(Find the German version here.)

Summary

The present report contains the four goals which Wikimedia Deutschland has set itself for 2013. These goals will shape the work of the association, and apply to all projects and programs. In developing these goals, the primary concern was to strengthen the role of the communities, increase the diversity of knowledge in Wikimedia projects and firmly establish the concept of free knowledge in society.

To achieve the four goals the association has defined for 2013, Wikimedia Deutschland will make a series of changes which are detailed below. In brief, these are:

Goal 1: Wikimedia Deutschland will simplify and improve cooperation with and within the communities on a permanent basis.

To achieve this goal, the association will take action in three ways. We will:

Take a new and more active role in debates and support decision-making processes
Increase motivation within communities
Provide even better support for volunteers

Goal 2: Wikimedia Deutschland will increase the diversity of knowledge in Wikimedia projects

To achieve this goal, the association will take action in three ways. We will:

Provide attractive support mechanisms to encourage new Wikimedians to stay on board
Develop a concept to create more diversity in Wikipedia
Develop a range of offers that will encourage a wider variety of groups to participate

Goal 3: Wikimedia Deutschland will enable readers to bring their personal perspective into Wikimedia projects

Information about the interests of Wikimedia readers is not generally collected and available for reference. Wikimedia Deutschland now intends to ensure that reader interests are compiled and given due consideration in Wikimedia projects.

Goal 4: Wikimedia Deutschland will form new partnerships to establish the concept of free knowledge on a broader basis.

To achieve this goal, the association will take action in four ways. We will:

Link up players to make free knowledge a reality in the area of education
Use our political lobbies to make state-owned works freely accessible for use
Establish the preconditions to represent our interests at EU level
Continue our partnerships in the cultural sector and find new fields in which we can effectively demonstrate the benefits of free knowledge

Our departments in 2013

Individual measures to achieve the four goals will be planned in detail by the end of 2012. The following table presents an overview of our goals for 2013, the steps required to achieve them, and the departments of Wikimedia Deutschland that will be mainly responsible for their implementation.

	Goal 1: Working together	Goal 2: Diversity	Goal 3: Dialogues	Goal 4: Cooperations
Changes	New role of the association Volunteer Support	Offers of support for new Wikimedians Volunteer Support	Consideration of reader interests Volunteer Support	Linking up players Education & Knowledge
	Improve motivation in communities Volunteer Support	Diversity concept for Wikipedia Education & Knowledge		Liberate state-owned works Politics & Society
	Improve support for volunteers Volunteer Support	Offers to participate Education & Knowledge		Represent interests at EU level Politics & Society
				Continue and increase cooperations Politics & Society

Procedure

In a series of workshops lasting a total of three days, the full-time staff of Wikimedia Deutschland developed the key content of the 2013 Annual Plan. The workshop was directed by an external consultant, Dr. Dümchen from the company Denkmodell, who also made an important contribution to restructuring the Wikimedia offices in 2011. Further contributors in the elaboration of the 2013 Annual Plan and workshops were: Manuel Merz, impact evaluation expert and Sebastian Sooth, specialist for the working processes of the association.

Work on the 2013 Annual Plan began with a stock-take of what has been achieved in 2012 so far, in particular the question of whether and to what extent we have been succeeded in developing and applying measurable indicators and whether these proved to be suitable instruments for evaluating the impact of our work.

In the first workshop, the procedure and different target levels were discussed. The presentation of our key themes for 2013 served as the starting point for the discussions.

In a structured process, the departments focused on the themes described below. They identified the key factors influencing these areas of activity and the mechanisms that could promote the desired changes. They documented their ideas and findings in the form of comprehensive mind maps. In a second and final workshop, a two-day conclave, the departments developed the changes for 2013, through which to achieve our goals. Every department was responsible for defining its own aims, although these are not necessarily confined to that department. Many aims involve at least one or several other departments. The strength of the departmental structure developed last year is that the responsibilities are now clearly defined without weakening the spirit of cooperation that is so essential to our work.

The four departments are supported by four staff units (Communication, Evaluation, International Affairs, Monitoring & Controlling). Although the staff units do not have independent goals, they took part in this year’s planning process to define their roles within Wikimedia Deutschland and their contribution to our common mission. Just as the departments regularly define specific measures, projects and programs, the staff units, too, will define their respective contributions, milestones and reporting structures.

Key themes for 2013

On the basis of Kompass 2020 (Compass 2020) and continuing the mission of Wikimedia Deutschland, three key themes were defined to guide the work of the association in 2013:

Focusing on the communities
Increasing diversity of knowledge
Establishing free knowledge in society

The main activities of Wikimedia Deutschland, our aims, projects and programs will focus on these themes and the underlying problems. As in 2012, gaining new authors and increasing support for existing authors will continue to be the central focus of our work. By specifically directing our projects at groups that are still under-represented, by inviting and enabling them to join in, we are effectively contributing to the diversity of knowledge. By bringing new authors into the communities, we are according the communities a central role. A friendly and productive spirit of cooperation distinguished by mutual respect and acknowledgement of all people involved in the creation, improvement and dissemination of free knowledge is essential to our work. We are acting in a social context, not a void – we are affected by positive and negative trends in society – and we change the society we live in through our work. In the long term, however, our goal – that every human being has free access to the sum of all knowledge – can only be attained if the qualities that distinguish Wikimedia are firmly established in society.

