Wikimedia United States

There have been recurring discussions about a Wikimedia United States group or chapter over the years. As of 2024 one does not exist.

Current initiatives

• North American Wikimedians - a Hub proposal
• WALRUS - an active virtual meetup and support network
• WCNA - a regional annual conference (and user group)
• Projects in need of a fiscal sponsor regularly rely on various partners: Wikimedia NYC, Wikimedia DC, DPLA, Hacks/Hackers

Floating projects

Recurring projects in the US with floating affiliation & fiscal sponsorship, which in other countries might be handled by a national chapter.

• WCNA - when hosted in the US (in contrast to Canada or Mexico)
• WikiCred
• WikiPortraits

Past initiatives and timeline

• 2005 - First Wikimedia United States of America draft - by mav (who snagged wikimedia.us) and others
  • archived: see Wikimedia United States of America/2005 and its talk page
• 2007 - Wikimedia United States Chapters Council - by user:Pharos to support subnational chapters and groups. Led to WALRUS, was renamed Wikimedia United States Coalition in 2013.
• 2010 - wikimediaus-l mailing list set up
• 2012 - Wikimedia US bylaws proposed, limited support (overly specific, many asked for clarity of purpose first)
• 2023 - NARWHAL (North American Wikimedians) Hub proposal and catalog of continental groups

Past comments

2010-2012 Discussions

Some of the initially proposed goals include organizing events, building national contacts, particularly with GLAM institutions and universities across the country, recruitment, support for regional + indigenous languages, maintaining a mailing list, supporting a regional conference (now WCNA). "I think it's definitely a mistake to think that sub-national chapters and a national chapter are mutually exclusive. Just because only two systems have developed so far doesn't mean that there can't be more, or they can't evolve into something different (part of what the movement roles project is intended to work on), especially since things are still very much in formative stages overall. Clearly a US national chapter would need to coexist with the sub-national chapter in New York, the one forming in DC, and any others that may emerge. But it doesn't seem to me like the process of forming a national chapter should be monopolized by the sub-national chapters when they don't provide anything close to complete regional coverage (I'm not suggesting the sub-national chapters are wanting to monopolize it, mind you). If I'm in the Seattle area, and want to work with people in Chicago and Florida and Texas to create a national chapter, that should be perfectly legitimate. I don't see how the notion of top-down or bottom-up has any bearing on it" - Michael Snow, 2011 "A national US chapter makes sense. It would have to sort out questions of overlap and coordination with regional chapters within the US, and coordination with the WMF. This regularly comes up at the annual chapters meeting - where for the past two years (at least) there has been support there for the development of such a chapter. There is no lack of potential projects to pursue: with a number of regional and endangered US languages, national media outreach and [glam + educational] partnerships to strengthen, and other entities (educational, governmental, civil society) interested in nation-wide knowledge collaborations, who have a difficult time figuring out how to interact directly with on-wiki project groups. There are other regional groups and projects across the US that could use more visibility, coherent coordination, and support." - –SJ talk , 2012