Does In a July email to the Wikimedia-l email list, the WMF representative announced that the rapid grant process for proposals of up to US$2,000 would no longer sponsor travel support, equipment purchases, or Wikimedia meetups. Wiki editing parties, photowalks, promotion campaigns, video campaigns, and "other" are still fundable causes. plus email imply that funding is being concentrated on these measures with a direct impact on the projects? Jo-Jo Eumerus (talk, contributions) 16:26, 31 July 2019 (UTC)[reply]
I think I understand that WMF has derecognized WM India because of a conflict of funding. But this is really difficult to discern and I'm not sure I'm even correct. I don't mean to sound picky, but can't you simply state in a single sentence near the beginning why the derecognition has occurred in this case? -- kosboot (talk) 17:12, 31 July 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Impossible, because there is no published resolution stating the reasons. The official explanation is that WMIN was supposed to send some documents by day X and sent them by day X+2. Comments by WMIN members mention difficulties with the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. Nemo 13:00, 1 August 2019 (UTC)[reply]
@Kosboot: I wrote the article and I agree with Nemo that the major challenge is barriers to communication. If anyone wants to either start on-wiki conversation or even better, write or interview for The Signpost, then I can give pointers to anyone who can rally to discuss and document. I am not aware of anything private or secret here, but I do see some difficult conversations without easy answers. Someone needs to be on point in these conversations to say that there is nothing embarrassing or wrong about facing a challenge and to keep the mood positive and mutually supportive. Blue Rasberry (talk) 14:12, 1 August 2019 (UTC)[reply]
This was posted in the Signpost Discussion Report comments, and an editor suggested that it also be added here. Edited from that posting:
A proposal partly mentioned during the Framban discussion seems relevant to this page (and will be expanded in the next few days and linked here). It concerns full-scholarship travel and lodging endowments organized by Wikipedia editors, and hopefully legally assisted by the Foundation. These proposed Diderot Endowments, named for Denis Diderot, the founder and co-editor of the 18th century Encyclopédie, would fund at least 300 additional first-time attendees to the yearly Wikimania conference. Expanded past that, they would also endow similar full-scholarships to major continental conferences. The initial 300 could easily and quickly grow to many more. The endowment would be mainly funded by substantial donations from individuals and not corporations, would be separate from the regular fundraising efforts of the Foundation, and would be solicited by long-time Wikipedians (prominent Wikipedians such as Jimbo Wales and Katherine Maher would be asked to please assist in solicitations, as Wikipedians and not as officials of the Foundation). The Diderot scholars, initially composed of long-time editors and administrators who've never attended Wikimania, would then be able to effectively interact and strategize with their fellow editors from around the world. More on this idea shortly. Randy Kryn (talk) 12:09, 2 August 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Cool. Will read it later, but good to hear that such an idea has been kicked around. Randy Kryn (talk) 13:13, 2 August 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. Did a quickish but good look at the links and the longish plan, and haven't yet wrapped it into a mental map. But on first glance the plan being come up with here may be the "Way to fund it" solution to whatever emerges from an overlap of ideas. Name it an honorable name like the "Diderot Endowment" (guessing "The Diderot" will become the common name) and it could be something that could fly. Randy Kryn (talk) 16:14, 2 August 2019 (UTC)[reply]