Focusing on the communities

The foundation for the success of Wikipedia, the basis for the existence of the association Wikimedia Deutschland, and the most important factor in the future development of the individual Wikimedia projects and in society’s acceptance of the concept of free knowledge is the work of the communities and the individual authors, supporters, photographers, editors, administrators, software developers and association members: in short, all contributors of knowledge, time and money.

Our work must take account of these circumstances and the commitment involved by providing the communities with the support they need, and following the aims of the association. We see our work as an active contribution to gaining new authors and ensuring the continued commitment of existing authors, and in maintaining and improving the quality of Wikimedia content.

Increasing diversity of knowledge

The mission of the worldwide Wikimedia movement is to make the sum of all knowledge accessible to everyone everywhere. We are still very much at the beginning of this journey: many languages and cultures are still not adequately represented in Wikimedia projects, many levels of society are still not sharing their knowledge with the rest of the world, and many people still shy away from participating in our projects. The small number of women involved is a particularly striking aspect of many Wikimedia projects.

The aim of our work is to activate the knowledge and commitment of these groups, expand the Wikimedia project pool of knowledge and contribute to creating a heterogeneous, colourful and diverse community.

By first focusing on increasing the participation of women in its projects, Wikimedia Deutschland will develop methods and processes that can be applied on an international level and subsequently used to activate other under-represented groups.

Establishing free knowledge in society

Wikimedia is both a product and a generator of social change.

Our work takes place in a specific social and legal context. By creating and disseminating educational content and contributing to the debate on educational goals, Wikimedia also plays a part in changing this context.

Through our work we are actively shaping the framework conditions for the creation, collection, and dissemination of free knowledge in a process of dialogue and exchange with other groups in society.

Within Wikimedia projects we also try to promote an understanding of the needs of our readers.

Goals for 2013

Goal 1

Wikimedia Deutschland will simplify and improve cooperation with and within the communities on a permanent basis.

Change of role

Wikimedia Deutschland will redefine its role in the communities: The association will take a more active part in debates and support decision-making processes. - Responsible department: Volunteer Support

Commentary:

Wikimedia Deutschland has been actively involved in Wikimedia communities since its foundation, but has always retained a passive role in any debates. We now see this passivity as counter-productive if important changes are to be collectively implemented. In future, we will take an active part in debates to ensure that as many diverse and well-founded opinions as possible receive the attention they deserve.

This will make it possible to follow and adequately reflect upon vital issues like the gender gap and declining author numbers or on far-reaching changes and debates that affect the movement at international level. For example, we can commission expert opinions on themes of general interest and conduct research to provide a solid factual basis for discussions on controversial issues.

Our aim will be achieved if we succeed in significantly enriching debates through our contributions. In other words, if we help define themes, disseminate facts, and objectively and regularly reassess our own position.

Changing the working climate

Wikimedia Deutschland will increase motivation in the communities. - Responsible department: Volunteer Support

Commentary:

One of the driving factors that inspire volunteers to contribute is positive feedback. The experience of having one’s own Wikipedia article read by thousands of people or cited by experts is very inspiring. However, a culture of mutual recognition is still rather underdeveloped in Wikimedia projects.

We will expand the spectrum of these support activities and close existing gaps in order to particularly strenghten the culture of mutual recognition. For example, we will give volunteers more public exposure; re-defining the Zedler Prize was a first step in that direction.

We will monitor the motivation of participants in all projects and programs. Our goal will be achieved if the motivation of participants increases significantly.

Changing support mechanisms

Wikimedia Deutschland will provide volunteers with even better support. - Responsible department: Volunteer Support

Commentary:

Support for volunteers must be quickly and easily accessible to avoid placing an unnecessary and excessive strain on their voluntary commitment to free knowledge. Communication will be simple with clear criteria and ample offers of support.

We will present our offers of support in a way that is quicker and easier to access and more visually appealing. We will publish our decision criteria and commit to rapid reaction times. We will communicate our appreciation of new ideas. We will simplify the process of drawing up project drafts, budgets and reports by providing the relevant forms. The Toolserver will support the development and service of new tools.

Our goal will be achieved if a greater number of volunteers use our support structures and have received positive feedback for their contributions.

Goal 2

Wikimedia Deutschland will increase the diversity of knowledge in Wikimedia projects.

Changes for new Wikimedians

Better support structures will encourage new Wikimedians to remain involved in Wikimedia projects. - Responsible department: Volunteer Support

Commentary:

Beginners in Wikimedia projects face obstacles that make it difficult for them to participate regularly. The resulting brain drain is damaging to the projects, as the knowledge of every individual counts.

Offers of assistance for new Wikipedians like hotlines, support contacts on social media platforms and local working groups are designed to reverse the brain drain and complement existing internal programs like the tutoring scheme with new approaches. Also experienced authors can profit from these offers as soon as they find themselves in a new context (e.g. the first proposed deletion of their own article).

Our goal will be achieved if these support structures encourage more Wikipedians to remain involved in the projects.

Changes for diversity

Wikimedia Deutschland will develop a concept to bring more diversity into Wikipedia. - Responsible department: Education & Knowledge

Commentary:

Wikipedia is diversity in practice. People write on every subject, but not all people write. The worryingly small number of female participants has already been mentioned. What we need is a concept about what diversity in Wikipedia really means and how we can achieve it.

