to obtain letters of support If your project aligns with Wikimedia Europe’s core work on public policy and advocacy in key focus areas, you could receive a letter of support to be annexed to your project. You will have the opportunity to enhance the effectiveness of your proposal from the evaluators’ point of view.

2. Consult with Us on Additional Funding Sources

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Your objective How you can benefit What is the result
Consultation on national and regional funding sources Gain practical insights on how to approach national and regional funding, as well as general tips on where and how to seek funding opportunities, including from foundations. You will be better prepared to get more diverse funding in your local context and scale.

3. Receive Recommendations for External Service Providers

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Your objective How you can benefit What is the result
Opportunity to connect to specialised fundraising services Receive recommendations for specialised proposal development, application management, and project administration services. Relying on consultants can be a strategic choice to allow you to focus on the aspects of the proposal that require your attention, and their specialised competencies can increase your chances of receiving funding. You will save time and resources to look for trusted consultants.

Important to know before you start

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1- Tailored support

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We are dedicated to empowering our members to independently pursue funding opportunities because we value their long-term sustainability. That is why we focus on equipping you with tools and insights to build your fundraising capacity, rather than offering ready-made, one-fits-all solutions.

We understand that each member has unique needs, interests, and expectations shaped by their specific context. Whenever possible, the tools and insights we provide are tailored to the unique characteristics of your organisation.

To explore your specific needs, interests, and expectations, feel free to connect with Valentina Calcagno at valentina.calcagno@wikimedia-europe.eu. We would be happy to discuss how we can best support you.

2- National and Regional Contexts

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We may not be fully familiar with the specific national or regional contexts of all our EU and non-EU members. Our guidance is based on our current knowledge, the principles we typically follow in fundraising, and international best practices in the field.

We encourage members to share local insights and complement our advice with expertise tailored to the unique regulatory, legal, and funding environments in their countries and regions. This collaborative approach enables us to provide you with more informed and effective support to you and other Wikimedians in your region.

3- What we do not provide

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As we are in the process of developing member support in fundraising, we need to apply our limited capacity in a way that promotes impact, fairness, and equity of access to our support among members.

To ensure that, we are currently unable to provide the following services:

  • Full proposal development support: this includes proposal writing, proofreading, editing, or co-writing, as well as coordinating workflows, or overseeing partnership management.
  • Fiscal sponsorship of projects.
  • Lead and partner roles in projects that are not directly related to public policy and advocacy within our strategic priorities.