Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2018-20/2019 Community Conversations/Strategy Salons/Announcement

Overview

To support these events, the Wikimedia Foundation will award grants between $500-$1500 to each selected applicant. Organizations who receive strategy salon grants will be expected to document and publish the results of their event through a simple report form and through photography or video.

Expenses for strategy salons may include items such as food, event space rental, audio/visual support, and local transportation for nearby community members. Costs outside of this list will be considered, pending on their rationale and added value. Regardless of when salons take place, all funds will be disbursed by the Wikimedia Foundation in the month of June 2019.

Selection will by based on a broad set of criteria, including quality of rationale, alignment of budget with event objective, and intended audience. While applicants are not expected to have every detail in place at the time of their application, it is expected that they have put thought into the design - both in terms of goals, logistics, and in what will take place during the event.

Youth Salons

In addition to the main funding pool for Strategy Salons, the Foundation will fund up to 10 Youth Strategy Salons. Youth Strategy Salons are an opportunity for affiliates to connect with youth in their local area for consultations about the future of the Wikimedia movement. Like the Strategy Salons, these salons will be in-person gatherings that take place between June and September 2019, and will be covered for costs between $500-$1500.

Unlike the Strategy Salons, the target audience for these events is youth, both males and females, in the same city or local area as the affiliate base. The purpose of these events is to allow the stakeholders of our future - the youth of today - a chance to express their needs and views about the future of free knowledge, and what it looks like to them for Wikimedia to become the essential infrastructure of the ecosystem of free knowledge in a way that is open to their participation and benefit.

All Wikimedia affiliates may apply and be granted funding for both a "regular" strategy salon and one that targets youth. Affiliates are encouraged to apply in partnership with a local youth-focused group, such as a school, government office, or youth club. Funding selections will be based on receiving order of the applications, as well as criteria around around rationale, clarity of plan, geographic and linguistic diversity, target participants, plan for the inclusion of female youth, and quality of local partner.

Application

The application for strategy salons can be completed here. If you have difficulty using Google Forms, you may also download and complete a PDF version here.
For affiliates interested in hosting youth salons, the application can be completed here and is also available in PDF format here.

Key Dates & Deadlines

May 31st, 2019 - Application deadline.
June 14th, 2019 - All application decisions have been announced and advanced.
June 30th, 2019 - All funds for salon events have been disbursed.
Sept 15th, 2019 - All strategy salons have taken place.
Sept 30th, 2019 - All strategy salon reporting completed.

The review of applications, signing of contracts, and disbursement of funds will continue on a rolling basis over the months of May and June and will be completed by the dates stated above. Strategy salons can take place any time beginning June 1st, but will need to wrap up by mid September to leave time to finish reporting by the end of the month.

Information Sessions

To learn more about strategy salons or to ask questions to assist with your application, please join one of our weekly information sessions at the times and days listed below. Information sessions will take place over Zoom, which requires the creation of a free account in advance.

May 8, 6pm UTC
May 15, 12pm UTC
May 22, 6pm UTC
May 29, 12pm UTC

You are also welcome to reach out directly to Kelsi Stine-Rowe (kstinerowewikimedia.org), who is designing and managing this process, with further questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I apply, what is my commitment?

Funded applicants will be responsible for all the on the ground logistics and event management, including securing food and venue and inviting participants. They are also responsible for event design (what topics you will discuss, how you will structure the discussion), and can consult with Kelsi to refine their ideas. Finally, they are responsible for sharing what was learned and discussed at the salon with the wider Wikimedia community in the form of a short 1-2 page summary report.

Who should I invite?

Strategy salons are for members of your affiliate community. Keep in mind that smaller groups tend to have more rich and focused conversations; in most cases, it would be wise to limit your participants to around 15 people or otherwise organize to break into small groups.

How do I choose a topic?

We recommend choosing one thematic area for your strategy salon; two at most if you see a specific need. Consider what strategy topics you have already discussed in your group, and if you would like to re-visit a topic from the past in greater depth or if you would like to choose something new. You may also wish to consult the attendees to see what they’d like to talk about. Either way, plan in advance what thematic topic and questions you will discuss and share this choice with participants so that they have time to prepare their thoughts before you meet.

How will I share what I learn?

Affiliates will be asked to complete a short one or two page report summarizing the key points from your discussion and recording the event. These, and any photography or video content you share, will be posted on Meta-Wiki.

We also strongly encourage you to think about how to share the results of the event with your affiliate community, whether via email, a short summary, or by planning your next strategy discussion to build on the salon.

How should I structure my conversations?

A single roundtable style event works well for groups of up to 15 people; for any more, you may wish to break into 2-3 smaller groups, with each group given a clear prompt and a time frame in which to hold their discussion and report back to the larger group.

You may also want to think about how participants share their ideas. Will everyone speak verbally and one person record notes on a white board or poster paper? Should participants write their ideas on sticky notes, pass them around at random, and discuss various topics with their neighbors? There are lots of ways to ensure that each person has the right opportunity to share what they think and listen to others. Feel free to attend one of our office hours or to email kstinerowewikimedia.org for help identifying the right plan for your event.

Can I invite local partners to join?

For Youth Strategy Salons - absolutely, and a strong local partner is an important component of your application. The “regular” Strategy Salons, however, are intended to be primarily internal events focused on the members of your affiliate community. The reason for this is that our affiliate members are among the key stakeholders who will be affected by structural changes in our movement, though we hope that the concept of “affiliate members” is interpreted broadly in order to invite individuals who may not be the most frequent participants in the other events you host. Partners can be invited to participate, though should not be the central driver of the conversation; we’re open to hearing what configuration would be most meaningful in your local setting. We also encourage you to collaborate with partners for finding free event space.

How long should my event be?

Most salons should take 2-4 hours once participants arrive. We assume that most will be conversations over dinner, but that this format may vary.

Can I make changes to my application after I submit?

Yes. When you submit your application, choose the option to send yourself a copy, and there should be a link to change your submission in the email confirmation.

Can I host multiple salons?

All affiliates are welcome to apply and receive funding for both a “regular” strategy salon and a youth strategy salon. Affiliates may also apply to host multiple “regular” salons if they are targeting different constituencies that do not have their own organized structure - such as minority language groups within one geographic region. In almost all cases, however, affiliates will receive funding for no more than one “regular” strategy salon until all other competitive applicants have received funding for at least one event.

What will happen with the results?

At the end of each month, the 1-2 page reports from salons completed within that month will be included in the Community Conversation summary report sent to Working Groups. You are also encouraged to take your feedback directly to Working Group members in addition to this.