Grants:Project/Plan/Getting started
Welcome, new grantees! Please read everything below to learn how to launch your project, learn how payments work, become familiar with your reporting responsibilities, and what to do if you need more time. Please review the program rules. Then follow the instructions to get your project started!
- Step 1 - Grant agreement
Before the grant can be approved, grantees must confirm the terms of the grant and provide their full legal name, address and date of birth for everyone listed on the bank account to which the grant will be disbursed. A request for this information will be emailed to you by WMF staff.
- Step 2 - Project page setup
Your grant proposal will now become a living plan for your project. Staff will update your proposal page with navigation to additional pages you'll need for documenting your project once it begins. Please visit your proposal and use the buttons to create all of your project pages. You should keep these pages up-to-date as much as possible as your project progresses. This documentation will help everyone to share in your progress and experiences over the course of the grant.
The total amount of your approved budget is listed in your grant agreement, and the approved use of funds for each line-item is detailed on your project finances page. We know that some details and expenses may change as your project progresses. That is ok, as long as you keep us updated and request approval for significant changes during the grant period, as follows:
- Please use the button provided on your project finances page to request approval for any changes to the planned use of funds as your project progresses. Staff will reply there to confirm approval or request additional information.
- Approval is required to make changes to any budget line-item with a variance greater than 20% for budgets of up to US$15,000, and 10% for budgets more than US$15,000 (or the equivalents in foreign currency).
Grant disbursements are made to the grantee’s account using a payment processing service or wire transfer as agreed upon in the grant agreement. Disbursements can take up to 30 days to be received. Remember that you are responsible for any tax associated with your receipt of the grant funds in your country.
Your disbursement will come in 2 equal installments:
- After you sign and return the grant agreement.
- After your midpoint report is received and approved.
Grantees are responsible for tracking and documenting use of grant funds as follows:
- Receipts or other documentation must be kept by the grantee for reporting and review purposes, and grantees should follow WMF Grants guidelines for documenting project expenses.
- Copies of receipts and documentation should be scanned and emailed to projectgrants
wikimedia.org when the project report is submitted to Meta-Wiki. - Any funds that are not used in agreement with the approved budget must be returned to WMF along with the final grant report, within 30 days after the end of the grant. Grantees should follow the WMF Grants program instructions for returning funds.
Our focus with reporting is to share lessons and insights gained from the project and to measure impact. Lessons learned through these reports will be used to share best practices with the broader Wikimedia community. Reports must be published on Meta-Wiki as part of the grantee's project pages. They will be reviewed by Project Grants staff within 30 days of submission, and may be commented on by staff, committee members, and the community. To be accepted, reports must be complete and accurate.
A brief project update is requested each month to share your progress and lessons learned along the way. These updates should be created and linked from your project's progress page on Meta-Wiki at the end of each month.
The format these updates take is up to you. Aim for something suited to your project that you’ll enjoy doing!
Monthly update formats:
- on-wiki newsletter or journal
- blog post
- YouTube video
- podcast
- annotated product demos
- suggest something else, we're likely to approve it as long as it shares what you're doing or learning along the way!
The Head of Individual Engagement Grants will schedule a monthly check-in with each project team, to assess and support needs as a project progresses.
A midpoint report demonstrating progress and lessons learned thus far must be submitted on Meta-Wiki. This report is is due within 15 days after three months of the grant's start date.
To create your midpoint report, use the "Start your Midpoint" button from your project page.
A final report on the project’s outcomes, lessons, and impact assessment as measured against the project's targets and goals, must be submitted on Meta-Wiki. This report is is due within 30 days after the grant's end date.
To create your final report, use the "Start your Final" button from your project page.
Grantees are encouraged to attend Wikimania or other movement gatherings to present findings to the community, in addition to providing the above written documentation.
To help the WMF learn about and improve its grantmaking programs, grantees are asked to complete occasional surveys during and after the grant period and to participate in longer-term follow-up interviews.
We know that occasionally something happens and more time may be needed to complete your project than expected. That is ok, as long as you keep us updated and request approval for significant changes.
If your final report is due but you need more time, please use the button provided on your timeline page to request an extension. Staff will reply there to confirm approval or request additional information.
Projects that demonstrate strong potential for impact and need for further funding may be considered for a renewal grant of six additional months.
- If you see need for continued funding, discuss this with the your program officer or other advisors during project check-ins.
- In the final grant report, you'll find a button to submit a renewal request. This should be created as soon after you submit the final report as possible.
- Renewals should include a plan for the second six months, with clear scope, budget, and measures of success.
- Staff will reply on the renewal request to confirm approval or request additional information.