All 2013 projects | Key theme 1: Focusing on the communities – Goal 1: Collaboration – Change 1.3: Better support for volunteers

Project description: Great support – A

We will support community initiatives, particularly in terms of reimbursing costs and providing organizational assistance. (P3)

Contact / Project Manager: Christoph Jackel (Team Communities)
Total budget: €310,000

Implementation period: January 2, 2013 – December 31, 2013

What is the project about?

The current support programs of Wikimedia Deutschland for community initiatives will be continued and will be improved and expanded by June at the latest.

How will this project help us meet our annual goals?

Work on Wikimedia projects is unpaid and most of the directly related costs (such as IT equipment, cameras, travel costs, etc.) are also met by the individual community members themselves. In areas where the communities are most active, ideas for bigger projects often arise that would also entail higher costs.

We do not want these ideas to fail, or the commitment of individual participants to come to nothing for financial reasons. Over time, a number of different programs have been set up at Wikimedia Deutschland to provide members with financial and organizational support. These include literature and library scholarships, support for editor meetings, admin meetings and support team meetings.

Other forms of support are scholarships and cost reimbursements for participation in events such as WikiConvention, Wikimania and Hackathon as well as a wide range of smaller support schemes. Supporting the initiatives of community members in this way is one of the core tasks of Wikimedia Deutschland and will therefore be continued with high priority in 2013, initially in the same way as before, and then, over the course of the year, in an improved and expanded form.

What are the key milestones along the way and by when should we reach them?

No.	When	What
1.	July 1-31, 2013	We will provide support for editor meetings, photo workshops and Hackathon and present quality assurance tools provided by RENDER.
2.	May 4-5, and May 25-26, 2013	We will organize open space symposia to share and exchange ideas among the communities on key topics; award of the Zedler Prize for Free Knowledge.
3.	August and September, 2013	We will provide support for the participation of community members in WikiConvention and Wikimania and the closing event of Wiki Loves Monuments.