Global Resource Distribution Committee/Creation of the interim GRDC/Candidates/Mervat

Mervat (Mervat)

Preferred name	Mervat
Language capabilities (native or professional / advanced / basic)	Arabic (native); English (professional); Spanish (basic)
Region and country you identify with	MENA
Interim GRDC seats you are running for and why (regional volunteer/thematic volunteer)	Middle East and North Africa; This is the region where I am most active, both online and offline. It is primarily associated with Arabic Wiki projects, where I serve and volunteer. By nominating myself, I aim to continue representing my region and home wiki across various aspects of the movement.
Do you have any topic or area of specialization within the Wikimedia movement? (max 1000 characters)	I do not specialize in a specific area within the movement, but I have been actively volunteering in various projects and roles for over a decade. Currently, I serve as a member of the Wikimania Scholarships Committee, the Elections Committee, and the Conference Grants Committee. I have also worked with the Movement Strategy and Governance Team, the UCoC Drafting and Enforcement Teams, and the Translation Team, and I volunteered with the Movement Strategy Team (Community Health Committee). Additionally, I am currently a Wikimedian in Residence (WiR). I remain an active administrator, bureaucrat, and editor, with over 220,000 global edits. I co-founded the Wikimedians of the Levant User Group and led it for several years, initiating, leading, and managing multiple projects and initiatives—both online and offline—at local, regional, and global levels. Recently, I established a new group, 'Wiki for She,' which aims to empower women by providing them with essential life and personal skills.
Have you ever held any role or position, either current or past, in the Wikimedia movement? (max 1000 characters)	I am currently a member of the Wikimania scholarships committee, a member of the elections committee, a member of the conference grants committee; worked (contractor) with the movement strategy and governance team, with the UCoC drafting and enforcement teams, translation team, and volunteered with the movement strategy team (community health committee)
Why are you interested in the interim GRDC and what can you contribute? (max 1000 characters)	I am interested in joining the interim GRDC because I believe in fostering equitable and strategic resource distribution within the Wikimedia movement. Having been an active Wikimedian for over a decade, I have firsthand experience with how funding can empower communities and drive impactful initiatives. My involvement in the different projects and committess has given me insight into the challenges and needs of grant applicants, as well as the importance of transparent and inclusive funding processes. By joining the GRDC, I aim to contribute my experience in community engagement, governance, and equitable resource distribution to help shape a fair and impactful grant-making process that supports Wikimedia’s diverse communities.
Please share any volunteering or professional experience relevant for the interim GRDC (role, organization, years) (max 1000 characters)	As a former director of the Wikimedians of the Levant User Group, I was responsible for managing the group's annual grant, including overseeing micro-grants requested by members to support various projects and initiatives. Additionally, I served as the manager of the Wiki Arabia 2016 conference, where I handled budget management and ensured the efficient allocation of funds for the entire event. Since 2016, I have been a member of the Conference Grants Committee, where I actively evaluate funding requests for Wikimedia conferences. This role involves assessing proposed budgets, advising on reasonable expenses, and ensuring alignment with grant guidelines. Outside the Wikimedia movement, my professional experience has not been primarily focused on fund management, though I have had relevant responsibilities as a project manager.
Describe your skills and experience relevant to the interim GRDC (max 1500 characters)	* Grant and Fund Management: Managed the annual grant of the Wikimedians of the Levant UG, including overseeing micro-grants for community projects. Led the financial management of Wiki Arabia 2016, ensuring efficient allocation of resources. Committee and Evaluation Experience: Conference Grants Committee member (since 2016) – evaluates funding requests, reviews budgets, and advises on reasonable expenses. Wikimania Scholarships Committee – contributes to decision-making and fair distribution of scholarships. Governance and Strategic Planning Former director of Wikimedians of the Levant UG, responsible for planning, budgeting, and managing community initiatives. Collaborated with the MSG team to review and follow up on movement strategy grant requests from community members. Project and Event Management Led and managed local, regional, and global initiatives, both online and offline. Experience as a project manager, handling logistics, coordination, and limited financial oversight outside Wikimedia. My work with the WMF UCoC and MSG teams has strengthened my reporting skills, my ability to incorporate community feedback—both from my local community and the global Wikimedia community, including most chapters and user groups—my facilitation skills, and my capacity to work efficiently with diverse global teams and leadership.
Describe your understanding of the Wikimedia Movement's current resource distribution process. (max 1500 characters)	It is promising that the Foundation has begun planning to establish solid and effective rules for resource distribution within the movement. With the increasing diversity of financial grants—each taking different forms and being distributed in various ways—some may successfully achieve their goals, while others may fall short. The movement continues to grow year after year, partnerships are expanding, challenges are becoming more complex, and priorities shift annually in response to global directions that clearly impact Wikimedia projects. All of this calls for consensus among communities and stakeholders on how to manage and distribute the Foundation’s resources fairly, ensuring the inclusion of all communities and groups in carrying out initiatives that align with the movement’s vision and strategy.
How do you think the GRDC could improve the current situation and which priorities do you think it should have? (max 1500 characters)	The interim Global Resource Distribution Committee (GRDC) could significantly improve the current situation by addressing key areas that impact the equitable distribution of resources, ensuring the movement's growth and success on a global scale. Setting clear resource distribution policies, strategies, and standards, in order to ensure that resources are allocated based on the needs of the global movement, promoting fairness, inclusion, and accountability. This approach would help the movement focus on the right types of activities and entities, thus maximizing impact. Address Regional and Thematic Inequities: The GRDC can provide much-needed guidance on how funds should be distributed between regions, ensuring that historically underrepresented regions given adequate support. Establishing principles for regional and thematic funding allocations can help ensure that diverse regions and initiatives are not left behind in favor of more developed regions. Set Clear Goals and Metrics to help unify and streamline efforts, enabling effective resource distribution that meets tangible outcomes. Recommendation on Funding Structures: for example, evaluation of whether the current Regional Funds Committees need modification or if new thematic funds should be created; the GRDC can guide the evolution of funding structures in response to changing needs. The GRDC’s input can also inform decisions on the creation of specialized committees or revisiting existing ones for more flexibility.
By the end of the pilot in two years, what should the GRDC have accomplished and how should we measure its success? (max 1500 characters)	By the end of the pilot in two years, the interim Global Resource Distribution Committee (GRDC) should have established a comprehensive, transparent framework for resource allocation across the Wikimedia movement. Key accomplishments should include: Clear Resource Distribution Policies: The GRDC should set clear and fair policies that everyone can follow. These will help ensure that resources go where they are most needed and that everyone gets a fair share. Measure: We can look at how well these policies are adopted and whether people across the movement are following them. Better Allocation Framework: The GRDC should create a system for allocating resources to different regions and thematic areas. This system should help prioritize communities that have been left behind in the past. Measure: Success can be tracked by checking if underserved regions and groups are receiving more resources and seeing improvements in their participation Setting Movement-Wide Goals: The GRDC should help set clear goals for the movement, such as increasing content in certain regions or aligning projects with global education standards. Measure: We can track how much progress we’re making toward these goals by measuring things like content growth and how well projects align with these global goals. Coordination Across the Movement: The GRDC should make it easier for global teams to work together on resource distribution decisions. Measure: We can measure success by how much these global teams are collaborating, sharing goals, and working together on projects.