In cooperation with the communities and experts, we will organize events at which our existing approaches are developed further and new ideas elaborated. Previously isolated enquiries into the representation of individual groups in Wikimedia projects will be compiled into an overall concept.

Our goal will be achieved when we have developed a promising concept.

Changing participation

Wikimedia Deutschland projects will encourage a wide range of different groups to participate. - Responsible department: Education & Knowledge

Commentary:

Problems like diminishing author numbers and the gender gap are among the biggest threats to the future of Wikimedia projects. Our work at schools, universities and with the elderly are a good start for combating these trends. However, we need to expand the scope of our activities.

The central focus of our activities next year will be to try out new formats, expand our networks and produce suitable education and information materials.

Our goal will be achieved if many new formats have been tried out and the successful ones are replicated on a wider scale.

Goal 3

Wikimedia Deutschland will enable readers to bring their personal perspective into the Wikimedia projects.

Changes for readers

Wikimedia Deutschland will collect data on reader interests and ensure these interests are duly considered in Wikimedia projects. - Responsible department: Volunteer Support

Commentary:

Wikimedia projects address a large and diverse readership. Reader perspectives are important and have so far not been given the consideration they deserve. Compiling information on these interests in order to broaden the communities’ perspective on their own work will improve the quality of projects.

Wikimedia Deutschland will promote greater awareness of reader interests among the communities using technical means, surveys or discussion events.

Our goal will be achieved if we can gather and process information on reader interests and regularly bring our findings into the communities.

Goal 4

Wikimedia Deutschland will form new cooperations to establish the concept of free knowledge on a broader basis.

Changes in the educational sphere

Wikimedia Deutschland will develop a network of people committed to establishing free knowledge in the educational sphere (e.g. via open educational resources) . - Responsible department: Education & Knowledge

Commentary:

The use of Open Educational Resources aims to improve access to education on all levels. Generating this free content has, however, hardly become established practice in the German education system. It is important to raise awareness of the importance of free access to education and promote this vision in order to make the present educational environment fairer and more open.

We will form partnerships with activists, teachers, school and university students, and create incentives to make educational material freely accessible and available for use. In brief: we will demonstrate that freely available education material is a significant issue in society.

Our goal will be achieved if free educational content is on the agenda of key actors in school education and the first pilot schemes have been tested.

Changes for state-owned works

Wikimedia Deutschland will improve its access to policymakers with the aim of making state-owned works freely available for use. - Responsible department: Politics & Society

Commentary:

Vital issues for Wikimedia Deutschland like legal certainty in the use of orphan works hardly featured in the copyright debates of 2012. The proclaimed “Third Basket” of copyright reform that is particularly relevant to the concerns of science and academia has been postponed to the next legislative period. Important decisions that will set the course for years to come will therefore be made in the federal election year 2013.

By submitting catalogues of key questions prior to the election, by staging events and making suggestions on possible methods of implementation, we will show policymakers viable ways of making state-owned works freely available for use. In cooperation with other interested parties, we will lobby for a transparency law in Berlin.

Our goal will be achieved if our own regulatory proposal for the use of state-owned works attracts the attention and support of the general public.

Changes at the European level

We will create the conditions required to represent our interests at EU level. - Responsible department: Politics & Society

Commentary:

Important legal issues related to the subject of free knowledge are regulated at EU level. International agreements like ACTA include provisions that have an immediate effect on Wikimedia projects. This is why it is essential for us to be present at the European level and participate in hearings and networking activities.

By engaging in political monitoring long before decisions are implemented into national laws, we can take steps to ensure that in future EU policies take greater consideration of the particularities of collaborative online projects. To be successful here, we have to join forces with initiatives like EDRI, La Quadrature Du Net and other Wikimedia chapters.

Our goal will be achieved if, in cooperation with such partners, we succeed in developing and implementing a sustainably funded model that guarantees our presence at EU level.

Changes in partnerships

We will continue our partnerships within the cultural sector and find new fields in which we can effectively demonstrate the benefits of free knowledge. - Responsible department: Politics & Society

Commentary:

Institutions are holders and disseminators of knowledge and are thus very valuable partners. If they are prevented from contributing to the knowledge commons for legal or organizational reasons, we need to present them with tailored suggestions on how they can overcome these hurdles.

Our experience with partnerships in the cultural sector should be better presented and made available to potentially interested parties. We would also like to expand our search for new partners. These could include companies, for example, who are reviewing and digitizing their archives on the occasion of an important jubilee. We would also like to communicate to state actors that they are not dependent on direct profits and that the system of free licenses is a good means of expanding the reach of works they own.

Our goal will be achieved if new partnerships come about as a result of direct inquiries from our association and there is demand for our consulting activities.

Follow-up activities from 2012

After several years of work, the Research & Development department of Wikimedia Deutschland is scheduled to complete the large-scale projects RENDER and Wikidata in 2013. For this reason, the R&D department has not formulated any new goals for 2013.

RENDER

The RENDER project is designed to help authors and readers to locate, understand and improve Wikipedia articles that are not written in an objective and balanced way. In 2013, the project will be in its third year. We will test and evaluate two tools we have developed: the Article Statistics and Quality Monitor, and the Task List Generator. Once the project is completed on 30 September 2013, Wikipedia will have two support tools to help readers and authors work with and use Wikipedia.

