Grants talk:TPS/mlynch345/ARLiS/NA + VRA Joint Conference 2016

Request for clarification

Hello @Mlynch345: Thank you for this submission, and congratulations on being invited to speak and hold a workshop! Will you be attending as a representative for the museum? The committee would like some clarity on whether your participation at this conference may be considered too close to your paid work. Our grant program is designed to support volunteer participation, so participation tied to paid work is not eligible. Looking forward to hearing from you. -- Best, Jtud (WMF) (talk) 22:21, 3 September 2015 (UTC)

Hi @Jtud (WMF):. Yes, I will be attending as a representative of the museum. I'm an associate manager at the Guggenheim focusing mainly on our international projects. I was not hired to work on Guggenheim-related articles to Wikipedia however, I saw an opportunity to contribute to this space while enhancing our educational offerings to the public. Wikipedia was never at the forefront of the museum's priorities until I stepped into my role in 2012. Since early 2013, the Guggenheim Wikipedia Initiative has become institution-wide effort gaining more and more momentum each year. Do let me know if there is more I can provide. Warmly, Mlynch345 (talk) 15:38, 8 September 2015 (UTC)

Hi @Mlynch345: thank you for your explanation. We are excited about your initiative with this program and are supportive of your work. We think it’s a great collaborative effort. However, our grant program is only designed to support volunteer contributions and it sounds like your participation is tied to your paid work, making your request ineligible. If it is the case that you will be attending the conference as a volunteer for the Wikimedia movement, please clarify that explicitly. Otherwise, unfortunately, we cannot fund your request, though we heartily appreciate your efforts. -- Best, Jtud (WMF) (talk) 16:22, 9 September 2015 (UTC)

Hi@Jtud (WMF): and @Mlynch345: please see my endorsement for clarification. While Mikayla's working on Wikipedia projects within the Guggenheim, she is attending the conference without their support, so as a volunteer. Many thanks for considering this travel grant!

Request funded

Dear @Mlynch345:

Given the clarification about your volunteer status provided by Siankevans, the Participation Support Committee is glad to have the opportunity to fund your important work with the Guggenheim Wikipedia Initiative. We appreciate the role you've played in creating this initiative and we're glad you will be sharing it at the NA + VRA Joint Conference. We are looking forward to hearing about the results!

Thanks again for your engagement and we look forward to working with you over the course of your grant.

Best regards, --Marti (WMF) (talk) 16:47, 16 September 2015 (UTC)