Grants:Agreements
Purpose and background
[edit]If you receive a grant from Wikimedia Foundation, you or someone from your group or organization will need to sign an agreement with Wikimedia Foundation about how you and Wikimedia Foundation will work together on your grant.
Wikimedia Foundation uses a number of different agreements to meet the specific needs of different projects and grantees. These agreements are intended for international use and are not country-specific. Even grantees in the same program or grantees of the same type (groups, organizations, individuals) may need different types of agreements specific to their situations. We have provided some general information here about the types of grant agreements we use, but your grants administrator will choose the appropriate agreement for you and your project if you do receive a grant from Wikimedia Foundation.
In general, each agreement will address the following:
- Your responsibilities for reporting and record-keeping around this grant.
- When to notify WMF of changes affecting you or your grant.
- Requirements for compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
- How and when you can receive grant funds.
- How you can use the grant funds, and what you can and can't use them for.
We encourage you to review the text of your grant agreement carefully once you receive it, and to ask the Grant Administrators if you have any questions before you sign.
Table summary of the grant agreements
[edit]This summary is not a legal document, and you will need to consult the terms of your own grant agreement to understand the requirements there.
| Topic addressed | Rapid Fund agreement | Conference Fund agreement | General Support Fund agreement for organizations | Alliances Fund agreement for organizations | Fiscal sponsorship agreement |
| Agreement used by | Individuals, Organizations, Groups | Organizations, Groups | Organizations | Organizations | Organizations |
| Agreement used for | Rapid grants | Conference grants | General support grants | Project related activities | Fiscal sponsorships |
| Final report required | Within 30 days of end of grant term | As instructed by WMF | Within 30 days of end of grant term | Within 30 days of end of grant term | Within 90 days of end of grant term |
| Interim reports required | As required by WMF | As required by WMF | 1 midterm report and as required by WMF | 1 midterm report and as required by WMF | As required by WMF |
| Financial/expense report required | Within 30 days of end of grant term | As instructed by WMF | Within 30 days of end of grant term | Within 30 days of end of grant term | No |
| Funds for charitable or educational purposes |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Use of grant funds for lobbying permitted | No | No | No | No | No |
| Purpose of grant funds | As outlined in Appendix | As outlined in Appendix | As outlined in Appendix | As outlined in Appendix | As outlined in Appendix |
| Re-granting permitted | Yes, under conditions specified in Appendix | Yes, under conditions specified in Appendix | Yes, under conditions specified in Appendix | Yes, under conditions specified in Appendix | Only to grantee |
| Separate bookkeeping required | As required by WMF | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account required | As required by WMF (for groups) | As required by WMF (for groups) | No | No | No |
| Remaining funds | Return within 30 days of grant term | Return within 30 days of grant term or as instructed by WMF | Return within 30 days of grant term or as instructed by WMF | Return within 30 days of grant term or as instructed by WMF | Return within 30 - 60 days of grant term or as instructed by WMF |
| Maintain financial records and receipts | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years |
| Changes to project budget | Notify WMF of variations of more than 20%, or as instructed | Notify WMF of variations of more than 20%, or as instructed | Explanation all variances in progress report, or as instructed by WMF | Explanation all variances in progress report, or as instructed by WMF | Notify WMF of variations of more than 20%, or as instructed |
| Conflicts of interest | Notify grants administrator | Notify grants administrator | Notify WMF; Maintain policy | Notify WMF; Maintain policy | Notify program officer or grants administrator |
| Changes to leadership (board, staff, key personnel) |
Organizations, notify WMF | Notify WMF | Notify WMF | Notify WMF | Notify WMF |
| Changes to access to grant funds | Notify WMF | Notify WMF | Notify WMF | Notify WMF | Notify WMF |
| Potential or actual legal or regulatory actions related to the grant | Notify WMF | Notify WMF | Notify WMF | Notify WMF | Notify WMF |
| Potential or actual legal or regulatory actions related to the grantee | Notify WMF | Notify WMF | Notify WMF | Notify WMF | Notify WMF |
| Payment schedule | As instructed by WMF | 1 installment or as instructed by WMF | 1 installment or as instructed by WMF | 2 installments or as instructed by WMF | As instructed by WMF |
Links to example grant agreements
[edit]- Grants:Conference/Example agreements
- Grants:Project/Rapid/Example agreements
Grants:APG/Example agreement- grant program ended 30 June 2021Grants:Project/Example agreements- grant program ended 30 June 2021