The RENDER tools effectively enable Wikimedia Deutschland to support the creation of quality content, provide further information and encourage readers to become active Wikipedians themselves.

In the coming year, these tools will be tested in cooperation with Wikipedia readers and authors. The tools will then be modified according to the observed needs and results.

Wikidata

The goal of the Wikidata project is to create a free database that can be accessed and updated by people and machines alike. By the end of the project’s first year in March 2013, data will be available in all languages offered on Wikipedia.

Wikidata will help boost quality in Wikimedia projects by providing structured support data. Many Wikipedia articles contain facts and links to other articles, e.g. about a country’s population statistics or an actor’s place of birth, which are presented in a way that is difficult for a machine to read. Wikidata will enable information to be entered into the system in a way that allows a computer to process it. Computers can then provide this information in a variety of languages, produce overviews, lists, and diagrams or answer questions that could not be automatically generated before.

With Wikidata, three important milestones will be reached: interwiki links, info boxes and lists. Further developments are also in the pipeline. If we can raise sufficient funds, in the second year we will begin supporting metadata for multimedia data in Wikimedia Commons, and enable a closer link-up between the various sources of Wikidata content.

Staff units

The Communication Unit and the newly created units for Evaluation, International Affairs and Monitoring & Controlling will support the Wikimedia departments in achieving their goals for 2013.

Communication Unit

In 2013, special attention will be paid to enhancing communication within the association. The aim of the Communication Unit is to help the individual departments to make their work transparent, attractive to potential participants and to raise its public profile. Staff will be trained to communicate independently in a targeted and effective manner. The unit will issue communication guidelines and provide further training for staff. A central focus of its activities will be to make communication via social media an integral part of our staff’s work.

These new additions to the unit’s traditional PR work are vital to communicate the growing number of projects and programs to all target groups, and for the association to be directly accessible to the communities, association members, sponsors and the general public as a whole. Besides press relations, the unit’s PR activities will also include internal communication and the visual identity of the association.

The area of fundraising is also part of the Communication Unit’s responsibilities. In 2013, the unit will aim to generate regular donations and attract new members. At present, one-time contributions are still very much the norm. The unit will also explore new ways of approaching potential donors. The spectrum of activities will be expanded to include cooperations with companies, measures to attract large donations and campaigns held during the course of the year.

Evaluation Unit

The Evaluation Unit was set up by the association in 2012 to gauge the effects of its work. This kind of feedback is vital to improving the measures taken by the association. The unit helps individual departments develop evaluation concepts, accompanies their implementation and advises them and the Executive Director on questions of strategy. The unit sees itself as a competence center for empirical research methods.

The unit will build up technical resources like software for online surveys and statistics. The collected findings will be made available to Wikimedia Deutschland and the Wikimedia movement as a whole. The work of the Evaluation Unit also makes it easier to apply for third-party funding, for which scientific analyses are often required.

International Affairs Unit

Free knowledge knows no borders. The new unit for International Affairs will become a driving force in linking up key players in the Wikimedia movement around the world and ensure that German-language communities are better integrated in the international decision-making process.

We very much want to avoid a reoccurrence of situations as in 2011, for example, when the debate concerning the introduction of an image filter in Wikimedia projects was very late in reaching the German-language community. The unit will communicate and chair debates on major issues within the German-language arena at an early stage to ensure the views held on such matters here reach an international audience.

The unit will collect and disseminate information among German-language communities. Conversely, the experience and views of German-language communities will also be communicated internationally. The unit’s general responsibilities also include sharing the collected experiences, materials and tools of Wikimedia Deutschland internationally. We aim to form cooperations and joint programs that will widen the horizons of the association’s work and provide fresh inspiration for our work.

Monitoring & Controlling Unit

The Monitoring & Controlling Unit supports the Executive Director and the heads of department in managing and coordinating the work of the association. To this end, the unit develops and operates a planning system specifically tailored to the needs of Wikimedia Deutschland.

The unit will also establish a management information system for the association as a whole and provide a continuous comparison of actual and target values.

For the 2013 Annual Plan, the unit will also provide a planned/actual data comparison on a quarterly basis and regularly inform the Executive Director and the heads of department of its findings.

The unit will actively contribute to drawing up the financial section of the 2014 planning process.

Supporting services

Event management

Wikimedia Deutschland holds a great number of events every year ranging from the Wikimedia Conference with over 120 participants from more than 40 countries, the public award of the Zedler Prize, the Wikipedia Academy with 240 guests to smaller meet-ups like the Wikimedia Forum. Whether large or small, these events serve as platforms for debating and exchanging ideas with the communities and the general public, as well as an opportunity to present our work.

The event management team is responsible for all the event logistics – from finding the right venue, to sending out the invitations, negotiating technology and catering services, down to the statistical analysis of participant numbers. The event management team provides support to the departments by taking charge of key administrative tasks and enabling them to focus wholly on the content and running of the events.

Our goal for 2013 is that all events involving more than ten participants will be administered and logistically managed by the event management team.

Human Resources & Administration

To achieve its aims, Wikimedia Deutschland will be employing over 55 people on a full or part-time basis by the end of 2013. This will involve a corresponding increase in administrative work, personnel development, new staff appointments and payroll accounting. Further responsibilities include running the Berlin office, ensuring that the necessary materials and equipment are provided and that the staff has working conditions that promote productivity, health and a good atmosphere.

