Template:Chapter or Thematic Org Application
Please mind the gap
This is an Application for Chapter or Thematic Organization Recognition (Need to link category once created)
General Instructions for the process are outlined for Chapters and Thematic Organizations. This is a template outlining each of the criteria for becoming a new chapter or thematic organization as outlined in the Affiliates portal. In the templated sections that follow please replace the italicized instructions with your evidence of meeting each of the criteria. Please remember to include descriptive text along with any links shared.
Applicant Background
[edit]History
[edit]TODO: Please provide a brief history of your group.
Leadership
[edit]TODO: Please provide a description of your group's leadership and governance, including the composition of any leadership bodies (such as a Board of Directors) and the process by which the members of these bodies are selected.
Key Programs and Activities
[edit]TODO: Please provide a brief summary of the key programs and activities carried out by your group, as well as any significant achievements during your time as a Wikimedia User Group.
Relationship with Other Groups
[edit]TODO: Please provide a description of your relationship, if any, with other affiliates or community groups, including any affiliates whose scope overlaps with your group.
Criteria for Recognition
[edit]Every organization that applies for recognition as a Wikimedia Chapter or Thematic Organisation must meet nine criteria:
- Diversity of Activities
- Planning and Evaluation
- External Partnerships
- Aligned Mission
- Geographic or Thematic Focus
- Legal Structure
- Open Governance
- Active Contributor Involvement
- Capacity
In evaluating an applicant against these criteria, the Affiliations Committee is required to confirm that the applicant organization has demonstrated the two-year record of programmatic activity required of all potential Wikimedia chapters by the Board of Trustees, as well as the capacity to successfully carry out programmatic activities and operate as an independent Wikimedia chapter in the future.
Diversity of Activities
[edit]An organization which applies for recognition as a Wikimedia Chapter or Thematic Organisation is required to plan and conduct a variety of different programs and events; to balance online and offline projects; to strive for continuous activity; and to conduct programs and events at least once every two months.
TODO: Please provide detailed information about your past, current, and future programs, including, at a minimum, descriptions of every major program that you've conducted or plan to conduct. The descriptions should contain enough information so that a reader can determine when and where the programs took place, who was involved in conducting them, and what type of activity was involved.
Planning and Evaluation
[edit]An organization which applies for recognition as a Wikimedia Chapter or Thematic Organisation is required to set specific goals and targets for programs, projects, and events before executing them; to measure the results of programs, projects, and events against those targets; and to report on those results to the Wikimedia Foundation and the wider Wikimedia movement.
TODO: Please provide detailed information about your planning and evaluation processes. The information should allow a reader to determine what types of planning and evaluation activities take place and who is responsible for them. For planning, it is helpful to include links to any annual or strategic plans you may have developed, as well as any project- or event-specific planning documents (such as grant proposals, budgets, and so forth). For evaluation, it is helpful to include information that describes how you measure the results of your programs, as well as examples of past measurements and results.
External Partnerships
[edit]An organization which applies for recognition as a Wikimedia Chapter or Thematic Organisation is required to engage in programmatic partnerships with external groups and organizations (for example, cultural, academic, or government institutions, and so on) to promote the Wikimedia movement and to add and improve content on Wikimedia projects.
TODO: Please provide detailed information about your past, present, and future partnerships, including, if possible, a complete list of external partners and information about the nature of your partnership with each.
Aligned Mission
[edit]An organization which applies for recognition as a Wikimedia Chapter or Thematic Organisation is required to have a mission similar to the mission and vision of the Wikimedia Foundation, and to adhere to the guiding principles of the Wikimedia Foundation and the Wikimedia movement.
TODO: Please provide links to a document or documents that set out your mission. For many organizations, this information is found in their bylaws, but you may have it in a different location, or may have additional documents relevant to this criterion.
Geographic Focus (Chapters) / Thematic Focus (Thematic Organizations)
[edit]An organization which applies for recognition as a Wikimedia Chapter must be based in a single country or region; cannot be based in a country or region where a chapter already exists; and is expected to focus its activities in that region.
An organization which applies for recognition as a Wikimedia Thematic Organisation must have a clearly defined cultural, linguistic, or thematic focus; and is expected to structure its activities around that focus.
TODO: Please provide links to a document or documents that set out your geographic or thematic focus or scope. For many organizations, this information is found in their bylaws, but you may have it in a different location, or may have additional documents relevant to this criterion.
Legal Structure
[edit]An organization which applies for recognition as a Wikimedia Chapter or Thematic Organisation is required to be a legally incorporated entity; to be a non-profit organization (or have an equivalent legal status in its home jurisdiction); to be legally independent from the Wikimedia Foundation; and to follow all applicable laws and regulations.
TODO: Please provide links to a document or documents that demonstrate your status as a legally incorporated, non-profit organization. This may take the form of a certificate of incorporation or a similar official document, or of an entry in an official government list or database of non-profit organizations.
Open Governance
[edit]An organization which applies for recognition as a Wikimedia Chapter or Thematic Organisation is required to operate under a set of governing documents (such as bylaws) which have been approved by the Affiliations Committee; to allow new members to join; and to have a governing body that is elected by and responsible to their members.
TODO: Please provide a link to your current bylaws, as well as any additional documents that demonstrate your governance activity, such as minutes of board or membership meetings.
Active Contributor Involvement
[edit]An organization which applies for recognition as a Wikimedia Chapter or Thematic Organisation is expected to involve at least 20 active Wikimedia contributors (individuals with at least 300 contributions to a Wikimedia project under a registered account that has existed for at least 6 months and is in good community standing).
TODO: Please provide a list of usernames for at least 20 Wikimedia contributors who are affiliated with your group and meet the above requirements. It is also helpful to include any information you might be able to share regarding the general demographics of your group (such as the percentage of Wikimedia contributors versus other individuals involved, the rate at which your group's membership has grown, and so forth).
Capacity
[edit]An organization which applies for recognition as a Wikimedia Chapter or Thematic Organisation is required to demonstrate capacity to meet future responsibilities and expectations (such as organizing programs and activities; recruiting volunteers and obtaining funding; maintaining compliance with legal obligations, chapter and grant agreements, and movement best practices; and so on).
TODO: Please provide any available information concerning your financial capacity (including, at a minimum, a financial statement that shows how much cash and any other assets you currently hold, as well as a budget for your current fiscal year) and your volunteer capacity (including, if possible, information about the number of volunteers who support your programs).
Rationale for Recognition
[edit]An organization which applies for recognition as a Wikimedia Chapter or Thematic Organisation is required to clearly articulate how recognition will enhance its ability to further the charitable mission of the Wikimedia Foundation and the global Wikimedia movement.
TODO: Please explain how recognition will benefit your organization. Recognition can affect an organization in many ways, such as enhancing its ability to build partnerships, attract funders and volunteers, plan and execute programs, and achieve measurable impact; your explanation should address these topics in your local legal, cultural, and organizational contexts.
Application Progress
[edit]| Stage | Status |
| In Planning - New Application | 
|
| In Progress - Bylaws Submitted | |
| In Progress - Bylaw Revisions & Application Completion | |
| In Progress - Committee Review | |
| In Progress - Recommendation Drafting | |
| In Progress - Recommendation Submitted | |
| Complete - Application process complete |