By the end of 2013, standards will be set for all core processes in human resources and administration and the relevant processes documented.

Finance

Each year, many thousands of invoices have to be processed, approved by the relevant departments and entered in the accounting system. On top of that, many other accounts have to be settled, such as reimbursements of travel costs or other expenses. The Finance section is also responsible for bookkeeping, general accounting (excluding the payroll accounts, which are handled externally) and calculating the financial figures for reporting purposes.

Goal for 2013: Accounting will always be up to date, invoices will be booked no later than seven days upon receipt, and volunteer expenses reimbursed within a maximum of seven work days upon receipt of the relevant bills.

Executive Director

The responsibilities of the Executive Director are set out in the Wikimedia Deutschland charter. Alongside the overall responsibility for the dealings of the association, its staff and assets, the Executive Director is also responsible towards the Supervisory Board, members, donors, the Wikimedia communities and the general public for the implementation of the goals set out in this plan. To this end, the Executive Director organizes the work of the association offices, appoints and directs staff and ensures smooth workflows. The Executive Director structures, develops and strategically directs the organization, introducing improvements like the new departmental and staff unit structures.

In 2013, the main focus of activities will be to set up and operate a comprehensive reporting and controlling structure, and bring the new organizational structures to life. A further important issue on the agenda is targeted staff development, which will be significantly improved in 2013. Thirdly, many work flows, processes and approaches need to be reconsidered and brought up to date with the steady growth of the association’s structure and activities over the past years.

House of Free Knowledge

The premises of Wikimedia Deutschland should serve as a contact point for everyone committed to the cause of free knowledge. Our current premises in Obentrautstraße, Berlin, are large enough for us to be able to stage small events in a relatively straightforward way. In 2013 we aim to expand these possibilities by finding a suitable location for the House of Free Knowledge. With the support of external partners, we aim to set up this location in a way that we can regularly host events like conferences, seminars and workshops. The House of Free Knowledge will be a community space open to all Wikimedians and other supporters of the cause, equipped with a range of support tools to help people in their work for free knowledge. More technical equipment will be acquired and made available for use with as little red tape as possible. We will regularly host events with cooperation partners here, and provide space and opportunity for the informal exchange of ideas.

Financials

Donation development

Budget of Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft 2013

	Budget of Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft (WMFG) 2013
	Item		Amount in €

1	Income		7,700,000

	Expenditures
2		Fundraising costs in 2013	−280,000
3		Transfers to WMDE	−1,500,000
4		FDC funds to WMDE	−1,400,000
5		Transfers to WMF	−2,900,000
	Total expenditures		−6,080,000

	Result		1,620,000

Item 1: Income: €7,700,000

All income from donations in the period from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. Income during the period from January 1 to June 31 is covered by the current fundraising contract with the Wikimedia Foundation. Income after that is covered by the agreement still to be reached for the period from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014.

Item 1 is based on this calculation: Between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012 (The fundraising agreement with the Wikimedia Foundation always extends from the month of July to the following year's month of June.) we raised a total sum of €4,300,000. Extended reach of donation banners, improved design of our donation pages and additional donation campaigns before and after the traditional November/December campaign make us again expect growth for the current donation period. To be precise, a 41 % growth. Accordingly, we expect an income of €6,000,000 from donations between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, of which €1,000,000 are part of 2013. Income between July 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013, which is the end of the fiscal year for the Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft, is to be subsumed under this item, as well. For the latter time period we expect a 32% growth, meaning that our income will be €6,700,000.

Item 2: Fundraising costs in 2013: -€280,000

In accordance with the fundraising contract, the costs related to income from donations as covered by this agreement are deducted from the donation sum. As such, this item covers the majority of the WMFG’s 2013 budget. These costs include the salaries of the fundraising team, the costs for mailing donation receipts for tax purposes, use of the fundraising software, rent, etc.

Item 3: Transfers to WMDE: -€1,500,000

The contract with the Wikimedia Foundation only covers those donations that can be verified to have been made from the webpages of the Wikimedia Foundation (the banners on de.wikipedia.org and the banners on sister projects). Wikimedia Deutschland also raises funds using other means, such as letters to past donors and the website www.wikipedia.de. In addition, many people donate to Wikimedia Deutschland directly and cannot be verified as having used one of the banners on de.wikipedia.org. This item also includes all that income.

Item 4: FDC funds to WMDE: -€1,400,000

The new Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC) distributes funds to Wikimedia chapters and other organizations for them to use for the advancement of free knowledge. Wikimedia Deutschland also uses this process by applying for funds in this amount with the FDC. The approval process runs until mid December, when the Wikimedia Foundation board decides on how to distribute the funds.

The Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft forwards these funds to Wikimedia Deutschland if the Wikimedia Foundation’s board follows the FDC’s recommendation.

Item 5: Transfers to WMF: -€2,900,000

The Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft collects donations to be used by Wikimedia Deutschland (items 3 and 4) and by the Wikimedia Foundation. This item includes the funds that are forwarded directly to the Wikimedia Foundation for its international activities and to finance its technical infrastructure.

Result €1,620,000

The Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft collects donations for all of 2013, including funds that will not be used before 2014. Consequently, the Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft posts a win – only to distribute these funds to Wikimedia Deutschland and the Wikimedia Foundation in 2014, according to the Fördergesellschaft's purpose.

Budget of Wikimedia Deutschland e.V.

	Budget of Wikimedia Deutschland (WMDE) 2013
	Item			Amount in €
	Income
6			Transfers from WMFG	1,500,000
7			Funds from FDC	1,400,000
8			Corporate Social Responsibility	75,000
9			Royalties	25,000
10			Membership fees	150,000
11			Interest	5,000
12			Subsidies	200,000
13			Wikidata 2	765,000
14			House of Free Knowledge	600,000
15			EU funds for TAO	20,000
16			EU funds for RENDER	75,000
17			Toolserver grants	35,000
	Total income			4,850,000

	Expenditures
		Volunteer Support
18			- Implementation of goals for 2013	−790,000
19			- Reserve for Round 3 of the Community Project Budget	−250,000
		Total for Volunteer Support		−1,040,000

20		Education & Knowledge		−430,000

21		Politics & Society		−390,000

		Research & Development
22			RENDER	−190,000
23			Wikidata 1	−410,000
24			Wikidata 2	−630,000
		Total for Research & Development		−1,230,000

		Communication Unit
25			- PR	−340,000
26			- Fundraising	−90,000
		Total for Communication Unit		−430,000

		International affairs Unit
27			- International dialogue	−145,000
28			- Wikimedia Chapters Association	−200,000
		Total for International Affairs Unit		−345,000

29		Evaluation Unit		−175,000

30		Monitoring & Controlling Unit		−140,000

		Supporting services
31			Event management	−90,000

32			Human Resources & Administration	−480,000
33			Setup and operation of the House of Free Knowledge	−600,000
34			Finance	−90,000
		Total for supporting services		−1,260,000

35		Executive Director		−220,000
36		Supervisory Board		−90,000
37	Total expenditures			−5,750,000

38	Result			−900,000

Item 6: Transfers from WMFG: €1,500,000

This corresponds to item 3 above.

Item 7: Funds from FDC: €1,400,000

This corresponds to item 4 above.

Item 8: Corporate Social Responsibility: €75,000

To find new sources of income and avoid becoming dependent on a single source of income, we will be working with a consulting firm next year to approach specific companies and ask them for support. This will not take place as sponsoring, where there is a clearly defined service in return, but as part of Corporate Social Responsibility programs. We believe this has enormous potential in the medium term. For 2013, however, we will be concentrating on developing our expertise in this area and finding our first partner.

Item 9: Royalties: €25,000

Royalties that are already stipulated by contract.

Item 10: Membership fees: €150,000

Member numbers continue to grow, so we are expecting another significant increase in membership fees in 2013.

Item 11: Interest: €5,000

This is a conservative estimate because the financial markets are fragile and interest rates are low.

Item 12: Subsidies: €200,000

As mentioned in item 8, we are aiming for greater diversity in our sources of income. In the past we have only requested subsidies selectively (for things like RENDER and TAO), but in 2013 we want to take this further.

Item 13: Wikidata 2: €765,000

The Wikidata project that began in 2012 has been financed entirely by big donors (Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence [ai]2, Google Inc., the Betty and Gordon Moore Foundation). That phase will end in mid 2013. We are aiming for subsequent financing, which will enable the launch of additional features. We hope to finance the second phase of the project entirely through big donors as well.

Item 14: House of Free Knowledge: €600,000

Like Wikidata, the House of Free Knowledge project is to be financed entirely through earmarked subsidies. We began talking with foundations and other possible donors in 2012.

Item 15: EU funds for TAO: €20,000

Subsidies already guaranteed under contract as part of the ongoing TAO (Third Age Online)/Silberwissen project.

Item 16: EU funds for RENDER: €75,000

Subsidies already guaranteed under contract as part of the ongoing RENDER project.

Item 17: Toolserver grants: €35,000

Wikimedia Deutschland is running the toolserver until similar services are available through Wikimedia Foundation’s Wikimedia Labs. We expect we will need to keep it running at least until the end of 2013, and we will get financial support for that purpose from the Wikimedia Foundation and/or other chapters.

Item 18: Volunteer Support: Implementing goals for 2013: -€790,000

The biggest single item is the 2013 community project budget at €250,000. In addition, we will be significantly enlarging our range of support beyond current offerings such as the literature and library grant or project meetings. We will be providing equipment and supplying communities with expert advice on background topics and factual issues. More importantly, we will be supporting community events like Wikimania and WikiCon with financial and specialist support and we will be covering travel expenses. Congressional grants and Wikipedia trifft (Wikipedia meets) events enable us to promote networking between communities and experts.

Item 19: Reserve for Community Project Budget Round 3: -€250,000

Since the funds from the Community Project Budget that were earmarked for 2012 will not be disbursed until late 2012, we will not be able to spend most of these funds until 2013. Item 19 exists to keep this amount separate from the CPB for 2013.

Item 20: Education & Knowledge: -€430,000

This area includes creating a diversity concept, the topics of dwindling author numbers and the gender gap as well as networking with educators. To do this we will be expanding existing programs (university program, TAO, etc.) and trying out lots of new approaches. Community and specialist events, preparing studies, conducting pilot schemes, expanding our partnerships, further developing our network of experts and creating educational and informational material will also play a key role.

Item 21: Politics & Society: -€390,000

This item finances the liberation of state-owned works, positioning Wikimedia Deutschland in questions relating to copyrights and personality rights and our first steps on the European stage. Finally, we will be expanding our projects in the cultural sector (Wikipedian in Residence, Wikipedia trifft, etc.) to include new offerings so we can build partnerships in areas that are new to us (such as the free market economy and government agencies).

Item 22: Research & Development: RENDER: -€190,000

RENDER will end in 2013 after operating for three years. In 2013 we will test the tools developed so far with Wikipedia readers and authors. We will organize test series with different user groups and then evaluate the results. Then we will adjust the tools to better meet people’s needs as revealed by the results.

Item 23: Research & Development: Wikidata 1: -€410,000

The Wikidata project aims to create a free knowledge database that both people and machines can read and update. Data will be available in all Wikipedia languages by the end of the first year of this project phase.

Item 24: R&D: Wikidata 2: -€630,000

Wikidata 1 reached three important milestones (interwiki links, info boxes and lists) but there is still a lot to be done. In the second year we want to start supporting metadata for multimedia data in Wikimedia Commons and/or enabling more tightly linked sources for content from Wikidata. As with Wikidata 1 funding will be secured by big donors / foundations (see Item 13).

Item 25: PR: -€340,000

From 2013, all PR expenditures will be bundled in the Communication Unit. PR expenditures include the production of materials, flyers and texts as well as merchandising and giveaways. They also include appearances at trade fairs, press relations and the association websites.

Item 26: Fundraising: -€90,000

The majority of fundraising costs (€280,000) are incurred by the Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft (see item 2). But Wikimedia Deutschland also incurs its own direct costs, since it also collects donations outside the fundraising contract with the Wikimedia Foundation. The association helps pay for wage costs, costs for mailing donation receipts, etc.

Item 27: International Affairs Unit: -€145,000

As shown in the plan, Wikimedia Deutschland will be more actively collaborating with international communities, disseminating our insights internationally and promoting international dialogue. To do this we will be making our processes and materials available, initiating exchange programs and partnerships and getting involved in international discussions and events.

Item 28: Wikimedia Chapters Association: -€200,000

The Wikimedia Chapters Association (WCA), which is currently in the founding stage, will aim to promote collaboration among chapters. This will take place by supporting new chapters, coordinating existing chapters and providing targeted assistance during strategic and organizational development. All participating chapters have agreed to divert around five percent of their donation budget to the WCA to finance those goals. We are also giving a substantial amount to support this important initiative that will provide even more impetus to the advancement of free knowledge at the international level.

Item 29: Evaluation Unit: -€175,000

The focus is on determining the effectiveness of all our measures, projects and programs. To achieve this, the unit develops and implements evaluation concepts and establish technical resources.

Item 30: Monitoring & Controlling Unit: -€140,000

The unit’s core duties are developing and maintaining planning systems, supporting the management of different areas, units and the entire association, integrating external accountants and supporting the planning and evaluation process by providing comprehensive reports.

Item 31: Event management: -€90,000

To support all areas and units and to help organize community events, event management will assist with the logistical and administrative execution of all events with ten persons or more. Not only does this relieve the areas of organizational chores, it consolidates processes and offers a central place to keep information about event logistics.

Item 32: Human Resources & Administration: -€480,000

This includes operational costs for the office as well as all procurement, equipment for work spaces, operational costs for IT infrastructure, the secretary’s office and all personnel administration and development including recruiting.

Item 33: Setup and operation of the House of Free Knowledge: -€600,000

This item includes the search for suitable office space, negotiations with landlords and partners, managing necessary renovations and planning and installing vital technology for the House of Free Knowledge. As laid out in Item 14, funding for this project will provided for from external sources (big donors, foundations, state funding etc.)

Item 34: Finance -€90,000

This mainly includes financial accounting, payroll and the rest of accounting.

Item 35: Executive Director: -€220,000

This item includes the salary of the executive director, which is €90,100 pre-tax, plus a performance-based bonus that is determined on a year-to-year basis. For 2012 this is a €23,850 max (a bonus agreement for 2013 has not been made yet). This item furthermore includes costs for external consultants (for issues such as organizational development, legal or finance issues), as well as costs for assistants and travel and promotional expense.

Item 36: Supervisory Board: -€90,000

The most important items are the costs of the Supervisory Board’s regular conclaves, the costs of covering travel expenses related to the Supervisory Board’s activities, and support from external consultants in 2013. Considering that Compass 2020 was passed in 2009, it is about time we start developing the strategy process further with members, donors, communities and employees. To achieve this goal, the Supervisory Board relies on support from specialists.

Item 38: Result: -€900,000

The association is of course not permitted to post a loss, but since the association owns cash accounts from 2012 amounting to €950,000 (e.g. purpose-related funding for Wikidata, see Item 23)are added (see item 43), we are left with a balance of €50,000 at the end of 2013, which we will use to start a reserve.

Cashflow of WMFG for 2012

	Cashflow of WMFG for 2013
	Item	Amount in €
39	Cash at beginning of year	5,100,000

40	Inflows	7,700,000

41	Outflows	−6,080,000
42	Cash at end of year	6,720,000

Item 39: Cash at beginning of year: €5,100,000

The fundraising contract between the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikimedia Deutschland covers a different period (July 1 to June 30) than that of Wikimedia Deutschland’s fiscal year (January 1 to December 31).

As a result, this item comprises all of WMFG’s income from donations that Wikimedia Deutschland raised before the start of the fiscal year on January 1, 2013 – specifically, income received between July 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012.

Our calculation of income from donations assumes an increase of 41 percent over the previous year. This is a moderate increase compared with past years. This can be explained by the fact that the economic climate has cooled off considerably, leading us to expect that the willingness to donate will not grow at the same pace as it has in years past. Secondly, the association is continuously improving its techniques (donation pages, donor pitches, banner design), but of course this has its limits.

Item 40: Inflows: €7,700,000

This amount includes all of the Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft’s income from donations between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013.

Item 41: Outflows: -€6,080,000

This item includes all transfers to Wikimedia Deutschland (items 3 and 4), the Wikimedia Foundation (item 5) and fundraising costs (item 2).

Item 42: Cash at end of year: €6,720,000

This includes all income from donations received after the expiration of the current fundraising contract with the Wikimedia Foundation; in other words, all donations between July 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013. A new contract will decide how these funds are to be used.

Cashflow of WMDE for 2013

	Cashflow of WMDE for 2013
	Item	Amount in €
43	Cash at beginning of year	950,000

44	Inflows	4,850,000

45	Outflows	−5,750,000
46	Cash at end of year	50,000

Item 43: Cash at beginning of year: €950,000

This item includes funds for Wikidata 1 (item 23), funds for the Community Project Budget that were not disbursed in 2012 (item 19) and the cash that the association will use in 2013.

Item 44: Inflows: €4,850,000

Total of items 6 to 17.

Item 45: Outflows: -€5,750,000

Corresponds to item 37.

Item 46: Cash at end of year: €50,000

This amount will be used to create a reserve.

Human resources

Organizational chart of Wikimedia Deutschland

Human resource development

Table showing human resources development for 2013:

Department	FTE^[1] 2012	FTE 2013	Diff.
Volunteer Support	4,3	5,3	1
Education & Knowledge	3,25	4,25	1
Politics & Society	3,55	3,55	0
Research & Development
- Wikidata 1	11,5	5,75	-5,75
- Wikidata 2		5,75	5,75
- RENDER	3,5	3,5	0
Communication
- Public Relations	3,75	3,75	0
- Fundraising^[2]	2,35	3,1	0,75
International Affairs
- International dialog	1	1,5	0,5
- Wikimedia Chapters Association	0	0	0
Evaluation	0,5	1,5	1
Monitoring & Controlling	1	1,5	0,5
Supporting services
- Event Management	1	1,5	0,5
- Human Resources & Administration	1,425	3,425	2
- House of Free Knowledge	0	1	1
- Finance	1	2	1
Executive Director	2	2	0
Supervisory Board	0	0	0
Total	40	49,25	9,25

↑ FTE: Full-time equivalent
↑ FTEs employed by the Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft.

Statement by Wikimedia Deutschland’s auditors on the 2013 budget

(Please note: This is an inofficial translation from the auditors' statement in German. Read the original statement here.)

The budget draft of the association Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. for the 2013 financial year was inspected by the auditors from 13 to 18 September 2012. Both auditors and their two representatives participated in the audit.

In order to perform their inspection, the auditors were provided with the draft budget in the office wiki (version of 18 September) and the cash flow statement.

These data were made available by the association’s Executive Director Pavel Richter. The final report to members was not included.

The auditors were provided with both the data for the association Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. and for the non-profit limited liability company Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft mbH, meaning that the planned revenue and expenditures of both organizations could be reviewed simultaneously.

Only a few points requiring clarification arose during an initial inspection of the various documents, and these were quickly explained by Mr. Richter. All further questions were also answered to the auditors’ satisfaction.

The auditors would like to stress that the structure and presentation of the budget draft are far better than that of the previous year.

The expenditure plan of both organizations did not include any expenditures that might contradict the association’s charter. All planned expenditures serve the purpose of the association as laid down in Sections 2.1 and 2.4 of the charter. In particular, the members do not receive any monies in their function as members, as laid down in Section 2.7 of the charter.

The planned expenditures of the non-profit company are money transfers to the association, the Wikimedia Foundation, the Funds Dissemination Committee, and costs for administration and attracting donations.

The planned revenues of the non-profit company are donations arising from ongoing payments from donors and from fundraising activities.

In 2013 the association is expecting revenue from the non-profit company, from funding from the Funds Dissemination Committee, from membership fees, subsidies, earmarked grants from other chapters, and from large donations made for specific purposes. Revenue from membership fees is to rise through the ongoing recruitment of new members. Overall, the association plans to spend most of its expected revenue of €4.85 million. It also hopes to allocate €50,000 to the reserve fund. The reserves from 2012 (€950,000) are to be entirely incorporated in the 2013 budget.

The inspection of the available documents leaves no doubt that the budgeted monies are intended to be used in accordance with the association’s charter and tax law.

The auditors of Wikimedia Deutschland e.V.: Daniel Baur, Thomas Goldammer, Holger Motzkau, Steffen Prößdorf

[1] FTE: Full-time equivalent

[2] FTEs employed by the Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft.

[1]

[2]